I’ve had one of the slender Apple aluminum keyboards (wired) for a few days now, and I can say without reservation that typing on it is a pleasure. The key pressure is excellent and the relatively flat keys haven’t caused any disorientation for me. If anything, this is an easier keyboard in most respects than any other I’ve used. Note: I’m a touch-typist. If you’re a hunt-and-peck typist, your results may be different.
However, there’s a problem with the keyboard’s software. The F3 and F4 keys don’t function properly. There’s a lengthy thread about the issue in the Apple Support Discussion, but even though the thread is marked as “answered” the problem still persists. Apple messed this one up. It’s not a show-stopper, of course, but it is an annoyance that doesn’t suit Apple’s usually high software QA standards.
I find this keyboard a comfortable alternative to my PowerBook’s built-in keyboard. If you use your Mac for more than just school work, and have a hankerin’ for that desktop feel, this could be the keyboard for you. You may just want to wait a few days until Apple fixes this software glitch.
The standard version of this keyboard costs $49 (no student discount), and the wireless version (which I haven’t used) costs $79.
One Comment
I agree I bought this a couple of days ago as well and thought it was very un mac like that I had to download software to make it work. The keyboard does take some getting used to but overall I like it. I hope they fix the keys soon with a patch.