Apple Wireless Pro Keyboard

Draw-backs for this keyboard: You will have to change the batteries every 3-4 months, but at least OS X notifies you in advance when to change them. This keyboard doesn't have USB ports, so you'll have to plug your mouse into the computer or get a wireless mouse.

If you are the average user who leaves his/her keyboard in front of your monitor and don't really mind your keyboard wire among all the other clutter of your desk, then this keyboard might be overkill for you. The wireless capacities are strong, but you can only really use it as far away as you can read your screen.


Very impressive product.   August 23, 2004
Bob Sacamano (Atlanta, GA United States)
28 out of 31 found this review helpful

This keyboard is everything I had hoped for and more. It works without any delay, unlike my Logitech wireless trackball (there were no bluetooth trackballs at the time of purchase). Ease of setup was like any other Apple product...plug and play. One word of caution: turn off the keyboard even when not using for ten minutes and the batteries will last much longer. The keyboard came with some of the best batteries available........Energizer eTitanium. Apple did not have to do that, but they rarely skimp when it comes to quality. I should have also gone with the bluetooth Apple mouse.


Beauty is only skin deep with this one.   December 6, 2005
Joshua Mcmichael (St. Louis, MO)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

I love Apple's designs, I needed a keyboard for my Powerbook setup (the laptop is raised off the desk on a stand), and I hate cords. So when I could afford this keyboard, I ordered it.

It looks nice, but that's about the only good thing about it. Apple's got a good reputataion with me, so I think I had on blinders the first few weeks I owned this thing. But my experience with this keyboard was mostly negative.

Pros (let's start off on a positive note):

- looks nice (but see caveat below)

- no cords

Cons:
- mushy key action - this feels like one of those crappy $10 keyboards you get with sub-$500 windows systems.

- connection problems (also mentioned by a couple other reviewers) - keyboard loses connection, and the bluetooth driver in some cases just repeats the last character that you sent for about 10 seconds. If you've just pressed the delete key, then you get to watch what you just typed disappear into the ether. Frustrating.

- at first, the attractive transparent case looks modern, unusual, and stylish. But have you ever looked underneath the keys of any board that's been in use for over a few weeks? With this keyboard, you'll get a chance to see the horror that lurks just beneath your fingertips. On a daily basis. And all your clients and friends will too. It's not a pretty sight.

- After switching to a scissor-key-action type keyboard (the same method used in the Powerbook's built-in board), I've discovered that I *far* prefer this method instead of the Wireless Pro's mush, long-travel, type keys. The twinges of RSI that I was beginning to get more often have disappeared since I switched. BTW, the keyboard I switched to, and highly recommend, is the MacAlly icekey slim model. It's got a nasty USB cord, but it doesn't disconnect and it feels much much better. And it's about 1/2 the price.


Not up to Apple standards   December 7, 2003
Andrew Kitzmiller (Mundelein, IL United States)
11 out of 15 found this review helpful

I'm an avid Mac user and Apple advocate but I have to say I was disappointed with this product. Apple is known for its superb engineering and exceptional user experience but this keyboard does not meet their normally high standards. After the first couple of days of use the keyboard would intermitently loose its connection with the computer. Typing anything of length became very frustrating as the keyboard would stop functioning mid-stream. Eventually the keyboard ceased to work at all and I took it in to the Apple store for a replacement. The replacement keyboard did not work either and after reading Apple's disscussion boards and not finding a solution I gave up and went back to wired. Even if the keyboard had been fully functional, there is still a big caveat with a wireless keyboard: it will not allow you to boot into "safe" mode or open firmware since Bluetooth loads at the end of the bootup process. Getting rid of the wires on your desktop is a nice concept. But if you want a wireless keyboard of any kind, even one that works properly, you still need to have a wired keyboard on hand as a backup.


Bleh   April 19, 2005
Maury Markowitz (Toronto, ON)
9 out of 28 found this review helpful

Ok, it looks nice. Sadly, that's all I have good to say about it. On the flip side of the coin:

1) it feels like mush - if you type a lot, don't get this thing
2) it eats batteries - I type about 5 pages a day, it goes through a set of four every month or so
3) it collects dirt - all keyboards do, but this one has an "open top" that makes it happen a lot faster
4) it stops working - mine's been dead for a few days now, it simply won't sync up

Get an iceKey or an MS Internet Keyboard. Losing a single wire isn't worth it.