04.24.07
Microsoft spurns its own keyboard
I just posted this on a macworld thread, but i’ll republish it as a rant.
I have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard
Elite USB keyboard plugged into my PowerBook G4.
It’s been pretty good for my wrists, and it’s cheap, too.
I recently had to do a
pair of Archive and Install’s on the PowerBook, and I lost the kernel extensions
that made the Microsoft keyboard more like a mac (swapping alt and
command keys, etc).
I went to Microsoft’s download page
and they don’t have a listing for the Natural Keyboard Elite anymore.
The latest keyboard driver is Intellitype 6.2, though. I downloaded and
installed that, and even though I can click “swap alt and command” in
the preference panel, it has no effect. I’ve installed Intellitype 5.4, 6.0, 6.1, and 6.2, and all of
them aren’t working out-of-the-box.
I’ve also discovered that
when I select Keyboard Info from the Intellitype about window, it tells
me that no Microsoft Keyboards have been found. Why not? I repeat, this
used to work.
I’m using doubleCommand now (uControl is another option), but what was
nice about Intellitype was it only went into effect when the keyboard
was installed. With the laptop on its own it would revert to normal.
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