Count me as another that doesn't understand Apple's obsession with bluetooth. Sometimes bluetooth is nice, but the vast majority of the time the keyboard is sitting right in front of your computer. So why do you need bluetooth? We have a bluetooth keyboard on our Mac at work and it works well, but does occasionally have connection issues. My wired keyboard at home has had connection issues exactly zero times. Why should everyone be forced to pay $60 extra for a feature they don't need, isn't as functional and needlessly wastes lithium? With all of Apple's focus on being environmentally friendly, saving resources by keeping wired keyboards available seems to be an easy choice.
Another nice bonus of the wired keyboard is the USB ports, since the iMac so conveniently has all of the USB ports hidden on the back, having them on the sides of the keyboard is incredibly convenient.
Matias states that a volume dial on the keyboard gives four times higher precision than the volume keys, granting 64 volume levels, versus the normal 16 allowed from keyboard controls.
Option-shift-volume up/down gives you 64 levels of volume control on a regular Apple keyboard.
I just don't understand. How is it that no one can envision that desktop users want a backlit keyboard, the same way notebook users have had forever?
I SECOND THIS! Been waiting for years for Apple to sell backlit keyboards - and to think Macs sit in the darkest music studios and editing studios - argh!!!!
Good ol' Sog. Doesn't have 12 seconds to research but has 12 hours to rant.
Considering Steve didn't want the Numeric Keypad and Tim brought it back, I was wondering why Sog wasn't demanding Tim's head on a platter. Now I know.
again you are obsessed with the details and can't see the large picture.
So I don't know about every keyboard Apple releases? who cares. keyboards are irrelevant for investment purposes
The larger picture is doing 12 seconds of research before posting your emotional breakdown.
For someone who is now saying not to worry about the details you’re the one that is getting called out for having made very specific claims about details that you then said didn’t matter after you are repeatedly proven wrong. That goes beyond simply having poor cognitive abilities, but being a disingenuous fraud with narcissist tendencies.
I don't have 12 seconds to research.
But you have 1 minute to post incorrect information due to not having 12 seconds to research.
One reason to avoid it in wireless models is the battery life. They include 2 batteries in that model, one just for the backlight. The one for the keyboard lasts 1 year, the roughly same capacity battery for the backlight lasts 1-2 weeks.
For wired keyboards there's not much reason to avoid a backlight besides added manufacturing cost.
I bought the Matias full-size wireless keyboard and it is fantastic. Looks and feels so close to an Apple keyboard.
I bought the same keyboard but I don't agree that it feels close to the Apple keyboard. The sound of the keys when you type does not sound the same as the Apple keyboard either. Furthermore, I received a defect when I bought it from Amazon and although the replacement I received didn't have the same defect, the keys are noticeably wobbly. The only two things that I would say our "fantastic" about that keyboard are that it comes in an excellent space gray color and the one year battery life put Apple's keyboard battery life to shame. I explained all of this and more in my video review here:
So why didn't I buy the backlit version? Because if you take a look at the photos on their website you'll see that it has horrible light leak around each key. That bothers me quite a lot which is why I bought the regular version.
I just don't understand. How is it that no one can envision that desktop users want a backlit keyboard, the same way notebook users have had forever?
It may be a power limitation of USB 2. I have a third party mechanical keyboard with backlighting. It has two usb cables coming out of it - one for data, one for the backlight. USB 3 ports can power it on one cable, but USB 2 requires two.
Now why they don't just require USB 3 in this day and age, I don't know, but I suspect that's part of the reason.
Comments
Another nice bonus of the wired keyboard is the USB ports, since the iMac so conveniently has all of the USB ports hidden on the back, having them on the sides of the keyboard is incredibly convenient.
As mentioned, moving to the new USB port will be great for next year's upgrade, and also a Space Grey version like the iMac Pro's.
Option-shift-volume up/down gives you 64 levels of volume control on a regular Apple keyboard.
Good ol' Sog. Doesn't have 12 seconds to research but has 12 hours to rant.
Considering Steve didn't want the Numeric Keypad and Tim brought it back, I was wondering why Sog wasn't demanding Tim's head on a platter. Now I know.
And that, my friend, is why you fail.
http://matias.ca/aluminum/backlit/
One reason to avoid it in wireless models is the battery life. They include 2 batteries in that model, one just for the backlight. The one for the keyboard lasts 1 year, the roughly same capacity battery for the backlight lasts 1-2 weeks.
For wired keyboards there's not much reason to avoid a backlight besides added manufacturing cost.
https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/MQ052B/A/magic-keyboard-with-numeric-keypad-british-english?fnode=56
So why didn't I buy the backlit version? Because if you take a look at the photos on their website you'll see that it has horrible light leak around each key. That bothers me quite a lot which is why I bought the regular version.
Now why they don't just require USB 3 in this day and age, I don't know, but I suspect that's part of the reason.