Hi Tom, I suspect that you didn't get a response to your post about the extended keyboard either because others haven't experienced problems with the F keys or because many of the list readers are not typing on extended keyboards.
I've only typed extensively on Mac laptop keyboards, and I don't have a problem with the lower profile, chiclet key design, so this recommendation is based on matching your preferences and background to the product in responding to your request for "the best extended keyboard out there, either wireless or usb, for the blind mac user." Try checking out the Matias Tactile Pro 3 keyboard: <http://matias.ca/tactilepro3/index.php> This is a full-size USB keyboard that uses ALPS keyboard switches. It's the third generation of this keyboard, and if you liked the feel of the older Apple Bluetooth keyboard you will probably like this design. Even better, since you mentioned in previous posts that you can easily get to Small Dog Electronics, you can go there to buy/try out the keyboard. There's a review posted on the Small Dog from someone who bought this as a replacement keyboard for his mother, after she found the keys on Apple Extended Keyboard (that he loved) to be too flat and too quiet. Here's a quote: "This keyboard is very similar to the original Apple Keyboard that came with my first eMac. The keys are easily distinguishable, and the entire keyboard is built very sturdy. While the click of the keys is not nearly as loud as a manual type writer, you definitely know when each key is hit. There are also three non-powered USB ports located directly on the keyboard, which is nice for peripherals or the flash drives she swaps photographs on with my Aunts and Uncles. I also know Matias as a reasonable company that stands behind their products and honors their warranties if anything goes wrong with the keyboard down the line. This is especially important when spending $139.99 on a keyboard." For a more extensive and detailed review of this keyboard, check out the TidBITS article by Adam Engst: • "Matias Tactile Pro 3 Keyboard Returns to the Alps" 18 August 2010: <http://tidbits.com/article/11521#comments> I'll excerpt a few bits from the intro and the end of the article. The author got the first version of the Matias Tactile Pro keyboard when it first appeared in 2004. <begin excerpt> Over six years ago, I reviewed the original Tactile Pro keyboard from Matias, and I think my article's title summarized things nicely - "The Majestic Alps and the King of Keyboards" (29 March 2004). Put simply, the Tactile Pro was the best keyboard I had used in a very long time, in the genre of loud, clicky keyboards with great tactile feel. I don't run any software that records how many keystrokes I type, but it's a lot, and I had basically typed that keyboard into the ground. In fact, I typed two of them into oblivion, since Edgar Matias had initially sent me a prototype without a case, and after a key failed on the production unit that I reviewed, I shoehorned the prototype into the production unit's case and used it for another few years. <snip> If you know you like clicky keyboards with that old-school feel, and you're in the market for a new one, you won't go wrong with the Tactile Pro 3. It's not cheap as keyboards go, but there's a reason that cheap keyboards rely on cheap rubber dome keyswitches instead of the Tactile Pro's precision Alps keyswitches. The keyboard has a 1-year warranty, and from what I've heard from customers, Matias has been great about replacing defective keyboards. <end excerpt> Matias is a Canadian company, but this keyboard is sold internationally. You can order directly from them and get keyboards in the US, UK, German, or Japanese layout. You can also order from Amazon and other sources (like Small Dog Electronics), or you can check the resellers link on their web page to find local distributor agents across the world. Matias also makes a folding Bluetooth keyboard with NumPad and extended keys. However, because it is an extended keyboard, when folded it's about the same size as the Apple Wireless Keyboard. This also does not have keys with large travel, since it has to fold flat, but it does support recent Mac computers and iOS devices. MacAlly makes a BTKey keyboard that is full-sized and that supports recent Mac OS X versions and iOS devices. This is a slightly older model (available when the first generation iPads were released, and tested for use with those devices), and the keys have larger travel than the current Apple Bluetooth keyboards. I'd check on the compatibility of F-key support for media functions. Again, I haven't used these keyboards personally and have only read reviews. Don't confuse the MacAlly BTKey full-sized keyboard with their newer BTKey mini keyboard. As with the Matias products, you can find the MacAlly keyboards on Amazon, and I believe Small Dog Electronics may also stock this. HTH. Cheers, Esther On Feb 12, 2012, at 8:59 AM, Frank Tom wrote: > I didn't get a response to what's wrong with the extended keyboard my friend > got, so, I will ask another question. > > What is the best extended keyboard out there, either wireless or usb, for the > blind mac user. > > I personally like the bluetooth keyboard that came with my five year old I > Mac. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't make this one any more. > > He needs something with some heft to it so it gives good, tactile feedback. > To help myself, I stick little bumpers on the G and H keys and the F4 and F8 > keys to make finding the home row easier. > > What do you use? > > Tom > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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