I have an Apple Pro Keyboard that I got in September with my G4. I have had
a lot of time to get used to the keyboard, and it simply hasn't happened.
The keyboard is beautiful looking, but it seems to have several design
problems, and a particularly terrible responsiveness. About 1 out of 200
successful keypresses are ignored, which can be really dangerous in the
MacOS X UNIX shell environment. I find myself having to retype missed
characters extremely frequently. Has anyone else had this problem?

Also, the contour of the keys makes it difficult to find the keys in the
first place. There is so much air space between them. While this looks
stylish, it is ergonomically awful as fingers have fewer cues to find their
way. People with small fingers would probably find this design
particularly difficult to type with. Furthermore, the extremely important
control, option, and command keys are convex contoured instead of concave.
These keys do not invite the fingers to find the keys, instead the fingers
want to slip off of them. This particular keyboard is a disaster -- I hope
that the poor responsiveness of my keyboard is simply a fluke.

Anyway, can anyone recommend a good mac compatible usb keyboard that is
comfortable to type with?

I love the new optical mouse however. It is excellent. It has been the
most transparent mouse that I have ever used.

waffle

[Cipher13]

I'd have to disagree with you on the matter of it being a poor design - the original USB keyboard has the same convex design, but I'm not sure about the key spacing.
However, I would say its poorly constructed - when I carry it it just feels very flimsy, the original USB kb's don't feel like that... they're tough.
IMO the best keyboards ever made were the ADB Extended keyboards (the latet incarnation - I have a black one ), and the original USB keyboard, without a doubt.

I agree that the Pro Mouse is on par with the equal best mouse of all time - the latest Apple ADB mouse 2.
Man, those were the days eh?
I still liked the Puck though. Also a great mouse.

Cipher13

[This message has been edited by Cipher13 (edited 02-21-2001).]

[WDL]

Have to disagree - I find the Pro keyboard excellent in design and use,
as a bonus, the space it saves because of it's smaller footprint gives me
room to park a cup of coffee.

And since I'm a writer, the keyboard is the most used part of my lifeline.

My only complaint - no power on button, but that's minor.

My favourite kb was the Apple Extended which I still use on another iMac
thru a Griffin iMate. Part of that is nostalgia since I spent so much of my
time using it.

Each of us see things differently - as they say - it's why we don't all wear
the same clothes and there's more than one make of car.

WDL

Hmmm.. so far everyone is at least nostalgic for the old adb extended keyboard. I agree it is good, much better than the Apple Pro Keyboard. I am typing now on my Wallstreet Powerbook keyboard -- a very nice keyboard except for the terribly misplaced and honestly useless function key (fn) which lives where either control or option belong. It is very awkward in Emacs.

Anyone out there have a good alternate usb keyboard experience to share?

[Indigo Boy]

I'm with you, Mister Safety. I still don't really like the Pro Keyboard after several months. You mentioned having to retype letters; my problem initially (though it has gotten better) is that I would hitt doublee letterss often.

Overall, my keyboarding on the Pro Keyboard has improved, but I still make too many mistakes, and I often hit one of the F keys when I go to hit Delete.

The macAlly iKey that I use at work has a nice feel to it.

[Paul S]

We have several MacAlly iKey keyboards in our office. We needed them because a particular application we use needed the keys missing from the original USB keyboard. Our people like them very much. I don't believe I've heard a single complaint on them.

If the Pro keyboard feels flimsy its because all earlyer apple keyboards had steel plates in them and bigger screws

[exa]

To tell you the truth, I do not miss my extended II keyboard any more once I got my Microsoft natural keyboard pro *reader cocks gun*. I used to be a non-believer of ergonomic keyboards but I was very wrong, the microsoft one is very nice and it feels very similar to the extended II but in a better layout so that your wrists remain comfy at all times. Recently I was typing a lot on normal keyboards and I found my wrists and hands to be huritng a lot, I guess I am too used to my ergo keyboard.

[TheDoctor]

Speaking of ergonomic keyboards, I love my Apple Ergonomic Keyboard. It's one of the best keyboards I have ever used.

I wish Apple would make a new ergonomic keyboard.

[exa]

What????? Apple has an ergonomic keyboard??? since WHEN? post pictures! gimme a link! I've never seen one of these...

[Misha]

Apple's Ergonomic Keyboard is nearly 10 years old. It was very compact (similar to the USB Keyboard), and pretty slick for its time.

More info: http://www.lowendmac.com/roadapples/keyboard.shtml

Or pick one up on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...tem=1217584359

My personal favorite keyboard is a tie between the Apple Extended Keyboard II and the iBook/101/Pismo/Mercury keyboard.

[jeromep]

10 years is pusing it with regard to the age of the Apple split keyboard. I don't recall seeing those until about '93 or '94. Either way, they were quite a nice ergonomic keyboard, but they did not have an upward bend to the center of the keyboard like many of the ergonomic keyboards currently shipping.

The mark of a truly great keyboard is the existance of keyswich action on the keys rather than membrane action (PowerBooks excluded). I posted sometime back about the great bennifit of keyswitches against membrane. Let's put it this way, since the demise of the Extended II, Apple has not produced a truly quality keyboard. All subsequent keyboards have been membrane based and that just makes for junkie feel and terrible typing response.

[tomra]

One of the things i really loved with the original USB "compact" keyboard is the fact that since it`s smaller it seems to put less strain on my hand when using a lot of quick key commands.

Tom

[Indigo Boy]

Well, I finally did it: I went out yesterday and bought a MacAlly iMediaKey keyboard. I had typed a letter the day before using my Pro Keyboard and found my speed and accuracy so low as to be annoying. Typing the letter was practically an ordeal, and that was the straw the broke the camel's back, so to speak.

The new keyboard is great. Setup was incredibly simple, and it features volume, eject, play, stop, etc., buttons to control the CD player (and general volume), as well as buttons for mail and www applications. In addition there are four or five programmable buttons that I have yet to set up.

But best of all, it has a great feel, and my typing is WAY faster and more accurate.

[TheGreatButcher]

the only nitpick i have about 3rd party keyboards is that the command keys don't have the little Apple symbol on them - that just urks me

[as2]

Indego Boy, I don't suppose you are selling your pro keyboard?

Adam

[Indigo Boy]

I have read several times on these forums that you should keep the original keyboard for performing some maintenance operations on the Mac. Does anyone know what's up with that?

AS2: I'm afraid by the time I shipped it and all that, you could probably buy a brand-new one there as cheaply.... But thanks for asking.

[Pete M]

I have read several times on these forums that you should keep the original keyboard for performing some maintenance operations on the Mac. Does anyone know what's up with that?

Indigo Boy:

That advice might be for those using USB keyboards through USB PCI cards on ADB PowerMacs. The USB keyboard isn't useable until after the PCI cards have initialized. That would prevent you from using certain keyboard combinations at startup ("c", shift, option). Keeping the original ADB keyboard handy makes it easier to troubleshoot.

There also might have been some issues w/ 3rd party keyboards when Apple first implemented USB that people still recommended you keep the original keyboard. IIRC, early model iMac keyboards didn't work with later models. Could be wrong on that one. Anyone?

[This message has been edited by Pete M (edited 03-08-2001).]

[elzinat]

Yes Pete, you're right. Here's a TIL article about the "new" USB keyboards which first shipped in the B&W G3's v. USB keyboards shipping on the iMacs at the time. (1/99)

Topic: I would like to use one of the new colorful iMac keyboards on my Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White), is there any reason not to do this?
Discussion: Apple has made slight modifications to the Blueberry version specifically for the Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White). As such, to avoid any possible issues with earlier keyboards, you should only use the Blueberry keyboard which shipped with your Power Macintosh G3.
Documented below are three revisions to the USB keyboard which Apple has shipped to date:
--The first keyboard was the original Bondi Blue keyboard which shipped with iMac. It should only be used on the original iMac.
--The second revision includes four of the five keyboards shipping with the new iMac 266; Strawberry, Tangerine, Lime, and Grape. These keyboards should be used only with iMac.
--The third revision is the Blueberry keyboard which ships with both the iMac 266, and the Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White). It can be used on any iMac or Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White).

http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n58241

------------------
be happy!
-mac freak

[This message has been edited by elzinat (edited 03-08-2001).]

[beetleboy]

I have an original iMac USB keyboard and mouse. I love both of them. At first I didn't like the keyboard because I thought it was too small, but I've grown accustomed to it. The mouse in it's natural form bugs the mess out of me and so I have a Unitrap which makes it bigger and easier to guide over the mouse pad.

I've tried the Pro mouse and keyboard and liked them but I'm not going to buy one for my machine. When I get a new machine, I'll get it with that.

Beetleboy

------------------
Martell Jackson
Lime iMac DV 400/192/10/9.04

[Indigo Boy]

Pete, Elzinat:

I read through the TIL copy.... Just want to make sure I understand it: It looks as though there is no compelling reason for me not to sell my Pro keyboard. (I have a summer 2000 iMac DV.) Am I correct in this understanding? We have a local independent reseller that allows people to consign used Macs, peripherals, etc.

[elzinat]

I have not been able in my research to discern any reason why there should be anything which you can do on your computer with your USB Pro keyboard that absolutely cannot be done with any other USB keyboard.