14 DAY TRIAL // As more users bought Apple's new keyboard, the small issue with the F3 and F4 keys became even more widespread. While there is still no official fix from Apple, it did not take long for users themselves to figure out a solution and post in on the Internet. Unfortunately, while this solution solves the issue, it will create new ones.
The Dashboard and Expos? on the new keyboard are still not working for many people despite there being nothing wrong with the keys themselves. When a method of fixing this issue by using Pacifist, a third party installer application, in order to install just parts of the Apple Keyboard Software update 1.1 was suggested, many took a dive. The procedure itself is quite simple and requires installation only of the PowerPC or Intel packages relevant to your machine, as well as a common installer. Some users were put off by the fact that Pacifist warns about the overwriting of various files, including Dock.app, but this should not come as a surprise since the Dock actually manages Dashboard and Expos? and even the simple Command-Tab.
While using Pacifist to install the keyboard software definitely gets rid of the problems encountered with the two keys it also has another unfortunate side effect? it will kill your Dashboard. While some users are only reporting that a small number of widgets have become non functional, others are reporting that Dashboard will not run at all and unexpectedly quits when it is called. A small number of people have reported that their Dashboard works fine after using Pacifist to resolve the keyboard problems, but these are few and far between. For those who have Dashboard problems, it is now being reported that simply replacing the Dock.app from a clean source should solve the issue.
So far the new Apple keyboard has managed to attract quite a lot of attention to itself. First with the lack of an Apple logo on the Command key, then the two shortcut keys that refuse to work and last but not least with the USB ports that were supposed to work with iPods. At least for the third issue, Apple has an official response. The company has updated its website, mentioning that devices which draw high power from the USB connection, such as the iPod, can only be used with the new keyboard when it is attached to the new aluminum iMac.