Two Popular But Very Different Keyboards: Das Keyboard Model S Professional for Mac vs. Logitech K750 Wireless Solar Keyboard For Mac – ‘Book Mystique Review

Two of the most popular third-party keyboards for Macs are the Logitech K750 Wireless Solar Keyboard for Mac, and a relative newcomer to the Mac that has been around for a while in the PC arena – the Metadot Das Keyboard Model S Professional for Mac. Interestingly, these two boards take radically differing approaches to keyboard design, engineering, and ergonomics, once again demonstrating the “different (in this case key) strokes for different folks” aphorism’s veracity. I like and admire them both, but I do have a favorite.

Das Keyboard Model S Professional for Mac

A lot of users who cut their computing teeth on Macs back in the legacy era regard the old ADB Apple Extended Keyboard II to be the best keyboard Apple ever made. Enthusiastic Extended Keyboard II aficionados will contend it was the best computer keyboard ever, period, although that point would be disputed by fans of the legendary IBM model M ‘board (never offered in a Mac version).

Das Keyboard Model S Professional for Mac is very much a contender for Extended Keyboard II challenger, a thoroughly modern ‘board that nevertheless embodies the solidity and mechanical keyswitch engineering that endeared that old Apple ADB ‘board to so many users.

So how does Das Keyboard Model S measure up to the two decades old Apple ‘board? Before I even had the Das Keyboard tester unit out of its shipping carton after it arrived in the mail, it was obvious that this was no run of the mill keyboard. Its weight alone assured that. I still have an Apple Extended Keyboard II, so was able to do a side-by-side comparison, and in my estimation, Das Keyboard is clearly the superior device. For one thing, while it’s still huge by today’s standards (18in x 6.5in x 1in with feet not extended/1.5in w/extended feet), and weighing in at 1.36 kg (3 lb.), it’s a bit more compact and lighter in weight than the expansive, five-pound Apple EKII, although I don’t want to oversell that point, because this is still a full-sized and relatively heavy piece of equipment.

Also in the tradition of the EKII, Das Keyboard is no glamor puss. It’s functionally attractive, but a bit chunky and un-sleek compared with the Logitech K750s and Apple’s current keyboards.

The Teutonic nomenclature is entirely appropriate. Das Keyboard actually does have German-engineered Cherry MX Blue mechanical keyswitches whose feel brings to mind the precision feel and sound of operating the switchgear or closing the door on a fine German automobile like a Mercedes-Benz, Audi, or BMW. I have to rate it superior in both touch feel and sound to the sainted Extended Keyboard II. The manufacturer compares it to aforementioned and revered IBM model M, touting the gold-plated (literally) mechanical Cherry MX keyswitches as best-in-class, rated for 50 million strokes each, and providing the classic “clicky” keyboard action and sound that many users find satisfying and bringing clickety-clack back to the Mac.

Another deluxe touch is that Das Keyboard’s 104-key enhanced layout cap inscriptions are Laser-etched to prevent fading or wearing off, and four soft, rubbery support pads that make the ‘board gentle on surfaces it rests on as well as supplying stay-put traction. And yes, if you must, there are fold-down feet at the back to accommodate the traditionally popular, albeit ergonomically unsound, uphill ‘board rake. Keyboard Model S for Mac allows 6-key rollover, i.e. 6 keys pressed simultaneously. Great for gamers and fast typists.

As noted Das Keyboard is thick in form factor by today’s standards, and if you prefer to use a wrist rest with your keyboard, you may need to get a higher one.

Moving up top, those very small lower case letter labels etched on the keycaps do look sharp, and are presumably durable, but this non-touch typist finds them difficult to read – virtually impossible without squinting in low light. My wife, who is a touch typist, also still complains that the small lower-case labels are hard to see when she’s going for a key other than the standard alphanumerics.

That said, she really likes Das Keyboard Model S, and has pretty much settled on it as her ‘board of choice I got her to check out Das Keyboard. She likes light, precision responsiveness of the Cherry MX Blue keyswitches, and also thinks the glossy piano black finish looks great, although quickly collects dust.

A welcome departure from recent mainstream keyboard design practice, also noted approvingly by my wife, is that the hard-wired Das Keyboard includes a high-speed two-port USB 2.0 repeater hub that allows you to sync and charge your iPhone, iPod, iPad, or any USB compatible device by plugging it into the ‘board.

Das Keyboard comes equipped with a generously long two-meter (6.6 feet) cable that runs through a desk grommet to keep your workspace neat and tidy.

System requirements are pretty basic — Mac OS X 10.4 or later. No software drivers are required. Mac OS X will recognize Das Keyboard automatically upon plugging it in.

Das Keyboard’s keymap adheres to fairly standard Apple practice. Unfortunately, screen brightness increase/decrease keys are substituted in the F-14 and F-15 positions. The F6-F11 keys double as media keys for Rewind, Play/Pause, Forward, Mute, Lower Volume, and Raise Volume, and F1 also functions as Sleep; to activate these functions, hit a blue-labeled function key in the lower-right corner.

My personal preference being for short key travel, and preferably a soft landing for keystrokes. I find the wasted motion inherent in old-fashioned long key travel slows things down significantly, and hard keystroke landings aggravate my chronic polyneuritis. However, many folks evidently love the action of classic mechanical switch keyboards, and if you’re one of them, Das Keyboard is probably as good as it gets.

In that context, I’ll give Das Keyboard a four out of five rating.

Available in the US and Canada, Das Keyboard Model S Professional for Mac normally retails for $133.00, but is currently offered in a back to school promotion for $113.00. Ground shipping is free.

For more information, visit:
http://www.daskeyboard.com/model-s-professional-for-mac/

and

http://www.daskeyboard.com/blog/?p=3093

Logitech K750 Wireless Solar Keyboard For Mac

I’ve long been a big fan of computer peripherals made by Swiss-based Logitech (which unhappily has fallen on hard times lately due to the tablet computer onslaught undercutting the desktop and laptop peripherals market). When it comes to reliable expectation of intelligently-designed products made from top-quality materials to a high standard of finish with excellent workmanship, you usually can’t go wrong with Logitech, and one of my favorite efforts from them is their line of solar-powered wireless keyboards for both the Mac and Windows PCs. My keyboard of preference for more than a year now has been the Mac version of Logitech’s K750 Wireless Solar Keyboard, which incorporates the same award-winning design and feature set as the earlier-introduced Windows version, which I’ve also tested.

I hate mucking about with batteries, and these K750 ‘boards let you kiss battery hassles goodbye, thanks to onboard solar cells that power the keyboard using ambient light. In a year and a half of using these keyboards, I’ve never come close to discharging the batteries, and the charge process is totally user-passive. Ambient light in the room is usually sufficient (although I find light from fluorescent or CCFL bulbs less efficient at powering solar devices than light from incandescents), and there’s no need for direct sunlight. The fact that the fully charged keyboard has a reserve capacity of up to three months in total darkness means you’ll never have the tedium and expense of changing batteries.

The Apple version of the K750 added Apple key-mapping and and labeling and introduced five Apple-complimentary color themes exclusively for Mac users. The PC version of the K-750 comes only in Piano Black (which is also one of the five colors offered for the Mac version, the others being white on silver, or blue, red, or green on white. I’m using a blue one, which I find quite attractive, being an aficionado of white keyboards, and my favorite color is blue. The Piano Black model wound be my second choice.

While the Windows version K750 itself worked just fine with Macs, its support software didn’t, and the dedicated Mac version has its own Logitech xSolar Power App that features a lux meter to provide a visual check on available light falling on the K750. Whether you’re getting the full power of a high-watt desk lamp or just the faint light of the moon, the lux meter will let you know how much power your light source is providing at any time.

The Solar App also keeps track of how much energy is currently stored, and evaluates current light level for charging purposes, plus providing at-a-glance information about battery levels, and alerting you when you need more light. You can configure the battery check key on the keyboard to summon the Solar App. when clicked. You do have to download the Solar App from the Apple Mac App Store, as there is no bundled software CD in the box with the keyboard:
http://bit.ly/Q6uskc

With its PVC-free construction and fully recyclable box, this keyboard is “green” — designed to minimize its environmental footprint. I would venture that Logitech has perhaps taken the green quest a bit to extremes by not including any freestanding documentation at all with the K750 — not so much as a QuickStart pamphlet or CD (they do throw in a polishing cloth, which will prove handy for keeping the ‘board’s high-gloss surface clear of dust and finger smears). You can access some documentation on the Logitech Website, and there are minimalist instruction diagrams printed on the inside of the recyclable shipping box, so it might not be a good idea to be in a big hurry about schlepping the box off to the recycling depot until you’re up to speed at least. In general, though, using this ‘board is pretty intuitive.

A full-size wireless keyboard, the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac includes a number pad and features a fairly standard Mac keymapping layout, so most everything is where you expect it to be with a few exceptions.

The keyboard ships with an initial battery charge, and Logitech says the rechargeable internal battery, which deviates from the Apple way of doing things by being user-replaceable, can hold a charge sufficient for roughly 3 months use in the unlikely event of it being away from a light source for that long. I had no problem getting the test unit up and running – basically just a matter of inserting the USB RF receiver dongle in a USB port and turning on the keyboard’s power switch. There’s also a handy pushbutton indicator to inform you whether current ambient light conditions are adequate to power the K750, or not, in which latter case you’ll be running on its internal backup battery.

With no necessity to accommodate a battery compartment the K750’s enclosure has exceptionally sleek lines, and a profile even thinner than Apple’s current keyboards. At 1/3 inch (7.5 mm) in section, the K750 is claimed by Logitech to be the thinnest freestanding computer keyboard ever made.

Logitech has gone with chiclet-type keycaps for the K750, making it even more laptop keyboard-like, and with an even shorter key travel than their diNovo keyboards. Dubbed “Incurve,” the keys have a concave keycap design that supports the shape of your fingertips, while helping guide your fingers to the right keys, and soft, rounded edges that make it easier for fingers to glide from key to key. Unlike Das Keyboard’s Cherry mechanical keyswitches, the K750’s quiet membrane solid state keyswitches have reasonably light action, with just a bit more &”over-center” and harder landing feel than I consider ideal, but I still like them better than average for desktop computer keyboards, and I find they stick with me in long keyboarding sessions without causing fatigue, and even speed up my typing, which can use all the help it can get. This ‘board has no palm rest surface, with the keyboard’s keypads shifted down from the top three-fifths of the unit’s surface area to the bottom three-quarters, the balance occupied by two 7-element solar panel clusters (which have a projected service lifespan of 15 years before there is any substantial degradation in performance) to power the charger.

Because the K750 is so thin, the lack of a wrist rest area shouldn’t be much of an issue. You can just rest your wrists on the supporting table or desktop. However, I personally use the K750 board with a Contour RollerMouse Free, which has an excellent padded wrist rest built in. Since the K750 is completely flat in profile elevation, its nearside is actually tilted slightly up when resting on the Rollermouse’s support pads, which gives me just a bit of the reverse keyboard inclination that ergonomics experts say is ideal, even though it looks “wrong.” The ‘board also has a couple of fold-down feet that can give it a conventional tilted toward you rake orientation if you prefer.

The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac comes with Logitech’s advanced 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity that virtually eliminates delays or dropouts (and with none of the tedious pairing necessary with Bluetooth ‘boards). A plug-and-forget USB Unifying receiver dongle is so small it stays in your laptop, so the keyboard is always ready to use. Interestingly, I discovered that the USB receiver dongles for the PC and Mac versions of the K750 boards respectively are not interchangeable, at least on my MacBook, even thought they are identical in appearance and supposed to be “Unifying” receivers. The Mac ‘Board won’t work with the PC ‘board’s dongle and vice versa. You also won’t be able to use The Solar Keyboard K750 with an iPad, thanks to Apple’s obstinacy about including a USB port on its tablets.

One of my few negative criticisms of the K750 for PC was that its little power on/off switch has a stiffer and cruder feel than I’ve come to expect in a Logitech product’s switchgear. Possibly that was an early production issue, because the K750 for Mac’s on/off switch has a noticeably lighter and smoother action. This keyboard. which is manufactured in China, is definitely up to Logitech’s traditionally high standards of fit, finish and materials.

Unfortunately, there’s still no Caps Lock warning light, an omission that I consider more than a minor inconvenience, since as noted I’m not a touch typist and tend to watch my fingers more than the screen when typing. This being a wireless keyboard, there are no USB hub or repeater slots.

However, even more problematical for me is the F-Key mapping on the Mac ‘board. To wit: someone at Logitech decided that Mac users would prefer that the F-Keys’ secondary hardware control functions should be mapped as defaults. This means that the F1 key, for example, on a simple press, dims the backlight brightness. In order to get the standard function, which is to bring up the Spaces Exposé window (still using Snow Leopard here), which I do dozens of times a day, requires pressing the fn modifier key, which resides in an oddball location to the right of the Delete key where one would expect and prefer to find the Forward Delete key. I also have nearly all the F-Keys programmed to toggle AppleScripts for text formatting and HTML markup tasks, and that requires the fn key as well, transforming what should be a quick and easy shortcut into a clumsy, two-handed exercise. The major irony here is that the with the PC version of the K750, the F-Keys behave normally on the Mac. Go figure.

I’m also giving the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac a 4 out of 5 rating, the unfortunate F-Key configuration and lack of a Caps Lock warning LED preventing it from possibly being rated a full 5.

The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac sells for a suggested retail price of $59.99 (U.S.). That’s 20 bucks cheaper than the Windows version for some reason that I’ve not been able to fathom, but we’ll happily accept the bargain pricing. Certainly you can find keyboards cheaper than the K750 (and certainly than Das Keyboard), but not with the same build quality, feature set, and presumed reliability as these ‘boards.

OK, in the preamble, I said I had a favorite of these two products, and I expect it’s been pretty obvious which one it is. However, please don’t infer any disrespect or negativity directed at Das Keyboard, which is an excellent and solidly-built piece of kit. I very much admire the machine-age precision of its high-quality mechanical key switches. The noise, not so much, but some folks like that too.

However, for me, the Logitech K750 Wireless Solar keyboard is the one I gravitate to, largely because I love the key action, although it’s not perfect as I note in the review. You can’t go wrong choosing either.

For more information, visit:
http://www.logitech.com

Product page:
http://bit.ly/LwPlUu

You can read my ‘Book Mystique review of the Windows version of Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 (on a Mac) here:
http://bit.ly/hDHM9K