pro keyboards & pc's

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
just bought a black pro keyboard from the san

diego apple store.

works like a charm on my win2k box with no

additional drivers or anything need.

i like the fact it has a usb hub right on the keyboard.



all in all a decent little keyboard with a nice

footprint. the cable could have been slightly

longer..
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 24
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    Cool.
  • Reply 2 of 24
    [quote]Originally posted by madmax559:

    <strong>just bought a black pro keyboard from the san

    diego apple store.

    works like a charm on my win2k box with no

    additional drivers or anything need.

    i like the fact it has a usb hub right on the keyboard.



    all in all a decent little keyboard with a nice

    footprint. the cable could have been slightly

    longer..</strong><hr></blockquote>





    What does the Apple (Command) key do?



    What about the vloume/ejecy keys?



    What does the OS think the keyboard is?
  • Reply 3 of 24
    win2k recognized it as an apple pro usb keyboard



    the apple key = windows key

    sound keys control the vol



    eject & f13-15 dont do anything



    interestingly enough the 1st guy at the store

    was quite polite, the second one became really

    snotty when i mentioned i was going to use it on a

    pc...pretty stupid to piss off a customer.
  • Reply 4 of 24
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    [quote]Originally posted by dstranathan:

    <strong>What does the Apple (Command) key do?



    What about the vloume/ejecy keys?



    What does the OS think the keyboard is?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    The Command key brings up the Start Window (same as the Windows key on a PC keyboard).

    The eject and volume keys do nothing.



    I've used my Pro Keyboard forever with my PC (I'm using my PC right now).

    I recently bought a Belkin 4 port USB KVM (<a href="http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id= 200305&pcount=&Product_Id=122800&Section.Section_P ath=%2FRoot%2FPeripheralSharing%2FOmniview%2E%2E%2 ESwitches%2FOmniViewSOHOSeries%2F" target="_blank">F1DS104U</a>) and was quite disappointed that it doesn't play nice if I want to game on my PC.

    It now sits back in its box!

    Otherwise the Pro Keyboard is wonderful for Macs and PeeCees.



    [ 02-12-2003: Message edited by: Cake (I suck at linking tonight! ]



    [ 02-12-2003: Message edited by: Cake ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 24
    [quote]Originally posted by Cake:

    <strong>I've used my Pro Keyboard forever with my PC (I'm using my PC right now).

    I recently bought a Belkin 4 port USB KVM (<a href="http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id= 200305&pcount=&Product_Id=122800&Section.Section_P ath=%2FRoot%2FPeripheralSharing%2FOmniview%2E%2E%2 ESwitches%2FOmniViewSOHOSeries%2F" target="_blank">F1DS104U</a>) and was quite disappointed that it doesn't play nice if I want to game on my PC.

    It now sits back in its box!

    Otherwise the Pro Keyboard is wonderful for Macs and PeeCees.



    [ 02-12-2003: Message edited by: Cake (I suck at linking tonight! ]



    [ 02-12-2003: Message edited by: Cake ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

    KVM boxes don't work for games? Well that sucks.
  • Reply 6 of 24
    heres the scan codes for mac/pc keyboards



    <a href="http://www2d.biglobe.ne.jp/~msyk/keyboard/layout/usbkeycode.html"; target="_blank">http://www2d.biglobe.ne.jp/~msyk/keyboard/layout/usbkeycode.html</a>;



    it would be nice to be able to program

    the eject key so option+eject would do a shutdown



    if anyone has any ideas post em
  • Reply 7 of 24
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    [quote]Originally posted by Cake:

    <strong>



    The eject and volume keys do nothing.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    With the built-in AC97 sound on my Asus P4PE and its SoundMAX drivers, the volume keys and mute key did nothing.



    With the Creative drivers for my Audigy 2, both the volume up/down and mute keys work.
  • Reply 8 of 24
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    [quote]Originally posted by Whisper:

    <strong>

    KVM boxes don't work for games? Well that sucks. </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Yeah, it really does suck.

    Movement in the games that I play (UT and UT2003) is essentially crippled. When I press the key to move forward, I move forward a bit then stop - I guess the KVM isn't resampling or doesn't see that the key is still being pressed.

    So in order to make it work, you'd have to push the forward key over and over again and even then you'd have very jerky forward movement.

    Also, directional orientation just gets wacked sometimes and you end up going in a direction that you never intended.



    I don't know if this is a problem only with Belkin KVM's, but if you're a gamer and you're in the market for a KVM, you should be aware of this problem.



    [quote]Originally posted by Eugene:

    <strong>



    With the built-in AC97 sound on my Asus P4PE and its SoundMAX drivers, the volume keys and mute key did nothing.



    With the Creative drivers for my Audigy 2, both the volume up/down and mute keys work.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I have an Asus A7N8X. The nForce2 APU is better than my SoundBlaster Live! that I had from my old machine, but the NVIDIA drivers do not recognize the volume buttons on my keyboard.

    Oh well, everything else about this mobo rocks.
  • Reply 9 of 24
    cake



    im upgrading from my soyo dragon mobo and i was thinking of getting the Asus A7N8X deluxe mobo but its out of stock at outpost.com where did you buy it and did you get a good deal? also did you consider getting the deluxe version with firewire, duel lan etc?



    TONS of snow here in the ne!
  • Reply 10 of 24
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    I have the deluxe version and it's a great board.

    I got it a few months ago at Fry's (I bought it the first week it was out, so I paid more than I should have - about $150).



    Popped in an XP2400+, GF4Ti4400 and two sticks of Corsair XMS 3500. I am very happy with my little gaming rig.
  • Reply 11 of 24
    Why would you want to use an Apple Pro Keyboard on a PC anyway? Isn't just another keyboard? The only thing i see making it worth while is the usb hub on the thing. What were your other reasons for doing this?
  • Reply 12 of 24
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    I find the keyboard action just a little too light, almost as if the keys don't spring back with enough force. I've been using the white eMac keyboard. I assume they're all the same? I used to love the clicky IBM keyboards from old AT machines, the ones with spiral telephone type cords on 'em. Mebbe these just seem too light compared to a keyboard that was probably a bt too stiff?



    I wonder when well get to see a silver back-lit Apple-pro keyboard?
  • Reply 13 of 24
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    I hate clackety keyboards. To me the Pro Keyboard feels just about right. It has the right amount of key travel and springback, and it won't wake up my neighbors.
  • Reply 14 of 24
    [quote]Originally posted by Matsu:

    <strong>I wonder when well get to see a silver back-lit Apple-pro keyboard?</strong><hr></blockquote>

    If Apple sold a back-lit keyboard, I would buy that in a second, I doubt Apple will make one. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
  • Reply 15 of 24
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    [quote]Originally posted by Spiffster:

    <strong>Why would you want to use an Apple Pro Keyboard on a PC anyway? Isn't just another keyboard? The only thing i see making it worth while is the usb hub on the thing. What were your other reasons for doing this?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    In my case, the reason is simple - desk space.

    It's easier to just to plug/unplug the USB cable from the back of the machines when I want to switch between my Mac and PC.

    Other wise, I'd have to have two keyboards and two trackballs, but I just don't have the space for that. Also, my Sony monitor has two video inputs.



    I agree with Eugene. The Pro Keyboard feels great, so even if I did have the space, I'd still use the one keyboard/trackball for both machines.



    [ 02-18-2003: Message edited by: Cake ]</p>
  • Reply 16 of 24
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by Mac Man 020581:

    <strong>

    If Apple sold a back-lit keyboard, I would buy that in a second, I doubt Apple will make one. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

    It took you so long to buy RAM and Jaguar which were needed and you'd buy a keyboard that you don't need right away?
  • Reply 17 of 24
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    [quote]Originally posted by Spiffster:

    <strong>Why would you want to use an Apple Pro Keyboard on a PC anyway? Isn't just another keyboard? The only thing i see making it worth while is the usb hub on the thing. What were your other reasons for doing this?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    1. I had extra Pro Keyboards

    2. It's a USB hub

    3. It feels great

    4. It's more compact than pretty much any decent keyboard made for PCs. Allthe nice PC keyboards have a dozen 'multimedia' keys and large bubbly plastic shells.
  • Reply 18 of 24
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    I fully accept that I probably have the worst typing habits around. I can't type, but I type pretty fast and going 50-60+ wpm is doing all sorts of damage to my hands and fingers (I type a lot, not even counting posts here!) You can hear me going from outside the room, whenever I type in a lab people look over to see this big lug hammering the keyboard at a pretty fast clip, sounds like someone doing morse code when I get going fast. The IBM actually isn't too bad, softer than I though when used side by side with this gateway keyboard I have, but clicky, which I like. Mebbe I neeed to retrain my fingers not to pound the keys so hard. Don't type angry! Don't type angry! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />



    We'll see how the little PB's keyboard feels soon enough.



    I need to get an external anyway, recommendations? I like the look of white, but not once it starts getting dirty, I'm not fond of the black as they've all seemed to develop a shiny glare. Grey, or metal would be cool, same as the PB keyboards but full size and back-lit.



    Mebbe I should just get someething from a 3rd party?
  • Reply 19 of 24
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    Matsu, I've had my white Pro Keyboard for almost a year and I eat around it and don't wash my hands before using it and stuff and for the most part it's really clean still.
  • Reply 20 of 24
    I never would have known there's so many things that a simple Apple Keyboard is better at. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> , now that i think of it, the Apple Pros are quite compact. Most of the 'multimedia' buttons probably dont get used much anyway. IMO, they defeat the purpose of the FN keys (unless you do lots of terminal stuff, where the FN keys come in handy). BTW, how does one go about programming the FN keys in OS X?
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