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Apple Aluminum Ultra-thin Keyboard... wow.

Yeah good point re wired/wireless, I forgot about that.

It's just the way they basically threw away half of Exposé. I ended up manually mapping the "show me all windows of the same app" key to F5, why they couldn't have done that I don't know (couldn't think of an icon for it maybe?). Slowly getting used to it.

I've always hated dual purpose F-keys in general though, especially on a Mac where the hotkey functions are fairly essential e.g. volume controls.
 
Cloudane said:
Yeah good point re wired/wireless, I forgot about that.

It's just the way they basically threw away half of Exposé. I ended up manually mapping the "show me all windows of the same app" key to F5, why they couldn't have done that I don't know (couldn't think of an icon for it maybe?). Slowly getting used to it.

I've always hated dual purpose F-keys in general though, especially on a Mac where the hotkey functions are fairly essential e.g. volume controls.
Click to expand...

I use Hot Corners so it probably won't be an issue for me, but I dislike the move of the volume keys because my fingers just gravitate over the numpad on auto pilot so I'll have to map f16-f19 that way again. I don't even have that freedom if I go wireless, which really sucks.

I guess I could, simply, just not use the keyboards... I should begin hoarding a few of the white ones for the years to come, heh.
 
Coming from a pc, I can't stand the apple keyboard.
The lack of a slight cup to the keys to help keep your fingers centered on the keys is annoying. I also don't like the way the keys feel when you push them.

Huge thumbs down.

It seems like they were more concerned with how the thing looks than how it functions.
 
littlewaywelt said:
Coming from a pc, I can't stand the apple keyboard.
The lack of a slight cup to the keys to help keep your fingers centered on the keys is annoying. I also don't like the way the keys feel when you push them.

Huge thumbs down.

It seems like they were more concerned with how the thing looks than how it functions.
Click to expand...

Some say the keys, since they requires less motion to press, prevents Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I say that's a good function.
 
Everyone has their own tastes I suppose.

99% of people I've heard from (here and in other places) who own the new keyboard are happy with its usability. I did suspect there was a case of "form over function" myself (there's always a danger of that with Apple stuff) but as soon as I used it I was very pleasantly surprised and actually prefer it to the old style.
 
I wanna get one but im worried about the battery life :eek: same with the wireless Mighty Mouse.

I use my computer around 10 hours a day, so i don't want to buy battery's every 2 weeks.

Whats the battery like?
 
Great keyboard...makes the white/plexi keyboard feel/look old and clumsy.
But how do you clean the keys...specially the spacebar, which got dirty very fast. I tried a damp cloth and got some dirt off it, but it's still stained and we're only talking dirt here, not ink, paint, etc. stains.

TIA
 
I love the wired keyboard, but I'm not crazy about the wireless one. I don't understand why Apple thinks I would want a compact keyboard with my giant 24" iMac.
 
IgnatiusTheKing said:
I love the wired keyboard, but I'm not crazy about the wireless one. I don't understand why Apple thinks I would want a compact keyboard with my giant 24" iMac.
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Same here. I just got the wired keyboard because I wanted the number pad. I really wanted to go wireless, but I don't want to give up the keypad to do so. I do however like the feel of the new keyboard much better than the old one.
 
MrGeePee said:
I wanna get one but im worried about the battery life :eek: same with the wireless Mighty Mouse.

I use my computer around 10 hours a day, so i don't want to buy battery's every 2 weeks.

Whats the battery like?
Click to expand...

I've had my Alum BT keyboard for ~8 weeks and the batteries are still going strong. Can't say how much longer they will last, but still seem "strong." Also, I will by some NiMH rechargables when the current ones go dead. Wireless is so clean and the keyboard is *much* more responsive than Apple's previous BT keyboard. Very snappy. Best keyboard I have used.
 
I use both a wired slim keyboard on my imac 2.8 and the wireless slimline one on my macbook when connected to a HD 47" tv (1980x1024).
Couldnt work out what Steve was on about when he said that the wireless keyboards were great (without the num pad) for resting on your lap whilst browsing the internet.

That is until I setup the above, its great and feels just perfect on the lap when slouched on the sofa!
 
johny5 said:
I use both a wired slim keyboard on my imac 2.8 and the wireless slimline one on my macbook when connected to a HD 47" tv (1980x1024).
Couldnt work out what Steve was on about when he said that the wireless keyboards were great (without the num pad) for resting on your lap whilst browsing the internet.

That is until I setup the above, its great and feels just perfect on the lap when slouched on the sofa!
Click to expand...
But do you miss the number pad or have you gotten used to it? That is what worries me about the wireless version. I could still take mine back to BB and exchange it I suppose.
 
Unless you're an accountant, you will not miss the number pad. I was slightly concerned about the loss since I had been using the number pad of my previous keyboard to enter tv channel numbers when flipping stations in EyeTV. However, I've had no problem entering channels with just one hand on the top row.
 
I totally agree, I use the numpad on the 2.8 imac only for big excel sheets for work (I am not that quick on the pad but I can use it without looking).
I guess I have got used to not using it as I also use a macbook and this is a perfect transition to the BT keyboard as the layout and feel are identical :)
I do also use the macbook for excel sheet entry and have got used to it aswell, its no big deal to not have the numpad and the only loss for me were the page up page down keys but you can easily use these on the BT keyboard using the function key + arrow keys :)
if the bt kb weren't so small and portable I would have bought a second one! ;)
 
I'm very impressed with the wireless aluminum keyboard, it even works before an OS is loaded (bootcamp etc etc) I don't know how, but I love it!
 
I'm a graphic artist and I use the number pad all the time. It's just so much easier to enter numbers with decimals (like page sizes, font sizes, etc.) with the pad than it is with the numbers across the top. And I do that a lot.
 
I just took back my wired kb for a wireless one at lunch, and I hope I did not make a mistake. I use the keypad a fair bit for entering numbers, and have always found it much easier than using the top row of number keys. I really wanted the freedom of the wireless, but hope that I haven't bought something that will be too hard to use. BTW, does anybody know of a good bluetooth mouse (NOT the MM please)? I currently use a Logitech G5 (wired) and love it, but wireless would be nice.
 
notjustjay said:
I guess I'll be the lone (so far) voice and say that I put away the aluminum one that came with my new iMac and switched back to my old wireless (white/plexi). I like the feel of this one much better.
Click to expand...

Had the wireless white/clear...man what a dust and junk collector! Couldn't get it clean even with canned air!

LOVE my aluminum/white keyboard. Love the action on the keys, etc.
 
DesignerOnMac said:
Had the wireless white/clear...man what a dust and junk collector! Couldn't get it clean even with canned air!

LOVE my aluminum/white keyboard. Love the action on the keys, etc.
Click to expand...

How easy is it to get the keys off the new board?

Every so often I just roll a big ball of blu-tac around my keyboard - gets all the places you couldn't normally reach.
 
My PC-using friends tried out the keyboard at Best Buy today and fell in love with it. I have a MacBook, so the goodness of the Scrabble keys are nothing new to me. >D I like it a lot more than the old white keyboard.
 
hayduke said:
I've had my Alum BT keyboard for ~8 weeks and the batteries are still going strong. Can't say how much longer they will last, but still seem "strong." Also, I will by some NiMH rechargables when the current ones go dead.
Click to expand...

Buy a box of USBCELLS and never buy another battery again. :D I have four in my white Apple BT keyboard, and four more for my Wii Remotes. When they run out, they plug into any USB port to recharge.. genius devices.
 
lord patton said:
I needed a keyboard for while using my PB in clamshell mode. I looked at the Kensington and MacAlly ones. Both had strengths and weaknesses.

In the end, I got the wired aluminum Apple keyboard. I'm SO glad. I know it's hardware functions are well integrated with the OS, and will remain so for a long time. And damn is it sexy! Allow me to show it in action:
Click to expand...

Hey love your desk, especially the keyboard table portion- where'd you get it?

Also at least for the wired ones they come with a numeric pad http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...minum&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1186005932606
 
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