Customer Reviews

Apple Wireless Keyboard (M9270LL/A)

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

The greatest compliment I can give this keyboard (or any wireless device) is that you won't be able to tell the difference between it and a wired keyboard. No lag, no signal fading in or out, no buttons missing or anything else. The shape and keys are identical to an Apple Pro Keyboard, great news because the tactile feel of the keys is to die for. Setup literally took 60 seconds. I got a signal as far as 30 feet -outside- my apartment, through a closed door and all kinds of walls. Gamers rejoice, there is no lag of any kind.

Draw-backs for this keyboard: You will have to change the batteries every 3-4 months, but at least OS X notifies you in advance when to change them. This keyboard doesn't have USB ports, so you'll have to plug your mouse into the computer or get a wireless mouse.

If you are the average user who leaves his/her keyboard in front of your monitor and don't really mind your keyboard wire among all the other clutter of your desk, then this keyboard might be overkill for you. The wireless capacities are strong, but you can only really use it as far away as you can read your screen.

I love Apple's designs, I needed a keyboard for my Powerbook setup (the laptop is raised off the desk on a stand), and I hate cords. So when I could afford this keyboard, I ordered it.

It looks nice, but that's about the only good thing about it. Apple's got a good reputataion with me, so I think I had on blinders the first few weeks I owned this thing. But my experience with this keyboard was mostly negative.

Pros (let's start off on a positive note):

- looks nice (but see caveat below)

- no cords

Cons:
- mushy key action - this feels like one of those crappy $10 keyboards you get with sub-$500 windows systems.

- connection problems (also mentioned by a couple other reviewers) - keyboard loses connection, and the bluetooth driver in some cases just repeats the last character that you sent for about 10 seconds. If you've just pressed the delete key, then you get to watch what you just typed disappear into the ether. Frustrating.

- at first, the attractive transparent case looks modern, unusual, and stylish. But have you ever looked underneath the keys of any board that's been in use for over a few weeks? With this keyboard, you'll get a chance to see the horror that lurks just beneath your fingertips. On a daily basis. And all your clients and friends will too. It's not a pretty sight.

- After switching to a scissor-key-action type keyboard (the same method used in the Powerbook's built-in board), I've discovered that I *far* prefer this method instead of the Wireless Pro's mush, long-travel, type keys. The twinges of RSI that I was beginning to get more often have disappeared since I switched. BTW, the keyboard I switched to, and highly recommend, is the MacAlly icekey slim model. It's got a nasty USB cord, but it doesn't disconnect and it feels much much better. And it's about 1/2 the price.

This keyboard is everything I had hoped for and more. It works without any delay, unlike my Logitech wireless trackball (there were no bluetooth trackballs at the time of purchase). Ease of setup was like any other Apple product...plug and play. One word of caution: turn off the keyboard even when not using for ten minutes and the batteries will last much longer. The keyboard came with some of the best batteries available........Energizer eTitanium. Apple did not have to do that, but they rarely skimp when it comes to quality. I should have also gone with the bluetooth Apple mouse.

I found this keyboard to be very helpful. I am a graduate student and spend a lot of my time typing papers. While my laptop can be used to type, when you type for hours at a time it gets very uncomfortable. This keyboard is a great size and has a nice feel for long days spent typing. The bluetooth is also reliable and allows me to get some distance from the computer if I would like without stopping the connection. I would suggest getting a mouse to accompany it. Overall, a very useful and reliable product that makes my life much easier.

We have been very pleased with our keyboard. I love that the nine-key is ful sized. Sometimes we sit on the other side of the room and watch movies and this works as a remote control.

The battery life could be improved, but it just uses AA batteries and the computer tells you when you need to switch them out.

It's easy to clean.

This keyboard is great - if you don't have any connection problems. If you look at the forums at apple support, you'll realize that quite a few people who purchased this keyboard run into exactly that - bluetooth connection problems. Where all of a sudden, you'llllllll bbbbbbbe tyyyyyyyyyypinggggggg lllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiikkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeeee this. Aggravating - and there's really nothing that can be done to avoid it if you have the problem.... supposedly it's due to wireless interference.... but i've had to go back to using my wired keyboard.

First the technical. The bluetooth connection to Mac OS X is unbelievably easy to setup. If you have the keyboard turned on (yes it has a power switch and needs batteries) prior to booting up, the keyboard is immediately ready to use (for passwords). The feel of the keyboard is similar to recent products from Apple.
Now the non-technical. I thought that this would be a fantastic addition to my system, giving me greater flexiblity. Not really. Other than losing the cable and occasionally moving the keyboard to a new area on my desk, it usually sits right where my old keyboard was. It also doesn't feel right sitting on my lap.
Apple scores again with a truly plug and play component. At present, I don't know if the benefit outweights the cost. Maybe I will grow to love it over time.

And I've used a LOT in my day. The tactile feel of the keyboard is only second to the original IBM PC/XT keyboards (Model M) that had the wonderful buckling springs. They were however quite loud. Still, this keyboard has a wonderful charm all of its own and in some ways I am reminded of my days using various UNIX/VMS terminals. It is a vague feeling of familiarity, even though I only recently bought my first OS X Macintosh.

Anyway, back to the keyboard. I primarily got this because I got a 17" MacBook Pro, and I consider it's keyboard layout one of the only deficiencies in that laptop. 95% of that keyboard is wonderful, but I am a programmer and I just absolutely NEED to have page up/page down/end/home as ACTUAL keys, and not as a Function Key modifier. So I got the wireless keyboard because it would fit into my backpack along with the MBP. I take it and the wireless mouse to work every day. This thing is very compact and well put together for a full sized keyboard. I love it.

The bluetooth module works wonderfully on this keyboard, and I've never had a pairing issue (unlike the mouse which I have to rediscover every time I turn it back on). It looks wonderful sitting on my desk as well. I know, looks aren't everything... but there's a certain wonderful charm to sitting down at my machine and just seeing everything "click" together.

After using various Microsoft wireless keyboards with their USB transmitters, the world of Bluetooth and the Mac is a much better experience. I can take this keyboard two rooms over and still be able to type. Try that with other wireless/non Bluetooth keyboards!

There is no lag, and I haven't run into any "sticky" keys, or missed characters. I've had it for a month now so can't testify as to the battery life.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this product to anyone with a Mac and a need for a wireless keyboard. Your keyboard is one of the major productivity enhancers when working on a computer (if you type a significant amount anyway). Don't skimp on it, no matter what brand or type you get.

I have an Apple Wireless Pro keyboard at work and one at home; they still work wonderfully after a year. No "spongy" feeling and using the same brand and type of batteries supplied, I have only replaced the four AAs three times in fourteen months. My father received one as a gift at the same time, and has had the same great experience. I continue to recommend this to people with Apple laptops and the keyboard response is the best wireless response I have used, even when compared to RF keyboards.

I'd heard that BlueTooth and keyboards and mice weren't a perfect match. In the couple of weeks I've been using this keyboard, it's done exactly what I expect. It lets me type wirelessly and notice absolutely no other difference from using a USB keyboard.

I purchased this as Apple was shifting to a new BlueTooth keyboard without the numeric keypad and shrunken navigation keys, so I'm not sure how long this model will be available..if you want BlueTooth, and you want a full keyboard for a Mac, you may need to act fast!