[geeks] keyboards for Mac

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2007 02:47:15 -0500
Bill Bradford <mrbill at mrbill.net> wrote:

> On Mon, Sep 03, 2007 at 01:11:18AM -0400, Charles Shannon Hendrix wrote:
> > Does anyone know if a keyboard like the "Logitech Wave" will work with
> > MacOS?
> 
> Any standard USB keyboard will work.
> 
> > The only decent keyboard I can find is the Tactile Pro, which is $150
> > and on backorder almost perpetually, and it really isn't the layout I
> > want.
> 
> The Tactile Pro is not near as nice as they claim it to be.. I bought one
> back when they were $75 and wasn't that impressed.  It was actually LOUDER
> than a Model M, and the "legs" that made it incline were flimsy.

That was the impression I got from a couple of others, and I don't like the
look and layout of it either.

I still can't believe Apple, of all companies, ships such absolute crap for
mice and keyboards with their very expensive systems.

> > Any recommendations appreciated.  I know we visit this topic now and
> > then, but maybe there is new information.
> 
> My favorites, in order of preference:
> 
> 1. Current-production USB-interface "Model M" from UniComp:
>    http://www.pckeyboard.com (~$60).  

I might end up going with that.  I have a Model M, but it is an old one that
lacks the keys that a Mac needs.

> 2. Apple Extended Keyboard II, using an iMate ADB-to-USB adapter:
>    http://lowendmac.com/thomas/06/1113.html

Hmmm... I have one of those keyboards.  But, I only have room for one
keyboard, so it has to do both.

> Jonathan Patschke has been raving about the new Apple keyboards,
> but I've not had hands-on experience with them yet.

I think they suck.  They are basically the Apple Macbook laptop keyboards in
a larger layout.  Super thin, super light, style at the expense of substance.

I wish Apple would start shipping mice and keyboards that match the price of
their systems.  For that matter, I wish everyone would do that.

> I do not recommend the last revision of Macintosh keyboards at all;
> they're way too mushy for my tastes.  If I can't have a buckling-spring
> keyboard, I prefer a REALLY STIFF rubber-dome-type keyboard like the iKey.

Have you ever tried the Model M keyboards with rubber dome switches?  I was
wondering if they were better quality than most other rubber-dome keyboards.

It's really a shame the way things are, because I do like the layouts and
features of some current keyboards.  If they just had decent switches or even
higher quality dome switches, it would not be so bad.

> (you can probably tell I learned to type on an IBM Selectric).

Same here.  That and old school terminal keyboards and IBM mainframe
keyboards.
 


-- 
shannon           | We are all of us in the gutter, some of us looking at the 
                  | stars.  
                  |         -- Oscar Wilde