TreasureTia

Q: Can my old Pro Keyboard be used on a new MacBook

So my old iMac graphite from eons ago has been on hospice care in a closet. I am impatiently waiting for my new macbook pro (not retina) i just ordered to be delivered (I customized it)

 

The day it will arrive will be the longest day of my life at my work until i get home. So I am preparing ahead of time for what I need. I did not order an extra keyboard or mouse yet. i have a new-in-package logitech mouse sitting there which will work, I always have extras for all my computers,

so as nice as the apple mouse would be i really need to focus on the keyboards.

 

I want the compact bluetooth one and a fullsize one.

I can't justify buying both of those items, plus maybe the apple mouse.

 

But I just realized i still have my old pro keyboard sitting here. It's usb. Will that work with the macbook pros? And to go further, can i plug my logitech receiver into that and will it work?

 

If thats the case I can just get a small keyboard (and possibly that mouse too.)

 

Would anyone know about this?

Posted on Mar 21, 2015 10:56 PM

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Q: Can my old Pro Keyboard be used on a new MacBook

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  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Mar 22, 2015 8:22 AM in response to TreasureTia
    Level 8 (35,291 points)
    iPad
    Mar 22, 2015 8:22 AM in response to TreasureTia

    As long as it is the original Apple USB board, it should work at a basic level--type characters; save; quit programs; etc. You may not have access to some of the newer F-key assignments--at minimum they won't match the function of F-keys on your new MBP.

     

    My wife liked the Pro USB keyboard that came with her 2005 eMac and is still using it on a 2011 Intel iMac. She seldom has any need for F-key functions so she has a big smile on her face. Try it and see how far you get before you hit limitations. I suspect it will be fairly far.

     

    When I bought my 2010 iMac, I needed a numeric keypad so ordered that board as a extra. I now used the standard wireless board (no trackpad) that came with the iMac for my MBP. It is small enough to just fit in my backpack when I travel and need a real keyboard for something. I'm also using  the wireless Magic Mouse that came with the iMac on the MBP. I had an older programmable Logitech mouse on the iMac so the Magic mouse was a spare.