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Adesso Nu-Form Keyboard
- 4 Oct. 1999
First, thank you to Adesso for supplying a keyboard for
this review. Since the advent of the Power
Mac G4, we have to find a new keyboard we can use at
work -- the G4 has no ADB port for our old Apple Extended,
Apple Adjustable,
MicroSpeed KB-105M, or
Adesso Nu-Form ADB keyboards. We have a pair of MacAlly keyboards, but have not been
impressed with them, so we are researching alternatives to
it and the compact keyboard Apple supplies with the iMac and
Power Mac. I've never found the ergonomic keyboards comfortable,
although I've had better luck with the Adesso Nu-Form than
with any other "split" keyboard that I've tried. It takes
anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks to become
comfortable with an ergo keyboard, so I asked to coworkers
already comfortable with ergo boards to use the Adesso for
several days and report their findings. Robin has been using an Adesso Nu-Form ADB for a few
months, so the identical layout of the USB keyboard was no
problem at all. In fact, she found the feel of the new
keyboard superior to the one-to-two year old ADB
keyboard. - The Nu-Form USB keyboard is very comfortable to use.
The wrist rest is adequately wide and slanted at an
ergonomically appropriate angle. The required "touch" is
light, eliminating the strain caused by having to press
hard on the keys. The raised orientation points on the F
and J keys required some mental adjustment, since the
keyboard I have been using places the points on the D and
K keys [an Apple standard, but the rest of the
computer industry used F and J, dk]. However, after
using the Adesso keyboard for several days, I prefer the
new placement -- it just seems to make more sense to
me.
The Adesso keyboard created no problems with any part of
my computer system. One small annoyance was that the left
foot unexpectedly folded several times during the
week.
I would highly recommend the Adesso Nu-Form keyboard and
have, in fact, asked my supervisor to purchase one for
me.
My supervisor has been using the Apple Adjustable
Keyboard for years, but once he got a G4, there was no way
to connect it. Although we could invest in a USB-to-ADB
adapter, the other issue is the poor reliability of the
Apple Adjustable Keyboard. One or another component seems to
fail each year. Dan writes: - On the plus side, I am quickly comfortable with the
ergonomic angle of the keys. I appreciate having the
function keys above the standard keys (unlike Apple's
Adjustable Keyboard). Even the arrangement of the Help
key grouping, cursor keys, and numeric keypad are
positioned comfortably. I like the fact that the command,
option, and control keys appear on either side of the
space bar, and that they are large enough to use easily.
The touch is very comfortable.
Now the problems:
First, the "6" key is on the wrong side! I can't believe
it! How many of us who've been typing for years are going
to need to learn the new position, to use the left hand
instead of the right one. I have no great affection for
the QWERTY arrangement, but moving this key makes it even
more awkward to use. [The Apple Adjustable Keyboard
keeps the "6" key on the right side. dk]
Second, the USB cable is too short. An extension cable is
not provided with the new G4, as it was with the G3, so
if, as many do, you place the computer on the floor, the
cable is not long enough to reach the USB port.
Third, the less than conventional position of the "\" key
is unfortunate. The large return key is nice, but I'd
rather have the backslash key next to the "]" as on
other keyboards. This would also allow for, fourth, the
Delete key to be larger, which would also then be
consistent with other keyboards. It's hard to hit that
small Delete key when typing fast.
Fifth, though the Bondi color matches the original iMac,
it looks awful with other colors. The translucent white
color on the iMac would have been a better choice, since
all the iMacs, the G3, and the G4 all use a clear or
translucent clear color. It would also blend in better
with the surroundings.
Sixth, the feet used to raise the back of the keyboard
are floppy. It would be better if they snapped firmly
into position so they don't flip down as easily when the
keyboard is moved.
Seventh, I've typed on lots of Mac keyboards since my
Mac Plus and have
grown accustomed to having the raised markers on the "D"
and "K" keys. I suppose this is one I'll just have to get
used to, since many manufacturers have been using the "F"
and "J" keys, but it will not make the transition any
easier to be constantly placing my fingers on the wrong
keys. This, too, is unfortunate.
Overall, the feel of the Adesso Nu-Form USB keyboard is
excellent. The only mechanical problems are a floppy foot
and a short cable (Adesso's mouse has a much longer
cable). As Dan points out, there are discrepancies with the
standard Apple keyboard layout. We have deliberately
purchased keyboards that match Apple's extended keyboard
layout. The MicroSpeed and MacAlly keyboards do that; the
Adesso Nu-Form misses the mark in several areas. While the
large Return key is nice, the small Delete key isn't. And
for anyone whose learned touch typing, having the "6" key on
the wrong side will be a nuisance. That said, if you're looking for an ergonomic USB
keyboard, the Adesso Nu-Form is a good choice.  - Manufacturers and distributors: Interested in having
your product reviewed? Please read our review
policy.
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