Customer Reviews

Kensington 64366 SlimType Standard Keyboard for Mac

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I ordered this because I wanted a full media keyboard with the short key travel time of a laptop. The Kensington slim type certainly has that. No clunky keys, great action and sensitivity for fast easy typing. It's shorter than the average keyboard, keys a little more congested than Apple's extended keyboard, but has all of the functions and works well... except for the following:

The down sides:
1. It has no USB port for a mouse!!!!! I had to waste one of my computer ports and the mouse cord isn't quite long enough to reach comfortably. Will now have to invest in a wireless mouse. Can't believe that I made fun of Kensington's Pocket Mouse for laptops with its 6' long cord. Now I know that its real use should be for desktops using the Slim Type keyboard...
2. Requires CD or online software installation to operate. Had my keyboard been dead, I wouldn't have been able to use it at all.

I couldn't decide whether or not to give this 3 or 4 stars, but opted for 4 because of the great key action and smooth typing.

UPDATE: 6 months later the occasional key began sticking. A year later it happens much more frequently. Simply typing the last sentence I had to backspace to pound on the "c" and "e." However, when all of the keys are working properly, the action is still excellent.

I have an iBook and after having gone through a keyboard at over a hundred bucks, I decided to buy an additional USB keyboard to use when I'm working at my desk. It saves wear and tear on the iBook, plus it puts the screen a little further away and that's good as it seems my eyes want reading glasses when the screan is in my face.

My gal pal Sara has an iMac with an Apple keyboard and the keys on the back rows are higher then the ones on the front. This would not be good for me, so I went looking and came up with this gem from Kensington. The keys are flat, feel about like the iBook keys and they are responsive as all get out. And there are these nifty controls at the top of the keyboard to control iTunes. Such a deal. I like the numeric keypad as well. I type sixty to seventy wpm without looking and my fingers have no problems with this baby and I even like the sound the keys make when you tap them down, makes me feel like I'm a cub reporter. Just call me Jimmy.

I've used many keyboards from both Mac and PC computers and found my PowerBook's keyboard to be the most comfortable and enjoyable one to use. This SlimType keyboard feels very similar to my PowerBook. This is basically a laptop keyboard made for desktop compters. This means that is has the short actions of a laptop keyboard, which I find a lot better because it takes very little effort and finger movement to press each keys. This keeps my hands from becoming tired and painful after hours of typing. I've used ergonomic keyboards and I find that I don't need them with this keyboard. With a standard keyboard I get constant wrist pains but that all went away when using my Powerbook, so for those of you who also suffer from this problem this might be a good alternative to learning and using an ergonomic keyboard.

I've also used several PC laptops and find that Apple's PowerBook is still the best so it's not simply a laptop style design that makes this keyboard so great. For example, I've also used MacAlly's IceKey and find that it's too stiff for my liking. The IceKey is also another laptop style keyboard for desktops but they didn't get the PowerBook's feel. Apple designed a great keyboard for their PowerBooks and Kensington copied it for desktop users.

Also because of the short action, I've noticed that I type faster with my PowerBook and this keyboard. There simply is just less finger movement and this adds up over time. When I go back to Apple's standard keyboard my fingers feels like it sinks too far down for each key pressed.

There are some downsides though. The home, page up, page down, and end keys are in a non-standard layout so it will take some getting used to. The keys are laid straight down in the order I mentioned. It didn't take me long to get used it but for those of you who use those key often it might take longer to get used to the new layout. The apple command keys are also much smaller than the standard apple keyboard. It's basically the same size as the letter keys. It wasn't a big issue for me but it might take some getting used to. Lastly, the biggest flaw to most users would be that there are no USB ports. This really isn't much of an issue to PC users because most PC keyboards don't have USB ports but Apple has gotten Mac users used to this idea with their standard keyboard. I have plenty of USB ports on my Power Mac but for those who don't have any free USB ports then this might be an issue. You can always buy a cheap USB hub if it is a major issue for you.

Because of these reasons, I didn't give this keyboard 5 stars. I consider 5 stars as perfect but this keyboard is very close to that. It's also the only keyboard that I've tried that is very close to my PowerBook. I can live with those downsides for the great typing feel of this keyboard. Those flaws that I mentioned are also easily fixed by Kensington so if enough of us write them an email then they can make this keyboard a perfect 5 stars.

I recently purchased a used iMac (17-inch, 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo 1.5gbRAM), which I set up running Mac OSX, Windows XP, and Windows Vista on Parallel Desktop. I was completely satisfied with this computer, but I hated the original Apple keyboard, which I found nearly impossible to use. It was very uncomfortable and significantly slowed down my typing. Plus, it seemed to cause me to make a number of uncharacteristic typing errors.

So I went to the local Apple store and spent a lot of time trying out the new Apple keyboards, which just came out this month (August 2007). These are extremely low profile, just like the keyboards on the Macbooks and Macbook Pros. I really wanted to like these new keyboards. They're beautiful, and it would have been easier (and quicker) to just grab one at the Apple store while I was there. However, for me, these keyboards are simply too low profile. (Frankly, that's one of the main reasons I've kept my iBook G4, instead of replacing it with a Macbook.) Maybe it's because I have short fingers, but I have a problem with the way the keys are nearly flush with the keyboard base, and I don't like the extra spacing between all of the keys, which makes me feel like I have to stretch more and really "reach" to hit certain keys. The Kensington keyboard featured here is low profile, but its keys are much more like a traditional laptop keyboard. If you are comfortable typing on an iBook or Powerbook--or any PC laptop--this keyboard will be a great fit for you. And, right now, it's $15 cheaper than the new Apple keyboard ($35 vs. $50). If you like how the Macbooks feel, then you might prefer the new Apple keyboard. Of course, it's a matter of personal preference. But, for me, this Kensington keyboard is a better fit.

I'd agree with the others that the action on the keys make this keyboard. It really is nice to type with. I use my Powerbook for all my computer work (which has a great keyboard, very similar to the slimtype), and like to use an external keyboard/mouse when at home. The Pro Keyboard keys are just too sludgy and require too direct of a keypress (if you go at any sort of angle, it has resistance which can really work your fingers after a day's work).

I only have a few complaints, but overall have really enjoyed the keyboard:

1. No USB ports. This I really like about the Pro Keyboard. When plugging into a laptop you can just plug in one USB connection, and always have the mouse ready to go, with another USB port right there to plug in a digital camera or other infrequently used device. I bought a USB hub, which solved this, but at $10 extra cost to the keyboard.

2. Some weird placement of keys, such as: Small CMD key to the left of the spacebar, two CTRL keys at the far bottom left, and the DEL key is in an odd spot unlike any keyboard I've used. (And if you touch type, your muscle memory gets used to a few key positions, especially oft-used keys like DEL...)

Instead of a second, useless CTRL key at bottom left, a function key like a laptop keyboard would be nice, as I'm used using FN-BACKSPACE for DEL.

Overall the juicy keyboard action is by far the seller of the keyboard. I personally think bright white with a silver pinstripe around the keyboard is butt-ugly, and the strange & not terribly well-thought-out key layout takes some getting used to.

Wow this thing is everything I hoped for. I was so sick of plunking away on the crappy, stodgy keys of Apple's ponderous Pro Keyboard, and longed to find an external keyboard that would mirror the comfortable typing action of my Macbook Pro. This keyboard totally fits the bill. It is super slim and typing on it is a dream. Because the keys are half-height like a notebook keyboard, typing is fast, easy and effortless. There is also a very pleasant tacticle feedback, and a soft pleasing *click* with each key, which personally I love. Yes the keys are a little smaller and some in different places than a standard external keyboard, but it's easy to adjust and I find the added comfort of working on this more than worth the effort. Included are some standard hot keys which is nice - volume up/down/mute, cd eject, etc. These require software installation to work, but that was a snap with the included cd.

As the other reviewers mentioned, the lack of USB is disappointing, but for me it was not a big deal because my Dell LCD monitor comes equipped with a usb hub, so I just plug my mouse in there. Push come to shove I'd rather have the nice slim form factor than a usb hub built in.

I'd recommend this keyboard for anyone - it's that good, but especially for those who prefer the typing experience on notebooks.

Nice job Kensington! :)

Consider this review 5 stars squared. My husband calls me the Queen of Input Devices. As auspicious as this sounds, it's true. I have test-driven so many keyboards that I've lost count, and this one is by far THE BEST. I spend 8-10 hours a day on this keyboard and its response to typing at any pace is fantastic. It leaves me with little wrist strain, and paired with my Logitec Marble Mouse, my productivity has increased significantly. But it's not just about speed, it's about comfort. If you're one of those people who is particular about the kind of pen you write with, you're missing out if you haven't found the perfect keyboard. This is it. (Oh, and if you have a tendancy to type furiously, sometimes being a bit too intense with your keyboard, this one can take it.) I mainly use a Mac, but I have a PC for accounting, and have the PC version of this keyboard as well. ...So, what are you waiting for? BUY IT!

I purchased one of these Slim Type Keyboards for Mac less than a month ago. Already, the silver paint on the keyboard is wearing off, revealing a yucky yellow plastic underneath. There's apparently no protective coating on the paint, and it just rubs off with minimal time and wear.

The keyboard itself is awesome. It feels great, is quiet and comfortable, and if you download the Kensington keyboard software (not the software indicated in the package, but a the "Kensington Keyboard for Mac 1.8" software) you get the use of the media keys for iTunes, volume, and disc eject. The slim profile is excellent for people who are used to laptop typing.

My only major gripe is that cheap silver paint. If it were white underneath the silver paint, it wouldn't have lost a star in my review, but cruddy yellow does not look good at all. I hope Kensington gets their act together and coats the silver paint with a rub-proof plastic coating of some sort... Or maybe even switches to actual metal components.

OK, there is one more thing that bugs me about this keyboard: Kensington charges $10 more for the Mac version, and the only real difference between this and the PC version is the software (available free online), the color (white and silver versus black and silver), and a couple different labels on keys. This is a disservice to Kensington's loyal Apple-using customers, as they're basically charging us a premium for no really good reason. -1 star for that, too.

This is an excellent keyboard. It has a laptop feel with the short, but distinct travel of the keys. It takes up significantly less space than the stock Apple keyboards. It does NOT, however, have any built-in USB ports, so consider this if you depend on the easily accessible ports on your current Apple keyboard. I personally use a hub anyway, but the sudden need to plug in my mouse elsewhere was annoying. Take a good look at the layout. The "DEL" (forward) key is relocated and too small, whereas what is usually a "BACKSPACE" or "DELETE <" key is marked simply DELETE.
Also, you must download the CORRECT, most recent software from the website before any of the softkeys are useable.

If you are considering this keyboard, as i was, you may want to check out, at a slightly lower price, the Matias USB 2.0 keyboard for mac. It doesn't have the low profile that the kensington has, but it has two USB ports, as well as one USB 2.0 dock on top of the keyboard. I got mine for $30, and while I still think the kensington is pretty good, the fact that the Matias has three USB ports swayed my decision.