Another market bargain

[ffutures]

Today's bargain comes from the guy who sells old computer hardware in Bell Street Market, near Edgware Road tube station. I was looking through a box of keyboards to see if I could find anything like an original IBM AT keyboard, which is by far my favourite design, when what did I find but an Apple pro keyboard and optical mouse... for a fiver!

It's in perfect working order, as far as I can tell - don't have a program to check key presses so I couldn't check out the function keys, but typing etc. works fine on my iBook. Not sure if num lock is working - it doesn't light up or appear to do anything - but I'm not actually sure what it's supposed to do on a Mac. Can anyone tell me? Or point me at an OS-X program that'll check if everything is working?

Once I'm sure it's fully operational I've got to decide if I want to keep it - I've already got a Bluetooth keyboard and never seem to use it, and I don't really like the Apple "press the whole top down" single-button mice - I much prefer a two-button and wheel design. eBay is probably the best answer, I suppose, or I could keep it in case I do eventually decide to go Mac completely, but that isn't likely any time soon.

Decisions, decisions...

Comments

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

If your Mac has USB, you can use PC USB input devices with it. I'm currently using a Microsoft laser mouse with my PowerBook, and I've used cheap PC mice with it in the pat. Ditto for keyboards.

So you bought this Mac equipment as an investment?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Sure - I've been using a pretty good NEC two-button and wheel mouse with the iBook when I needed a mouse, but as it happens I've just killed the mouse I use om my main PC and I've had to commandeer that one to take its place.

I don't exactly see the keyboard I just bought as an investment - if anything, I think it's more likely that I'll sell off the Bluetooth keyboard since I don't think it's as good ergonomically, and it doesn't have the USB ports.