Boo for Apple keyboards!

C

Craftish

Gawd
Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
675
I just got the regular Apple keyboard (the one with white keys and a clear base) because I really like the feel of the keys. Unfortunately (and I feared this might be the case beforehand), it's one of those keyboards that has a low number of simultaneous keys it can register in a given area. The end result is it won't register pressing "1" if I have "Shift" and "A" depressed. This is a problem in games for me, unfortunately. Good ergonomics foiled by somewhat limited technology.
 
What? I've never noticed this and I play games constantly. I'll have to test this...
 
It's not a massive deal since there aren't too many combinations that don't work, but it seems the limit is two signals from a given region of the keyboard. I would just use it anyways, but I'd hate to lose a LAN tournament because I couldn't walk left and pull out my primary weapon as I was going or something silly like that.
 
either you have a broken keyboard, or, well, thats it.

there is plenty of 3key combos in OSX. and they involve using all parts of the keyboard. shift-cmd-c (all in the lower left) is an example of one that works on my apple keyboard just now.
 
Try Shift+A+1. Shift+Cmd+C works fine on mine too. I believe a keyboard has different regions from which it samples signals at any given time, and those three (Shift+Cmd+C) are not all on the same region, whereas Shift+A+1 are. I highly doubt it's my individual keyboard. I think really the only way to test this is in an FPS game, so if someone has one and could verify that would be helpful.
 
As far as I've noticed, Apple's keyboards have a simultaneous key limit higher than three. With this old ADB keyboard, even five-key combinations worked (shift-ctrl-alt-cmd-whatever). I tried pressing and holding a bunch of normal keys, and it stopped responding after the forth. With a USB keyboard, it worked up to seven keys... There is limit like the one you're mentioning. Probably a faulty keyboard.
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
As far as I've noticed, Apple's keyboards have a simultaneous key limit higher than three. With this old ADB keyboard, even five-key combinations worked (shift-ctrl-alt-cmd-whatever). I tried pressing and holding a bunch of normal keys, and it stopped responding after the forth. With a USB keyboard, it worked up to seven keys... There is limit like the one you're mentioning. Probably a faulty keyboard.
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I should have also noted I'm using this on a Windows PC. Can anyone with this exact keyboard verify/rebuff my hypothesis on a Windows machine? Also, it does more than three keys at a time, just not if they're all in the same area of the keyboard. The areas seem to be divided strangely such that Q+W+2 works, but Shift+A+Q does not.
 
I love this keyboard....besides not too many other $30 keyboards that have 2 USB ports built-in :)

Actually the one gripe I have is no border by the num pad....my fat finders always hit the enter key or the EJECT key as I reach for the mouse :D
 
Craftish said:
I should have also noted I'm using this on a Windows PC. Can anyone with this exact keyboard verify/rebuff my hypothesis on a Windows machine? Also, it does more than three keys at a time, just not if they're all in the same area of the keyboard. The areas seem to be divided strangely such that Q+W+2 works, but Shift+A+Q does not.
Click to expand...


how do i get things like print screen working in windows with an apple keyboard?
 
FYI you can make that stupid extension cable usable by drilling out the plastic tab with a small drill bit and crimping the metal down into the drilled out hole with some needlenose pliers.
 
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