Apple Keyboard Review:
The new Apple Keyboard has been completely redesigned to feature an elegant, ultra-thin anodized aluminum enclosure with low-profile keys that provide a crisp, responsive feel. Apple Keyboard also has function keys for one-touch access to a variety of Mac features such as screen brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, fast-forward and rewind, Expose and Dashboard. Its extended layout includes document navigation controls and a numeric keypad. Two USB 2.0 ports provide high-speed connectivity for your iPod, Mighty Mouse, digital camera and other USB-based electronic devices. With its elegant anodized aluminum enclosure, the Apple Keyboard looks equally at home in your living room or on your desk. Just connect it to the USB port on your Mac and start enjoying the crisp, responsive feel of its low-profile keys. The extended layout has a full complement of keys, including document navigation controls, a numeric keypad, and special function keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, Exposé, and more.

The first thing you’ll notice is that compared to the old Apple keyboard, there’s no place for crumbs to go. The Apple Keyboard is flatter than Michelle Tanner and any mess you might make can easily be remedied by turning the keyboard upside-down. Problem solved.

Next thing you’ll notice is the new style of keys. As I mentioned earlier, Apple decided to stick with the Macbook-style of keys and typing on them is fantastic. You can type quickly and precisely due to the fact that there’s not a big chunk of plastic to press on. ::Tap tap tap:: you’ll hear for hours on end. It’s a pleasant break from keyboards of the past.

Included on both the wired and wireless version are new function keys. F1 and F2 control brightness levels on your display, F3 is Expose, F4 is Dashboard, and F8 through F12 are dedicated music control keys. Skip track, play/pause, and volume adjustments make iTunes easily accessible when you’re busy raiding in World of Warcraft or just browsing the web. You’ll have to install a software update when you buy the Apple Keyboard before you can take advantage of these. A minor inconvenience, nothing more.

Apple Keyboard User Review:
One of the reasons I like my MacBook is the new Apple Keyboard, so I was pretty excited when this keyboard came out. Aesthetically, the new Apple keyboard’s shell matches the Mac Pro and other aluminum-shelled Macs, and people who see it for the first time always seem to be amazed at how slim it actually is. The keys are quiet but fairly responsive (unlike the horribly spongey white “Apple Keyboard” that came before it), and you can type on it for longer periods of time without tiring because of the short distance the keys have to travel. The shell of the keyboard is rigid and doesn’t act as a crud trap like the previous two clear-bodied Apple keyboard, so you don’t have to worry about staples and other weird things getting trapped on display for the life of the keyboard. I’m not sure what you’d do if you accidentally spilled something on it, but the innards seem to be packed in much tighter than the previous two Apple keyboard.

If you have an Apple Pro Keyboard (adjustable height and either black or white keys) you might want to try this one out in person before buying it, but if you have the newer “Apple Keyboard” (non-adjustable stand) I’d definitely recommend upgrading.

My only suggestions for improvements would be related to the USB cable, function keys, and key color. The USB cord is still short like all other modern Apple keyboard, and it’s not quite as thick as a typical keyboard cable, so if it’s used with a Mac that’s below the desktop you might periodically kick it loose from the USB extension cord. As far as the function keys go, Apple made a strange decision to cleave them in half like the old iMac/blue G3 PowerMac keyboard, so if you use the function keys beyond F12 (Eject) and Expose/Dashboard this could be more of an issue for you. Finally, I wish that this Apple Keyboard also came in a version with black keys, as the keys on my friends’ white iBooks & MacBooks haven’t stayed as “clean”-looking cosmetically as my black MacBook keyboard (and I have oily skin!).

By achidley

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