Good silent touch keyboard

[Realest99]

Hi,

Can someone give me any recommendations on external silent touch keyboards?

I'd like one similar to the keyboard that comes on mac laptops.

I'd be using it instead of the keyboard on my macbook.

Thanks.

 

[pigoo3]

- I think that one obvious possibility is the Apple aluminum (wired) keyboard which has been around since 2007:

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MB110LL/B/apple-keyboard-with-numeric-keypad-english-usa?fnode=56

- Or the wireless/bluetooth version…which unfortunately Apple is no longer selling (I'm sure plenty are available on ebay).

- Or you could go with the new Apple "Magic Keyboard" (wireless):

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLA22LL/A/magic-keyboard-us-english?fnode=56

* Nick

 

[chas_m]

If you want one that is like the one that comes with Mac notebooks, then either the previous Bluetooth keyboard (as Nick notes, probably a tonne of them on eBay) or the new Magic Keyboard (better battery life, thinner, nicer key scissor mechanism IMO but some people will not like the shorter "travel"). Microsoft also makes some good Mac-oriented wireless keyboards, though I can't comment on how quiet they are as I've only seen them, not used them.

 

[Rod]

The apple aluminium wired alphanumeric keyboard is the one I use. It has two USB ports as well so I use one for the receiver for my wireless mouse leaving one USB port free on my MacBook Pro and one on the keyboard.
It has a lovely soft action but like most add on keyboards is not illuminated.

 

[Realest99]

Thanks for the replies, very much appreciated.

 

[chscag]

The best Apple keyboards are made by Macally. Here's a link to their store.

 

[Realest99]

I went to Walmart today to see what they got. They had a blackweb wireless touch keyboard with trackpad for $24. Online price is $12 so I ended up getting it for that price in the store.



Works right out the box with my mac. Comes with 2 batteries. All keys work well including the touch pad. Soft keys and not really silent but it works fine for me.

Can't beat $12 for a nice, small wireless keyboard.

 

[Rod]

Well that certainly is a bargain but ts hard to imagine that it would be great quality. Still price is not always the best indicator. I have had some great components that were really cheap and worked much better than expected.

 

[Realest99]

Well that certainly is a bargain but ts hard to imagine that it would be great quality. Still price is not always the best indicator. I have had some great components that were really cheap and worked much better than expected.

Its actually good quality. The key strokes have a nice feel to them. The only bad thing is the numbered keypad on the right are small. So if you have very big hands, this would not be a good keyboard for you.

 

[chas_m]

I could never use a Windows keyboard (barring an extreme emergency) on a Mac. Nothing against Windows per se, but that stupid Windows button ... It's just wrong.

 

[IWT]

Is the new Apple Wireless Magic Keyboard backward compatible? I thought I had read an article saying you needed El Capitan as your OS in order to use it?? If my recall is accurate, how would one go about replacing a wireless KB on an iMac running Mavericks, or Yosemite for that matter?

Ian

 

[Realest99]

Is the new Apple Wireless Magic Keyboard backward compatible? I thought I had read an article saying you needed El Capitan as your OS in order to use it?? If my recall is accurate, how would one go about replacing a wireless KB on an iMac running Mavericks, or Yosemite for that matter?

Ian

The OS shouldn't be a problem, I've seen those magic keyboard used on older versions. Nothing Magic about those keyboards IMO.

 

[pigoo3]

Is the new Apple Wireless Magic Keyboard backward compatible? I thought I had read an article saying you needed El Capitan as your OS in order to use it??

From what I've heard (and according to Apple)…to use the new "Magic Keyboard"…the computer needs to be running OS 10.11 (El Capitan) or later (whenever something "later" is released).

Here's the Apple info on it:

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLA22LL/A/magic-keyboard-us-english

- Nick

 

[IWT]

Thanks Nick. I wasn't losing it. Well, I might be losing it, but my recall on this particular info was correct!

This is of some relevance to the OP because unless he/she is on El Capitan, the Magic KB is not for them.

Ian