I've always been a Mac fan but the only Apple product I own is an iPod Touch. The computers Apple makes are beautiful, their peripheral products are functional and minimalist, and the list could go on and on. One thing that I don't like, however, is the price. That much money for a computer with marginal hardware and an OS that's built on getting you to spend money? Not my cup of tea. (I'm a Linux man, if you really want to know.) This week I made an Apple purchase that has made me really happy, given me a bit of the sheen of a Mac user, and only cost a small fraction of what a new Mac does. (And it's sent my productivity through the roof.)
An Apple Wireless Keyboard.
Beauty isn't everything, but it looks great. The keys are wonderfully responsive, and I've found myself writing with more joy than I have in months. (Maybe the junk keyboard on my cheapo HP laptop had something to do with that as well.) It connects to just about anything, including my laptop, the old laptop that the rest of the family uses, my iPod Touch, and my wife's Asus Tablet. The construction is very sturdy, a metal body with chicklet keys and a raised tube at the back where the batteries are inserted which gives the keyboard a nice ergonomic slant. It's nice to type on, very portable, and looks great.
So how do I use it? Right now I'm writing this post with it through my iPod Touch (using the WordPress for iOS app). I do a lot of my outside writing this way, since I don't need to do much formatting this works great. (And I don't need to tote around a lappy, the weigh difference is substantial.) I use it together with an Apple 'Magic' Trackpad to work at my desk. This allows me to keep the monitor farther away from me, nice on the eyes, and I can use a two monitor setup. My workstation looks almost wireless this way. (I stuff all the wires down the back of the desk. It looks fine as long as you don't look under there.)
To wrap up I like the Apple wireless keyboard even though I don't use an Apple computer. It makes my workspace calmer and cleaner, and lets me work using my iPod Touch instead of taking my laptop with me everywhere. Not cheap, but worth it to me.
