Customer Reviews

Apple Aluminum Wired Keyboard MB110LL/A

5 star:		(240)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

I just stared using this keyboard, but I already love it. It's a great update to the old Mac keyboard, and it's about time that Apple put some of their design smarts on their keyboard!

I thought it would be hard to get used to, but it isn't. I enjoyed using it right out of the box.

Pros:
+ The shallow keys lessen the movement and pressure required to type, which reduces fatigue and repetitive stress
+ Design leaves little room for dirt / debris to get into the keyboard
+ It's really quiet
+ It's really small, but the keys are full size and well spaced.

Cons:
+ As with all Macintosh keyboards, there are several important Windows buttons which are missing (such as the print screen, right click, break, scroll lock, and number lock buttons). I found a nice, free Windows utility to help with this problem though: SharpKeys. This utility allows you to remap your keys and use the extra function keys for the ones that are missing.

And that person must have had a lot to say about the design of the latest Apple keyboard.

At first glance, it looks like a touch typist's nightmare. It's too flat! The keys barely move! Where's the tactile feedback I need to get up to speed?

I scoffed when I first laid eyes upon it, but after a few minutes with one at an Apple retail store, I was hooked. While the profile of the keyboard is low and lean, the keys and their spacing are generous enough for big shovel hands like mine. The touch is reminiscent of a good electric typewriter, not mushy and uncertain like so many "quiet" keyboards. The keys can't bind against each other and the space between them prevents cruddy build-up.

Since it's also the stock keyboard for the new aluminum iMac, the keyboard provides USB 2.0 support for low power and externally powered devices when connected to other computers, including the white plastic iMac, any MacBook, the Mac mini and the Mac Pro. That won't be a big issue for most users who plug a mouse or trackball into the keyboard. You'll still need to plug your iPod directly into a USB port on the computer.

One more thing. . .

Apple has finally labeled the Command key with its name in addition to that mysterious cloverleaf symbol.

This new apple keyboard is substantially smaller than the older G4-style keyboard, and probably a bit smaller than the G5/x86 keyboard. Unlike the G5/x86 keyboard, it does not feel cramped. The keys appear spread out due to the shape and shallow depth of the keys (previous keyboards had trapezoidal keys, when viewed from the side or front), but typing is comfortable and easy.

One word of warning, this keyboard does not appear to work with my IOGear GCS632U KVM. Normally, keyboards with LED backlighting have trouble with unpowered USB KVM switches. This apple keyboard appears to just be a simple keyboard + 2 port hub, just like the last few apple keyboards, so I'm a little surprised that it doesn't work.

Edit - Since this keyboard is a USB 2.0 device, the KVM issue may simply be that the IOGear KVM doesn't speak USB 2.0.

The easy workaround is to use Synergy, an excellent free software switch.

In conclusion - I like the feel of this keyboard well enough that I'll keep it and look for a new KVM rather than the other way around.

Update: two weeks later, I still like this keyboard. Synergy is far more convenient than a hardware switch, so this keyboard deserves 5 out of 5 stars.

This keyboard has several differences from standard keyboards.

1) The keys have a short travel (i.e. when you press them they don't go very far).

2) The keyboard is very low to the ground.

3) The keys have lots of space between them, so that the buttons are smaller than usual.

4) The tops of the keys are flat, rather than concave.

The short travel means that the keys feel more like keys on a laptop keyboard. This makes typing quieter and potentially faster. However I like this keyboard better than the MacBook Pro keyboard because it has a more solid feel.

The lower position of the keyboard supports and encourages more ergonomic typing in which the hands are held higher above the keys. If you used a wrist rest previously, you might not need it with this keyboard. If you are addicted to your wrist rest, it might not work so well with this keyboard, because it might be too high.

Unfortunately I have been finding it surprisingly hard to type on this keyboard. I think is a result of the small, flat keys. Because the keys are small, sometimes I miss them entirely, so that I type words with letters missing. Because the keys are flat, I find it harder to keep my hands in the right position. (With a standard keyboard, my fingertips rest naturally in the concavities of the keys.) If I don't get more comfortable with it soon, I am going to trade it in for a more standard keyboard.

The appearance is very stylish, as you can expect from apple products these days. However you should probably try it out in the store to see if you like the feel.

UPDATE: I don't use this keyboard anymore. I wanted to like it but after a few days I couldn't take it anymore and gave up. Fortunately I was able to get a hold of the older style apple keyboard which I have been using happily ever since. I would deduct a star from the rating but amazon won't let me.

This keyboard is totally different from any keyboard I've ever used before (except, of course, the MacBook keyboard, which is similar). The distance the keys travel is very short, and the effort required to depress them is likewise very small. So you can type faster with much less effort! It's amazing, compared to this, every other keyboard I've ever used is just a joke.

Not to mention the fact that this keyboard is very small and looks very elegant. The metal case feels very sturdy, too.

I couldn't be happier with this keyboard.

I havent read all of the customer reviews for this product, but I am sure that this will be one of only a few reviews for this keyboard as it relates to it being used on a Windows 7 based PC.

This keyboard is everything I hoped it would be and more. It is very compact, durable and sleek. But, it is also very comfortable and easy to use. Bottom line, this is probably the best keyboard I've ever purchased and used.

I did some research before I bought the keyboard, knowing that I wouldnt be using it on a Mac and wanted to figure out if there were any issues associated with compatibility/functionability issues with a Windows OS or non-Apple hardware. While I came across some good reading and some hybrid software that is supposed to fully unlock the keyboard and make all of the keys functional for a Windows-based PC, I was led to believe that the keyboard wouldnt work properly before windows completely finished its boot sequence or without the aid of that hybrid software. That information was wrong.

This keyboard works like a charm and didnt need any additional software downloads to make it fully functional with my computer. It works fine at the initial pc startup, so using it to set up your BIOS or when first installing windows isnt a problem.

I know that I am in the minority with it's use, but this keyboard is wonderful and will satisfy anyone looking to purchase one, whether or not its going to be used on a Mac. This probably isnt the review Apple had in mind when they made this product, but then again, maybe it is.

This is the second one I owned. both had the sam exact problm. They SKIP LETTERS oftn.I have never had this happen on other keyboards. I am not editing this review just to show how many times the letters are skiped whn you attempt to type with any speed whatsoever. This does not happen on my MacBook Pro keyboard, nor di it ever happen on my previous Apple keyboards. It is insanely frustrating. Don't waste you money on this product, it looks good and it built well, bu th perfomanc will leave you frustrated and wishing you had not made th purchase. Honestly, the spelling errors in this review are simply th keystrokes that aren't egistering on this piece of junk.

I am a killer of keyboards. AND, since I use them so much, I'm also sensitive to good and bad keyboards.

As is my wont, I read the 1 star reviews first. I have to say that I cannot fathom what these people are talking about. The short throw on the key is what makes this thing so responsive. If one's fingers hurt from using a keyboard, you're using a manual typewriter or you're doing something dramatically WRONG. The short throw and silent response suit me just wonderfully, and the keys are MUCH better spaced than on my MacBook, the old Powerbooks or the Duo series.

I'm now into my fourth week with this thing. I'd estimate that I spend at least four hours a day ACTUALLY typing on the keyboard, no hunt and peck, but full volume documentation type writing.

I find, so far, the keyboard to be outstanding, my error rate dropped the instant I started using it (and did my "technical language") and my typing rates increased significantly.

In my experience so far, I can only give this keyboard my highest recommendation.

Once I've had it under my hands for 3-6 months, I'll update this review with the experiences to that date.

This keyboard and mouse came with my new iMac. Stylish in aluminum, sleek to behold. But for touch typing, just awful. Flat keys spaced close together (not tapered with concave tops like all else, including my PowerBook and older Macs)make accurate typing very difficult. Same with the 10 key pad. The optical mouse doesn't track very well and the scroll button failed on the down motion after two months. A big disappointment from Mac which has always had high quality well designed hardware. I replaced with a Logitech S530 wireless set (excellent with many more controls and great with Leopard OSX) and was glad to put these things away.

at hanging on my wall. It looks really pretty. But as far as functionality- argh! It drives me nuts! The tactile pressure from the keys feels really nice...except for the fact that a lot of times it didn't register a key strike. Maybe I got a bum one, I don't know. But I, like a handful of other reviewers, spend much of my time backspacing to correct missing letters. I normally clock 80 wpm with 95% accuracy. This keyboard has shot that stat right down the toilet. If it weren't for the missed key strikes (particularly the space bar), I still don't think I would be that much of a fan. While the flatness looks "uber 1337", it puts my wrists in a position that fatigues quickly.

So show your Mac pride and buy one...then put a couple nails in the wall and proudly display it. It hangs right below my calendar in my office. :)