On Wed, 2010-02-24 at 21:28 -0800, Austin Leeds wrote: > So, my question is, are there any of you out there that use > keyboards in the caliber of the Apple Extended Keyboard and the IBM > Model M? How do you like them, and would they be worth carrying around > (with a USB adapter, of course)? >
I have an Extended Keyboard II, a Model M, a Sun Type 5c and a Dell AT101W that I have on several different machines, but when I need to carry an external board to class, I always go for the AEKII, because it is my favorite out of the lot. I'll try and give my benefits and drawbacks to each (minus the 5c, because you have to build your own adapters for those.. It speaks TTL RS-232 over what looks like a Mac serial port(RS-422)) AEKII: Benefits - Great feel, not /too/ heavy, at only ~4.5 lbs. Very quiet for a mechanical board. Plus, it has all the Mac keys already. Drawbacks - ADB-USB converters are a pain to find, are more expensive than a Model M with a PS/2 to USB converter. Model M: Benefits - Wonderful feel, my favorite out of my collection. Very substantial build, makes an excellent improvised weapon. Bliss to type on. Drawbacks - Very, very heavy. Let me emphasize heavy... It makes my Lombards or my ThinkPad seem light in comparison. It is also loud. Very loud, and I've been booted from a class for using it instead of my built-in keyboard before. Only 101 keys, so no Command key. Dell AT101W: Benefits - Fairly cheap, well-built (not quite as well as the AEKII, but very close) and uses the Alps switches, like the AEKII. Also fun to type on. PS/2 to USB converters are cheaper than ADB to USB converters, by a lot. Available in black, as well as beige. Looks a lot like the AEKII. Drawbacks - Have to look at Windows keys, keycaps nearly impossible to remove (like the AEKII), Dell logo. Key lettering can wear pretty badly on the black ones. Keyboards are very subjective, though. Personally, I like the AEKII, but honestly, if I didn't need an ADB board, I'd get the Dell, because it looks almost identical, has the same switches and is cheaper to make work on a modern Mac. Just my $0.02, Caleb -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
