Yesterday, I made a few upgrades to my current set up. The main addition was a second display. While I really like how the Apple Cinema Display’s look, there’s no way I could afford one at the moment. So I opted for an Acer model. At 19″, it does the job nicely, and provides a decent enough image for whatever I’m doing. I decided to keep my MacBook open, so that now sits in the corner of the desk, and offers space for IM, Twitter and iTunes, while the projects I’m working on can stay on the main desktop.

With the MacBook taking a side seat, I needed something to type on. I already have a wireless mouse, but a keyboard was needed. This time, I couldn’t see a suitable alternative but the Apple product. While the wireless version was out of my grasp, the wired version is perfect. So there’s a single wire – big deal. I decided to choose the smaller version, without the keypad on the side. I figured I’ve been fine without one for the past year, why would I need one now?

It’s pretty much identical to the keyboard on my MacBook (White), so I’m used to the feel and scrabble keys. The advantage of having two accessible USB slots is great, especially to transfer files to and from a USB pen. The only disadvantage I can see from using this keyboard, is the inability to change the height. It’s fine for short sessions, but if you’re spending a few hours at a time typing away, you occasionally feel the need to stop for a minute.

Otherwise, it’s a brilliant keyboard. It works straight away, and the accessibility keys along the top row are very useful – dashboard, Exposé and iTunes controls are all there. It also, of course, looks great on my desk, and takes up hardly any space for when there’s no option but to use pen and paper.