Quick links to various main topics in my blog

That's better!

by Simon at 09:40 10/01/07 (Blogs::Simon)

For a while I've been using an Apple USB Keyboard (the white one) with my Powerbook - and I have to say that I'm disappointed with it.

(Pause for some sections of the audience who know me to climb back onto their chairs - yes, I've got a bad word to say about Apple)

Here's the problem with it...

I'm forever hitting the tab key for autocompletion on the command line with the ring finger of my left hand, as well as typing 'esc :wq' ("Today is a good day to vi") and the too 'heavy' action of this keyboard means 50% of the time I need to try twice to get a key to register - which really slows me down.

Luckily, I've got a number of old Apple Extended Keyboard IIs in my collection - so I got an Belkin ADB to USB converter from Amazon and (once I'd located a working ADB cable) I'm now back to full speed. Software bugs and rambling nonsense now fly at full speed from my brain to the computer.

I've not used an EKII full time for many years, and I'd forgotten just what an excellent piece of work it is. Good tactile feedback, very light action, and you can dismantle it to clear out the crumbs, fag ash and tiny bits of human being that inevitably end up inside keyboards over time.

Mind you, the EKII was $135 worth of kit at the time, rather than $29 for the current Apple Keyboard. Quality costs.
--
simon

<< More light pollution

Possible daylight comet for Ja... >>

View Comments (Threaded Mode) Printer Version

That's better!	Simon - 09:40 10/01/07
Re: That's better!	Bruce Ure - 09:55 10/01/07
I have to say I agree about the current Apple USB keyboard. The first one I got, with my Mini, pretty quickly -- 3 months? -- started to exhibit stickiness, not in the sense I'd been viewing too much downloaded porn, but in the if-you-don't-hit-it-exactly-square-it-doesn't-depress-properly sense. Very annoying. That one will go back to John Lewis, whose after-sales is second to none. The one that came with my Mac Pro has yet to start exhibiting the same symptoms, but that'll go back to JL as well. I like the sound of your EKII... do you have another you'd like to part with? --
Re: That's better!	Simon - 10:46 10/01/07
And so the bidding war starts ;-) Yes, I have another one - it's finding a cable for it that's the problem. Either there's a collection of them somewhere in the loft, or I got rid of them but kept the keyboards. Next time you're heading over here, or I'm heading over there, remind me in advance. -- simon