Apple Aluminum Wired Keyboard MB110LL/A
by Apple Computer
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List Price: Our Price: $19.99 You Save: $30.00 (60%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple Aluminum Wired Keyboard MB110LL/A
Customer Review: More on USB ports
Summary: 3 Stars
First, this is an excellent keyboard. I got it because I was not happy with my old Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse that I tried on my new Mac Mini.
Feel, aesthetics...it is a work of art. Haven't done heavy typing on it yet, so can't comment on, for example, space bar or other problems that some have noted. So far, typing has been as pleasant an experience as something as mundane as typing can be.
However, here's why it gets knocked down 2 stars:
* Cord is too short. This makes you use the supplied USB extension cord. Some would see this as a plus (if you don't need a longer cord), but I see it as an extra connection that could impact USB performance. Also, as others have noticed, the extension cord female end is shaped in a way that makes it not compatible to use as an extension for some other peripherals.
* The 2 USB ports were a big selling factor for me. I should have paid more attention to the Mac Keyboard page on the Apple website, which explains their limited functionality. They are powered, but not enough to power iPods and others. Plugged into the keyboard, my printer's (of course, a self-powered device) performance was erratic, and it had to be plugged into the back of the Mini. The wired Rocketfish Apple Mouse (mighty mouse look-alike) also has frozen/vanished while plugged into the keyboard. Webcam obviously a no-go. My camera and thumbdrive worked, but after seeing the printer repeatedly lose its connection in the middle of a job, I'm skeptical. Finally, as many have complained, the clearance between the USB ports and the underside of the keyboard limits what can be plugged in. So overall, the USB port feature is a huge let down, and I'm still left with a USB port shortage problem.
Apple website says you get full USB functionality only on the aluminum Mac. I'm not sure if that means they are fully powered or what. Definitely not the case on the 2nd gen Mini.
Searches on the web and Apple's support site have revealed other USB issues that seem tied to the latest OS X update (10.5.6, I think). If subsequent software pushes fix the USB, then I will fix this review.
Overall, I like this keyboard too much to return it over the USB ports. It's not really false advertising, but kind of sneaky.
Customer Review: looks great but still short of perfection
Summary: 3 Stars
As is true with most apple products, this keyboard looks good, is well designed, and works very well. However, as a person that uses Photoshop heavily, I can say that this keyboard isn't great if you're only pressing select buttons. The keys are very hard to distinguish from one another, which is something that I guess any good typist wouldn't have a problem with, but is something that caused me quite a bit of frustration.
The key layout and mapping is actually very nice. Having all of the Mac software functions (Dashboard, Volume Control, etc.) clearly labeled on the function keys was a great idea and makes navigating the OS a much quicker process. But when typing long documents, or doing specific keystrokes, it becomes difficult to deal with. I often find myself pressing the wrong keys and performing the wrong keystroke, wasting time and frustrating me to no end. Ridges on the edges of the keys, or having them slightly indented would have made this keyboard perfect.
The previous Mac factory keyboard, the Apple Wireless Pro Keyboard is in my opinion the better all-around keyboard, simply because the keys are much easier to navigate, though the slimness and low resistance of this keyboard makes typing much less tiring.
The USB 2.0 ports work amazingly well. They will operate everything short of an iPod or external HD. This is really the only flaw of the older keyboard, which can't handle USB 2.0 flash drives.
Also, this keyboard, though it might look sturdy, is very "smash" unfriendly. If you're a gamer (or quickly frustrated), I suggest getting something with more strongly secured keys as these will pop off (and break) rather easily with enough force.
In short, buy this keyboard if you need extra USB ports, are a proficient typist, and are used to or prefer slim keyboards (laptops). The other "mac" keyboards out there aren't as well designed as this one. Lacking the dashboard, spaces, etc software function labels, the other keyboards require you to remember which F key does what, which can be a pain considering how many software functions are built into the 10.5 OS.
Customer Review: The nicest keyboard i ever hated.
Summary: 3 Stars
White keys are great for me visually, but are never clean. Cleaning the keys is a dangerous adventure, any moisture at all will ruin the keyboard. It's how i ruined keyboard #1.
The keyboard is 100% intolerant of moisture, i'm a coffee addict, and always have a cup of something handy while working, a small spill of about two tablespoons of coffee is how i ruined keyboard #2.
There are some great keyboard covers that look wonderful and do protect the keyboard, they gave me over a year before keyboard #3 died, but they do change the wonderful tactile feel of typing on it, for the worse in my opinion. However it did extend the life of keyboard #3 to over a year but it im[pacts the look in a negative way and i found my self removing it for serious typing.
This all leaves me in a quandary, i love the form and unprotected use of the thin Apple keyboard, but it's fragility is something to be considered. I have been shopping at a few stores for an aftermarket replacement, but the choices are disappointing, i find the fat standard style keyboards clumsy and ugly. a few looked nice and were also thin, but very expensive(2-3 times the cost) compared to 49 dollars through Amazon for a replacement Apple keyboard.
I suppose that if you've never gotten used to the elegant ergonomics and tight short keystrokes from Apples aluminum keyboard this may all sound like i'm very picky, but once you grow accustomed to using it changing styles will become the issue it has become for me. I was happy enough with the original clear plastic keyboard that came with the iMac originally, but it's an ugly dirt trap with a clear case.
I have re-ordered another Apple aluminum keyboard and it should ship today, it will be #4 in the last three years. It gets on average three hours a day of use, i don't know what the normal keyboard life should be, but i know the alternatives just don't work for me. I almost ordered the very expensive Logitec DiNovo edge for Mac keyboard, it looks like a stylish high tech unit, but with a price tag of 249.00 i could buy five Apple keyboards....perhaps when the economy in my area improves....na, i won't spend that much for a keyboard.
Customer Review: Best.Keyboard.EVER!
Summary: 5 Stars
Being both a developer (programmer) and a gamer I've always gone "against the crowd" and prefered "laptop-style" keyboards (key style, not placement!). I've had several of those "laptop-style" keyboards in the past and they either broke down or just felt uncomfortable after just a few months of usage (loud, flaky feedback, loose keys, etc...). After trying 3-4 different models I decided to just go back to an "old school" Microsoft OEM keyboard and I did really like the key feedback and layout on it.
One of the things that always annoyed me about most laptop-style desktop keyboards was the layout: no numerical keypad (very useful if you're a sysadmin/coder and type numbers--like IP addresses or numerical functions--frequently). Even on "normal" desktop keyboards, the new trend seems to be to weird-out the "home/end" section by placing it vertically, usually coupled with weird arrow keys and stuff... For gaming, that's a BIG no-no! (not to mention coding... sheesh)
Being a long-time Mac lover/user and a year-and-a-half-old full time switcher I decided to buy this keyboard to replace an old G4-times Apple Keyboard I was given at work. And behold I fell in love with it. I type MUCH faster, with less typos and with no pain. When I bought my Macbook Pro last March, I was even sorry they hadn't replace the aluminum keyboard with this "chiclet-style" one!
Bottom line: best keyboard EVER! I'll be getting another one to leave at the office so I can have another one at home! And the build quality is VERY high, like any other Apple product. I read some reviews on how it "broke" and I can't even imagine this thing braking... It's built around a solid piece of aluminum and the plastic feels really good. The key feedback is near perfection and the spacing between the keys was something I never thought would be this beneficial.
HIGHLY recommended product for PC and Mac users alike! (key layout might look a little funny to Windows users, but it's just a visual thing because the actual key placement and sizes are identical to any Windows keyboard!) Besides... you're not supposed to be looking down at your keyboard anyway ;)
Customer Review: I am writing this review on my fresh apple keyboard!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been in It business for over 10 years, it may not seem much, but a man knows what is quality in this merky periphial stew of innovation, and crapiness.. Apple products are built like a Rolls Royce (for most part), including this keyboard! Keyboard is a keyboard right? WRONG!! Yes they do same function, some have cute little shortcuts, media buttons, even led backlighting, wired, bluetooth, and even wifi. Different shapes, shortcuts, materials etc etc... What sets this device apart is the built quality, and style. Keys are smooth, very quiet, very solid, your fingers will love pressing them. Pressing of each key is short, so you do more typing. Each key has their own opening,this will limit any particles getting into the keyboard which is a breeding ground for bacteria, and ending up getting your keys stuck. Top housing is solid alluminum, bottom portion of the keyboard is a thin high quality plastic, which feels just as solid as the alluminum. There is no keyboard out there that is as solid as this thing!!!!! It is fancy beacuse of its simplicty and design.
There are function keys a the top, media buttons such as volume, play/pause/track, brightness. YES this keyboard will work on Windows platforms, such as XP, and Win7
******* Important! Read this before you decide getting it for a Windows based pc******
NOT ALL FUNCTION KEYS WILL WORK IN WIN ENVIROMENT (volume, pause, windows key, skip, ctrl alt del function) THERE IS A FIX THOUGH
::::: You can remap these keys (meaning assigning functions to each key). I did it without any drivers or programs by going into registry and remapping it.
No worry there is a program called "Sharpkeys" Its a small FREE program that you run on windows, it modifies entries in registry, so it is perminent without running any additional software to keep that function working. It is easy, even my ex girlfriend can do it..
To conclude this keyboard is like a 7-lane highway made from cheese in a Mercedes Benz with softer suspension then your grandmas Chrysler New Yorker.....