I remember that the International version of the Apple //e had a hardware switch under the keyboard. It didn’t change the hash (#) hey to a pound (£) key per se, it actually changed the display rom around so that ASCII 35 would be displayed on screen as a pound!!

Australia used to get that version because it had PAL video. Not that anyone cares

Now for some useful info… before I bought my Kinesis keyboard (which does kinda suck on a Mac I have to agree) I used to use Happy Hacker lite
keyboards on everything – they have a normal layout, control key in the right place and have no keypad so your mouse is nice and close. And you can get them in black

http://store.yahoo.com/pfuca-store/haphackeylit1.html

You can always have a USB number pad if you want.

I think I’ll give that a spin. The Lite model isn’t too expensive, and there’s apparently a reseller here in Denmark (http://mazzive.dk).

Now, of course, i can’t figure out whether to go for the Lite2 or the Pro. Lite2 is $200 cheaper, has a two-port USB hub, and arrow keys – and you can get it in black.

The Pro has the 45g touch (compared to 55g for Lite2), and seems to have a special Mac mode, with volume up/down buttons, which I happen to use and like currently.

What to do? I’m leaning towards the LIte2.

/Lars

With the English and Internation English keyboard, the only difference is the default symbols above the number keys. Please see below the difference in the typing.

International English keyboard. Numbers keys
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) (pressing Shift)
¡¬†™¬†£¬†¢¬†¬†§¬†¶¬†•¬†ª¬†º (pressing alt)

English Keyboard Number keys
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
! @ £ $ % ^ & * ( ) (pressing shift)
¡¬†¬†#¬†¢¬†§¬†ˆ¬†¶¬†¨¬†ª¬†º¬†(pressing alt)

The Kinesis is still too high for me, though, so I would like something to switch between. I’ll get the HHK Lite 2 and report back.

/Lars

Also, I’m trying to decide whether to get the MacBook with a Danish or English keyboard. I’m leaning towards the English – any issues with that I should be aware of (being a Dane and often communicating in Danish, but spending most of my time coding)?

I find that the big problem with keyboards for the mac is the modifier keys. You need all four — command, option, control, shift — and you need them next to each other in the left hand, so you con hold them while clicking your mouse. That’s one more than Windows and Unix keyboards typically have, and that’s where the trouble begins. The HHK just doesn’t have enough keys to cover the needs.

Besides, I found the touch too heavy. Presumably, they have another keyboard that’s way more expensive and not sold in Denmark, which has the softest touch ever, but I haven’t tried it, and there’s still the problem with the keys.

What I did for the longest time was use the keyboard on the laptop. It’s a bit too cramped, and I miss the option key on the right side of the space bar, but it’s got a perfect touch, and the fact that the keys are close together, and that the trackpad is so easily within reach is a big plus. The downside is that it made it tricky to use my fancy 23" cinema display, because the 12" laptop display would be in the way.

Just recently have I started using a real keybard again, after I got a new height-adjustable desk. I’m using the good old time-tested Kinesis contoured keyboarcd, which is still my favorite full-size keyboard. I’ve remapped the keys so it has all four modifier keys on both thumbs, which means I no longer have the Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys. I keep an extra standard Apple keyboard connected for when I really need those, and that keyboard also has the volume and eject keys, which can be useful.

Just this week I got a keyboard tray, which I haven’t mounted yet, a foot switch, which I haven’t programmed yet, and a vertical mouse, which I did put to use, and I mostly like it.

So there you have it. If you want to borrow my HHK for a week to try and buy if you like it, let me know.

Good luck!

Found the Tactile Pro (http://matias.ca/tactilepro/), which even has special characters available (like æøå – and printed on the keys) when you press the keys in combination with the option or shift-option keys.

What are the options in OS X for typing characters like æøå? I know you can switch between keyboard-layouts with a key-combination like ctrl-shift, but I find that switching the whole layout is usually a pain. Can you easily remap a few keys to type æøå in combination with the option key as with the Tactile Pro?

/Jesper

As for Danish characters, since there’s just three of them, I just use the option-key combos, which are standard on the Mac, you don’t have to do anything special for them. What’s printed on the Tactile pro keyboard is just what the Mac does by nature, the keyboard doesn’t do anything special inside.

The combos are option-o for ø, option-a for å, and option-, for æ. Works fine. My wife switches to Danish layout, but then it’s not her primary computer. I never switch keyboard layouts.

BTW: Sounds like you have some severe keyboard issues

/Jesper

But yes, my hands and whole upper body hurts when I’m using the wrong keyboard. Or mouse. Or desk.

It’s a physically tough job, and I’ve been at it since I was 10. Thankfully I’ve been able to keep the problems at bay so it hasn’t gotten worse in the last 5 years or so.