Apple Extended Keyboard (1987)
The Mac's first full-size keyboard: Alps mechanical switches, two daisy-chainable ADB ports, and a width matching the Macintosh II.
© Kevin Schoedel · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗ Resized, no crop or retouching.
Specs
| Connectivity | Apple Desktop Bus, with two daisy-chain ports |
| Switches | Alps Electric mechanical |
| Key feature | the Mac's first full-size keyboard, per Deskthority |
Launch
Apple put the Apple Extended Keyboard (M0115) on sale on March 2, 1987, alongside the Macintosh II and the Macintosh SE, per Wikipedia. Neither computer came with a keyboard: buyers chose between the Apple Standard Keyboard or this more complete Extended model, per Deskthority. Wikipedia records two design details aimed at its companions: its width matches the Macintosh II, and its height lets it slide under the Macintosh SE's "chin".
Marketing
It was the Mac's first full-size keyboard, with function keys, a navigation cluster and inverted-T arrow keys, per Deskthority. Unlike earlier Macintosh keyboards, its layout closely resembled the IBM PC/AT's, to make MS-DOS software easier to use via emulation or a coprocessor card, per Wikipedia. Its two ADB ports, one on each side, allowed daisy-chaining a mouse or trackball wherever was more comfortable, and two posts beside the function keys held templates with per-application shortcuts, details recorded by Wikipedia. It also had a separate power key and a Caps Lock key that physically locked down.
Flaws and fixes
The case was large and heavy, with ample empty space behind the top key row, and had no adjustable feet, per Wikipedia. Apple discontinued it on October 15, 1990 when it introduced the Extended Keyboard II, lighter, with an S-shaped profile and an adjustable foot, per the same source.