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: Simple and useful, with a few minor flaws...
Summary: 3 Stars
I got one of these as a travel keyboard for my MacBook Pro so I wouldn't have to sit the computer itself on my lap while typing. This keyboard is worlds better than the horrid thing Apple sold previously- the keys are far enough apart, and the new design protects the unit from most of the crumbs and hairs and other crud that tends to get under keys after a while. As I bought this for a travel keyboard, the fact that the upper case is made of metal impressed me; it feels like it would be very difficult to break. The slim profile is also a plus- it easily fits inside my computer case, which was purchased for my (much larger) old laptop. I like the feel of the keys; I would actually like very much if there were a replacement module for my MacBook Pro using the same design.
I have two complaints, however:
First is the shape of the connector on the included extension cord- while the cord itself is in all respects a normal USB extension cord, the connector has been designed in such a way as to only fit the plug from the keyboard. Would it have killed Apple to just mount a standard plug on the thing so that I could use the extra cable with another device if I needed to?
Second is the positioning of the USB ports on the keyboard. They are set well away from the edges and are so close to the underside of the case that many of the USB devices I have will not fit, including most of the USB flashdrives I use to back up my work. I can't imagine why the ports would not be placed at the edge of the keyboard instead; their current placement limits functionality.
The above reasons are why I gave this product three stars, otherwise it is exactly what I was looking for. I'd have rated it five, but even though its drawbacks are not crippling I feel that Apple could easily improve on future models. I would recommend it to others, but be aware of the problem with the USB port placement.
Customer Review: I love this Apple keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
The media/shortcut keys are great to have. They are brightness, dashboard, expose, volume, play/pause, prev/rewind, next/fastforward and are located on F1-F4 & F7-F12. By default I think the keys alone acts as the media/shortcut keys and you have to hold the fn key to access their F-key functions, but there is a software setting in MacOS X to switch that around. It's also nice that there are several extra F keys (F13-F19) that always function as F-keys no matter what the setting. I guess most software doesn't make use of these by default, but it is pretty convenient to be able to map them to shortcuts via the Keyboard preferences.
The look of the keyboard in nice too (I've had several friend say 'cool keyboard' when they saw it) and I like how the cord is just long enough to reach to my iMac and I don't have a lot of extra cord cluttering my desk like with the Dell keyboards I've used. As other people have mentioned, it's pretty easy to keep the crumbs out of this since there is a covered space between each key, and it's also nice having a [low powered - you really can't expect more on a keyboard] USB port on either side of the keyboard - of course, this is a must if you have Apple's [extremely short corded] Mighty Mouse (or whatever they call it now.)
The only things I might consider cons about this are that its slim profile may not provide as much comfort to the hands as some. My Dell keyboard at work, for example, has a palm rest and that combined with the height of the keyboard makes it feel very natural to propurly curve the hands over the keyboard; this one does not have that feel. Also, the edges of the keyboard are kind of sharp if I happen to rest my hands there - this isn't much of a problem though since the edge doesn't stick out far. Anyway, I personally would (and did) readily accept these 'cons' for the tradeoff in the size and sturdy construction!
Customer Review: It's an Apple keyboard
Summary: 4 Stars
What else can I say. You can go to an Apple store and try it out.
Bought mine because my previous one broke.
The plus of those keyboards are:
- They are very sturdy
- Very elegant and nice looking
- Easy to keep it clean, as there are no large gaps where dirt can go and they can be cleaned easily (I even read a story of some guy that put it inside his dishwasher!)
- Integrated USB hub with two extra ports so you don't lose a port on your computer
Unfortunately they also have some down side:
- The keyboard is all glued in one big piece (no screws to hold it together): if you want to open it (any reason), you're in no luck. If the keyboard stop working, you don't try to fix it: you replace it (and this is quite bad).
- The USB sockets available are facing the side of the keyboard: so when you plug in a non-Apple mouse on the right socket, the mouse plug and the cable sticks out and force you to keep the mouse more far away (the keyboard was designed to work well with Apple mouse that has a much smaller USB connector and shorter cable).
When I purchased mine from Amazon the keyboard had a very weird defect: the LEFT cursor key would stuck if you press it multiple times very fast. I.e. you press it fast 10 times, the computer will register being pressed 3-4 times only (events key up/down), and the rest would register it as being continuously pressed.
So, when you work with an editor, moving to the RIGHT sometimes would cause the cursor to start moving without your intention... Games were out of the question... I think it was the key switch that was defective, but again, being all glued up together, you can't open it.
Keyboard was brand new so Amazon exchanged it for free. The replacement works like a charm.
Customer Review: Both functionally and aesthetically appealing.
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently purchased a Mac Mini after a decade and a half as a PC user. Realizing that the keyboard I was using wasn't USB I decided to splurge (similar keyboards can be had for a fraction of the cost of this one) and see what an Apple peripheral was like. So far this keyboard has exceeded my expectations.
This keyboard shares more in common with a your typical laptop keyboard than any desktop keyboard I've ever used. The keys are low-profile, and chiclet-like. Generally I'm not a fan of lap-top keyboards as I find the buttons don't feel as responsive and I'm prone to accidentally tapping two keys at once due to the low-profile. Perhaps it's the slight angle of this keyboard, but I don't find that to be a problem at all with this keyboard.
Speaking of angles, this keyboard is not adjustable. It comes tilted at a slight angle, and whether it's me or the keyboard, it's literally a perfect fit. Incredibly comfortable.
Construction wise the keyboard is trimmed in cool, matted aluminum. It's a very modern, and clean aesthetic. It feels sturdy, but not overly hefty. As a bonus it comes outfitted with 2 USB ports, with one each on either side. Allowing you to plug your USB mouse directly into the keyboard, as well as another peripheral of choice.
So far I've found that the keyboard functions well with any activity I need it to perform. Better in fact with some tasks as some of the keys are already designated for Apple specific tasks. Though I'm sure it will function just as well with a PC. A notion I'm going to put to the test when I load Windows 7 onto Boot Camp soon.
In all I would highly recommend this product to anyone in the market for a new keyboard. Particularly if you pair it with a Macintosh computer.
Customer Review: great keyboard, could use better support
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this keyboard because I tried it first in school, and I liked they way the keys don't need to be pushed down very far, much like a laptop keyboard, which is what I'm used to. It's easy to fix, clean and is pretty sturdy (I've dropped it once or twice). It looks decent, seems to resist scratches, and is light. the USB ports in either side of the bottom are pretty useful, and the keyboard itself comes with an extension cable, which is nice.
Now the bad parts. First of all, Apple does not support this keyboard AT ALL for use on PCs. Most of the keys are the same, but there are some differences that you'll have to get used to. The ALT and Windows (the apple key for you ignorant mac users) keys are switched, the "Clear" button is Num Lock, there is no Print Screen button or equivalent, but there are F13-F19. As far as I can tell, they can't be reprogrammed for anything with any applications that I can find. Apple doesn't make any drivers to get the keys to work, which is just bad marketing, but then again, the only good thing Apple does do is advertising, however untruthful, manipulative and misleading. The USB extension cord that comes with the keyboard has a little nib that prevents you from using it on any other device, which is kind of a dick move on Apple's part.
I gave the keyboard five stars because I've gotten over the shortcomings, taped over the stupid "Return", "Apple" and "Eject"(Escape) buttons with electrical tape, and the whole thing looks pretty cool now. The Caps Lock key now has Caps Lock filed off and Billy Mays Mode professionally printed on it, so the overall makeover kind of makes up for how flamboyant and unprofessional it looks.