[Review] Apple Wireless Keyboard

By Martyn
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Grand Master

Martyn

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The Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is a great keyboard, and I have been using my one since August 2007. However, the desire to move to wireless instigated a search for a new keyboard. The chase led me to the Apple Wireless Keyboard.

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To be honest, after a fair bit of research their seemed to be a distinct lack of wireless keyboards currently available to buy. This came as somewhat of a surprise to me as wireless mice, a keyboards counterpart, are relatively abundant these days. It just seemed natural that wireless keyboards would be available in the same abundance.

So first of all, why do I feel I need a wireless keyboard? Well workspace at my University accommodation is somewhat restricted, and I became very attracted to the idea of just being able to move my keyboard over to my bed whilst eating my tea or doing some work, something which I couldn't do with my Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 without a bit of messing around. In addition, the Ergonomic 4000 does have its drawbacks; being a big and bulky ergonomic keyboard it is excellent for typing, but those funky shaped keys do like to attract a lot of dirt and grime, which made cleaning it somewhat tedious.

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If you say 'wireless keyboard', 7 times out of 10 the Logitech diNovo Edge will spring to any technology lovers mind. It is a brilliant bit of kit and it did appeal to me, but could I really justify spending ?100 on a keyboard that doesn't really offer anything besides looking a bit snazzy? After browsing a thread on Neowin (a forum I frequent), I noticed a few comments were praising the wireless keyboard Apple offers to the public, so I decided to take a closer look.

What first struck me about the keyboard is the lack of a number pad, and to be honest this came as a major disappointment to me as I am a big fan of a number pad on a keyboard. More research showed me that Apple do actually do a full sized version of their keyboard which includes a number pad, but sadly that only comes in USB form. It is a real shame that they also do not offer the full sized version in wireless form as that would be sitting on my desk right now.

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Most people seem to be under the illusion that Apple keyboards only work with Apple computers and OS X. I can assure you that it an unfounded myth. Furthermore, a lot of people like to point out that the Apple Wireless Keyboard is incompatible with Windows. Similarly, this is an unfounded myth. I am sitting here typing on one now using Windows Vista Ultimate x64, and all that is required is a Bluetooth enabled computer (either built-in or through a dongle). That is not to say the Apple Wireless Keyboard will work perfectly with every version of Windows as I have heard a few people are having trouble getting it to work flawlessly with Windows XP, it can be done, but it might require a bit of Googling.

Seeing as I could not be bothered waiting for one to arrive off the net I decided to pick up an Apple Wireless Keyboard from my local PC World, a short walk away from me (I live in a town centre). The price of Apple technology is pretty much standard everywhere, so it would have been fruitless for me to shop around on the Internet for one. Normally I would avoid PC World like a plague, a point that was proved as my brief venture into the store saw me encounter unknowledgeable and stroppy staff.

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It is really hard to imagine just how small the Apple Wireless Keyboard actually is. Whilst researching it on the net I had of course seen pictures and videos of it, but nothing prepares you for just how small it actually is. When you lie it next to my old Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for example, it is simply dwarfed in size. The packaging of the keyboard by Apple is, as you would expect, brilliant. The simple and elegant design of Apple packaging draws a lot of praise, and not just for its good looks, but with the amount of space it saves. There is nothing worse than plastic clam shell packaging that takes an hour to open and rips your hands to shreds in the process is there?

Inside the box are some simple instructions in a variety of languages, 3x AA Energizer batteries and of course, the Apple Wireless Keyboard. Setup was a breeze, simply insert the batteries into cylindrical 'thing' that raises the keyboard, which is rather ingenious from Apple. After that, it is a simple matter of turning the keyboard on which is done by pressing the power switch on the side of the cylindrical 'thing' that raises the keyboard, and then pairing the keyboard with your computer via Bluetooth.

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The Apple Wireless Keyboard is basically the same as the one on my MacBook. When I say the same, I mean almost exactly; the layout and dimensions of the Apple Wireless Keyboard and that on my MacBook are basically identical. In fact, the only difference between the two I can find is the difference in the texture of the keys, the keys on my MacBook seem somewhat smoother whilst those on the Apple Wireless Keyboard seem to offer more grip. It is a joy to type on the Apple Wireless Keyboard; key presses are soft, and the aforementioned texture of the keys is really pleasant. Excellent typing speeds can also be achieved once you adapt to the keyboard due its slimline nature and less time required per key press.

The Apple Wireless Keyboard only has one minor incompatibility problem, and although obvious when you think about it, I still think it is something I should mention. The fact that the keyboard connects to your computer using Bluetooth, and not USB or PS2 means that you do not have control of the keyboard outside of the operating system. Moreover, every time you boot up your PC you will be presented with the message saying "Keyboard error or no keyboard found", due to the fact that the computer thinks no keyboard is connected. To fix this you can simply boot into the BIOS (using a spare USB or PS2 keyboard), and set your BIOS to halt on "All errors, but not keyboard" and then you are good to go.

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There are special keys present on the Apple Wireless Keyboard such as 'Play/Pause' and 'Mute'. The functionality of these keys are supported natively in Mac OS X, but unsurprisingly in Windows they do not do anything. I thought it would be nice to try and find a way around this, as I regularly used the mute key on my old keyboard to quickly kill the sound. After a lot of research, I did discover a rather nice little program called KeyTweak which allows you to remap your keyboard through its user interface by changing registry values and now everything works hunky dory.

All in all, the Apple Wireless Keyboard is another piece of brilliance from Apple, and it would make a welcome addition to almost anyone's desk! Time for some typing...

Thanks for reading. I posted this to my blog originally UnknownLogic.com.>

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Grand Master

+virtorio MVC

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  • MVC
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Can I use the USB version of this keyboard with the number pad on a PC with windows?

It's not perfect. Some keys aren't available (like print screen) without the Apple driver, which is only available though boot camp (which you won't have unless you have a Mac). I also get a problem every now and then where a key starts repeating (as if it's being held down). All in all I'd say it's not the best Windows keyboard, but it feels great to use which is why I'm still using it.

Grand Master

Dane

Posted
Posted
It's not perfect. Some keys aren't available (like print screen) without the Apple driver, which is only available though boot camp (which you won't have unless you have a Mac). I also get a problem every now and then where a key starts repeating (as if it's being held down). All in all I'd say it's not the best Windows keyboard, but it feels great to use which is why I'm still using it.

Ahh ok then.

Grand Master

Mathachew Veteran

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Like you, I have the MS keyboard, and I don't care how nice this wireless, or any wireless one is, it will never be replaced. My biggest gripe with this keyboard is probably the enter key being so slim. What I do like about it, though, is that it doesn't get as loud as the MS one does over time. Brand new, the MS keyboard is pretty quiet, but being an avid computer user (software development, IM chat, facebook, blog and gaming), the keyboard gets used quite heavily, and as a result, loses the quietness it original had.

Grand Master

what

Posted
Posted

My friend has one of these and he loves it. I'm not such a fan though, I prefer the full-sized keyboard. I don't need the portability, I'm using it on my iMac so it's not like I need to take it into the next room with me or anything. They're great keyboards though, very nice to use.

Grand Master

Martyn

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I'd get one of these in a heartbeat were it not for the fact that (it appears) I'll lose two USB ports in doing so.

How so? All you need is a Bluetooth dongle which takes up one USB port, and if your computer has built in Bluetooth you will not be losing any ports.

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