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by jaysonelliot 5269 days ago
I use an Apple Extended Keyboard: http://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/m_kbdm3501.jpg

It requires a rather hefty ADB to USB adapter, which ran me about fifty bucks (http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-2001-ADB-iMate-Universal-adapt...) but to me, it was worth it.

Modern Apple keyboards look beautiful sitting in a pristine environment, but the lack of key travel, too-flat form factor, and decent spacing makes typing unpleasant.

My old Extended Keyboard takes up more space on my desk than my laptop does. It's noisy as hell. It's about as pretty as a Soviet gas station. And I can type all day long on it without my hands ever tiring.

3 comments

If I may, I suggest you try the USB version - Apple USB keyboard - http://www.amazon.com/Apple-109-Key-Version-Keyboard-1003199...

Very similar layout, with a smaller form factor, non mechanical but to me it feels just as good, and it features an USB hub. My preferred keyboard at home and at work, along with some ControllerMate magic to turn the Help key into something more useful.

PS: it also has a delete (Ctrl-D) key to the right of backspace (Ctrl-H), in the usual PC position.

I never liked these. I know some that do, but the keys cannot be compared to the older Apple Extended Keyboard, they have a completely different feel. Also, as mentioned, the resistance seems to increase with age.
Found one of these at work that was being unused, the only criticism I have it the fact I often feel the need to clean it as dirt and hair on white is extremely visible. And with the transparent sides you can see every minuscule particle.
I used to like these, but after a while the keypress resistance becomes bigger and bigger. Mechanical quality is not as good as one would think it is from first impression.
I had it, and I didn't like it. It felt like there was bubblegum under the keys.
I also use an original Apple Extended Keyboard. Mine features a surprisingly simple hardware hack to convert the mechanical Caps Lock into a Control key.

One feature of this keyboard that I unfortunately discovered by accident is that the Command+Control+Power keystroke does a hard reboot on modern Macs, just as it did on the old Mac SE and Apple IIgs.

Definitely a matter of taste, I have the newer style Apple keyboard on all my keyboards for the same reason, my hands get tired almost immediately when I have to use something else. The key travel (especially on the ergonomic ones) seems excessive.