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Apple Wireless Keyboard

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Max Slowik
Beth
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Jul. 1, 2008

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Introduction

Mmm, Mac hardware. Sharp. Purposeful. Tasty. Downright industrial designelicious. Half of the people who make the vaunted switch do so because of this keyboard. I mean, not literally this keyboard, but because of the engineering and style that this wireless device is the apex embodiment of.

The keyboard is small because it's cut down; the keys are standard but a lot is sacrificed to make the whole package as miniscule as possible without cramping digits. Did they cut off too much? Can you type on it? Is it flimsy (no), are the keys weird (yes), and, er, how's it work with Windows? (Sorta.)

I see a lot of potential in this input device, and not because it's portable. But I also can't help but wonder, can design be taken too far?

First Looks

Everything about the keyboard smacks of minimalism. The unmarked cardboard shipping box, the white retail box emblazoned with a photo of the hardware... If it were any other company, you'd swear they were being cheap, but with Apple, they've paid to develop this level of austerity.

The keyboard comes with everything you need to connect it to a Mac, so... a keyboard and some batteries. This keyboard does not come with everything to connect it to other computers; there's no Bluetooth adapter. If you planned on pitching that Dell keyboard for something sexier you'll have to add this extra cost into your equation.

There's a manual and some paper that, well, would you have thumbed through it? If you would have, you'd know that it was seven pages of instructions in like, a billion languages, and some warranty details. The sleeve is labeled "SUB ASSY BUNDLE," so you know it's not super-assy or uber-assy.

It takes three AAs to power the keyboard, and, like I said, they're included. They're regular alkalines, though. Not lithium, not rechargeable. But who cares if they last as long as Apple says they will (which is nine months)? I've never gotten more than five or six from other wireless keyboards, although they've always used two AAs, not three. Asking around, people agree, nine months isn't absurd; it's about right.

There isn't an install CD because the device uses the standard Bluetooth Apple keyboard driver. It'll work fine in Windows, but just the keys--no functions: the media keys are broken, and the eject key is useless. There isn't a menu key, either.

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Page 1: Introduction & First Looks
Page 2: The Keyboard, The Keys & Wirelessness
Page 3: Conclusion

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