The new keyboards!

I have a lovely wireless one. I don't really miss the number keys as I use it with my MacBook when I'm away from home. At home I use a white wired one ...
 
Picked up a new wired keyboard for my 12-inch Powerbook. While the PB's keyboard works fine, it is small, and my fingers are either fatter or clumsier than they used to be - or both.

The keyboard is very nice - I really like the feel of the keys. The added space makes it easier when I have to type a lot. AND, it has a number pad. AND, I can plug my Wacom tablet/pen/mouse to it.

I looked at the "system requirements" and was a bit baffled - why would a keyboard require OS X 10.4 or above? So, I tried two tests - I plugged it into my Pismo G4 550 with OS X 10.3.9, and it worked just fine, thank you. Then, I plugged it into my work laptop, a Dell with Windoughs. It worked just fine there, too. In fact, the ALT keys worked as ALT keys, the CTRL keys worked as CTRL keys, and the Command keys worked as Windoughs keys. If I'm forced to type on the Dell for a while, I'll just plug the Apple keyboard into it.
 
I finally picked up the new keyboard (wired, the numeric keypad is essential to me). I really like it much better than my old Bluetooth one.

I'm a long time user of QuicKeys and I quickly took advantage of the new function keys (F17-F19). I made F17 type Command - and F18 type Shift-Command = (for plus +). I finally have single key commands for increasing or decreasing text size in my browsers.
 
simbalala, since somewhere in Panther you could assign single key commands using Keyboard Shortcuts from the Keyboard & Mouse Preference pane. That's one reason I prefer a full keyboard, 'cause you can use all of the numeric pad for shortcuts. Kind of a pain to set up though, as it requires typing in commands exactly as they appear in the menu. Also once set up, the new commands tend to disappear from the list, though they will continue to function.
 
Not sure if this has been mentioned, but the USB ports on the new keyboards are now high speed.
 
I use my wireless keyboard on the table. It is wireless to avoid unnecessary cables.

It's castration for those that use it on the laps is understandable. But does that mean that desk-top users must use wired keyboards to have the numeric keypad?

So If I change my "old" BT keyboard I either lose the numeric keypad and stay BT, or add the cable and keep the numeric keypad. So I won't change.
 
aicul said:
I use my wireless keyboard on the table. It is wireless to avoid unnecessary cables.

<snip>

So If I change my "old" BT keyboard I either lose the numeric keypad and stay BT, or add the cable and keep the numeric keypad. So I won't change.
Click to expand...

Ditto to that. ;)
 
I actually switched from the old (white) wireless keyboard to the new wired one for my desktop. The new keyboard is soooooooo freakin' sweet to use... At work, I've been using them constantly now (setting up iMacs etc.) and the old BT one felt so clumsy that finally, I bought the new wired one, took it home and now don't mind that wire much. :) They seriously made a very good design here. Of course I agree, they should've kept the keys for the wireless, or at least kept the number block. Early Mac keyboards had a key layout that would've went well with the new BT keyboard (see attached pic), of course the left part could've been just what it is now. But the number block should've stayed - just skip the home/end etc. keys.
 

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I do not own one, nor plan to buy one as long as my Powerbook can still type (knock on wood), but apparently everyone has missed the BIGGEST problem with BOTH the BT and wired...

NO APPLE SYMBOL ON THE COMMAND KEY!!!:)
 
andychrist said:
simbalala, since somewhere in Panther you could assign single key commands using Keyboard Shortcuts from the Keyboard & Mouse Preference pane. That's one reason I prefer a full keyboard, 'cause you can use all of the numeric pad for shortcuts.
Click to expand...

QuicKeys is far more powerful and useful than anything you can do in the native O/S. It was one of the first programs I bought when I switched to Mac in the late 80's. I'd been using a program called SideKick on the PCs which allowed one to alias keys and define sequences invoked with a single keystroke. I wanted the same for the Mac and Quickeys was the answer.

On another note I really like the fact that the new keyboard has a function key (replaces help). Now the keyboard is nearly identical in function to that of a PowerBook or MacBook. And with 19 Function keys!
 
I just got a wired aluminium keyboard for my 17" iMac core2 running Leopard.
This is really a sweet keyboard except for one thing.
I am not able to boot into Windows. Seems the option key does not work during startup.
Tried downloading a driver upgrade but got a message saying that the current driver is already a newer version.
Does anyone have an idea how to fix this?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hm, I might be mistaking, but I think the Intel machines do no longer support the Option-key choser. Not sure on that one though
 
Not true. Option-booting should work just fine. Can you test with your old keyboard again? Is it really that option (both keys) don't work on the new keyboard but do on the new &#8211;*or is something else wrong? Just to make sure the error doesn't lie elsewhere: You *do* use the option key, the one with "alt" written on it, right?
 
Thanks for responses.
Fryke: Yes, I do use the option key, the one with alt written on it.
My older keyboards worked just fine, the older white corded Mac, a wireless Logitech for Mac and even a Microsoft natural keyboard.
The iMac has been booted at least once daily into Windows by my son who uses Windows to do a little gaming. I boot into windows to do maintainence work.
The problem could be with this particular keyboard.
thanks again.
 
FYI

My new keyboard is starting to have letters wear off like E is half gone. Looks like what plagued my wife's iBook G4.

Oh Joy.
 
fryke said:
Not true. Option-booting should work just fine.
Click to expand...

Then I must've confused that with something else, my bad. :)

ScottW said:
FYI

My new keyboard is starting to have letters wear off like E is half gone. Looks like what plagued my wife's iBook G4.

Oh Joy.
Click to expand...

Wow, that sucks, How old is your keyboard? It's quite a bummer as I planned on getting a new one...
 
The Apple symbol was a holdover from the Apple series of computers (pre-Macintosh). in fact, there were two types of Apple keys on the Apple IIs: an open Apple on the left, and a closed Apple on the right. Each had their own function depending on how the program used them.

Also, the first only had the cloverleaf symbol....no Apple symbol at all. This was ordered by Jobs at the time, who thought the excessive use of the Apple symbol not only cluttered the computer with Apples, but thought that its excessive use was "in vain".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key#History

When the Apple IIgs came about, it introduced the Apple Desktop Bus along with the Mac SE. Because the IIgs was still an Apple II series computer, they had to leave at least the open Apple symbol along with the cloverleaf (the closed Apple was eventually nixed because not many developers made use of it in my experience with Apple II software). And since then, both symbols have stayed on the keyboard (I believe that by this time, Jobs was ousted from Apple).

Note that now that Jobs has been back for some time now and Apple is doing well, he's once again removed the Apple symbol from the latest keyboard. As mentioned earlier, he was never too fond of the Apple symbol on the keyboard since there was already an Apple logo on the OS and the case itself.
 
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