Summary

Today my new Apple Aluminum Wired Keyboard arrived. I’m quite impressed with how solid it’s made. It is an elegant and beautiful piece of hardware. The design and function of the keyboard are almost identical to the keyboard found on the Apple MacBook notebook. This review provides some initial impressions about the keyboard. There are some issues with the keyboard that were immediately apparent upon trying to use it. As a result, several discussion threads have been started on the Apple website regarding these issues. [Discussions Started By me: 1, 2, 3 | By others: 1, 2, 3]

Benefits of Short Key Travel

The keys on the keyboard have a very short travel distance. The benefit of this is potentially less fatigue on the hands. Short travel distances also ensure less opportunity for sticking during key travel.

USB Power Issues

Unfortunately, the keyboard seems to have some USB power issues. For example, I have a very low power USB memory stick that worked fine when plugged into my older Apple keyboard. With the new keyboard I get an error message stating there isn't enough power to operate the memory stick:

With my previous Apple keyboard, I was able to plug in a SanDisk USB memory stick and it worked fine. I specifically purchased the low-power memory stick to avoid having to crawl behind a computer to plug in the memory stick. I tried my iPhone and got the same message. The Apple website explicitly states:

"Two USB 2.0 ports provide high-speed connectivity for your iPod, Mighty Mouse, digital camera, and other USB-based electronic devices. Yes, we did think of everything."

I tried plugging in my iPhone, then my iPod video, then my iPod Nano. None of these work. They all produce the error message indicated above. The only iPod that works is the iPod shuffle. I've not tried all these other devices mentioned on the Apple website, but since my low-power devices that worked before don't work now, I'm a little concerned. I've tried plugging the keyboard directly into my PowerMac Dual G5 system and also into a very nice Belkin external hub which has helped in the past with power issues. I've had some self powered drives that just didn't work when plugged directly into the Mac, but they work when plugged into the Belkin hub. [Discussion on this topic]

Update: As of 28 August 2008, Apple has changed their website to read, “Two USB 2.0 ports enable you to easily connect your Mighty Mouse as well as a high-speed peripheral such as a digital camera or printer.* Yes, we did think of everything.”  The asterisk is explained at the bottom of the page, “*Devices that draw high power from the USB connection, such as iPods, hard drives and some flash drives, can only be used with the new keyboard when it is attached to the aluminum iMac.” Well, I guess they really did think of everything, including the disclaimer.

Special Keys Don’t Work

The keyboard has function keys that are programmed to perform special operations. The Apple website explicitly states:

“The extended layout has a full complement of keys, including document navigation controls, a numeric keypad, and special function keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, Exposé, and more.”

Unfortunately, two of these keys don’t work, even after a special software update is installed. The manual that comes with the keyboard provides instructions on how to program the keyboard, but those instructions either don’t work or are incorrect. [Discussion on this topic]

Software Required

The keyboard seems to work immediately when it is plugged in, however a special software update is is required to ensure that it works properly and the OS should be the latest 10.4.10 version or higher. In addition to this, some special steps may need to be taken for those people using an older Apple computer. I am using a PowerMac Dual 2.5 GHz G5 system and had trouble with the F3 and F4 function keys. The various suggestions and instructions as provided on several of the discussion threads didn't work for me. I’m told the instructions on the MacFixIt site work. Here's what worked for me to resolve the problem:

1. Go here and download the Pacifist utility which helps in exploring installation packages:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/12743

2. Go here and download the Apple OSX update for PowerPC:

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10410comboupdateppc.html

OR... get the version for Intel found here:

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10410comboupdatev11intel.html

3. Using the Pacifist utility, open the OSX Update dmg file you just downloaded. You will be able to navigate to /System/Library/Core Services. Click on Dock.app and click the install button. When it's uncompressed, it will ask if you would like to update or replace. Click update. Update means this will build upon or add to your existing Dock.app that was installed from the original system OS CD or DVD. There is an option to repeat this response for all files. Complete the process and then exit the Pacifist utility program. You will need to restart once this has completed. Note: I’m told that for a fresh start, it is possible to use the Pacifist Utility with the original system OS CD or DVD for your computer and choose replace when prompted. This will overwrite the Dock.app if it is corrupted or modified in an undesirable way. Then, to build on that, use the Update (rather than replace) for any additional changes.

4. Go here and download the Apple Keyboard Software Update:

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/firmware_hardware/keyboardsoftwareupdate11.html

5. Install the Keyboard update and all functions should automatically work.

Space Bar Issues

Depending on your typing style, you may need to change how you type for this keyboard to work properly. For example, many people type quickly and simply press keys on the edge rather than in the middle or top. For this reason, some keyboards have a larger spacebar, for example, so the wrist doesn’t need to turn in for the thumbs to reach the spacebar. Dell offers a keyboard for about $12 that has excellent ergonomic design:

The only problem with the Dell keyboard pictured above is that eventually (after about 6 months to a year) the key travel may become a little sticky. On the Apple keyboard, the spacebar does not descend to where the thumbs are naturally positioned, so the thumbs must move up to hit the spacebar squarely in the middle. This usually results on tapping on the bottom of the spacebar. With the new Apple keyboard, tapping on the bottom area of the spacebar produces erratic results. Just now, I pressed the space bar about 20 times on the bottom of the spacebar and that generated about 5 spaces (about 25% functional). So, it will be necessary to press the spacebar squarely in the (vertical) center or toward the top. Horizontally, the spacebar seems to work just fine as long as you are pressing it in the vertical middle or top. [Discussion on this topic]

Caps Lock Key Issues

The caps lock key has similar issues as those with the spacebar mentioned above. Perhaps this is because it is a longer key than the other keys. If you are accustom to pressing the caps lock key with your little finger, you may try to engage caps lock by pressing the bottom portion of the caps lock key. This will work about 70% of the time, but not 100% of the time. In the photo below, it’s easy to identify that the caps lock key is tilted up slightly which explains the diminished travel of the lower portion of the key resulting in some degradation of responsiveness.

Non-Ergonomic Permanent Keyboard Tilt

Have you ever noticed that every piano in the world has keys that are flat so that your wrists are rested and flat when playing? There’s a reason for that. It is uncomfortable and potentially harmful to have your wrists bent up while playing piano. This is why piano benches are usually adjustable so the pianist can adjust their seating so their wrists are flat as they play. The same issues are true for working on a computer keyboard. Unfortunately, most computer keyboard manufacturers in the world are selling keyboards that tilt up, causing wrists to bend, resulting in repetitive stress syndrome and carpal tunnel injuries. To alleviate this problem, it is possible to install rubber feet (such as the Radio Shack 64-2342) in the front of the keyboard and create a flat surface to work on (like a piano keyboard). Below is an example of how the keyboard can be adjusted to provide a flat typing surface.

Some people may even find it more comfortable to work on a keyboard that slopes down rather than up. Recently, negative heel technology has been promoted in shoes such as the Earth Shoes. Most shoes have a somewhat elevated heel, and in the case of women’s shoes, the heel is significantly elevated. Elevated heels (rather than negative heels) are stylistically popular, but very likely harmful to people’s health. So, whether keyboards or shoes, consumers must simply find what’s most comfortable and ignore style.

Can’t Clean Permanently Sealed Keyboard

Apple is good at creating esthetically pleasing products. Having products that are completely sealed is one aspect of the design approach that is common for Apple. While such devices look “cool” they are very difficult for the end user to service. The keyboard of a computer is probably the most vulnerable component. It is exposed to crumbs of food and other debris. So, it would make sense to have a keyboard that can be easily cleaned. Previous Apple keyboards had screws, but those screws were so small and specialized that most people wouldn’t have the tools required to open them. This keyboard is impossible to open and clean, so that is a bit of a drawback.

Trim Your Fingernails

I keep my fingernails trimmed fairly close, but I noticed on this keyboard they were still getting in the way. So, I trimmed them as if I were going to play classical guitar and wanted smooth contact with the frets of the guitar. I noticed a dramatic typing improvement after trimming my nails.

Conclusion

Despite the above mentioned issues with the keyboard, I like it and plan to keep using it. I am surprised that Apple didn’t introduce a keyboard made of aluminum and a glass surface -- a larger version of the iPhone keyboard with the same intelligence. Perhaps the latest Apple keyboard is an effort to help people transition toward a flat surface keyboard like the ones they may produce in the future or have included in an aluminum and glass tablet computer.