I am looking for a new USB keyboard. My coworker is complaining that her speed is slowed by the MacAlly iKey 4 I gave her which she has been using for 3 months. There is something different compared to the old ADB Apple extended keyboard and she tends to get extra letters at the end of words which did not happen with the ADB Apple Extended Keyboard.

Yes I know I can hack the use of an ADB keyboard, but I would rather get a native USB keyboard.

So any suggestions on better keyboards than the MacAlly?

Finally, can the new Apple Pro Keyboard boot older USB Macs like a G4?

[ibookuser2]

As Cipher13 will tell you, the Pro Keyboard has no power button, and, therefore, will not boot any computer at all. Otherwise, its an excellent keyboard.

[simonjames]

I use the micro$oft natural pro - it is excellent - has all the buttons (and more) than you could ever need but unfortunately no power button and comes only in a lovely beige colour. Drivers are available from m$.

Originally posted by ibookuser2:
As Cipher13 will tell you, the Pro Keyboard has no power button, and, therefore, will not boot any computer at all. Otherwise, its an excellent keyboard.

After working on the iMac mini keyboad that came stock with my G4, I'm much happier on the Pro keyboard. The lack of a power button doesn't bother me at all (Mac OS X, no reason to shut down...). And, in several years of computing, it's really one of the nicer keyboards I've used. The keys are responsive without being "clicky" or mushy (the problem i have with the iKey).

And, unlike many enhanced keyboards i've seen, USB and otherwise, it isn't visually cluttered w/ lots of accessory buttons. the volume keys are nifty, but if I really wanted one buttone access to my e-mail or explorer, I'd map them to an F-key.

I think your view is some what narrow. First of all Mac OS X is not ripe for everyday use by all users. My people concentrate on Law and typing letters and legal documents. They do not want their stuff to be replaced by a totally different system for navigating server volumes to find documents and forms. Mac OS X's Finder is not a good substitute for the Mac OS 9 Finder.

Second, dues to possible power outages we need to shutdown every night. There is no good reason to leave computers on overnight unless they do things during the night and are safe from power outages and other things. Mac OS X limits this.

Third, people used to the keyboard power are not going to like having to reach down beside their desk to turn their Macs on when things happen and their Macs are not on for what ever reason when they come in in the morning.

I like the extra buttons which could be placed nicely on that back area that holds the USB ports. Apple could make the buttons look nice. You can not replace the functionality of some of those buttons like check email or connect to the internet using Function keys in many cases with out a good deal of work.

> After working on the iMac mini keyboad that came stock with my G4, I'm much
> happier on the Pro keyboard. The lack of a power button doesn't bother me at
> all (Mac OS X, no reason to shut down...). And, in several years of computing,
> it's really one of the nicer keyboards I've used. The keys are responsive
> without being "clicky" or mushy (the problem i have with the iKey).
>
> And, unlike many enhanced keyboards i've seen, USB and otherwise, it isn't
> visually cluttered w/ lots of accessory buttons. the volume keys are nifty,
> but if I really wanted one buttone access to my e-mail or explorer, I'd map
> them to an F-key.

I'd have to echo one of the above sentiments regarding the Microsoft Natural Pro -- this is a great keyboard. Besides its inherent ergonomics (nice natural curved shape) it's also very solid and professional feeling. Key action is wonderful (I write off and on for about 6 to 10 hours each day, so I know of what I speak), far superior to the other ergo boards I have tried in the past.

MS just recently (last month?) posted a great Mac control panel to allow you to customize use of the board with your Mac. All things considered, this is the best Mac keyboard I have ever owned.

RALPH

[Indigo Boy]

I have the new Apple Pro Keyboard. The lack of a power key is not an issue for me, since I'm using it with an iMac, which has the power button just below the monitor. But I'm not overly thrilled with the feel of it. The keys (at least for my typing style) are too easy to push, and I end up getting double letters often. This tendency has diminished somewhat with continued use. Interestingly, I use the iKey keyboard at work on a G4, which replaced the old Apple ADB keyboard I used to use. At first, it, too, felt pretty sloppy, but now it feels pretty crisp, and my typing accuracy is pretty good on it.