Purported photos of new iMac keyboard stir debate

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Comments

  • Reply 121 of 244
    Wouldn't it be really nice if they could design a version of this keyboard that could fold..... I could throw into my laptop bag....
  • Reply 122 of 244
    Looking back at the pic, I don't like the fact that the eject key is right over the delete key. I forsee some accidental openings of the superdrive tray.
  • Reply 123 of 244
    eaieai Posts: 417member
    I've never understood why the "Apple" key is called the Command key and the "Alt" key is called Option... Its just plain confusing. I have to teach people to use Macs, and I generally use Apple, and Alt (as that's easy), but then the manuals and websites use Command and Option which just confuses everyone. Why can't keys be labelled what they're called, or called what they're labelled!
  • Reply 124 of 244
    mauimacmauimac Posts: 26member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trevorlsciact View Post


    Or maybe just match the stand; I'm not crazy about an anodized aluminum iMac, it wouldn't be purdiful.



    You don't like the look of the Apple Cinema Displays? Just imagine that with an iSight and slot on the side...
  • Reply 125 of 244
    lafelafe Posts: 252member
    I think someone on the Infinite Loop said, "Hey! Wouldn't it be fun to post some pictures of our new iMac prototype keyboard from three iterations ago on flikr, and watch the resulting frenzy of theories and arguments?"



    I think this is real, but the "really real" one will be better . . . and different in several ways.
  • Reply 126 of 244
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPoster View Post


    My Apple Pro keyboard that came with my iMac, circa 2003 has both labels on the Option key. This is the only Mac I own, so I can't answer for other machine's keyboards.



    Even the Apple ADB keyboards from the Beige G3 has both Alt and Option labeled on the key. What I don't like about this new keyboard is that there are now 2 keys labeled "delete" which do different things. Why didn't Apple label the backspace key as backspace to begin with?
  • Reply 127 of 244
    abster2coreabster2core Posts: 2,501member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eAi View Post


    I've never understood why the "Apple" key is called the Command key and the "Alt" key is called Option... Its just plain confusing. I have to teach people to use Macs, and I generally use Apple, and Alt (as that's easy), but then the manuals and websites use Command and Option which just confuses everyone. Why can't keys be labelled what they're called, or called what they're labelled!



    Perhaps a little history lesson is in place to help you get over your confusion.



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key
  • Reply 128 of 244
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    I want a backlit Apple keyboard where the letters themselves are backlit. There are some third party keyboards where the entire key is lit like a Timex Indiglo watch, but I prefer the backlighting used in the MacBook Pro keyboard.
  • Reply 129 of 244
    visionaryvisionary Posts: 118member
    If this is an Apple keyboard, it is only a prototype to test the keys but not the looks.



    My biggest complaint about this keyboard - and most keyboards - is the keypad to the right. With good ergonomics, that is where the mouse should be for right handed people. I would like to see the keypad a seperate deal that either plugs into the side of the keyboard or connects by a USB cable. That way the user can decide whether to use it and where to place it.



    The keypad location started there before people started using the mouse. Now with the mouse, the keypad needs to go, else people will start to sue computer makers for causing carpal tunnel injuries due to bad keyboard and mouse design.



    Don't understand what I mean? Then take a look at your current setup. Is your QWERTY keys centered on your body or not? Most people have the QWERTY keys shifted to the left due to the keypad and mouse. Therefore their arms are shifted left when they type. This is not good ergonomics. Meanwhile, the mouse arm and hand are stretched out too far to the right primarily due to the keypad.



    Please Apple, give us an ergonomic keyboard and mouse, not some 30 year old out-of-date layout. Oh, and I'd love backlit keys with ground effects for the whole keybaord and mouse. That would be cool.
  • Reply 130 of 244
    abster2coreabster2core Posts: 2,501member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post


    Even the Apple ADB keyboards from the Beige G3 has both Alt and Option labeled on the key. What I don't like about this new keyboard is that there are now 2 keys labeled "delete" which do different things. Why didn't Apple label the backspace key as backspace to begin with?



    It did. But now for all those new PC to Mac converts it is simply Delete.



    The other Delete includes an arrow to the right to delete forward. Works for me.
  • Reply 131 of 244
    nceencee Posts: 857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Haggar View Post


    I want a backlit Apple keyboard where the letters themselves are backlit. There are some third party keyboards where the entire key is lit like a Timex Indiglo watch, but I prefer the backlighting used in the MacBook Pro keyboard.





    And we all know that if the keyboard is this thin, the New iMac will be MUCH thinner as well



    It might be time for Apple to work with "nutrisystem" on a new commercial.



    Hi iMac here, and I'm here to tell you "if I can do it - then so can you"



    If you are trying to lose maybe 1, 2 or even as much as 10 lbs, then I'm here to show you how ? Buy one of the All New iMacs -



    Maybe a bunch of the other desktop units in the background, looking quite fat and sweating to the oldies



    Skip
  • Reply 132 of 244
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post


    Perhaps a little history lesson is in place to help you get over your confusion.



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key



    Brilliant. That was a nice history lesson all around!
  • Reply 133 of 244
    rolorolo Posts: 686member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    Your first example looks more like machined aluminum than brush, the shine isn't right. I think Apple's technique is to use some form of bead blasting. I've tried sand blasting and then anodizing aluminum, the sand makes the surface way too rough.



    Yep, bead blasting. I have a movie showing the construction of the 5th Ave. store that shows polished SS that's then bead blasted to get just the right patina. Anyone else see that? It's no longer available online AFAIK.



    I'd be happy if writers would just use the term satin instead of brushed. Anyway, the KB looks cool. Hope the keys feel good.
  • Reply 134 of 244
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by visionary View Post


    If this is an Apple keyboard, it is only a prototype to test the keys but not the looks.



    My biggest complaint about this keyboard - and most keyboards - is the keypad to the right. With good ergonomics, that is where the mouse should be for right handed people. I would like to see the keypad a seperate deal that either plugs into the side of the keyboard or connects by a USB cable. That way the user can decide whether to use it and where to place it.



    The keypad location started there before people started using the mouse. Now with the mouse, the keypad needs to go, else people will start to sue computer makers for causing carpal tunnel injuries due to bad keyboard and mouse design.



    Don't understand what I mean? Then take a look at your current setup. Is your QWERTY keys centered on your body or not? Most people have the QWERTY keys shifted to the left due to the keypad and mouse. Therefore their arms are shifted left when they type. This is not good ergonomics. Meanwhile, the mouse arm and hand are stretched out too far to the right primarily due to the keypad.



    Please Apple, give us an ergonomic keyboard and mouse, not some 30 year old out-of-date layout. Oh, and I'd love backlit keys with ground effects for the whole keybaord and mouse. That would be cool.



    In a few years, all of this could well become moot, with touchscreen/multitouch, and more generally, haptics.
  • Reply 135 of 244
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,320moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rolo View Post


    I don't know why people use the term "brushed" when it isn't.



    So, all you media hacks out there, and you know who you are, could you please stop using the term brushed when trying to describe satin anodized aluminum? Please?



    Yeah, I've done that myself and realised afterwards when people complain that brushed metal is ugly. Brushed metal is ugly like they use in the old Finder but the metal they use on the hardware isn't. I can't see myself writing anodised aluminium all the time though so maybe just aluminium would suffice.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by whoami


    who has bets on a new mouse too?



    If only. Sadly I fear the Mighty Mouse will plague us for a while yet. If the keyboard is metal and the imac is metal, it's going to look like the odd one out. More reason for people to stop using it I suppose, not that there needs to be any more reasons.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cygnusrk727


    in my mind it has been "Apple + S" to save. Not "Command + S."



    What's in people's mind shouldn't be the deciding factor though otherwise we'd all be Christians. When Apple are encouraging switchers and all the documents and tutorials say command-whatever, their immediate reaction is 'where's the command-key'. It's like saying to someone use the option key and then telling them it's the one with alt written on it, to which they reply well isn't it the alt-key then.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac


    Still no big whoop for me.



    Are you kidding?? This is bigger news than the iphone, in fact so much bigger that we need never have another iphone thread ever again, just threads about this keyboard. I'm expecting AI to change the forum title to 'Appleinsider - overdosing on Apple's new keyboard' pretty soon.



    It is *that* good.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPoster


    My Apple Pro keyboard that came with my iMac, circa 2003 has both labels on the Option key. This is the only Mac I own, so I can't answer for other machine's keyboards.



    Where I work we have at least 10 Apple Pro keyboards and they all have just the word alt and the alt-key symbol on them . These were bundled with G5 tower, G4 & Intel Mac Mini and Intel iMac. maybe the UK is different from the US setup.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by visionary


    The keypad location started there before people started using the mouse. Now with the mouse, the keypad needs to go, else people will start to sue computer makers for causing carpal tunnel injuries due to bad keyboard and mouse design.



    I think they should move the numpad onto a multi-touch mouse. Imagine an iphone style mouse with a grid of numbers. I personally would rearrange the keys on the standard keyboard layout and remove all the redundancy but I don't think they can do that.



    The touch mouse would be tricky because where would you rest your fingers? However, I think if they had one physical thumb button and then used the touch surface to determine what it did. This would support multiple key-presses too. So basically, if you anticipate making a click, hold the thumb button and tap the surface where you want. Keep holding it in for multiple presses. You would be able to just drag to scroll though so no more multiple flicks of a tiny scroll wheel.
  • Reply 136 of 244
    it's a fake.



    it's just a macbook keyboard with a numpad added on..

    look at the position of the eject key.



    same as on a macbook...not top right like on a full size keyboard.



    f19? i mean seriously!



    fn keys are only on laptops.



    no need for them on a full size keyboards since the fkeys don't double up for anything.



    this is a very nice looking fake.





    oh and the numbers on the numpad should be on the left of the key not centred
  • Reply 137 of 244
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by visionary View Post


    Don't understand what I mean? Then take a look at your current setup. Is your QWERTY keys centered on your body or not? Most people have the QWERTY keys shifted to the left due to the keypad and mouse. Therefore their arms are shifted left when they type. This is not good ergonomics. Meanwhile, the mouse arm and hand are stretched out too far to the right primarily due to the keypad.



    Please Apple, give us an ergonomic keyboard and mouse, not some 30 year old out-of-date layout. Oh, and I'd love backlit keys with ground effects for the whole keybaord and mouse. That would be cool.



    People have differing ideas on what is ergonomic. Some think it's just using the loud clicky keyboards from decades ago. I'm still using the second gen Natural. And yes, my keyboard is centered around the center of the letter set rather than the center of the entire keyboard.



    I suppose I wouldn't mind having a separate number pad. Not everybody uses them, and I would buy one but wouldn't mind being able to put it to the side. Apple needs to change the initial connect behavior though, I've heard of people buying number pads for their Mac notebooks and it asks them to press the keys next to the shift keys. The problem is, those keys don't exist on a dedicated number pad, so the automatic language detection causes problems.
  • Reply 138 of 244
    eaieai Posts: 417member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post


    Perhaps a little history lesson is in place to help you get over your confusion.



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key



    Interesting, but that doesn't really explain why, 20 years later we've still got an Apple symbol on the key...
  • Reply 139 of 244
    maccabmaccab Posts: 1member
    I tryede to sharpen the Image to see what the unsharpe text was in the picture.







    Does it say "Nikon...Made in Japan" or is some thing else?
  • Reply 140 of 244
    glossgloss Posts: 506member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Maccab View Post


    I tryede to sharpen the Image to see what the unsharpe text was in the picture.







    Does it say "Nikon...Made in Japan" or is some thing else?



    It's just a Nikon lens. It wasn't blurred intentionally, it just wasn't the focus of the photo.
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