MS Digital Media Pro Keyboard
November 18th 2007
I came to own a Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard because I dumped a full tumbler of bourbon on my white Apple keyboard. And, when you're staring down a Monday morning deadline on a Sunday afternoon in provincial Erie, Pennsylvania (none of the stores shown actually carry Macs), your choices are quite limited.
Set up
Unlike Apple and most other third-party input devices, your Mac won't recognize the Digital Media Pro when you plug it in. OS X spawns a keyboard set-up utility, but it won't map the keys under either Tiger or Leopard.
Yes, you can type alpha characters, but little else works--you have to install Microsoft's Intellitype Pro 6.2 software to get any joy out it.
Installing a driver isn't an odious requirement, but one would think the biggest third-party Mac software developer could get this "pro" keyboard to map the Apple and Return keys to work out of the box.
Once the software is installed, you will find that all but the favorites keys are mapped--My Documents maps to OS X' Documents folder, etc, Alt maps to Apple, Start maps to Option, etc.
Special buttons
Features worth highlighting include the dedicated calculator button, which brings up Apple's full calculator, and the pause / play, stop and next track and previous track buttons that are mapped to iTunes.
Also worthy of note are the Log Out (key) and Sleep keys, which make it easy to sleep or shut down you Mac without resorting to the mouse--things that are missing from current Apple keyboards. Lastly, the volume-up, volume-down and mute buttons are located on the upper left of the Digital Media Pro, which I find intuitive.
Configuring any of the more than two dozen specialty buttons is achieved through the panel installed in System Preferences. Simply click a button description in the list and reassign it--you can reassign any of the buttons, including those mapped automatically by Intellitype Pro.
For example, I remapped the Messenger (MSN) button to open iChat and the Web / Home button to open Camino, my second browser. The My Favorites buttons, 1 through 5, now map to Safari, Mail, iTunes, TextEdit and AOL Radio.
You can also map functions to the F1 through F12 keys to perform any number of tasks, like open apps. Again, open System Preferences > Microsoft Keyboard, click a key or button in the list and give it a (new) function.
The Zoom Slider
Located on the Digital Media Pro's left side is the Zoom Slider. It's function is quite simple--it makes text on webpages larger or smaller. Yes, this can be accomplished by pressing Apple and the plus / minus keys and, in truth, that's still how I do it.
The problem with the Zoom Slider is its location--it's just wrong. The two fingers positioned to use it (when either typing or with one's thumb anchored on the Apple key) are the third and pinky fingers, and neither feels natural.
The Zoom Slider also can be used to increase image size in apps like Photoshop and Acrobat. Again, it would be more useful if it were located in a different spot or perhaps it was designed as a wheel.
Feel and look
Typing is comfortable on the Digital Media Pro, though a good bit noisier than the Apple keyboards I've used in the past. Key and button positioning takes a little getting used to but aside from the Zoom Slider, there aren't any buttons that made me ask, "Why the heck did they put it there?"
Also, this is a relatively large keyboard and feels substantive--it stays put on my desk--which are good things.
In terms of appearance, it looks like a product from Logitech, which is the mass-market leader and Microsoft's going to mirror them. Though I've only had it a short time, it seems to be somewhat impervious to dirt, but only time will tell as its covered with tough-to-clean nooks and crannies.
Conclusion
At $30, Microsoft's Digital Media Pro Keyboard is one of the more-affordable, Mac-compatible keyboards. It does offer a lot of features and they are easy-to-configure and use.
It's not without warts, but these largely stem from Redmond's very different design philosophy. Whereas Apple puts the goodness under the hood in the OS, keeping their keyboards aesthetically clean, Redmond gives the user a litany of ways to get the same things done.
If you're a switcher, the Digital Media Pro might be a good choice for you. If you're cheap or in a bind, it's also a good choice as the price is right.
Hardcore Mac heads, however, likely will be put off by all of the multi-button fussiness and inelegance.
Product: Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard
Price: $30 (Circuit City)
Score: 3.0 of 5.0
Pros: Sleep button, position of volume buttons, Play / Pause / etc buttons for iTunes, easy configuration, calculator button
Cons: You have to install a bloody driver to use basic functions, typing noise, Zoom Slider position and design, getting used to this keyboard might mean losing some good OS X keyboard habits
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