Why Can’t Apple Make a Keyboard Like this?

Logitech's K811 "Easy Switch" KeyboardHere’s the deal. I have a shortlist of musts for a keyboard: 

• Bluetooth (I mean, wires? Really?)
• iOS & OS X compatibility
• Sturdy (well-made)
• Backlit

Bluetooth is a must for two reasons: 1) Wireless means less desktop clutter and adds freedom of movement and 2) Bluetooth built-in to all modern Macs and iOS devices means NO DONGLE to occupy a USB port and ultimately lose.  Also, I want a keyboard that works well with OS X and iOS. The more iOS-specific keys the better, but a keyboard “Home Button” is an absolute must. I know, COMMAND + H is the same as pressing the iPad’s Home button, but having a dedicated key is much handier and there’s no key combos to remember. A sturdy, well-made keyboard goes without saying. I’ve wasted too much money on “bargain” keyboards with lots of great features only to abandon it because the keys were mushy and/or the whole keyboard was flimsy. I also really like a keyboard with a backlight. All too often I find myself in a dark setting and I’m not a good enough touch-typist to be anywhere near accurate without an occasional glance down to get my bearings. When using a keyboard that isn’t backlit, I sometimes find myself holding my keyboard up to the screen to see where things are.

Apple’s wireless keyboard only checks 2 ½ of the four boxes.

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This Mac Guy LOVES Microsoft!... (Office)

I think the last time I said something nice about Microsoft was when Windows NT 3.1 was released in 1993. Well, that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration, but I think it’s fairly safe to say I haven’t sent many flowers Redmond’s way any time recently. Today, however, I’m reminded of that famous Macworld presentation Steve Jobs made shortly after his triumphant return to Apple in 1997. You know the one. Jobs was on stage in the foreground with the giant video call to Bill Gates behind him. In retrospect, the chorus of boos from the Mac faithful was pretty embarrassing. After all, (and unbeknownst to the crowd in attendance), Mr. Gates had just pumped $150 million into the quite nearly financially ruined Apple. Anyway, Jobs retorted the Mac crowd by schooling them to forget the idea that in order for Apple to win, Microsoft had to lose. The battle for the desktop, if indeed there ever was one, had been settled for years. With hundreds of millions of installations and a 95+ percent market share worldwide, Windows had become the undeniable ruler of the desktop operating system domain. What Mr. Jobs so pointedly told Macheads that day is that there’s room in the tech world for everybody to do great things. I just wanted to remind you MacTexans about that before my next declaration.

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