Apple MB110LL/A Keyboard
- Input Interface Type: Keyboard
- Connectivity: Cable
- Interface: USB (keyboard)
- Platform: Mac
Available From
Why are these offers here?
Smart Buy!
Lowest price from a Trusted Store
Lowest Price!
Third Lowest Price
- Overview
-
Reviews
- Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
594
Ouch, That Hurts!
Pros
It works, solid construction
Cons
Not very ergonomic, hurts after a while, expensive
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
If you must have those F-keys for Expose and other functions, you'll need an Apple keyboard.
So in my review of the Apple MacBook, I expressed that I did not like their keyboards at all. So why did I purchase one for my desktop?
Well, I've found myself using more and more Mac OSX when I wanted to edit movies. I find that iMovie is simply the quickest and easiest movie editing program available for my skill level. It's the only thing I'd use the Mac for. While the MacBook felt underpowered for this task, my gaming PC is not.
The Dell keyboard I've been using is great. I love the standard layout, where the document navigation controls are located, the location of the back slash, etc. But the real problem came whenever I have to navigate around the Mac OS. Mac OSX seem to rely heavily on the function keys for navigation. Expose, for example, is somewhere... up... there... "Is that it? No, that... what did I do? Where did the windows go?"
You get my drift. So the real reason why I decided to purchase the wired Apple Keyboard is for navigating around the Mac OSX interface. It's still laid out similarly to a standard PC keyboard (the document navigation key cluster is almost correct), so I can still use it in Windows if I really have to (I can see myself swaping between keyboards though).
So for $50, I can't believe I went ahead and bought it. I think it's better than the compact version of the keyboard which does not include the document navigation key cluster and the number pad. The compact version of this board (which mirrors the MacBook keyboard exactly) is the same price! Unless you're really hurting for desk space, I think you'd be better off with the full-size keyboard.
In the Box
As you'd expect, there really isn't much in there. Short of the keyboard itself, you get a short USB extension cord. You'll need it too, because the cord that's permanently tethered to they keyboard is pretty darn short! It's about 3 feet, while the extension is 3 feet, too. Add them together and you'll get a realatively sane 6-feet of cable. Why Apple did this, I'm not sure. I guess the short cable would be perfect for the iMac and iMac mini, which most people would place on the desk. For tower computers (such as the Mac Pro or a standard tower PC), you'll need that extension cord.
You'll also get a thin "getting started" instructions, as well as a pamphlet for the limited warranty.
Impression
This keyboard is thin! It's like having keys on a sheet of aluminium. The keyboard itself feels heavy for it's size, and is rock solid. The keys themselves don't feel so solid. They rattle with every hit, especially the spacebar.
The keys are full size, but the key travel is much shorter than a standard keyboard. It feels just like they keyboard on the MacBook. Having white keys may also be a problem over time, as they will discolor from use.
Just like any Apple keyboard, this include keys that are Apple-centric. There's a dedicated Eject key for your optical drive. It does nothing in Windows, of course. Strangely, it extends the function keys to F19 (up from your standard F12).
Unlike most keyboards, the Apple Keyboard is not adjustable. There aren't any legs to prop it up. Also, because it's so flat, you won't be able to use a standard wrist rest to help out. I find my wrist hurting after a decent amount of typing. This is why I'll probably switch between my Dell keyboard and the Apple one. When in Windows, or when I do a lot of typing, I'll just use the Dell keyboard.
All in all, I'm not thrilled with how the Apple keyboard feels. And I also won't be using it for any frag-fests (gaming).
Lastly, the keyboard acts like a USB hub, allowing you to plug in two USB devices on each side of it. This was probably for an Apple mouse, but it can be used for almost any USB device, really.
Fancy a charge, my dear iPhone? Unfortunately it didn't work for that. I got a message in Windows that says that it exceeded the power requirements.
The Upshot
If you have a Hackintosh, and started to use the Mac OSX regularly, it may be worth spending the $50 to easily navigate through the OS. If you're just dipping in, or if you type alot, you're better off skipping this. $50 for a keyboard? Really? It's not even ergonomic! It hurts after a while! And it feels like typing on a piece of paper!
However, I need it for the top row of keys. Those F-keys. All just to navigate around the OS. Isn't that something?
Well, I've found myself using more and more Mac OSX when I wanted to edit movies. I find that iMovie is simply the quickest and easiest movie editing program available for my skill level. It's the only thing I'd use the Mac for. While the MacBook felt underpowered for this task, my gaming PC is not.
The Dell keyboard I've been using is great. I love the standard layout, where the document navigation controls are located, the location of the back slash, etc. But the real problem came whenever I have to navigate around the Mac OS. Mac OSX seem to rely heavily on the function keys for navigation. Expose, for example, is somewhere... up... there... "Is that it? No, that... what did I do? Where did the windows go?"
You get my drift. So the real reason why I decided to purchase the wired Apple Keyboard is for navigating around the Mac OSX interface. It's still laid out similarly to a standard PC keyboard (the document navigation key cluster is almost correct), so I can still use it in Windows if I really have to (I can see myself swaping between keyboards though).
So for $50, I can't believe I went ahead and bought it. I think it's better than the compact version of the keyboard which does not include the document navigation key cluster and the number pad. The compact version of this board (which mirrors the MacBook keyboard exactly) is the same price! Unless you're really hurting for desk space, I think you'd be better off with the full-size keyboard.
In the Box
As you'd expect, there really isn't much in there. Short of the keyboard itself, you get a short USB extension cord. You'll need it too, because the cord that's permanently tethered to they keyboard is pretty darn short! It's about 3 feet, while the extension is 3 feet, too. Add them together and you'll get a realatively sane 6-feet of cable. Why Apple did this, I'm not sure. I guess the short cable would be perfect for the iMac and iMac mini, which most people would place on the desk. For tower computers (such as the Mac Pro or a standard tower PC), you'll need that extension cord.
You'll also get a thin "getting started" instructions, as well as a pamphlet for the limited warranty.
Impression
This keyboard is thin! It's like having keys on a sheet of aluminium. The keyboard itself feels heavy for it's size, and is rock solid. The keys themselves don't feel so solid. They rattle with every hit, especially the spacebar.
The keys are full size, but the key travel is much shorter than a standard keyboard. It feels just like they keyboard on the MacBook. Having white keys may also be a problem over time, as they will discolor from use.
Just like any Apple keyboard, this include keys that are Apple-centric. There's a dedicated Eject key for your optical drive. It does nothing in Windows, of course. Strangely, it extends the function keys to F19 (up from your standard F12).
Unlike most keyboards, the Apple Keyboard is not adjustable. There aren't any legs to prop it up. Also, because it's so flat, you won't be able to use a standard wrist rest to help out. I find my wrist hurting after a decent amount of typing. This is why I'll probably switch between my Dell keyboard and the Apple one. When in Windows, or when I do a lot of typing, I'll just use the Dell keyboard.
All in all, I'm not thrilled with how the Apple keyboard feels. And I also won't be using it for any frag-fests (gaming).
Lastly, the keyboard acts like a USB hub, allowing you to plug in two USB devices on each side of it. This was probably for an Apple mouse, but it can be used for almost any USB device, really.
Fancy a charge, my dear iPhone? Unfortunately it didn't work for that. I got a message in Windows that says that it exceeded the power requirements.
The Upshot
If you have a Hackintosh, and started to use the Mac OSX regularly, it may be worth spending the $50 to easily navigate through the OS. If you're just dipping in, or if you type alot, you're better off skipping this. $50 for a keyboard? Really? It's not even ergonomic! It hurts after a while! And it feels like typing on a piece of paper!
However, I need it for the top row of keys. Those F-keys. All just to navigate around the OS. Isn't that something?
Recently Viewed
Most Popular In Keyboards and Mice
