Apple Wireless Keyboard 2007

• Apple Wireless Keyboard 2011
• Apple Wireless Keyboard Troubleshooting
• Apple Wireless Keyboard 2007

Apple Wireless Keyboard
Manufacturer: Apple, Inc.
Price: $79
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The Apple Wireless Keyboard requires just two AA batteries, and its intelligent power management system conserves battery life. So when you're not using the keyboard, it automatically powers down. The instant you start typing, it turns back on. Use the on or off. No, the new wireless version does not have a keypador any of the new 'shortcut' keys. The new wireless version is effectively just a cut out of a laptop keyboard. While I think Apple has created a magnificent new product here, I think they've made a horrible move by only offering these options. On August 7, 2007, Apple released a redesigned model of the Apple Wireless Keyboard. Like the wired Apple Keyboard, the new model is thinner than its predecessors and has an aluminum enclosure. Another addition is the new functions added to the function keys, such as media controls and Dashboard control. The following instructions are fairly generic, but were written relating to the 'Apple Wireless Keyboard' from 2009 and 2011 (Use this to help you identify your model). If you are having problems with getting an Apple Wireless Bluetooth keyboard, mouse or trackpad from connecting to your Mac (iMac, Macbook or Mac Pro), you can try this trick.

This is not your Apple Extended Keyboard II, the mythical input device some Mac Graybeards swear resulted in a mini-orgasm with each key pressed, nor is it the IBM Model M Keyboard, which is said to have been used by God to create the universe. This keyboard, the Apple Wireless Keyboard, is the future.

Normally, unboxing an Apple product is both a minimalistic and vaguely pornographic experience: the removal of one layer of packaging leading inexorably to the next, ending in personal technology ecstasy. Unfortunately, unboxing the Apple Wireless Keyboard is less like watching an iPod striptease, and more like just putting your hand in the box. As usual package waste is minimal, though, not that it will matter to the freaks at Greenpeace.

It is in the unsheathing of the Apple Wireless Keyboard that I am filled with a sense of destiny. Holding it aloft, there is a sense of weightlessness and balance, the razor thin edge of brushed aluminum slicing though air like it is.. air. More objectively, it's a keyboard.

In size and shape, the Apple Wireless Keyboard makes the previous generation appear ungainly and inelegant, a dated kludge of a keyboard. But keyboards are for typing (that's why they have keys), and the first thing you notice about the Apple Wireless Keyboard is the lack of keys. You can be sure that Steve Jobs will receive 'hundreds' of emails from irate accountants, programmers, and pro tool users over the lack of keypad and associated editing keys. Don't expect credit at the Apple Store this time. Apple has chosen not only to physically remove the keypad, but there is not even a numlock among the function keys to enable a virtual keypad. Instead, the function keys have new controls and a new layout, one that is matched on the new wired keyboard too.

Personally, I welcome the dedicated control keys for applications like iTunes and QuickTime, but the dedicated controls are the default, not the function keys. Though this can be changed in the System Preferences, you then lose single button access to all the controls, including volume and brightness. However, those making use of the media keys will be pleased at the attention to detail in their usefulness. The keyboard 'knows' what programs are running and 'remembers' the last program that used the Media Keys, meaning it can easily be used for iTunes most of the time, and QuickTime or Front Row some of the time.

For those who don't use Dashboard or Exposé, Apple has decided that you will be looking at those icons until at least the next revision of keyboards. Perhaps in the future the two remaining keys will get their own features, like toggling virtual desktops or something.

A more stylistic change takes us back to the 'Happy Mac' controversy of 2002. Then, the familiar startup icon for the Mac was replaced with an apple. Now, the apple has been removed from the Command key, the word 'command' mercifully added for the benefit of tech support folks, professional or familial, who will never again hear 'What Command key? You mean the Apple key?'

Unfortunately, foolish consistency is not only the hobgoblin of small minds, but at least some keyboard designers at Apple as well. In making the Apple Wireless Keyboard more like a laptop keyboard, the layout for the modifier keys was taken as is, as is being without a Control Key on the right. There is also the issue of key spacing, though that is something of an illusion. Previous, keys were beveled, but starting with the MacBook, rectangular keys were introduced that made the spacing obvious to the eye. The keys are definitely flatter, though. Having looked over the keyboard, it's time to install it. This being an Apple product, that should be intuitive, right?

Intuitively, the first step was to install the batteries, a process that reinforced the perception that the industrial designers at Apple are indeed visionary. The cylindrical compartment at the rear seamlessly blends function into form, raising the back of the keyboard and housing the batteries.

Apple Wireless Keyboard 2011

Once you put the batteries in and press the power button on the Apple Wireless Keyboard, the power indicator—invisible until pressing the power switch—lights green for a few seconds before vanishing. A dialog box then appears in OS X notifying you of a new Bluetooth device and asking you if you want to set it up. Answering affirmative runs the Bluetooth Setup Assistant. Selecting keyboard causes a visual keypad to appear, allowing you to enter the numbers for pairing the device using a mouse, in case you don't have another keyboard set up. Once that's done, Software Update runs automatically, notifying you of the requisite drivers needed, in this case for the media keys. Of course, the update doesn't require a restart—it just works!

That's the fantasy. The reality is that you need either the useless User Guide or know the drill.

System Requirements

• Mac computer with Bluetooth
• Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later
• Keyboard Software Update
• Existing keyboard and mouse for initial setup
• Three AA batteries (included)

Installation

1. Batteries
2. Bluetooth Setup Assistant
3. Pairing
4. Software Update
5. Restart

Besides a setup process that reminds me of Windows, I found another annoyance related to establishing Bluetooth communication. My wireless Mighty Mouse temporarily 'forgets' the Tracking setting, moving very, very slowly for ten seconds or so when the keyboard is first recognized, and every time it is turned on after being turned off. I found this to be the situation with both a Core Duo iMac and a PowerBook G4, though admittedly it could be related to my setup—sure. More objectively and positively, there are little touches that you expect from Apple appear when your battery is low and when you turn the keyboard off. Even if you don't have the Bluetooth Menuling shown, when batteries run low, it appears and flashes in the Menubar. Anyone who must deal with the insufferable balloons in the Windows Taskbar will appreciate the right way to notify the user of system events.

As for Windows, the Apple Wireless Keyboard works fine with virtualization, appearing as a 'Standard 101/102-Key' keyboard for Windows XP. I, like many, many others, am not running Vista yet, but I'm sure it works fine (right?). As for how, the Apple Wireless Keyboard itself 'works' in daily usage, that question is best answered in relation to the keyboard it is replacing.

In one way, the SlimTouch is better than the Apple Wireless Keyboard, that being the integrated touchpad. While the Apple Wireless Keyboard works with Front Row using the Arrow Keys and Media Keys, the lack of a touchpad makes it ill-suited for daily use with an HTPC. The SlimTouch also does not have white keys, something Apple did not take the opportunity to fix with the new keyboards. This means purchasing a few Magic Erasers from Mr. Clean is a good idea. The Magic Eraser does not—at least on my Apple Wireless Keyboard—erase the letters, but does appear to restore the keys to their unboxed whiteness. Setting aside an issue of input preference and obsessive cleanliness, the Apple Wireless Keyboard bests the SlimTouch in several ways.

The Apple Wireless Keyboard benefits from a better keyboard layout, has dedicated media keys, is even smaller and lighter than the SlimTouch, and while the SlimTouch keys are quiet, the Apple Wireless Keyboard is nearly silent. The Apple Wireless Keyboard also uses Bluetooth, meaning it can wake the computer from sleep, and it does not need an RF receiver blocking a USB port. In terms of connectivity, there is no difference in range, nor does either keyboard drop keys, but the Apple Wireless Keyboard suffers no lag for the first key pressed after a period of non-use—very nice. Battery life is still an unknown for the Apple Wireless Keyboard, but like the SlimTouch it's a good idea to have an extra set of rechargeable batteries. If it isn't obvious, I prefer the Apple Wireless Keyboard to the SlimTouch, but is it the better keyboard?

The most subjective aspect of a keyboard review—and one that is largely worthless unless the reader is a twin or clone of the author—is how it feels. Having disclaimed that, the Apple Wireless Keyboard feels good. I find the keys to be responsive, but then as my wife says—occasionally screams—I have a very light touch. However, the Apple Wireless Keyboard is probably not for someone with sausage fingers and/or poor motor skills. Regarding ergonomics, the keyboard is flat, not curved, not adjustable, the keys flat, not beveled, short strokes the norm, tactile response lacking compared to buckling springs and mechanical switches. Some will say this does not a real keyboard make, but does it matter?

If the layout change and the removal of the keypad doesn't make it obvious, laptops are the future. By moving toward design unity, Apple is once again getting ahead of the curve. As with every transition, a small minority will hate the change, but you really should at least try hating it in person first. You need to try the Apple Wireless Keyboard, or USB version, at a local Apple Store—where you will likely be disgusted by how filthy the keys are—but at least you will know.

I give the Apple Wireless Keyboard 4 infinities out of a possible 5. Evolution is an imperfect process, but add a touchpad and the future might just achieve perfection.

Last week, Gadgets Page's Michael Moncur posted Alternatives to Apple's Aluminum Keyboard, a column about his search for a replacement for his iMac's original keyboard, which had bitten the dust – more specifically, too many food crumbs from meals eaten at his workstation.

Macbook pro garageband review. Finding himself underwhelmed by the Apple Aluminum Keyboard offered at the Apple Store, particularly its lack of tactile feedback, Michael embarked on a quest to find a more suitable replacement keyboard.

He ended up with a couple of remaindered previous-generation Apple keyboards – a wireless model and an Apple Pro USB Keyboard, both good catches.

Apple Wireless Keyboard Troubleshooting

Apple's first USB keyboard was color coordinated with tray-loading iMacs.

I'm a fan of the Apple Pro keyboard myself, and I liked the original Apple USB keyboard a lot better than many evidently did. I still have one that I have used as my main workstation keyboard for several years. Thunder cash slot. I liked the key action, which I found quite comfortable; it's most annoying shortcomings were its homely looks and truncated F-key row. The Apple Pro ‘Board addressed both of those issues more than satisfactorily, being both handsome and equipped with a full complement of keys.

However, now that Apple's Aluminum Keyboards have been in the channels for several months, it may be a challenge to find new examples of the older Apple ‘boards. Michael noted that the two he picked up were the last remaining stock at his local Best Buy and CompUSA respectively, and recommended as an alternative alternative to the Apple Aluminum ‘Board the Kensington SlimType keyboard, which I enthusiastically second.

Apple Aluminum USB Keyboard

In fact, while the Apple Pro Keyboard is a great ‘board and I like it a lot, I think the SlimType is even better: I like mine best of any freestanding computer keyboard I've ever used.

The Kensington SlimType doesn't grab you as something exceptional immediately. It's reasonably attractive in a somewhat quirky, 1950s/60s retro-evocative way, with bold chrome accents on white, but it's not nearly as stylishly chic as the Apple Pro. Script debugger 6 0 8 – applescript authoring environment examples.

Similarly, the key action doesn't feel especially wonderful at the outset. It's pleasantly positive, with scissor-action keyswitches similar to the type used in most notebooks these days, including Apple's (except for the MacBook).

However, the real beauty and virtue of the SlimType keyswitches is how they stay with you. I have chronic peripheral neuritis and fibromyalgia, and keyboard ergonomics are literally a deal-maker or deal-breaker for me. I like the built-in keyboards in my Pismo and WallStreet PowerBooks better for feel, but I can't say that either is more comfortable than the SlimType keys for long typing sessions – and finger fatigue with any of these three ‘boards is less than I've experienced with any other computer keyboards by a substantial margin.

I can't put my finger (so to speak) on precisely why this would be. The SlimType's key action is relatively light, but not the lightest, but they do have a very positive, smooth action, short travel, a comfortably soft landing, and operate with a muted but satisfying click. I think the soft landing is especially important in avoidance of typing fatigue and repetitive strain. Whatever the reason, the Kensington SlimType is an extraordinarily comfortable computer keyboard.

It also seems admirably durable. Mine is about three years old, and I've had no problems with it. The keyboard still looks and works as new. Despite its compact dimensions, this ‘board is surprisingly heavy – much heavier than several other larger keyboards I have, which I take as an indication of quality and ruggedness. It's backed by Kensington's impressive 5-year warranty and free technical support.

The Kensington SlimType Keyboard is, as its name implies, a slim and compact desktop USB keyboard – not as slim as the new Apple Aluminum Keyboards, but still just 3/4″ thick by 16-1/2″ wide by 6-5/16″ deep. It features a full complement of standard keys, including a numeric keypad and eight programmable multimedia hotkeys arrayed across the top of the ‘board behind the function key row.

The hotkeys allow you to launch and navigate iTunes, adjust sound volume, mute the sound, eject optical disks, and put the computer to sleep from the keyboard. While the main keyboard functions are supported by drivers built into the Mac OS, the multimedia hotkey features require Kensington's proprietary drivers, which can be installed from the CD bundled with the unit or downloaded from the Kensington website. [Editor's note: I've been using the long since discontinued Logitech Cordless Elite Duo with my Macs since 2002. One nice feature of recent Logitech drivers is that they'll alert you when there's a new version available for download. dk] I found that the version 1.3 Kensington Keyboard Driver on the CD was the latest version currently available, and installation took only a few seconds, although it required a restart in order to take effect.

The default hotkey functions are:

• Play: pressing Play will launch iTunes and begin playing the first available track in the Library. If there is no Library selected or no track available, iTunes will launch but not play.
• Forward: move to the beginning of the next track
• Back: move to the beginning of the current track. 'Double – pressing' will move to the beginning of the previous track.
• Volume Down: decreases the sound volume.
• Volume Up: increases the sound volume
• Mute: Stop/Start the sound volume.
• Eject: ejects the optical disk.
• Sleep: displays the Sleep/Shutdown dialog.

The SlimType keyboard layout is fairly conventional, with a few distinctive elements. The function key row has a very welcome Forward Delete key to the right of the F15 key and at the top of a vertical row of navigation keys (Home, Page Up, Page Down, End). There is a pad of inverted-T arrow keys where you would expect them. On the bottom row, left to right, there are two side-by-side left Ctrl keys, a left Alt/Opt key, a left Cmd key, the space bar, a right Cmd key, a right Alt/Opt key, a right Ctrl key, and finally an Insert/Help key (which Apple keyboards don't have in that location).

Villa fortuna casino. This is all quite functional, although the Cmd keys are smaller than I prefer (the same size as the regular letter keys), and the Return key is labeled Enter, as is the norm with PC keyboards. It's also very easy to hit the Home key when you're going for Delete, due to the unorthodox placement of the key.

There are a pair of fold-down feet at the back of the ‘board that facilitate the ergonomically incorrect angled orientation that some users prefer. There are three lights above the numeric keypad to indicate when Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock are activate. The ‘board also has a usefully long 5 foot USB cable. No wireless version is offered.

My main complaint about this ‘board is that it has no USB repeater ports, which is more than a little inconvenient. I suspect the USB ports were left out in order to help keep dimensions compact and the cost down, but I really miss them.

Aside from that, I really love this keyboard, and the longer I use it the more I'm smitten with it.

List price: $39.99. Street price about $30.

This keyboard has been discontinues and replaced by a black USB keyboard designed to work with both PCs and Macs. The layout of the K72357US keyboard is a bit different yet. You can order it from Amazon.com for US$16.99 as of mid 2014. Because we have not tried the new keyboard, we cannot say how it compares to the one reviewed here. This keyboard has also been discontinued.

i-Rocks KR-6810M Mac X-Slim Backlit USB Keyboard

I also have to mention here the i-Rocks KR-6810M Mac X-Slim Backlit USB Keyboard, about which pretty much everything I've noted about the Kensington SlimType also applies. In terms of form factor and keyboard engineering, the two ‘boards are identical, with the main distinctions being the i-Rocks ‘board's backlit keys, its lack of the SlimType's multimedia keys, and the price.

This keyboard is internally illuminated, which can be a tremendous convenience if you are using it in a low-light environment and are, like me, not a touch typist.

The i-Rocks Mac X-Slim keyboard backlighting is less subtle than the backlighting in 15″ and 17″ MacBook Pros and PowerBooks in that the entire keypad lights up rather than just the key labels, and I would prefer there to be a dimming function, as the backlighting is pretty bright. You can turn it off when you don't need it, and when you do, it could mean the difference between continuing your work or waiting for better lighting conditions.

Aside from the brightness, another annoyance with the i-Rocks' backlighting, at least for a silent computing freak like me, is that the keyboard emits a very irritating 'humming' sound when the backlight is active, sounding a bit like a hungry mosquito. Fortunately, the sound goes away when you turn the backlight off, and it's something I guess I can live with when keyboard illumination is required, but it's also something the engineers should work on.

Aside from that, the goodness I extolled in my SlimType observations also applies to the i-Rocks ‘board. It feels just as reassuringly solid, has a claimed more than 10 million keystroke life, and if you want an illuminated desktop keyboard, there aren't many other choices (at least I'm not aware of any) for the Mac.

The downside is that the i-Rocks X-Slim Illuminated Keyboard carries a list price of $65, or roughly twice what the SlimType sells for.

This keyboard has also been discontinued. and i-Rocks has two similar models. The black KR-6170M is a Mac-only USB keyboard. If you prefer a white keyboard, the white KR-6170M is a USB ‘board designed for PCs and Macs. Neither seems to be available through any major vendor – not even Google can find one.

Conclusion

As basic keyboards, they are essentially identical. The major choice is whether you think the i-Rocks' illumination feature is worth the extra $30, or whether you would prefer the SlimType's multimedia hotkey features.

If anyone on your Christmas list could use a new keyboard, either of these would make an appreciated gift.

Further Reading

• Charles W Moore Reviews the Kensington SlimType Keyboard for Mac, Applelinks, 2005.12.02
• Product Review: Kensington Slim Type Keyboard for Mac, Noah Kravitz, PBCentral, 2004.02.28
• Charles W Moore Reviews the i-Rocks Mac X-Slim Backlit USB Keyboard, Applelinks, 2006.01.06

Apple Wireless Keyboard 2007

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