Moshi Celesta keyboard

27.10.2008
If you're looking for a Mac-styled keyboard but you're not a fan of , Moshi's is a stylish and functional alternative, albeit one that doesn't offer as many special keys or as much customization as some other keyboards we've tested.

If Apple made a pro keyboard

Apple's current Keyboard is essentially a MacBook keyboard in a full-size, aluminum-and-plastic package. The Celesta takes a similar approach, but one that's better in nearly every way. The top surface is a single piece of black or white diamond-cut aluminum; the brushed-metal surface is stylish, but unlike Logitech's , it's also resistant to smudges and fingerprints. The top edge of the keyboard is made of a clear, glossy plastic with the Moshi logo and three indicators etched into the back; lights along the top of the keyboard illuminate these etched areas--white for the Moshi logo and either red or blue, depending on the keyboard color, for the others. (Only one of the indicators, for caps lock, works with the Mac.)

The keyboard body is just over an eighth of an inch thick along the front edge and approximately 1.25 inches thick at the rear; the keys themselves range from a height of a quarter inch (the bottom row) to an inch (the top row) off your desk. The thin profile and low angle of incline make the Celesta comfortable to use and, assuming your desk is set up properly, relatively ergonomically sound. If your desk configuration requires a higher angle, a pop-out leg that runs the width of the keyboard lets you raise the rear nearly five-eighths of an inch.

The Celesta is : black with red key labels and red indicator lights, or white with gray key labels and blue indicator lights. I tested the black model and found it to be attractive and well built--it felt like it would stand up to a considerable amount of abuse. However, I found the red-on-black lettering to be difficult to read, especially in dim light; white key labels would have been much more visible.

The Celesta connects to your Mac via USB and provides two USB 2.0 ports on the right-hand side of the keyboard. Like most keyboard-hosted USB ports, these are bus-powered, so they're designed for input devices, photo-card readers, and other low-power devices; you won't be able to connect a USB hard drive or other high-power USB device. Moshi also includes a microfiber dust cover to place on top of the keyboard when not in use