Wireless Keyboards and Mice Security

[retroroscoe]

Hi all,
With Apple now fully moved away from wired keyboards and mice I'm interested to find out how schools have got past the issue of securing wireless keyboards and mice on their sites.
My school is about to purchase a number of new model iMacs to replace superseded machines we currently have and retire them. The issue is, no wired input devices. We used to padlock the cables to the power cord and network cable. The great fear is with the lack of security students especially will just steal the devices and at the cost of them to replace it makes it all rather unpalatable.
Any ideas would be greatly appareciated.

[PaulHazelden]

Not the answer you are really looking for, but...
We have locked them all in a cupboard. Then we purchased Cherry keyboards and mice with wires. Yep more expense, but we can afford five replacements of the Cherry ones for one of the Apple ones, and the mice are about 12:1.
Got around 200 of them so far, and in a year we have only had two broken ones. Time will tell as to how robust they are.

[edickson]

Could you issue each student a wireless keyboard and mouse to make them responsible for returning them at the end of the school year? Sometimes if you pin responsibility on them (or the parents) that can help reduce the number of devices that go missing. If this is feasible, you can track the serial number of the devices as well (we track the s/n of keyboards/trackpad/mice where I work which is really not smart but this may be a better solution for your situation).

[retroroscoe]

Another issue is students being students and moving the location of the keyboard/mouse and it not staying with the iMac it was sync'd to.

[Volker]

As of today, still, you can get 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs with wired peripherals. This is an option in your Apple Store for Education interface; you can contact your rep for more info if you're unfamiliar with using that.

For other models, we've been using MacAlly keyboards and Logitech mice, both wired. Adds about $60/unit, but it solves the problem.

[georgecm12]

I too am still ordering the iMacs to come with the wired keyboards/mice... but I also have been keeping my eyes open for acceptable third party wired keyboards/mice as well, just in case.

I'd like to find something with a traditional Mac layout (that is, a Command key instead of a Windows key, and the Command key should be directly next to the space bar), and something that doesn't feel like complete trash to type on (I'm looking at you, Macally). I'd also prefer not to spend a ton of money on each keyboard. I'd also like it to be affordable. Any recommendations?

[georgecm12]

Bumping an old thread with a recommendation. If anyone still needs wired Mac keyboards that are similar to the Apple Wired USB keyboards, the Cherry KC 6000 Slim for Mac is a very good choice. We just got one in as a trial and to replace some out-of-warranty Apple keyboards, and are reasonably impressed.

Superficially, it looks very much like the Apple keyboard, with a very close approximation of aluminum for the frame (it is plastic, but looks very good) and white key caps. Key action is as good or better than the Apple Wired USB keyboard.

It is slightly less inclined than the Apple keyboard, but includes rubber bumpers to raise it up. It also lacks the USB passthrough.

[AJPinto]

For shared devices like that we just use HP Wired Keyboards and Mice. We are primarily a windows shop and have those coming out of our ears. They cost about $30 for the pair. Sure the key mappings are a bit different, but if you are worried about stuff walking off its probably best to as cheap and generic as possible. I really wish you could buy wired Apple keyboards, I prefer them for my lab.

It wont take the kids long to get use to hitting the windows key instead of the command/super key. The keybinding can also be changed in settings for user preference. I would not be shocked if many of the kids that have apple products at home dont use normal keyboards with them anyway.