Review: Apple Wireless Keyboard
03.27.08 - 08:41pm
I don’t often change what keyboard and mouse I use. I’ve had the same Logitech keyboard and mouse from 2003 . Late last year I decided to switch over to a Logitech MX Revolution but I held off on a keyboard as nothing appealed to me. When Apple launched their wired and wireless keyboards last year, I liked the look of them but wasn’t certain I’d like their short keystroke. Months later and I finally sprang for an Apple Wireless Keyboard and what a difference. So how does the Apple Wireless Keyboard actually stack up? Is it all design or actually functional?
First Impression
The keyboard comes in a slim box with typical Apple minimalistic styling and packaging. After gingerly pulling the keyboard out of it’s sleeving and looking it over, I removed the provided alkaline batteries from the packaging and popped them into the keyboard. With the batteries in it the keyboard is still very light and incredibly thin. For those of you familiar with the Macbook, this keyboard shares it’s incredibly short keystroke and key layout. There are a few changes along the function keys up top, but otherwise it’s nearly identical. A single hidden LED tells you if the board has power or not. I didn’t even notice the LED until I powered the keyboard on, it’s underneath the casing material and there is what appears to be thin holes that let the light emanate.
Use and Range
Being that this is a wireless keyboard, the first thing I had to do was link it to my Macbook. This simply involved jumping into the Bluetooth devices and entering a keycode via the keyboard to validate it and pair the devices. Once the keyboard was paired I decided to test out the Bluetooth range. I was very surprised with the range as it managed to type up to 35 feet away from the Macbook. I suppose this range isn’t very useful for general use, but it’s nice to know you could control iTunes in the next room if you like to listen to music through your entire house like I do.
After playing around with the keyboard as an exceptionally large iTunes remote I tested out it’s use as a standard keyboard. I didn’t have a single instance of typing lag or repeated characters and the lack of a keyboard wire helped clean up my cluttered desk surface a bit. I wish it had a single USB port on it, I know it’s wireless, but it’d be incredibly nice to just plug my MX Revolution’s USB dongle into the keyboard and have a single unified package. This might seem like a dumb idea, but with my wired Apple Keyboard I have the USB dongle plugged into the board and I really like having all my input bits and pieces in one place.
Besides this next to impossible desire, the only real usability issues I had was the lack of the num pad, and the print screen cluster cluster. I actually use those keys rather often on my PC and I would have liked to see these included on this keyboard for use with a Mac as I miss them when using my Macbook. Ideally I’d have liked to see the wired keyboard layout with the cable snipped. That would have been an upgrade versus a horizontal shift when going from the Macbook to the wireless keyboard.
Conclusion
For those looking to use their Apple computer with a secondary monitor and keyboard/mouse setup, the Apple Wireless Keyboard quick and simple solution to detach yourself from your actual laptop and maintain a clean desktop. While the lack of a numpad is a minor frustration, it is something to keep in mind when deciding on what to purchase. I personally prefer the wired version with it’s USB ports but that’s another story.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Sleek Design
- Short Keystroke
Cons
- Lack of Numpad and Printscreen cluster
- Short Keystroke(could be a turn-off)
Give it a few weeks and you’ll turn that short keystroke into a pro. I can type faster, stronger, harder… with my Apple Wireless Keyboard now.
I’ve been using this keyboard for a few months, and like Paul, I type so much faster on it than any other keyboard I’ve ever used. I think my favorite feature is the iTunes controls on the top right. Fits perfectly with my workflow especially since my music is normally on random.
I hope you like using the keyboard though.
Well I actually traded Paul for his wired keyboard, he has the wireless one now. I like the short keystroke as I’ve been typing on my Macbook for nearly 2 years now. I just listed it as a pro and a con as it’s something to take note of. I personally like it, but I know a few people that cannot stand it so I felt it was reasonable to double list.
I’d have to agree with the comments above. At first I had to get used to the short keyboard but after a couple days I can see a big difference in my typing speed. I also really like he dedicated keys. The box is sturdy enough to reuse for everyday travel. I ride back and forth to work on my bike and it fits perfect in my backpack. I don’t usually go out and buy $80 keyboards but this one is worth it!
The lack of a numpad is very peculiar to me, and I have yet to sit down and listen to any sort of justification for its absence. Frankly, I think anyone using this keyboard with anything as big as an iMac would likely be better off with the wired keyboard or a future iteration of this one that includes those keys - it looks very silly in front of that big screen, and its diminished functionality isn’t a bonus for a desktop.
Ian, the narrower keyboard allows the mouse to be closer to your hands. That’s a VERY good thing for folks who are prone to RSI.
Advantages of the number “row” (at the top of your keyboard):
a) it is closer to the letters you are typing from
b) 8 fingers across 2 hands for 10 digit keys is simply faster than 3 fingers on one hand for 10 digit keys
Disadvantages of the number pad:
a) it is inherently slower (see reason ‘b’ in the section above)
b) if you are right handed, it increases the distance you have to reach for the mouse. This is harder on your hands / wrists and slows you down every time you go to use the mouse.