Product Description

The 109-key Apple Keyboard features full-size cursor keys perfect for zipping up, down and sideways in a game or on a spreadsheet. Special keys provide immediate access to the system audio level (volume up, down, mute) as well as ejecting media from the Mac optical drive. Additionally, 16 full-size function keys give applications plenty of ways to provide short cuts to common tasks. The Apple Keyboard also comes with additional full-sized keys for Page Up and Down, Home and End, Insert and forward Delete.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1983 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: White
• Brand: Apple
• Model: M9034LL/A
• Platform: Mac OS X
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 2.20" h x 5.00" w x 18.00" l, 2.00 pounds

Features

• Convenient multimedia keys provide immediate access for users of Mac OS to the system audio level as well as ejecting media from the Mac optical drive
• 15 full size Function keys provide a variety of short cuts to common tasks
• Includes additional full-size keys for Page Up and Down, Home and End, Insert and forward Delete
• Includes integrated USB cable
• OS Compatibility - Apple Mac OS X 10.2

Customer Reviews

Great keyboard with a few minor shortcomings
Pros:

-Aesthetically pleasing
-Integrated USB cable
-Two additional USB ports
-Driverless (at least under 10.2.8, which is what I'm using), hot swappable
-Adjustable foot for increased or reduced angling

Cons:

-Minor discrepancies that notebook users may find initially annoying
-Tactile response, while good, is not the best
-Cord is too short
-No power key

I use this keyboard with my OS X 10.2.8 based PowerBook, and overall, I'm very pleased. There are some odd glitches, such as the fact that the key repeat rate is slower on this keyboard than on the PowerBook's integrated keyboard, and the tactile response isn't ideal for high-speed touch-typists like myself. On a good keyboard, I can reach about 130 words per minute, but this keyboard doesn't give me the right "feel" for me to hit speeds like that.

If you're used to using your notebook's integrated keys for controlling your notebook's sound or display, you may be initially disoriented by the arrangement of the keys. Turning your notebook display's brightness up or down is possible with this keyboard, for example, but the keys that do it aren't labeled -- I discovered it purely by accident thru experimentation. And where's the function key? Granted, it's not critical -- perhaps not even needed at all -- but I'd still like to have it available to me. The keyboard doesn't have a power key, either, meaning you'll have to use the Mac's power key.

The cord, at only thirty-two inches, is *much* too short. Be aware of this limitation, especially if (for example) you're thinking of plugging this keyboard into the back of a tower that's sitting on the floor behind your desk.

On the upside, the keyboard is very handsome and comfortable to use. In addition to the integrated USB cable, there are two USB ports on either side of the keyboard, allowing you greater flexibility in connecting and placing your USB-based mouse. You can also use the extra port for any other USB-based peripheral (I personally find it very convenient for using my jump drive). No installation or configuration is required for use -- plug the keyboard in and you're set to go. The keyboard is also hot-swappable, so you can plug it in, or unplug it, anytime you like (although you should be cautious if you've connected any kind of storage device to one of the USB ports -- be sure to properly unmount the storage device before unplugging the keyboard). There are some other, smaller, conveniences as well -- such as the CD eject key -- that enhance the keyboard's utility.

All in all, a very good keyboard that's definitely worth your consideration.

Stylish
I am using this keyboard with my Win XP PC and it works perfectly. It fortunately came with a USB extension cord. It is quite stylish but this inadvertently makes my Logitech mouse and Viewsonic monitor look sadly ancient. My only real complaint would be that it isn't equipped with a pair of feet to increase the keyboard angle.

Compared with a decent Microsoft PC keyboard, I noticed that on the Apple keyboard (1) the distance between the surfaces of two adjacent keys is shorter, (2) the surface of each key is flatter, and (3) the height difference between an unpressed and pressed key seems smaller. This gives the keyboard a softer/fuzzier feel that some people might not like or might need a little time to adjust to.

The happy medium between the clicker and the mushboard
As a former Windows wonk, I was firmly committed to the classic clicker keyboard. That didn't make me very popular with other people in the room. The alternative, the quiet soft-touch keyboard made typing about as enjoyable as plunging one's fingers into a pile of cold raw liver.

When I bought a Mac mini, I decided I'd fully trick it out with a new keyboard. My first few keystrokes on this keyboard at The Apple Store made me wary. "It's too quiet, " I thought, but then I noticed the touch is a lot like the keyboard on an IBM Selectric typewriter. Each key has that moment of resistance before bottoming out, essential for speedy touch-typing.

The built-in USB hub is a nice feature but is the only real drawback. The Mac mini has two USB 2.0 ports but when you plug this keyboard in and plug a mouse (ugh) or trackball (yeah!) into the keyboard, you end up with one USB 2.0 port and one USB 1.1 port. So much for getting your money's worth from any USB 2.0 device you plug into the keyboard's free port.

Aside from that, the keyboard is the perfect match for a Mac mini. The multimedia keys (volume up, volume down, mute, eject) are icing on the cake, especially if your iTunes collection has a wide dynamic range.