I had ordered my Kensington Studio Mouse online and was search of a keyboard when I purchased my Mac Mini. I had picked up the Mac Mini from a local Apple retail store and the price had just dropped on the Apple Keyboard to $29 so I decided to pick one up. I was using a G5 with the same keyboard and I got used to using it on a daily basis. In fact I am writing this article on the G5 with the Apple Keyboard. For the most part it takes a little getting used to but I actually like how it feels.

It comes in the usual Apple packaging which can sometimes be overkill especially for small things like keyboards, but I do appreciate the fact that Apple takes the time to care for each product no matter how large or how small the price tag. The extra effort makes a difference when purchasing something. Overall I like the feel of the keyboard. It is a full sized keyboard and has media keys for volumes and an eject button for the media drive. For me I have used a few Microsoft and Logitech media keyboards and I tend not to use any of the additional media keys, so I found the ones on this keyboard were just enough.

The Apple Keyboard tends to get dirty or you tend to see more dirt since it is white. The keyboard is wrapped underneath with clear plastic and I can see through the plastic and see a lot of dirt and grime that would be hard to get to unless I took all the keys off. The keys could be a little quieter. It makes a difference when you are trying to concentrate or if you are in a quiet room. There really are no major problems I have found with the unit.

If you are used to the Apple Keyboard or just need a basic keyboard, this keyboard is a pretty good unit. I found the $29 price tag to be reasonable for a keyboard. The two USB ports on the unit are a nice touch, but since it is not powered this limits you to certain devices you can plug into the unit. Overall I’m happy with it, but it won’t prevent me from trying another unit.