9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
A strong offering but needs improvement
Date of Review: May 31, 2009
The Bottom Line: Look at competing products as well as this one. You may find you miss some of the usual features this keyboard lacks.
Introduction
Apple's new wireless keyboard enters a market filled with offerings from other vendors. Apple has provided a number of integral touches to its wireless offerings but some features remain strangely lacking. This review will explore the various features and functionality of the Apple wireless keyboard and give some insight for prospective purchasers.
Setup
The Apple Wireless Keyboard uses Bluetooth technology to connect to your computer. Bluetooth is ubiquitous and included in all current Apple computers. For PC's, a Bluetooth module is an inexpensive upgrade and will support many devices.
On an Apple computer, a setup wizard is included which will find your keyboard and 'pair' it with the system. The wizard is simple and painless.
Usability
The touch on the keys of the new Apple keyboards is not my favorite. It isn't horrible, but it can be fatiguing for typists. Each key has a space around it, presumably to improve accuracy. I find it liveable but not optimal. In my opinion, Apple had it right with the G4 generation of Powerbooks. Why they didn't stick with these, we will never know.
Like all Apple keyboards, the function keys offer a dual purpose. Most function keys are linked to an OS X system feature, like increasing of decreasing brightness, bringing up the dashboard, or controlling iTunes. This is a prime example of the value added to the Macintosh system. Integration is key.
This keyboard is fairly reliable. For some reason, it will lose connectivity from time to time if the computer goes to sleep. A quick press of the keyboard's power button fixes the problem. I have yet to be inconvenienced by this.
One thing most people will notice with this keyboard is the lack of a numeric pad. I find this annoying and unneccessary. The default Apple desktop keyboards include numeric pads. It would only make sense to include it for users wanting to upgrade to the wireless equivalent.
Battery life is fine. I replace the batteries every 2 months. Mac OS X will kindly let you know when the batteries are low in advance so you can charge up the next set before the current ones expire.
Some Details
This keyboard uses 3 AA batteries. This is an odd configuration as most chargers take 4 batteries and another case for adding a numeric keypad.
If you travel with your keyboard, this is the option for you. It's slim enough to fit in any keyboard bag. Your workspace will also thank you, since this keyboard has the smallest footprint I've ever seen.
Cleaning this keyboard is easier than any other I have had. This is primarily due to the shape and spacing of the keys. Each key surface is flat so a quick scrub will get rid of any grime.
Overall Impression
This keyboard is a fine product, but lacks some obvious improvements that could have made if fully functional and more convenient. The lack of numeric keyboard is the most obvious deficit this keyboard has. For this reason I cannot fully recommend this product.
If you are shopping for a wireless keyboard, there are competitors to this one that may fit you better.
Mwave.com
