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Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
by MamaC
When I purchased my Mac Pro 2 years back, it came with the USB wired Apple Keyboard. Having previously used PC keyboards, I found the Apple keyboard to be the most elegant that I'd ever seen and used.
It sports an ultrathin anodized aluminium enclosure with low-profile white keys that are a pleasure to use. The entire ... keyboard is so tactile and responsive. One feature that I loved about this keyboard was that it has two USB 2 ports to the left and right underside rear of it which is helpful if you need to plug either a mouse or card reader in. I do believe that you can also plug in a printer too, but I've never tried this as mine is connected at the back of my Mac Pro. Forget trying to plug a portable hard drive in, I tried this and it didn't want to know. At first I thought that my hard drive had packed up but then realised it required a USB port that proved power to the unit.
As far as features go it as everything that I'd expect a keyboard to have in this day and age. The number pad is situated to the right. On the very top you can find the function keys and one touch buttons which will allow you to access certain applications on your Mac i.e. CD/DVD play, rewind, forward fast, eject etc. Apart from this standard layout the keyboard has the usual arrow keys, which are situated to the right of the QWERTY keys this enables you to either scroll across or down through documents, or internet sites etc.
The Apple Keyboard comes with a handy USB extension cable which is much needed and an instruction booklet which you don't really need. It's very easy to install- just plug in and it is good to go. Your Mac will pick up any software updates that are available for the keyboard.
The keys do get a little bit grubby after a while but they are very easy to clean with a little disinfectant.
Needless to say that this keyboard is also compatible with a PC. I'd highly recommend it to anyone wanting to refine his or her daily experience of using technology.
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Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
by Nar2
Last year towards Christmas I made up my mind to buy a desktop computer to replace a very old Evesham desktop that was used for keeping data and various files including a huge folder of music files. The Evesham was completely reliable but newer components were no longer compatible for it and I made the hard decision to get rid of the ... Evesham desk top PC even though it came with an excellent sound blaster sound card and lots of other goodies. So as I went about partitioning what could be re sold or kept and set about looking for a new computer, I was at two minds on whether to get rid of my excellent premium keyboard that had given me excellent service. In my haste I ended up buying a Mac Mini and although I had a perfectly good QWERTY Microsoft keyboard with soft touch pads and multi functions, it was not compatible with the Mac system as it has a PS2 jack as opposed to USB and even with an adaptor, it just didn't seem to connect with my new Mac. To make the Mac Mini accessible I then bought my Texet gaming PC keyboard that can be used with Mac computers and apart from the cheapness of the keys and constantly rattling from the sound I made when it came to typing up reviews and general paper work, the gaming keyboard actually slowed down my typing speed as well as continually annoying me with its lack of quality, noise and cheapness of the keys. Thus with Christmas vouchers, I ended up buying Apple's wired full size keyboard for use with my Mac Mini. I've since bought another Apple wired keyboard for use with my Macbook as all will become clear, shortly!
When it comes to buying accessories bearing the Apple name, you can be sure of one thing - the accessories are usually and mostly stylish to the eye. The same aspect is applied here with Apple's wired keyboard. So, where general design & quality is concerned, the product here is so very nearly perfect. You get a beautifully thin rectangular panel with white 2mm "low profile" QWERTY keys and a numerical key pad sited to the right hand side. `All the while with a classy brushed aluminium panel behind like an artistic backdrop that inspires durability and style, white square or rectangular "chicklet," press keys abound that are visually clear to see and well detailed. The one touch keys comprise of volume up and down, mute, fast forward and rewind when using iTunes to dashboard, up and down to view screen, expose and brightness settings for your monitor screen as well as a handy eject function if you have a CD/DVD in your super drive player. The numerical keypad is also well placed and easy to access.
All the keys have grey decal writing on them and the keyboard measures nearly 44cm in length by 11cm width with the 0.5cm drop on the raised base for the USB expansion slots and main rest automatically incorporated into the design. On the underside, the keyboard is completely glossy white with a raised and permanent partition at the top to aid the keyboard at an angle for users. Function keys that I would normally find on my 2008 Macbook are similarly accessed and laid out on the Apple wired keyboard and I find the whole design extremely comfortable to use whilst the whole item sits on a level surface without moving - an aspect that I wish my previous gaming keyboard could do, regardless of its optional push-in flush angle points on the base.
Although I didn't take much notice of the equally pleasing packing box that the keyboard is sold in, it does come with a helpful user manual (should you really require it,) a very helpful optional long metre extension USB cable and the keyboard itself. What I didn't realise was that this keyboard's base has very helpful 2.0 USB slots on either side of the keyboard too, making the use of my corded mouse all the better for it, rather than stretching the wire over to the main USB point on my Macbook and they're hidden underneath out of the way. If you are the owner of a Macbook you'll know the restrictive nature of only having 2 USB ports on the computer itself, so it's a bit of a boon having USB slots on the keyboard for extra versatility and optional peripherals. The USB wire from the keyboard to the Macbook measures 85 cm, which is more length than I need, anyway. A bonus to the product where compatibility is concerned is that the Apple wired keyboard can be used with PC computers too, providing that they use XP and servers upwards with no PS2 points. Latterly though without a Mac, you'll miss out on the one-touch function keys that are made solely for Mac computers.
Where general performance is concerned - what a breath of fresh air! Compared to the thicker, deeper set keys on a standard PC keyboard, there is a beautifully absent noise created by the keys on the Apple keyboard, even if it lacks a soft, rubberised texture that more expensive rivals provide. The keys, though smooth have an actual slight grainy texture to them too, which lends itself for your fingers to grip the plastic rather than slide off. It is also far easier to clean this keyboard should it get dirty due to the white key finish.
The Apple wired keyboard is efficient and far more comfortable to actually touch type on as well as standard typing. I find that for most of the time when I'm doing reviews or typing work in general, that I'm merely forcing my hand to tickle the keys to get the words appearing on the screen compared to the continual banging my fingers are put through when using a standard PC keyboard. Less mistakes occur because of the natural design here and I find my typing gets quicker with very few glances required to look at the keys to check what I am typing! I could never do the same approach with a deep set PC keyboard. With the angle set in place, I don't miss having raised keys either as the natural positioning of the hand rests over the keys easily and hovering over the keyboard with less pushing in to ensure the correct letters of your choice appear on your computer screen.
Generally where downsides are concerned, there are very few. When it comes to using the USB slots, I find that some peripherals won't work regardless of Apple's insistence of making the slots with a 2.0 grading. My external Firelight hard drive for example will not work on the USB slots in the keyboard. However, I do find my wired mouse or printer can be used and in addition, my compact Canon camera can easily be connected through the other USB slot rather than continually using my Belkin 4 USB slot bank. For excess wire worries and computer owners who hate wires clumping up, the Apple's on board USB slots are a godsend!
One downside that is of more importance and obvious is an aspect I have mentioned earlier is cost price. Apple products are notoriously expensive and seldom cheap. At cost, the wired apple keyboard has an average price of £40 to £45 and I seldom buy any peripherals I need direct from Apple stores because they do tend to mark up the prices fairly heavily. As a result, I usually buy my accessories if I can, from John Lewis or any other department store where the mark up is marginal and my wired keyboard cost me £40. For owners who have the Macbook Pro however, you may well miss the un-lit keys but I guess in time Apple could launch another keyboard with this worthwhile option - there's certainly enough power from the keyboard to the computer for lit keys to be added.
Within a year however, I began to realise that I liked the wired keyboard so much, I decided to go out and buy another for my own Macbook, turning my laptop into a versatile "desktop" design by buying an old BBC Computer mount to elevate the Macbook and to decrease my use with the Macbook's own keyboard, unless I am in transit with it. With the Macbook being mounted away from me, it also decreases any eye fatigue I've got in the past when writing or using the laptop so closely located to my eyes; so it's a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned! Well made, easy on the eye and infinitely useful, the Apple wired keyboard with numerical pad is a fantastic product that has improved my touch-typing skills and oozes good design intelligence. It is a must for product reviewers, if nothing else! Thanks for reading. İNar2 2012.
www.apple.com
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Logitech Keyboard K200 for Business
by ChuckneyRogers
So i needed a new keyboard a while back to use with an old desktop computer i finished cleaning up from my younger years and thought I'd add some style too. I thought back to when i was using the computers in my universities library and began searching for some similar models. I looked in PC world as they had some big deals on for ... Logitech devices.
It was then i came across the Logitech k200. Its sharp black colour and sleek curved design caught my eye. I then had the bonus of being able to try it out there and then as well as other models of keyboards right there in store. I fell in love with it instantly! The keys seemed to be at the perfect space for ease of typing and comfortable to touch. I just had to get it and for only £19.99.
Bagged up i took it home to try it out properly. I began un-boxing straight away. On the cover of the box is a simple photo of the keyboard whilst on the back is photos of it in use and on desktops. Upon opening i pulled out the keyboard sealed in protective plastic packaging to stop the keyboard from being damaged within the slightly thin cardboard box. The usb cable was nicely and neatly tied up, bound with a cable tie for added protection. Also included in the box was the warranty booklet and a brief help/set-up guide.
When pulling out and removing the packaging i noticed how light the keyboard actually is. The size 45cm X 15cm makes it a perfect fit for standard computer desks and fitted perfectly on mine. The black complimenting the fine oak wood.
I fired up the pc, running Windows Vista Home ready to use the new keyboard. I plugged it in to a free usb port and it was instantly installing. Using simply plug and play there is no fussing around with CD's and software/drivers to get it going. After around 20 seconds i got the message the device was ready for use. Simple fast installation and i was ready to go.
I fired up word just to try it out and i was quickly typing away. The keys are almost perfectly spaced apart for fast typing with a slight curve on the keys to give a comfortable fit for your finger tips. When typing at first it can feel a little like hard plastic however i found its very quick to get used and you can almost forget the keyboard is there. A feature i later realised from on the box was the spill resistance feature which i have yet to test however from closely looking at the keyboard i've tried it hard to find anywhere leakages could get in.
Another great feature of this keyboard it the hot key buttons for sleep, internet, calculator, volume and mute buttons. However i've yet to consistently try these out. I've tried the sleep and internet button which both seem to be quickly responsive, the internet button swiftly opening up your default internet browser. The usb cable is of a fairly good length and could easily reach the back port of a computer from a desk with ease. Also built into the bottom of the keyboard is 2 tilting legs, which i have found that i always use which raises the keyboard up from the desk at a better angle for use. However it all comes down to your preference.
I've used this keyboard for around 8 months and yet to have any trouble with it. The sleek curved design of the keyboard makes and excellent wrist rest for your hand. Even with the long periods of use and typing i've yet to experience any hand pains or distress. The keyboard has also been knocked a few times and pulled out and still there has not been a problem with it. Its highly reliable and resilient especially for the price i originally paid. For a simple keyboard with a few light media and quick press buttons at an amazing value for money this keyboard is a must have. With simple plug and play on any PC or laptop any computer users of any level should be able to handle this keyboard with ease.
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