More Than Peripheral Interest

One measure of Apple's apparent resurgence is that high-volume peripheral makers have decided that the market is big enough to warrant Mac-specific desktop sets.

Admittedly, it's not that much of a step. Most Windows keyboards and mice long have been Mac compatible. It always has been a source of amusement that Microsoft hardware did a better job of accessing Mac features than Apple's own products did. Cupertino stubbornly insisted until last year on offering only single-button mice even though the Mac OS long has had right-click options (accessible as an option key/mouse click on single button mice).

Still, keyboards and mice are not Apple's strongest suit. falling short in both usability and ergonomics. Apple's venture into multi-button mice, the Mighty Mouse and it new cordless version, rates as just so-so. Options are nice, especially when they are available from the market-leaders, Logitech and Microsoft.

Logitech was first to unveil a new Mac offering, with last year's roll out of its Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac (below). It's basically the company's S 510 Windows desktop redone in Mac white and silver, but with Mac-specific keys and a matching-color version of Logitech's MX 610 laser mouse. The keyboard uses Logitech's "zero-degree tilt" approach to ergonomics -- which is a fancy way of saying that the keyboard is very flat (the bottom row of keys is only slightly lower than the top) so you can keep your hand and fingers relatively straight. The mouse is a right-handed item that molds to the hand. A nice touch is that the wireless transmitter is a stick that can go right in the USB port of a desktop or laptop. An extension cord and stand for the transmitter is provided if you need to fiddle with placement.

One thing that makes the Logitech product a big deal is that the company for a time had discontinued its support for the Mac and stop updating its Mac drivers. But now the company is fully back into the Apple peripherals market.

Microsoft followed suit this year with its first Mac-specific product -- its Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac (below). This one is a straight out copy of the Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 for Windows with the addition of Mac-specific keys and new Mac drivers. There was an amusing little flap over the fact that Apple did not grant Microsoft rights to use the Apple logo on the keyboard's "command" or "Apple" key -- where the "Alt" key is on Windows boards. (Logitech's desktop has it.)

As with the Logitech bundle, the mouse is a right-handed multi-button laser unit. The keyboard is Microsoft's "comfort" design. It's flatter and less curved than its full-tilt ergonomic designs (such as the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000) and seems to be intended for those who find the ergonomic keyboard's curved and shaped approach too radical. Color scheme for the desktop set is silver and a translucent white. It comes with the basic oval Microsoft wireless transmitter in matching color.

One of the most important aspects of the Microsoft set is the updated drivers, which now allow users to custom map virtually all the keys and buttons on the mouse and keyboard.

Current street prices are under $70 for the the Logitech and around $80 for Microsoft.

Of course, true Mac support would mean making the desktop sets Bluetooth compatible to take advantage of the Apple's built-in support for that wireless technology and eliminate the need for giving up a USB port to a transmitter. A Logitech spokesperson acknowledged that cost considerations ruled out Bluetooth. Neither Microsoft's nor Logitech's Bluetooth desktop sets for Windows will work with a Mac.

The best you can do in the way of a Bluetooth input device is a mouse from Kensington -- the full-sized PilotMouse (below top) for desktops and the PilotMouse Mini for notebooks (below bottom).

Both are ambidextrous designs, which I favor and both have a rubberized coating on the grip areas to make them easy to maneuver. Downsides are that they use the cliche blue color scheme peripheral makers seem to love for Bluetooth input devices and neither is laser or high-resolution. That may be an issue for gamers, but I had no problem using them. I recommend them, especially to Apple notebook users.