[PCWorld]

Post your comments for New Wired Keyboard—sans Numeric Keypad—ships With IMac here

[Hugmup]

I have two computers at work, under my desk, and two Apple keyboards on my desk: one wireless (identical to the new wired keyboard) and one normal. I used to have the wireless keyboard connected to my MacBook Pro, but it was so frustrating to use that I bought a Bluetooth radio so that I could swap the keyboards, putting the wireless one on the PC. The arrow keys do double duty, and just like Command and Option, they are tiny. Just right for pixies and elves, but not for my fingers.
Imagine, in Word, to select all text from the cursor position to the top, you have to press FnShiftCmd+Left Arrow. Not intuitive or easy.
People who walk by invariably admire the normal keyboard, but they have nothing good to say about the wireless one. If any of these people become switchers, they are going to be very turned off by the new, truncated keyboard.
When Apple gets an idea, they never let it go, even if it is a colossally bad idea, like making this new keyboard the default. Many people won't realize what the new keyboard is like, won't opt for the normal one, and will put up with it when they get their iMac. This will create the illusion that the truncated keyboard is more popular than it is, because Apple has no way of knowing how many of those keyboards get replaced with Logitech or Microsoft keyboards.
For that reason, I'm terrified that Apple will discontinue the normal keyboard, which is a triumph of design, and sell only the truncated keyboard. I immediately purchased two extra normal keyboards as insurance, just in case I spill a drink after Apple has continued the normal keyboard.
This is a huge mistake, but because the truncated keyboard is the default, Apple will only be able to see which keyboard goes out with new orders, not how many truncated keyboards later get replaced. They won't have a real sense for its true popularity or unpopularity.
Apple won't change course, so stock up on keyboards now.

[rgreen4]

I agree with you that is it a colossal mistake for Apple. As a PC user who has never laid a finger on a Mac, and don't plan to, it is but one more example that Apple just does not get it when it comes to a serious attempt to break into the professional/corporate market. Shortly after IBM introduced the original PC and started designing the new PC-XT, they came up with the 101 key keyboard with the dedicated numeric keypad. From that point, when anyone ever suggested going to an Apple product, all they had to do was point to the Apple keyboard and mention that if they were serious about getting into the business world, they would no longer be using the toy keyboard.

That ended years ago, but now they are back in that mindset. That and the one button mouse. One more indication that Apple thinks they are right and the world is wrong.