Apple Archive

Apple Needs to Offer Keyboards and Mice You Won't Want to Replace

- 2005.12.23

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If Apple could offer compelling computer accessories, would PC owners be tempted to buy them? And would Mac users tend to stick with Apple keyboards and mice rather than replace them?

I'm currently using the Apple mouse from my Power Mac G5 on our old 550 MHz PC while I'm back in Connecticut for winter break. While the PC's a bit obsolete (only 2 USB ports, for example), it still runs fine, and it's rather ugly beige case has held up well.

The original keyboard quit working two years ago, and a hand-me-down IBM keyboard replaced it, which is perhaps even uglier than the original one.

This means the white Apple mouse stands out on the desk. Okay, a one-button mouse has limited functionality with a PC, but it's better than nothing - plus it looks good. And don't forget that Apple sells the Mighty Mouse, which has 2 buttons plus a scroll function.

Yes, Apple peripherals work with PCs, but there are a few subtle differences in keyboards, and Apple's cords are too short to connect to a PC tower placed on the floor.

People also often replace the Apple keyboards and mice that come with their Macs with a third-party set. This is generally due to enhanced functionality on another keyboard or mouse, but why doesn't Apple have a selection of keyboards and mice like they do computers?

They used to. There were the Apple Keyboard and Apple Extended Keyboard, first available with the Mac SE and Mac II in March 1997. Then followed the Apple Keyboard II and Extended Keyboard II (neither of which were quite as good as the first versions).

Apple currently provides one rather basic keyboard with all of its desktop Macs (except the mini). Sure, it saves desk space by being small, but I prefer something a bit larger. The older black Pro Keyboard was better in this respect.

However, the most common complaint I've heard about the Pro keyboard is that it's hard to read the keycaps. This never bothered me, as I'm a touch-typist, but it would seem to me that the gray on white would be harder to see than white on black.

Regardless, legibility of the keycaps as well as the spacing of them could be improved (particularly the function keys - I dislike them directly above the number keys and squished together). I also think that the volume controls and disc-eject key should be separated from the number-pad, as I find myself hitting them accidentally sometimes.

Editor's note: And then there's the Help key. Hit that by accident and wait while you watch the help system launch when you didn't want it. It needs to be moved away from other keys. dk

If Apple put time, money, and energy into it, I'm sure they could build a couple of different keyboards that would satisfy different needs. They also need to have longer cables - USB cable extenders are annoying and not too practical, especially when something catches on them and they come unplugged.

As for PCs, the number one complaint I have about most modern PC keyboards is that they have far too many useless "dedicated" buttons on them: buttons to access the Internet, check email, open up a media player, and control the volume. Who uses most of them, let alone all of them?

While perhaps not as easy to use as Apple's dock, Windows XP does put your recently used applications in the Start menu. Why would you want buttons on the keyboard that you might hit accidentally while you're writing an email?

Apple does a good job keeping their keyboards simple. Their current and past keyboards were basic, clutter-free, and, with the exception of the Apple Design Keyboard (which was cheaply made and had an extremely soft feel), generally pretty comfortable to type on.

That's what really matters when buying a keyboard anyway - a keyboard you're uncomfortable typing on isn't only annoying, it can lead to wrist pain, too.

The keyboard that comes closest to my ideal for PCs is the old IBM PS/2 keyboard. It was large, so there was lots of space to not hit the wrong key. It had a very good tactile feel and was well-made. The downside is that it was ugly and very loud to type on.

If Apple were to take this example, along with their original Extended Keyboard, and mix it with some great design, I'll bet they could come up with a nice large keyboard with a great feel that might appeal to both Mac and PC users. LEM

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