marco:

mm85:

I would also like to add the fact that Apple now offers it’s keyboard w/o a numeric keypad standard with it’s iMac computers, and I think it’s quite unnecessary. No one complained before about the numeric keypad.

I’d hate to see them completely disappear, but having the option to go without it has a big ergonomic gain, assuming you didn’t use it very often: the keyboard can be a lot narrower, so (assuming you’re right-handed) you can put the mouse much closer to the center of your ergonomic reach.

This has huge benefits for RSI reduction, comfort, and speed.

If Microsoft made a version of my preferred boat keyboard (Natural Ergonomic 4000) without the numeric-keypad area, I’d get it in a second.

I don’t think that shrinking the keyboard will make it more ergonomic. While I’m not sure, and a little skeptical, that the position of the mouse with relation to the keyboard has RSI implications. If only looking at RSI a smaller keyboard can not help, and may hurt.

To me this change comes off as a money saving tool for Apple. Like they’ve been constantly shaving the provided accessories and selling them separately at sometimes ridiculous costs. I know you can get the full sized keyboard for free online, but only the small one is available in the box at Apple retail stores. The new keyboard is actually the same layout as the notebook keyboards and wireless keyboards. This change will streamline and reduce production costs on the thousands of keyboards made.