Quiet keyboard: Apple keyboard

Schlotkins · Post by **Schlotkins** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:43 am

I was in a computer lab yesterday with some Macs (just browsing the web) and they had a new apple keyboard (or new to me anyway). It had the glass bottom on and man, was that think quiet. The room was a little noiser than my house so it was hard for me to tell just how quiet, but has anyone else used this keyboard in a near silent environment?

I'm on some Logitech Internet navigation keyboard right now and the noise is killing me...

Chris

Pjotor · Post by **Pjotor** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:11 am

Have you tried Logitech's UltraX Flat Keyboard? I have tried it just briefly when I was in a local store, and it felt like typing on a laptop (short strokes). I didn't listen to the sound/noise, but I know that most laptop keyboards are quieter than most other keyboards. UltraX is not very expensive either -- might be worth a try...

Oh, and tell us how you like it, if you do try it!

Mats · Post by **Mats** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:20 am

The UltraX is wonderful!!! I have used it for 6 months now, it's one of the best. I think it's quite silent, but actually I really don't care about that. It's the flat design with full size keys in standard arrangement that I like. Some people compares the keys with the ones of di Novo. I haven't tried that one though.

Pjotor, look at buggy.no-ip.com for cheap ones, I think they're starting at 200 SEK. There's a big thread about that keyboard here at SPCR.

daba · Post by **daba** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:23 am

I'm going to my university store to test the Apple keyboard out tomorrow. I think that the Apple keyboard should work with the PC.

burcakb · Post by **burcakb** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:00 am

It does, but it also drives you nuts. I vaguely remember cursing the key placements pretty often

Mar. · Post by **Mar.** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:23 pm

Ack, I hate typing on laptops. The buttons are flat instead of at an angle, there's almost no tactile feedback, and everything is crammed closer together.... There's nothing good about laptop keyboards except the noise....

The Mac keyboards are a little better than laptop keyboards, they are angled like they ought to be and they are spaced out a little more, but still nowhere near as good as PC keyboards.

I haven't looked, but judging by Apple prices you can expect to pay anywhere from 2-5 times as much as you would for a PC keyboard.

One example, the aircraft-grade aluminum G5 cases supposedly cost over $600USD.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:35 pm

I have both the Apple keyboard you speak of, as well as the Logitech UltraX. What these people say is correct. The UltraX is just lovely. Just like typing on a laptop, except @ a comfortable spacing/size. I normally used to type ONLY on Natural Keyboards alone, and dont get me wrong, they're great comfortable keyboards, but they're noisy! The UltraX is very quiet, and I actually type faster than I normally do on my natural keyboard elite. As for the Apple keyboard, yes it does work with PC, and does have another USB port for any other device (i think it has 2 actually), although I do not think they're powered. It is comfortable and relatively quiet compared to the UltraX, it is somewhat, oh how would you say it, "squishier" ? Because the keycaps aren't as thin as the UltraX, there is somewhat of a squishy feel to them. I don't know how else to describe it, as I have been using my Mac mini only for a little bit.

As for the UltraX vs DiNovo keyboards, the DiNovo's appears to be more curved toward the center of each keycap, whereas the UltraX's are just plain flat. I kinda like my UltraX. I think it's the best keyboard I've ever owned ;P, no wonder Ralf has like, 5 of them in case one of his ever go out, haha.

Mats · Post by **Mats** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:34 pm

Mar. wrote:Ack, I hate typing on laptops. The buttons are flat instead of at an angle, there's almost no tactile feedback, and everything is crammed closer together....

The UltraX have the standard size, it's just the keycaps and stroke length that are different roughly speaking.

And the keycaps are not flat!

Bruce Ballslap · Post by **Bruce Ballslap** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:42 pm

Yeah the ultrax is amazing. I wish they made a wireless version of it. Would look neater on my desk

I hate cables

HomerSapien · Post by **HomerSapien** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 4:11 pm

Im using an apple keyboard. Not sure if it is the newest, but it doesnt have the loud click that most of my previous keyboards had. My primary computer was a tibook for quite awhile so i kept the extra keyboard around.

I like it. Only thing you have to get used to is the apple key is the windows key(the one that brings up the start menu). Alt and option are the same key, some have alt written on it.

Never tried the logitech one, but my roommates wireless one is pretty nice.

daba · Post by **daba** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 4:56 pm

Today I tested out a few keyboards at the university store.

Ranked from the quietest to the loudest:
1. Kensington keyboard http://www.kensington.com/html/4826.html
2. IBM keyboard
3. Apple keyboard

They were all quiet, but that's probably because the room I was in was rather loud.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:18 am

Mats wrote:
Mar. wrote:Ack, I hate typing on laptops. The buttons are flat instead of at an angle, there's almost no tactile feedback, and everything is crammed closer together....
The UltraX have the standard size, it's just the keycaps and stroke length that are different roughly speaking.

And the keycaps are not flat!

THEY ARE FLAT! What are you talking about?!!

Mats · Post by **Mats** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:57 am

I have no pic to send you. With flat I mean completely two dimensional flat (err, well you know...). Hold the keyboard in front of your eyes with the space bar closest to you and look. They are curved, but only from side to side. Hold a credit card against the keys, that will make it easier to see.

Or, we have different models, I have the PS2 version, if it makes any difference.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:07 am

meh, barely. You look @ the DiNovos, and you can see the curves pretty easily without having to eyeball it ;P

Mats · Post by **Mats** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:24 pm

acaurora wrote:meh, barely. You look @ the DiNovos, and you can see the curves pretty easily without having to eyeball it ;P

Still, you loose and I win!!!

nmuntz · Post by **nmuntz** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 12:48 pm

I have one of the newer Apple Pro keyboards with the USB hub in the back of it. It's a nice keyboard overall with a nice big ESC key (vi users will understand). I'm not sure I'd call it "silent" though.

I'm not sure how the keys map out in Windows, but in Linux, I had to fool with xmodmap to remap ALT to the COMMAND key. The other Appleism is that there is no numlock key, it's always off. I believe OS X does some sort of auto detection of when num lock is appropriate.

I don't use the keyboard everyday anymore, gone to a Dell Quietkey (not the shitty one with the multimedia buttons) RT7D5JTW is the model number.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 1:18 pm

There are different kinds of Apple keyboards? I thought that they are all the same, either wired or wireless, rofl.

Mar. · Post by **Mar.** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:16 pm

They're basically the same, and they have been since the early 90's. The only things that have changed really, are how they are connected to the PC. design-wise, there is little difference.

daba · Post by **daba** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 6:57 pm

One thing I noticed when I was at the student store was that all the white Apple keyboards were dirty. That might be something you want to take into consideration when you purchase a white keyboard.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:18 pm

Mine was shiny clean.

Krispy · Post by **Krispy** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:41 am

I am fancying an Apple keyboard, mainly for it's compactness & 2 extra USB ports. acaurora mentioned that these might not be powered?

I would like to use these ports for downloading pictures from a digital camera & periodic system backups to an external HDD (to be fitted into one of those USB cases that seem to be mushrooming).

Would the Apple keyboard be suitable for this? Any advice gratefully appreciated.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 3:42 pm

That is correct. If you look on Apple's website, specifically the G5 Tech Specs, which ships with the Apple Keyboard, it says:

two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard)

also mentions lack of being powered here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58015

I will test it out next week. I got a SmartDisk FireLite, which is entirely USB powered to run a Samsung SpinPoint 5400 RPM 80 GB. If it doesn't power up, we'll know why ;P

Krispy · Post by **Krispy** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 6:23 pm

That would be great! Plus it will save rummaging round the back of the PC for that spare port that's never quite where I thought.

Thanks very much & fingers crossed

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 12:43 pm

I am replying to this post a la "Ye Old Mini" ;P

Sadly, the 2 USB 1.1 ports are not powered in the keyboard, as my FireLite did not power up.

As for the keyboard, i must say, it is somewhat comfortable, although I find the general slope of the keyboard to be too extreme, and that upon pressing the keys it feels like there is some sort of resistance, aka, "squishness". I don't really know how else to describe it. The keys are quiet, yes, but like I said, it feels like there is a bit of resistance as you push down on the keys. I still like my UltraX better ;P

*resumes installing Microsoft Office 2004/iWork

Krispy · Post by **Krispy** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:09 pm

Oh well, thanks for trying, sorry it didn't work for you.

Perhaps I should consider one of these HDD cases with a mini brick PSU might work? But then there gets to be more & more wires. Somehow, fitting a front port might be superior, plus I'd get increased USB2 speeds.

Thanks again!

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:18 pm

Yah, that can be done. I mean, just get a hub, or an extension cable to go from the back to the front, and bam, instant powered USB2 ;P