Apple Wireless Keyboard
Review
So I purchased this keyboard last year for my iPod Touch because I did not want to mess with typing on the touch screen. I find that I use this device on all of my iOS devices including my iPhone, iPad, my Mac Mini and of course my iPod Touch. The keyboard is relatively comfortable to use whether on a tabletop or on your lap and it is not too small to type on and not big and bulky either. I paid $69 for it but they have come out with a newer one so I would suggest looking in to that one. This keyboard has to be turned on and off each time you want to use it and I find that this can be quite a nuisance as I have no light perception whatsoever and cannot see if the device is in fact turned on or off or if the battery is low or not. The newer devices' description says that it shuts down after a certain amount of time of non-use and will power on again when you press a key. This is a great option for those of us who are totally blind as you do not need to see if the device is turned on or not unless you power it down if you are not going to be using it for some time. Overall, I love the device and highly recommend it for those of us who have dexterity issues and have a harder time typing on the touch screen.
Comments
#1 navigation?
hi there.
can you also use this keyboard to navigate the screen? for example, if you are browsing the web, as well as typing, can you navigate and use all the elements on a page? such as activating links and buttons? or edit fields? does this keyboard work only in certain aps or can it work wherever it's required.
am asking all this as i really want a bt keyboard but am not sure as to what vo functions you can perform with one.
#2 Navigation
Yes, you can perform 98% of all vo actions with the keyboard. There is an article about this on the site. What doesn't work? Well, there's no "double-tap and hold" key, so you can't perform some actions like doing more things with links in safari or closing apps in the app switcher.
I'm also an owner of the reviewed keyboard. It is very small. As you'd expect it being Apple, it has mac keys like command and Option. Many voiceover commands from the mac cary over, so does the Quick Nav feature.
The keyboard is very fin. If you put it down, The surface is slightly sloped, the top above the function row containing the On/Off button on the left, and the battery door/screw on the right.
There is no 6-pack (Do you even call it that in the iWorld?) or numpad. The topmost row has escape, followed by the function keys. Most aren't used, but f1/2 are used for brightness, f7=previous track=f8=play/pause f9=next track, f10=volume down, f11=volume up, f12=Mute. Then there's the eject key, which on iOS is used to toggle the visibility of the actual on-screen keyboard, which gets hidden by default.
The only thing I wish worked is the fact that iOS would somehow indicate the keyboards battery level, which AFAIK is, in fact, indicated on Macs.
#3 I've been looking for a BT
I've been looking for a BT keyboard myself and I believe i'll get this one. One very important question I have, but no one seems to be able to answer, however, is when you first pare it, you have to type a series of letters and numbers I believe it is? My question is how do you know which numbers and letters to press if they're printed somewhere? It probably seems like a silly newby question but you folks who've used these things for years have to remember we were all new once. So hopefully i'll get a response to this one.
#4 Paring
It's really easy to pare the keyboard. It's a series of numbers only, if I remember correctly. You have to flick around on the screen to hear the combination, but I think it gives you about 20-30 seconds to type it in; I could be wrong, however. If you mess up, I think you can just hit pare on the iDevice again. I'm not sure if the code changes or not, but I think it'll lock you out after 3 times. All you have to do to fix this is search for the keyboard again, I think.
By the way, if you're interested, I have one I'm looking to sell, including 2 rechargeable AA batteries. It's on good working condition, with one little flaw--the number 8 key is missing and needs replacing. I'm not quite sure how I'll go about doing this--my first try will be to call Apple and see what they suggest. Other than that, and a small ding to the lower right-hand corner, which has scratched the metal a little, it's in great working condition. The reason I'm looking to sell is because while I really like the keyboard, I want one with an on/off switch, instead of a button. I cary the keyboard around in my purse, so the button sometimes gets hit, thus turning on the keyboard and making me lose battery life. This is also the reason it got a little messed up on the corner. The damage is cosmetic, and does not hinder the function of the keyboard in any way. I can negotiate a price with you if you're interested. I am not willing to ship out of the United States, however. I'm not sure whom I want to be responsible for covering shipping costs, me or the buyer, but I think the most I'm willing to pay is about $7.
Thanks,
Shersey
#5 Hi! If you pair it with your
Hi!
If you pair it with your iPhone, then after double tapping the apple wireless keyboard in bluetooth settings, the iPhone will give you code you need to enter on the keyboard.
#6 Thanks! if it's just a case
Thanks! if it's just a case of swiping to the right that seems pretty simple. I'll be using this keyboard with an iPod touch 4th generation, so paring the keyboard should be exactly the same as on the iPhone. ...i hope? LOL This is an awesome site, it's been very helpful. Now I'm not so scared of the touchscreen environment as I was a short time ago. i figure if many many other blind people can use it effectively so can I.
#7 Finding paring code
I think you touch near the middle of the screen. You might have to move by word, then character, as it says something like, type x code on your keyboard. The wording is nowhere near what I just said now, but you get the jist. Anyhow, you shouldn't have too much trouble. You might not get it in quite in time the first time--I didn't--but it's not hard once you know what you have to do, in terms of moving by words/character to get the keyboard and phone to pare.
By the way, I was wondering if you wanted that keyboard. I plan to call Apple on Saturday (I hope they're open on Saturday.), and see what they recommend about that missing key. It's just a case of the key popping off--and by the time I noticed--one of the hooks on the back of the key that hold in in place on the keyboard was messed up--but the keyboard isn't damaged--the key can easily be replaced. It's just a matter of finding a replacement key now.
If you're not interested in a refurbished keyboard, I completely understand. No pressure here or anything. I have another person in mind if you didn't want it, though I have not contacted here yet, so things are still open.
I was thinking of selling it for 60 bucks, 9 less than I bought it for.
Anyway, hope I have helped.
Thanks,
Shersey