You should know that the new Keyboard takes a design cue from the MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboard, which were released, I believe, over a year ago. And when those machines were unveiled, I was all over the new keyboard design. I fell in love with the new look... and more importantly the new feel. I'll all about tactile feedback and response, and when I first laid my fingers on those keys I felt like I was in heaven. :D I can't exactly describe the feeling I had when I first typed on that keyboard, but it was unforgettable. And of course, I had to lament on the fact that I couldn't yet own a new MacBook, and therefore would never type on those keys until that time. :(
It was about a month or two ago, though, that rumors started to fly about a revision to the iMacs that would include a revision to the keyboard. And all the rumors pointed to the "chiclet" design of the MacBook keyboards as a reference point for the new iMac keyboard. I started getting really excited. Then, my excitement reached new levels when photos leaked on the Net of the new design. The supposed new Keyboard looked gorgeous! Far beyond my wildest imaginings. It was a perfect amalgamation of the MacBook design and the old iMac keyboard layout. At that point I began to panic, because I let myself fall into the rumor trap. All of this could've been a hoax, and yet I had already fallen in love with everything I'd seen and heard. I felt like I was setting myself up for heartbreak. But then Apple unveiled their new iMacs, and delivered on the promise of all those rumors. My keyboard was real! :D
Of course, I'm sure to have killed any sort of suspense I would've hoped to have created by now. I of course am now a proud and happy owner of the new Apple Keyboard. :D Oh Keyboard, how do you I love thee? Let me count the ways...
First off, I'm still in awe of how thin the sucker is. This push to design everything as thin as physically possible always manages to knock me off my feet. I often catch myself ogling The Thin Man (2nd Gen iPod Nano) and marveling at the technological wonder of packing so much in so little. I can't get over it. Likewise, my iMac, does the same thing. Especially is you've grown up with the archetypal PC form in mind, the iMac design seems like something akin to witchcraft. It's awe-inspiring. The new Keyboard continues this tradition. I'm simply in awe of what they've managed to acheive.
Thanks to the new slim design, and a move to anondized aluminum for the body, the keyboard is now as light as a feather. Holding up the old keyboard along with the new, is like night and day. It's so much more functional now. And sexy to boot. You hold it as you might a lover. It so delicate and... elegant. It's amazing that they've somehow managed to make a keyboard an object of desire.
On a technical level, I'm glad to have regained some functionality I lost with my old keyboard. For some reason, during one of the many System Updates in the life of my iMac, my keyboard lost the ability to eject DVDs. I have no idea why. But the new Keyboard works like a charm. And while, hot keys were always an option with the old Keyboard, I do love that the new one has dedicated Exposé and Dashboard keys that have these cool little icons. I'm also overjoyed at the ability to control my Display's brightness level directly from the keyboard, thanks to another pair of dedicated keys (with requisite cute, awesome icons :P). But the true stand-out has to be the new playback keys. In certain applications, in FireFox for example, I now have the ability to control iTunes with a skip-back, pause/play, and skip-forward key. It's turned my world upside down. :P Revelatory!
And of course there are all the little things to fall in love with. The way that they've incorporated the two USB ports in the keyboard's base stand is ingenious! It's practical, it saves space and it looks elegant. Beautiful. I don't know why, but I love that the aluminum is cool to the touch. Apple has nothing to do with that of course, it's more a consequence with the laws of physics, but it's still nice. It's very sexy, I find myself molesting my keyboard all the time. :P I also love the new font they're using for the keys... which I believe is Lucinda Grande. It looks far more elegant and practical, practical in that the keys seem easier to read. Not that the old keyboard was like reading hieroglyphs, but again, it's just a little thing. Oh yes! Also... I love that the function keys are reduced in size. They've been cut horizontally, and look beautiful and take up less space.
I could go on and on about the Keyboard, but I won't, I've done enough. I just love it. Everything about it. I haven't a single complaint. It's far and away the best keyboard I've ever used. And for some reason, I feel like I type much faster now than before. Which of course, is another benefit of the design, given that the keys don't need to be pressed as deep to register.
Okay, well... that's all I wanted to say. I'm in love, yet again. ;) If you've thought about buying the keyboard, I suggest running over to the nearest Apple store or Apple reseller and giving it a test run and if you like it... well why not buy it!? It's amazing. :P
DS333, in love.
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