Kbase Article of the Week: Extended Keyboard II & AppleDesign Keyboard Differences →

I’ve long praised the Apple Extended II keyboard for its amazing typing experience. While I don’t use it anymore, I miss my big beige noise machine.

While some may think all old keyboards are alike, they are not created equal. The AppleDesign keyboard may look of similar vintage, but its rubber dome switches are no match for the Extended II’s mechanical ones.

While Apple’s support document doesn’t bring this up, it does list many other differences between the two accessories:

  • The Extended Keyboard II has two ADB connections, one on the right side, and one on the left side. The AppleDesign Keyboard has one ADB connection on the underside of the keyboard for a mouse or other pointing device. There is a 6-foot long cable permanently attached at the front of the keyboard for connecting it to the Macintosh.
  • The Extended Keyboard II has a multi-position switch at the back of the keyboard for adjusting the keyboard angle to several positions. The AppleDesign Keyboard has two feet on the underside for raising the keyboard angle.
  • The AppleDesign Keyboard is slightly smaller and lighter.