Apple Extended Keyboards (AEK v AEKII) comparison video
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- Skip to 9:36 for a typing comparison.
AEK review: • Apple Extended Keyboar...
AEKII review: • Apple Extended Keyboar...
A more detailed, direct comparison of my AEK and AEKII. One has Alps SKCM Salmon switches, the other Alps SKCM Ivory (dampened). There are many subtle differences between the two keyboards, but overall they're practically the same. They both, unfortunately, work with a proprietary protocol and cable, which I don't have, so I haven't been able to field test these.
The practice sentence for both was "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
I have no idea if someone's ever tried again to explain the Apple delete thing to you, but just in case, I'll give it a brief shot. Feel free to ignore if you've heard by now.
Basically, Apple considers what most PC keyboards call "Backspace" to be "Delete." They consider what PC keyboards call "Delete," to be "Forward Delete." "Delete" on an Apple keyboard even works slightly differently than PC "Backspace," in that it *actually does* delete files, list items, etc. "Backspace" on Windows sometimes does this, but not always, which I expect Apple (and particularly sheltered Mac users) would find quite confusing, just as you find their "Delete" keys. The purpose for the additional symbol was to distinguish between "Delete (equivalent of Backspace)" and "Forward Delete." If they *both* simply said, "Delete" without modification, it would confuse users, particularly new users, about their function. If the main "Delete" key said, "Backspace," it wouldn't communicate that it was (in Apple parlance) also the primary delete key, which I think even you'd admit is a handy function to have readily available in the home row, reducing the need to move to the nav cluster to delete things via keyboard. Switching to the Windows method would also create problems for their laptop keyboards, which only have one "Delete" key, which can be toggled to "Forward Delete" using the "Fn" key (a function that can also be performed without moving one's hands from the home row).
I think it would be fair enough to say, "well, then apple should have a corresponding legend pointing to the left on the main 'Delete' key," fair enough. Apple clearly made a sacrifice to aesthetics there. This is why, if you've noticed, the Tactile Pro has a corresponding left arrow on their "Delete" key to match the one on "Forward Delete" pointing to the right. But then, Matias falls a long way away from Apple on the "usability vs aesthetics" spectrum.
I've recently bought an AEKII without the ADB cable and decided to use a standard S-Video cable. Works perfectly with an ADB-capable Mac and with modern computers using a Griffin iMate.
Man, the griffins are overpriced now.
@@GAIUSJAKE Yep. It's far cheaper to make your own converter on an Arduino Pro Micro or a Teensy 2.0. I made one and it works AWESOME! QMK for the win!
@@kuvisit mhm, the griffins stoped production. You know, I didn't know TH-cam notifies you on 4 year old comments lol.
@@GAIUSJAKE Neither did I, but apparently it does :D Look into a TMK ADB to USB converter, make it, then flash QMK. Worth it.
iMate adapters are not terribly expensive given the quality of the keyboards. As for cables, I believe I read somewhere that the port is not as proprietary as one might think... try an S-VHS cable. It should work!
Another viewer has already explained the reasoning behind having two “Delete” keys. That doesn’t explain, though, why the “Delete” from the navigation block has two “Delete” legends: “Del” at the top, and the right pointing arrow at the bottom of the key cap.
It turns out that, at the time this keyboard was first introduced, it was common for Macintosh users to run DOS programs in “emulation” mode (inside a virtual machine). Catering to these users, the Apple Extended Keyboard has DOS-specific legends which have no meaning *at all* in the context of the Macintosh operating system.
That’s why the AEK has “Num Lock” (Macs don’t support Num Lock), “Scroll Lock”, “Print Screen”, “Pause”, “Ins”, “Del”, as well as the legends under the first 4 Function keys (“Undo”, “Cut”, “Copy” and “Paste”). None of these functions were supported on the Macintosh. And they still aren’t, to this day.
Thanks to you I learned something today! Great info.
I've got two AEK1s as my daily drivers, and they're magnificent (also on Windows). I honestly don't think I ever got so much out of a piece of tech before or since. Much prefer them over the AEK2.
I'm typing this on my AEK II w/ ivory switches. There's a much cheaper USB to ADB adapter from Drakware that I just tried. Just make sure the Mini USB cable you buy is Charge + Data.
The AEK (1) with salmon ALPS switches is the best sounding keyboard ever made
I own both and I prefer the AEK but with orange alps which I believe you have no experience with.
Been there, done that ;p . Although I do agree with you! XD
Do you have Apple design keyboard m2980