Apple Aluminum Wired Keyboard MB110LL/A
by Apple Computer
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Our Price: $64.99 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Buy Used: from $24.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple Aluminum Wired Keyboard MB110LL/A
Customer Review: Best.Keyboard.EVER!
Summary: 5 Stars
Being both a developer (programmer) and a gamer I've always gone "against the crowd" and prefered "laptop-style" keyboards (key style, not placement!). I've had several of those "laptop-style" keyboards in the past and they either broke down or just felt uncomfortable after just a few months of usage (loud, flaky feedback, loose keys, etc...). After trying 3-4 different models I decided to just go back to an "old school" Microsoft OEM keyboard and I did really like the key feedback and layout on it.
One of the things that always annoyed me about most laptop-style desktop keyboards was the layout: no numerical keypad (very useful if you're a sysadmin/coder and type numbers--like IP addresses or numerical functions--frequently). Even on "normal" desktop keyboards, the new trend seems to be to weird-out the "home/end" section by placing it vertically, usually coupled with weird arrow keys and stuff... For gaming, that's a BIG no-no! (not to mention coding... sheesh)
Being a long-time Mac lover/user and a year-and-a-half-old full time switcher I decided to buy this keyboard to replace an old G4-times Apple Keyboard I was given at work. And behold I fell in love with it. I type MUCH faster, with less typos and with no pain. When I bought my Macbook Pro last March, I was even sorry they hadn't replace the aluminum keyboard with this "chiclet-style" one!
Bottom line: best keyboard EVER! I'll be getting another one to leave at the office so I can have another one at home! And the build quality is VERY high, like any other Apple product. I read some reviews on how it "broke" and I can't even imagine this thing braking... It's built around a solid piece of aluminum and the plastic feels really good. The key feedback is near perfection and the spacing between the keys was something I never thought would be this beneficial.
HIGHLY recommended product for PC and Mac users alike! (key layout might look a little funny to Windows users, but it's just a visual thing because the actual key placement and sizes are identical to any Windows keyboard!) Besides... you're not supposed to be looking down at your keyboard anyway ;)
Customer Review: I am writing this review on my fresh apple keyboard!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been in It business for over 10 years, it may not seem much, but a man knows what is quality in this merky periphial stew of innovation, and crapiness.. Apple products are built like a Rolls Royce (for most part), including this keyboard! Keyboard is a keyboard right? WRONG!! Yes they do same function, some have cute little shortcuts, media buttons, even led backlighting, wired, bluetooth, and even wifi. Different shapes, shortcuts, materials etc etc... What sets this device apart is the built quality, and style. Keys are smooth, very quiet, very solid, your fingers will love pressing them. Pressing of each key is short, so you do more typing. Each key has their own opening,this will limit any particles getting into the keyboard which is a breeding ground for bacteria, and ending up getting your keys stuck. Top housing is solid alluminum, bottom portion of the keyboard is a thin high quality plastic, which feels just as solid as the alluminum. There is no keyboard out there that is as solid as this thing!!!!! It is fancy beacuse of its simplicty and design.
There are function keys a the top, media buttons such as volume, play/pause/track, brightness. YES this keyboard will work on Windows platforms, such as XP, and Win7
******* Important! Read this before you decide getting it for a Windows based pc******
NOT ALL FUNCTION KEYS WILL WORK IN WIN ENVIROMENT (volume, pause, windows key, skip, ctrl alt del function) THERE IS A FIX THOUGH
::::: You can remap these keys (meaning assigning functions to each key). I did it without any drivers or programs by going into registry and remapping it.
No worry there is a program called "Sharpkeys" Its a small FREE program that you run on windows, it modifies entries in registry, so it is perminent without running any additional software to keep that function working. It is easy, even my ex girlfriend can do it..
To conclude this keyboard is like a 7-lane highway made from cheese in a Mercedes Benz with softer suspension then your grandmas Chrysler New Yorker.....
Customer Review: This is my favorite keyboard ever!
Summary: 5 Stars
Caveat: I am a many finger hunt-and-peck typist. I resisted touch typing classes and am now so set in my ways. I am pretty fast, but that does have some bearing on this review.
+ The spacing of the keys is exquisite.
+ The placement and size of the modifier and command keys are great.
+ Easy key movement and relative quiet.
+ Fairly rugged - I spilled three ounces of bourbon into the keyboard (don't ask, please). Unplugging it immediately and turning it upside down for a few days on a t-shirt I expected nothing but the worst. Since I started using it again I have had NO ISSUES. I don't recommend this, but it's a great anecdote.
+ The slimness is really pretty cool, it's hard to get your head around, but it feels like the keyboard gets out of the way (even when I'm looking at it to type). A former roommate thought it was a piece out of the computer since it was so thin!
- Occasional missed keys. This _may_ have to do with my typing "style" but I think the keyboard doesn't register very light taps. Testing it right now by pressing a key as lightly as possible, I could get the keyboard to skip every sixth letter or so. (This might also have to do with the bourbon...)
- The two USB ports are slim so not everything can fit in them (they are directly underneath ESC and F19) (That's how thin it is!)
- The two USB ports don't have enough power for all devices (you can't charge an iPod off of one of these - this is most likely due to the keyboard being a chaining device and having no external power supply.
- White keys show dirt quickly. I'm a clean guy and clean my keyboard every month or so, but there are a few keys that always end up with dirty edges.
All the negatives are pretty minor and the positives are AWESOME, so without reservation I recommend this keyboard. I HAVE NOT USED THIS TO PLAY FPS, I don't know how the lag/response is on those. I have used it on other types of games and had no issues.
Customer Review: Fantastic keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
This redesigned razor-thin keyboard is a dream. The one that came with my iMac G5 was always a little stiff and I could never get my finger pressure right, especially when typing quickly. This one is more like my old iBook keyboard (and similar in design to the newer Macbooks), and the response and wider spacing of the keys really hits an ergonomic sweet spot. There are some clever additions, too, such as dedicated Exposé and Dashboard keys, and a slight delay on the Caps Lock button "stick" to make sure you don't hit it accidentally. The last has always been a problem of mine, since I regularly managed to tap it in passing AND WHOLE SENTENCES WOULD COME OUT LIKE THIS before I realized what I'd done. It's also much, much easier to clean. Hair and grime don't get caught and congeal under the plastic. If only I could say the same for the Mighty Mouse scroll ball.
Some folks have encountered software glitches with these refreshed keyboards, particularly on G5 iMacs like mine, but mine has been trouble-free since plugging it in. What does bother me is the loss of the Apple logo on the Command key. I know Apple is trying to make their documented keyboard shortcuts simpler, but that logo became the de facto reference for the key on either side of the spacebar. The fact that it's gone removes an essential visual cue for me, and it's been confusing to guests who've asked, "I want to paste some text... but where's the Apple key gone?" I'm also not thrilled that they've changed the layout to accommodate the dedicated Exposé and Dashboard keys from the left to the right of the keyboard, but that's a very minor inconvenience that will vanish in time.
As with all Apple products, this keyboard is more than just aesthetics. It's functional and ergonomic too, and I'm pleased to have picked one up. But I'd recommend trying it in-store first, as I did, to see if it suits your fingers and typing style.
Customer Review: I love this Apple keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
The media/shortcut keys are great to have. They are brightness, dashboard, expose, volume, play/pause, prev/rewind, next/fastforward and are located on F1-F4 & F7-F12. By default I think the keys alone acts as the media/shortcut keys and you have to hold the fn key to access their F-key functions, but there is a software setting in MacOS X to switch that around. It's also nice that there are several extra F keys (F13-F19) that always function as F-keys no matter what the setting. I guess most software doesn't make use of these by default, but it is pretty convenient to be able to map them to shortcuts via the Keyboard preferences.
The look of the keyboard in nice too (I've had several friend say 'cool keyboard' when they saw it) and I like how the cord is just long enough to reach to my iMac and I don't have a lot of extra cord cluttering my desk like with the Dell keyboards I've used. As other people have mentioned, it's pretty easy to keep the crumbs out of this since there is a covered space between each key, and it's also nice having a [low powered - you really can't expect more on a keyboard] USB port on either side of the keyboard - of course, this is a must if you have Apple's [extremely short corded] Mighty Mouse (or whatever they call it now.)
The only things I might consider cons about this are that its slim profile may not provide as much comfort to the hands as some. My Dell keyboard at work, for example, has a palm rest and that combined with the height of the keyboard makes it feel very natural to propurly curve the hands over the keyboard; this one does not have that feel. Also, the edges of the keyboard are kind of sharp if I happen to rest my hands there - this isn't much of a problem though since the edge doesn't stick out far. Anyway, I personally would (and did) readily accept these 'cons' for the tradeoff in the size and sturdy construction!