The problem I had with the old Apple keyboard was just how easily it became dirty. All too often a hair would show up underneath the transparent acrylic, or a smudge on the white surface. I found myself cleaning it often and it became an irritation. Another problem I had with the acrylic keyboards was that they crapped out at a considerably high rate. Out of the three I owned, two stopped working for no apparent reason. Needless to say after these experiences, I became skeptical of these ‘pro’ keyboards.

In this case however, the good does out weigh the bad. My experience has been that they’re quiet, require only light taps and feel right under your fingers. This along with other improvements in the latest aluminum generation have persuaded me to stick with Apple keyboards.

I love typing on the MacBook and the next generation brought everything I like about it to my desk. Unfortunately, like my MacBook, they also chopped off the numeric pad on the wireless version. I was disappointed to see this when the keyboards were announced, but after using it for a number of months I have to say it was a worthwhile sacrifice. I can move the keyboard without feeling like I’m waving a tire iron around, its nice that it fits almost anywhere in my workspace. The media keys are also very handy, I wish they could have activated them on my MacBook. Battery life is impressive. A number of months after the purchase (with moderate daily use) there’s still more than a half charge left in the included batteries.

In fact, I don’t have a single gripe about the keyboard itself. It looks great, it works great and it does everything a keyboard should. The big problem here is price. In case you’re wondering, the notorious Apple Tax does apply, the wireless keyboard will run you an astounding $80 when buying directly from Apple. That said, I got lucky and conned a Best Buy employee into selling me one for only $60 after taxes. If you play your cards right at the store, or shop on eBay or Craigslist, you should be able to find yourself an affordable Apple keyboard. I think you’ll like it too.