A quick overview of the keyboard reminds us of Logitech's Illuminated Keyboard. The body of the Celesta is less than 1 inch thick and ergonomically angled forward for a more natural typing experience. We're happy to see two USB 2.0 ports on the right side of the keyboard, but the frame surrounding it is made of a thin aluminum that feels like a chalkboard and attracts a lot of dust, despite efforts to keep it clean. The top border is mirrored with several LEDs that light up and each key is labeled in red, but that's all for style and they don't help illuminate the keys in dark environments. We prefer the individually illuminated keys on the Logitech.
The bottom of the keyboard has an extendable foot that provides additional vertical adjustment, and the flat keys are positioned closer together than a standard keyboard. When you press down on them, the range of motion feels more like a laptop keyboard. We had no problems quickly adjusting our wrists to accommodate the new arrangement. The layout of the keys is similar to the traditional Mac keyboard, but in order to minimize hand travel, the dedicated volume and eject buttons are placed above the directional pad. Unfortunately, this creates a cramped navigation cluster and makes the delete key more difficult to reach. Our last complaint is that the keys make a noisy clacking sound (similar to an old typewriter) when you press on them, which can be irritating in a quiet study room or office cubicle.
We could forgive these small shortcomings if the Celesta keyboard didn't cost $120 or if it added extra features like gaming shortcuts, a wireless Bluetooth connection, or a powered USB port, but as it stands, the device focuses too much on design and not enough on functionality. If you absolutely hate Apple's new keyboard design, you'd be better off checking out the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard and remapping the home and Alt buttons rather than spending $120 on this one.
What You'll Pay
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