Apple Releases New Aluminum iMacs, Refreshes Mac mini

John Baxter wrote:

> It appears, based on the not-very-clear image, that the new wireless
> keyboard has a limited layout which won't attract me (whereas the new
> USB keyboard seems to have a sensible layout).

<http://www.apple.com/keyboard/> offers clear images. The wireless
keyboard has a layout similar to a laptop keyboard.

The wireless keyboard looks ideal for my needs (a Mac Mini to be used in
a home theater setup). IMO, in a situation where wires are a problem,
you're more likely to want a compact keyboard as well. Wireless
keyboards are a compromise anyway (no USB ports, for example).

Harro de Jong

John Baxter writes:

>It appears, based on the not-very-clear image, that the new wireless
>keyboard has a limited layout which won't attract me (whereas the
>new USB keyboard seems to have a sensible layout).

By "sensible" you must mean "full of worthless clutter that takes up space."

People who actually *want* that stuff to the right of the return key
have dozens of choices for keyboards, USB and otherwise. Those of us
who want compact keyboards optimized for typing have only a handful
of choices, the Happy Hacker being the most notable, that have almost
never been easily available. So I for one am glad that Apple has
finally decided to offer a mainstream alternative.

~ Kiran <entropyio.com>

On Aug 8, 2007, at 7:04 AM, Harro de Jong wrote:

> John Baxter wrote:
>
> The wireless keyboard looks ideal for my needs (a Mac Mini to be
> used in
> a home theater setup). IMO, in a situation where wires are a problem,
> you're more likely to want a compact keyboard as well. Wireless
> keyboards are a compromise anyway (no USB ports, for example).

For your purpose, the reduced-layout wireless keyboard looks good.
For my current wireless use (G4 Mac Mini) used mostly for driving
Linux work machines from Terminal, it wouldn't do. And I don't think
it will do for my hypothetical 24 inch iMac (lowest available CPU
speed), when the time comes (the time is the death of either the Mini
or the Dual 533 G4 (from 2001)).

  It may well turn out that Apple is right that there are more people
for whom the new wireless keyboard is right than there would be for a
full wireless.

   --John

Ack, after finally getting used to F9, F10 and F11 being the Expose keys, on
the new keyboard these are now Fast Forward, Mute and Reduce Volume, while
Expose appears to have been reduced to a single key, F3. Similarly with
Dashboard (from F12 to F4). Argh! I suppose it's to ensure they have the
same layout on both the full and compact keyboards.

On the plus side, on the full keyboard we now have F17 through F19 which
weren't there before, which is good because all the DragThing actions I
currently have mapped to F5 through F8 will need to be moved somewhere.

Oh, wait, I see, there's a "Fn" key where the Help key used to be. That
makes more sense, and means that there should be many more F keys available
to be user-programmed than previously (and I won't have to re-program mine).
Good! (Although I still don't like the arbitrary rearrangement of the
function locations.) Even better, for the first time in over a decade I'll
be able to hit delete without fear of missing and accidentally bringing up a
Help window :)

--
Nigel Stanger, Dunedin, NEW ZEALAND.
http://xri.net/=nigel.stanger

Quoting Harro de Jong <hdjongtriview.nl>:
> The wireless keyboard looks ideal for my needs (a Mac Mini to be used in
> a home theater setup). IMO, in a situation where wires are a problem,
> you're more likely to want a compact keyboard as well. Wireless
> keyboards are a compromise anyway (no USB ports, for example).

I use Apple's old bluetooth keyboard with my mini and I don't think I
could get by with out a number pad. But then I use it for more than
HTC. The lack of keyboard usb ports is only annoying occasionally (my
mouse is bluetooth too).

I'm disappointed with the wireless keyboard option, but it does make
sense. I use a wireless keyboard, but it really doesn't add too much
convenience -- not like the wireless mouse I also use. The wireless
mouse can be moved from one side of the keyboard to the other, and
the wire doesn't get in the way when I move the mouse. My wireless
keyboard basically sits there. A wire from the keyboard to the iMac
wouldn't really cause too many issues except make you less cool, and
if you depend upon a wireless keyboard to be cool, you've got major
coolness issues.

The whole logic breaks down if you aren't using an iMac though. What
if I use a Mac Mini or a Mac Pro? A keyboard cable has to go around
your desk, and down to the machine (which maybe sitting on the
floor). I may not be moving the keyboard a whole lot, but now I have
a keyboard cable snaking all around my desk to get to the computer.
Not fun. And, I see that Apple no longer sells the old wireless
keyboard w/ numeric keypad either.

--
David Weintraub
davidweintraubworld.net
davidweintraub.name

I'm totally with you John,

If I only want to run a TV then the new keyboard would be fine. As a production input device, it's severely limited. I find that I will wait for time on my iMac instead of using my iBook if I have to do number crunching or anything that entails heavy use of the function keys.

Here's one place where Microsoft makes the better product. After trying out a MS wireless keyboard at a friend's, I've sent an order to MacMall for my own. It may not look as cool but I'll get more work done. On the other hand, the black MS keyboard may actually look better with the new iMac that's on the same order. White with white is classy. White with aluminum and black seems like an oversight. I tried one out at an Apple store yesterday. Interesting product but black would coordinate much better.

To use a wireless keyboard as a laptop with a media-center MacMini, I think that the keyboard needs a pointing device ( track ball or track pad ) much more than a numeric pad...

Why the genious people at Apple do not think that way ?

Philippe Lecarpentier

David Weintraub wrote:

> The whole logic breaks down if you aren't using an iMac though. What
> if I use a Mac Mini or a Mac Pro? A keyboard cable has to go around
> your desk, and down to the machine (which maybe sitting on the
> floor). I may not be moving the keyboard a whole lot, but now I have
> a keyboard cable snaking all around my desk to get to the computer.
> Not fun.

Why would that be a problem? Just bundle the keyboard cable with the
monitor cable. It follows the same route anyway. It's not like you use
the area where the keyboard cable runs for anything useful. At least, on
my systems the area between my keyboard and the wall is a wasteland,
occupied solely by a monitor and some cables.
Also, Apple monitors include a USB hub so you can plug the keyboard into
the monitor. That's one thing I still miss on many monitors, including
my LaCie LCD.

Harro de Jong

OK, with the new iMacs I'm finally going to retire the PowerMac G4 MDD and buy a 20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac. One issue: headphone jack and sound out jack are the same hole. I've got some nice speakers and some nice headphones; is there a box of some kind I can use to avoid reaching to the back and unplugging/plugging minijacks when I want to switch from speakers to headphones?

On 8/15/07 7:09 AM, "indexer-larry" <larry_harrisonmac.com> deftly typed :

> is there a box of some kind I can use to avoid reaching to the back and
> unplugging/plugging minijacks when I want to switch from speakers to
> headphones?

Sure all kinds at Radio Shack, from a box to split extension cord, just
unplug one or the other.. Radio Shack sells stereo remote 3 way switch.

--
Law Office of Max Manshel
34 Collamore Terrace
West Orange, N.J. 07052-3919
[973] 243-2121

indexer-larry wrote:
> OK, with the new iMacs I'm finally going to retire the PowerMac G4 MDD and buy a 20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac. One issue: headphone jack and sound out jack are the same hole. I've got some nice speakers and some nice headphones; is there a box of some kind I can use to avoid reaching to the back and unplugging/plugging minijacks when I want to switch from speakers to headphones?

You can use the USB port with many M-Audio devices
<http://www.m-audio.com/>; Griffin iMic
<http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/> on an easy to use and
understand basis, their site is easy to grasp, too. iMic is switchable
from recording to playback; but may not need any more than preference
set up ? I haven't used it for several years as my original was noisy:
the new ones are clean.

George

--
Michael