My MacBook has been my main computer for around 2 years now and I love its keyboard - so much so that I prefer the apple wireless keyboard to the wired equivalent, with the additional number pad.

Frankly, I don't care that it's wireless, it's the size and shape of the keyboard that appeals to me, but I'm really put off of buying a keyboard that requires batteries - they're just an additional cost that I'd rather not have.

Is there a way one of these keyboards can be modified to become a wired, USB keyboard?

Thanks

Two issues: Power and Interface

- You would have to find a way to make the board accept the 5v coming via the USB cable
- You would have to see if Apple cheated on attaching their BT module in the keyboard by using a USB interface or have active pinout for USB to act as an output to a machine.

If you can meet both of these conditions, then you "should" be able to mod it though you would be better off getting a wired keyboard. You could get rechargeable batteries for your keyboard also. Have you looked into using a non-Apple keyboard?

I like the Das Keyboard myself...

or you could just get the power from usb - it would be cool to make a power control unit that takes the 5v USB and converts it to 3V at the right current that is in the size of a battery. Then connect this to the battery socket to provide the power. And then keep it communicating with the computer by BT. This way you haven't soldered anything on so you can easily disconnect the usb power cord to use it as wireless.

Very true, since it would communicate. Not a 'true' USB controlled keyboard per se, but it should work and accomplish trying to not use more batteries.

Ok, so the Apple Wireless Keyboards take 4 batteries, not 3 like I originally thought. You'd be dealing with providing 6V of power versus the 5V that USB can provide. I honestly don't know if you are going to get enough juice to power it via USB but it's worth a shot.


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