1875 Many veteran Mac users really do consider the old ADB Apple Extended Keyboard II to be the best keyboard Apple ever made. It was certainly the biggest and heaviest keyboard Apple ever made, covering a vast expanse of desktop and weighing a ponderous 5 lbs. It was considered a professional alternative to the lesser Apple keyboard and Apple Keyboard II that were its contemporaries, and the mediocre Apple Design keyboard that succeeded them.

The fact that it was superseded by the also somewhat mediocre Apple USB 'board that was introduced with the original iMac, and supplied even with the early G3 and G4 Power Mac towers, helped reinforce the Apple Extended Keyboard II's legendary status. Unlike the other keyboards mentioned above, which are membrane types, the Apple Extended Keyboard II had high-quality mechanical key switches that gave it a smooth and light, albeit hard-bottoming, action.

Now personally, I think the current USB Apple Pro Keyboard is the best of Apple's Mac keyboards ever, both esthetically and in terms of feel. I like it's light, short-travel, soft-landing action (it's a membrane type), and it looks great. I had one with my G4 Cube.

However, there are many folks who prefer the feel of mechanical key switches, and like the IBM style "click" in their keystrokes, and now there's a way to have all that plus the white & crystal esthetics of modern Apple peripherals all in one unit.

The Matias Tactile Pro USB keyboard is promoted as the return of the Apple Extended Keyboard II in contemporary Apple-style livery. "The best keyboard Apple ever made rises again," it says on the box. So is it true?

Well, in some respects, this 'board may be even better. It's certainly better looking. The original Extended Keyboard II presents a dull expanse of boring beige plastic. The Tactile Pro, on the other hand, it is very attractive in opaque white and crystal clear plastic with white keys.

However, in form factor and size, the Tactile Pro is actually closer to the Apple Keyboard II that was the entry-level Mac ADB keyboard prior to the introduction of the Apple Design keyboard.

Apple Keyboard II: 16" x 6" - 80 keys

Matias Tactile Pro: 18" x 6 1/2" - 109 keys

Apple Extended Keyboard II: 18 3/4" x 7 3/4" - 105 keys

The Tactile Pro emulates the Keyboard II in having notched back corners with ports (respectively USB and ADB) for plugging in other peripherals, but manages to include even more keys than the much bigger Extended Keyboard II did, and to make the key caps larger in the bargain.

The Tactile Pro's key caps are labeled with the international characters, accents, punctuation, and currency symbols that are available by holding down the Option or Shift+Option keys.
With standard Eject and Volume control keys, the Tactile Pro keyboard has been designed to match the look and features of Apple's Pro Keyboard.

For full access to CD Eject and Power button features, you will need to download the Tactile Pro Driver Software (Mac OS X only, 407 KB) Num lock and caps lock are indicated by a thin green light when active.


Two fold down legs can elevate the back of the Tactile Pro about 3/4, and rubber pads back and front keep the keyboard from sliding around on the support surface.

As for the key switches themselves, Matias says that they are the same Alps mechanical units used in the Extended Keyboard II, but the action on my old Apple keyboard that I used for comparison is considerably smoother than that of the Tactile Pro. Perhaps that's because the old keyboard switches are well "worn-in", but it pertains to the seldom-used keys as well as the heavily-used ones.

The Tactile Pros keyswitches are also significantly noisier than the ones on the Apple 'board, but some people profess to like a clicking sound, and indeed somebody makes a shareware application that simulates the sound of a keyboard clicking for folks to miss it with their quiet membrane 'boards.

The Alps keyswitches do have the same relatively long travel as the ones on the Extended Keyboard II, and that is reflected in the thicker section of the Tactile Pro keyboard compared with today's slimmer 'boards like the Apple Pro or MacAlly's iceKEY.

The Matias Tactile Pro gives the impression of being ruggedly constructed out of top-quality materials, and is covered by in impressive five-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee.

The Matias Tactile Pro Keyboard for Mac sells for $99.95 + $20 shipping.

For more information, visit:
http://halfkeyboard.com/tactilepro/index.php

For another take on the Matias Tactile Pro from Applelinks Senior Editor Kirk Hiner, see:
http://www.applelinks.com/reviews/tactilepro.shtml

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Charles W. Moore

Tags: Reviews ï Hardware Reviews ï MooresViews ï

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