WTF: New Apple Keyboards
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I love Apple products. Sleek, sexy, well made, and a pleasure to use. I’m always the first on my block to know about new product releases, and– income permitting– the first to own them. It’s to be expected that with each announcement there will be some things that piss a few people off, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so off-putting and strange as some aspects of the new Apple keyboards. The most obvious oddity is Apple’s decision to turn the Bluetooth version into a little-brother device instead of a wireless twin. No number pad, no center island, and a cramped work area kill the slim metal pad for a lot of users. But at least there could be some rational for this; perhaps Apple wants the Bluetooth version to be something you take with you to the other side of the room and use on your couch. In that situation, it makes sense to have a smaller keyboard. When it comes to the full sized wired version, however, I’m stumped. Not only have new functions been added to the top row, but some long standing key bindings have been unceremoniously ripped from underneath our fingers. The exposé keys, long at home at F9-11 (as well as Dashboard at F12, have been moved to the no-mans land of F4 & 5. More importantly, we’re now down to a single “show all windows” (formerly F9) functionality. Not only are they forcing users to re-train their deeply ingrained muscle memory, but they are actually taking away features! The F16-18 keys which formerly held the volume controls are now empty and barren– when was the last time you used one of those for anything other than volume? The worst part is you can’t even change these new key-bindings in System Preferences without resorting to the use of the Fn key. Oh, and the keyboard also now has a top level directory on Apple’s site.
Seriously Apple, WTF.
[via Daring Fireball and Maniacal Rage
I really hate the wireless version as well. No need for the keys to be taken away.
Wait, is this a review? I’m confused of the reason this is here.
I concur. I never actually had a problem with the new look of the keyboard, but i have no idea what they are thinking with the key layout. I don’t get why they had to move everything around, especially the volume controls on the full version (Any why force bluetooth users to use the condensed version?), which now leave a complete dead area on the right-side function keys. Oh well…what are they thinking?
I’m gonna buy 3
I can think of one worse idea….
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/puckmouse.jpg
Hmm. I haven’t had a chance to play with the new keyboard, but I agree it’s foolish to move function keys around…perhaps no one was using them? I tend to use mouse-based approach (hot corners, and squeezing the damn thing) to use them, but I tend to work MOSTLY with a mouse (in fact, for the last month whilst sorting out a hard drive problem with a patch-around, once a week or so I temporarily unplug the keyboard to patch in my scanner. Sometimes I continue working for an hour before discovering that for some reason the keyboard ain’t working). Now I wonder if my usage is more typical than yours (assuming you use the function keys)?
@Roger
keyboards for life :D
Yeah, it kinda figures that you’d make more use of your keyboard than I do mine, I primarily work in graphics. To be honest, while I DO use lots of keyboard shortcuts for routine stuff like saving and printing as well as app-specific moves, I don’t use the Expose stuff enough to have managed to train myself to use the function keys. Which seems to have accidentally put me at a momentary advantage, sir! ;)
well made.. LOL
well.. it’s made.. made of crap :D
Recently Apple has put out some, what I think, total shit, this being one of them.
I’d to actually try one before passing judgement. At best it won’t be much different than using MBP’s keyboard, at worst, it will maybe kind of suck?
The Expose thing is my only WTF.
i REALLY love my macbook for its keyboard so i think i would love to get the wireless version. i like the dedicated itunes controls too, but i also dont see why they had to move the f9-12 keys functions.
i love the bluetooth keyboard. i hate having a big keyboard taking up my whole desk, i never use the extra keys they took off anyway. im gettin one asap!!!
well… at least the ports in the keyboard are USB 2.0 now…. right?
That IS a good thing, isn’t it?
Wireless keyboard is total crap though.
so use the old one…
Man you guys bitch a lot. Why didn’t they change the mouse? Since they didn’t listen to JOSUE.
When I switched over from a Dell to a Mac Pro recently I tried to keep on using my trusty Northgate Omnikey Evolution but the misplaced command/option keys drove me crazy. (I am used to using lots of keyboard shortcuts on my Macbook.) The keyboard that shipped with the Mac Pro didn’t appeal to me at all; I prefer the responsiveness of the old keyboards and their roomy size. So I went to the used computer thrift store and found an old Apple Extended II keyboard for $4. After an hour or so of elbow grease I had it looking brand new. I figured I could deal with not having the split keyboard and the super clickity-clacking of my Northgate in order to have the apple key next to the spacebar (I’ve since found software to remap the keys and I’m using the Northgate).
Anyway, the point of my story is that within minutes I realized on the Apple Extended II the little raised dots which are normally on the “f” and “j” keys were in fact on the “d” and “k” keys. This drove me crazy, because for the most part I don’t look at the keys. So I even switched the keys around so that the plastic dots were in the right place. But that too drove me crazy. I was wiring my brain to think that pressing “f” was really “d” and this seemed like a bad idea.
With these new iMac keyboards it sounds like the same sort of frustration – remapping familiar function keys for no obvious reason.
These keyboards look really slick. I could see using the bluetooth model from the couch but I wouldn’t want to use it at my desk.
I’m in two minds… The current Pro Keyboard needed a revamp, and this new keyboard is kinda stylish. I love low-profile desktop keyboards, so this wins there. I’m a little awkward about the whole keybindings change but without actually getting my hands on one yet, I won’t pass judgement.
I REALLY like the bluetooth idea however. It’s basically being sold as a “compact” wireless keyboard. Mac mini media stations and other home entertainment uses wont need the numpads, and it makes it far more portable, easier to slip into a satchel bag and take with your laptop.
I have both on order. It’s kind of a tentative excitement. I’ll pass judgement in a few weeks.
the exposé thing is pretty clever, in my opinion. you see, the left hand is often on the left side of the keyboard, while your right hand is on the mouse. (provided you’re right-handed, naturally) to me it makes more sense to have the expose keys on the left side of the keyboard. i used to be pretty annoyed by having the exposé keys on the right side of the keyboard when i used a desktop mac.
definitely buying one of these at some point.
I have to disagree with some of the points people have made about these keyboards!
At work we brought both of them just because we could and I have to use the wired option and its actually really nice! I dont like the nw key functions granted they are seriously out of line to change these without an option to letting you switch back to the “old mode!” I do like the way that they feel. Its as if using a laptop keyborad but with more space and biigger buttons!
I also had the chance to use thebluetooth option and these are just as good. I think they are trying to get people to use the wired versions at the desk and the wireless ones for laptops and such for people that are on the move but like a nearly full size keyboard that you can actually use.
I also found these keyboards make my desk look so much better! they go with the cinema displays and also the mac pro which are things i own at home and use at work. I will definatly be buying one of these for my home use but only when they have sorted out the F keys issue.
Okay, got mine. I’m impressed. The keyboard is sleek and feels ultra-responsive. The Exposé thing isn’t as big as I had thought, Turns out pressing F3 Will do “All Windows”, CMD F3 “Show Desktop, CTRL F3 “Application Windows – and as always you can hold shift for the slow-mo effect.