USB keyboards

[baward]

My wired extended Apple keyboard has given up the ghost; I can't bear the short Bluetooth keyboard that came with the iMac, as I always found the wired keyboard a lot more reliable than one with Bluetooth, plus they didn't need their batteries recharging. Are the wireless ones more reliable these days? Or should I try and find a wired version?

[ef37a]

Forgive my ignorance, do macs have special keyboards?
If so I bet they are a rip!

I have had several wireless kbds (wireless not Btooth they come with a dongle)
Couple of £15 PCWorld jobbies. Fine, the mouse was a bit battery hungry, one AA every couple of months but the 2 AAs in the kbd seemed to last a year at least.

I presently use a Microsoft* (!) combined kbd and trackpad unit with my living room computer. The 2AAAs in that are over a year old. Not keen on trackpads but you can use a wired mouse as well.

*Sorry for the bad language!

Dave.

[baward]

Yes as with most (everything?) Apple, they are expensive. The computer came with a short Bluetooth keyboard in the box, but it lacks essentials for me, like a numeric keyboard and the BT was never any good AFAIC.

[ore_terra]

got a laptop myself, but my dad's apple bluetooth keyboard works flawless, and batteries last loooooooong.

if numbers is what you miss, you can probably get one of this quite cheap

[baward]

Thanks for the tip, but for me its even more AA batteries to keep charged up. I'd prefer a wired keyboard to a 'split' one like that.

[ef37a]

Tiny point? Rechargables often do not keep the same voltage as even budget alkalines so the appear to need charging more often for some applications such as TV remotes.

Dave.

[ConcertinaChap]

There's stacks of these keyboards sold second hand on ebay. Just search on Apple A1243. Due diligence is obviously required but the going rate for a decent one seems to be about 40 quid.

CC

[G-Doubleyou]

Recently picked up a Logitech wireless keyboard, works fine.
The windows key is the command key.

[baward]

Thanks all.

[baward]

I have run into a peculiar problem, which may or may not be simply explained. I purchased a second-hand Apple A1243 keyboard from eBay (thanks, ConcertinaChap). It doesn’t work, so I automatically assumed that it is broken. But, seeing as my original Apple A1243 also doesn’t work, it might actually be my computer as surely its fantastically unlikely that two different keyboards from different sources both don’t work. The seller, whist assuring me that it was fine when he sent it to me, has kindly said that I can return the keyboard to him if I need to.

I have also tested both keyboards out on my laptop, and again neither of them work so to be trebley sure, have now given them to my friend so she can test them out on her own iMac (I’m awaiting her findings.) Could anything about my iMac be ‘playing up’? I have done all the likely things, like removed all other USB devices and run Disc Utility. Maybe they both don’t work, after all, and Apple A1243's have something of a shelf-life.

Many thanks again.

[Kwackman]

Maybe they both don’t work, after all, and Apple A1243's have something of a shelf-life.

It'll be interesting to see what your friend finds.
But I've a couple of these keyboards, one of them is in my damp garage attached to an old iMac.
For the past year (it was nowhere near new when I got it) the keyboard has been covered in grease, WD40, oil and anything else that is on my fingers when I use it. The keys are filthy with grime, and if I have to use it with clean fingers, I need to wash my hands afterwards!
They seem a pretty robust keyboard, at least this one does.

[baward]

The keyboards are back from my friend, and the mystery isn't any clearer to be solved. They both don't work on her Mac either. I will ask her if I can borrow her keyboard and try it out on my Mac...

I'll report back.