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This is only a test (new keyboard)

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Hey everyone.

Hmm … so far so good … type type type … just came back from the Apple store in Partridge Creek mall a few hours ago (that's in the Detroit area) with my new wired keyboard for my Mac mini. And, of course, I just had to tell somebody. So that somebody is everyone here. :D

Haha, well, anyway, before this I was using the keyboard that came with my iMac that I bought a good ten years ago. I just felt like it was time for a new one.

Man, this thing is nice. Flat and thin. I guess that's the way things are going nowadays. Have to say, I'm also a Windows guy, but I've been very happy with my mini. This machine is still chugging along … I've upgraded the RAM, I'm on Mountain Lion, I've added additional FireWire storage, so things are going good. A recent piece of software I bought is the Reason DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), and even this mini has no problems handling it.

(Didn't put this post into a hardware section because it's not really a request for help.)
 

Slydude

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I've got a wired keyboard that came with either my G5 or 2008 Mac Pro and it's still alive and well. In fact, I keep it around for emergencies such as now when my Apple Bluetooth keyboard has croaked and the knockoff I bought cheap doesn't want to stay paired nearly as reliably. Only problem with the wired keyboard is that form time to time the "J" key pops up a bit as if the cap is about to come off but it is functioning fine.

BTW is your screen name by chance an homage to the ship that rescued Titanic survivors?
 

pigoo3

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Man, this thing is nice. Flat and thin. I guess that's the way things are going nowadays.

I believe that the "thin" keyboards that Apple is currently selling were first introduced in 2007. So they've been around for about 6+ years now. Not exactly a new trend!;)

- Nick
 
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CarpathiaMan
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I've got a wired keyboard that came with either my G5 or 2008 Mac Pro and it's still alive and well. In fact, I keep it around for emergencies such as now when my Apple Bluetooth keyboard has croaked and the knockoff I bought cheap doesn't want to stay paired nearly as reliably. Only problem with the wired keyboard is that form time to time the "J" key pops up a bit as if the cap is about to come off but it is functioning fine.

BTW is your screen name by chance an homage to the ship that rescued Titanic survivors?

When I was online last night in the Apple store buying the keyboard, I considered the wireless one, but I just don't know why I can't pull the trigger on wireless keyboards yet. I mean, I like the concept of wireless ... I use WiFi in my house, my Xbox 360 controller is wireless of course (as well as the Xbox 360 controller I use with my PC), I have a Bluetooth speaker for my tablet, etc. But with keyboards and mice, I still like them plugged in. I even bought last night, in addition to the keyboard for my Mac mini, a Corsair mechanical keyboard for my Windows rig (Newegg). And it's wired.

The wired Mac keyboard was a little cheaper, I'm sure that has something to do with it.

At any rate, about my screen name ... it's just something I thought of because my parents were from Germany, and around here we hang out at the local Carpathia Club which is a German American cultural center.
 
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CarpathiaMan
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I believe that the "thin" keyboards that Apple is currently selling were first introduced in 2007. So they've been around for about 6+ years now. Not exactly a new trend!;)

- Nick

Heh. :D
 

pigoo3

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I know I know. The "thin" keyboard is "new to you"...so it's still cool...and that's great!:)

I'm just saying that the thin keyboard is not new...or a new trend...since its been around for about 6+ years.:)

- Nick
 

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I have used the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard for the last several years. I had the model which took 3 AA batteries rather than the later one which I think takes 2 instead. I could usually go a few weeks on a set of batteries though I soon switched to rechargeables. The keyboard got used extensively almost daily. Two or more hours a night on school nights and several hours a day weekends and vacations. Most of the time I had few problems with dropped connections. When I did touching a key or two usually corrected the problem without needing to fully re-pair the device.

A few months ago it went through a period where it refused to pair even after several attempts. I put it aside for a day or two till I had time to troubleshoot. It still refused to pair till I was literally about to trash it and decided to give it one last shot. It started working again and worked fine till about two week ago. I've since ordered a Logitech Solar Keyboard that can pair with two devices (which the current Apple keyboard does not do).
 
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All in all I couldn't be more happy with this keyboard. I think it has a better feel than the one it replaced, it looks nicer, and it seems to me that it might be better in the long run with being able to withstand dirt and dust. My previous keyboard ... when I bought my Mac mini in 2009, I took that keyboard and cleaned every inch of it. And then it looked almost as good as new ... but now as I retire it, it seems it went right back to accumulating noticeable gunk again. Just seems like it was good at attracting it.
 

pigoo3

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My previous keyboard ... when I bought my Mac mini in 2009, I took that keyboard and cleaned every inch of it. And then it looked almost as good as new ... but now as I retire it, it seems it went right back to accumulating noticeable gunk again. Just seems like it was good at attracting it.

Dirty hands/fingers also contribute to dirty keyboards!;)

I'm not saying all my keyboards are pristine things of beauty either.;) But slightly dirty fingers (which really cannot be helped)...over a long period of time...are the main contributor to dirty keyboards.

The keyboards don't get dirty all by themselves.;)

- Nick

p.s. Glad you like the keyboard!:)
 
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Dirty hands/fingers also contribute to dirty keyboards!;)

I'm not saying all my keyboards are pristine things of beauty either.;) But slightly dirty fingers (which really cannot be helped)...over a long period of time...are the main contributor to dirty keyboards.

The keyboards don't get dirty all by themselves.;)

- Nick

p.s. Glad you like the keyboard!:)

True. Guess I'll just have to keep a supply of Lava soap handy... ;)
 
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If you have no problem with the look of the wires (I personally like a clean look), then wired keyboards and mice are definitely more reliable. I've had these things disconnect for no apparent reason (tho not a common occurrence by any means) and then there's having to changing the batteries several times a year, depending on how much use they get...
 

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True. Guess I'll just have to keep a supply of Lava soap handy... ;)

Ha ha!:)

I think that it's the nature of clean keyboards to slowly "evolve" into dirty keyboards. Unless someone is really obsessive about cleaning their keyboard regularly (or washing their hands before EVERY use of the keyboard)!;)

This is also a perfect example of entropy. When a system moves from a condition of order (clean keyboard) to a system of disorder (dirty keyboard).;)

- Nick
 

bobtomay

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When I was online last night in the Apple store buying the keyboard, I considered the wireless one, but I just don't know why I can't pull the trigger on wireless keyboards yet. ...

Not yet? Just wondering what it's going to take? ;)

While I definitely keep an el cheapo wired around or troubleshooting and stuff, have used nothing but wireless keyboards/mice for at least... oh, must be somewhere around 15-16 years.
 
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Ha ha!:)

I think that it's the nature of clean keyboards to slowly "evolve" into dirty keyboards. Unless someone is really obsessive about cleaning their keyboard regularly (or washing their hands before EVERY use of the keyboard)!;)

This is also a perfect example of entropy. When a system moves from a condition of order (clean keyboard) to a system of disorder (dirty keyboard).;)

- Nick

hahahaha. I dont know if I'm obsessed since I'm cleaning my keyboard everyday. But good thing it's black. Dirt cant be seen hahaha
 

pigoo3

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hahahaha. I dont know if I'm obsessed since I'm cleaning my keyboard everyday. But good thing it's black. Dirt cant be seen hahaha

I was going to mention this earlier.:) Black keyboards (like those on Apple laptops from the last 4-5 years)...will certainly "camouflage" that cruddy, dirty, finger-cheese that builds up!;)

Just think of all the "nasty" places our fingertips touch, poke, and probe.;)lol

- Nick
 
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If you have no problem with the look of the wires (I personally like a clean look), then wired keyboards and mice are definitely more reliable. I've had these things disconnect for no apparent reason (tho not a common occurrence by any means) and then there's having to changing the batteries several times a year, depending on how much use they get...

That's one of the things I was made fun of when I mentioned that I bought this Mac mini in a Usenet newsgroup back in 2009. The guy said I was just going to add a mess of wires once I added a keyboard and a mouse even though the point of this particular machine was to be small and tidy, to hide that kind of stuff. I told him it didn't bother me, and that since Bluetooth was built into it, wireless peripherals were still an option.

Some people don't listen. ;)
 
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I was going to mention this earlier.:) Black keyboards (like those on Apple laptops from the last 4-5 years)...will certainly "camouflage" that cruddy, dirty, finger-cheese that builds up!;)

Just think of all the "nasty" places our fingertips touch, poke, and probe.;)lol

- Nick

Eww ... this thread is getting gross ... ;)
 

pigoo3

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The guy said I was just going to add a mess of wires once I added a keyboard and a mouse even though the point of this particular machine was to be small and tidy, to hide that kind of stuff.

Actually "this guy" was wrong. The original point of the Mac-Mini was low cost.

The original 2005 Mac-Mini was $499 (when the average new Mac price at the time was over $1000+). The idea was that the consumer would "bring" their own keyboard, monitor, and mouse from a previous computer.

In fact...this Mac-Mini "low-cost and bring your own peripherals concept" was also aimed at:

- current Mac owners at the time trying to minimize the cost of upgrading to a newer computer.
- Windows users thinking of "making the switch"...and reducing the cost of buying that "First Mac" to give Macs a try. Then if they like the "Mac Experience"...they buy something more powerful/expensive later.

At the time in 2005...all desktop Mac's still came with wired keyboards & a wired mouse. So "wireless" input devices to minimize "wire clutter" was not part of the original Mac-Mini concept.

It's actually not part of the current Mac-Mini concept either (wireless peripherals)...since the buyer of a Mac-Mini still must provide their own display, keyboard, and mouse.

Is it nice to have a wireless mouse & keyboard (to reduce "wire clutter")...sure.:) But its never been part of the Mac-Mini concept that "this guy" mentioned. The Mac-Mini concept has always been low cost.

- Nick
 
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So how often do you have to change batteries on wireless keyboards? That's what stopped me from getting one, but I really don't know how that shakes out. How do you tell when the batteries are dying?
 

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So how often do you have to change batteries on wireless keyboards? That's what stopped me from getting one, but I really don't know how that shakes out. How do you tell when the batteries are dying?

There are a number of factors that play into how long a set of batteries will last in a wireless keyboard (hours of use/day, quality of the batteries, etc.).

From what I've found...2-3 months @ 4-5 hours/day is about what to expect from a single set of batteries. Of course rechargeable batteries can be used if desired.

As far as how to tell when batteries are dying...this can be checked within the Mac OS. Here's an article that explains it...and how to check battery charge:

How to Check Your Apple Bluetooth Keyboard's Battery Life | Macinstruct

HTH,

- Nick
 

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