Apple Compliant Wireless Keyboards

[Nightcleaner]

I learned a valuable lesson. from my computer shop. I bought a mac compliant keyboard. It would not pair up with my 2011 Imac. The shop told me my 2011 mac to old for these keyboards. He took my mac compliant keyboard home it paired to his new mac

I bought recently a magic apple wireless keyboard that did work with my 2011 Imac but it wont pair with our 2006 Imac

Further experimenting went on to find the 2006 Imac wireless keyboard will not pair to the 2011 and the magic mouse will not pair to the 2006 Imac.

Why does Apple do this

How are people suppose to know about this say when they buy them like I did on Ebay?

[Old_Geezer]

Sounds a right pain. I suppose once you know of the potential problem you have to ask the seller the specific question. Apple aren't the only ones who change specs and leave things redundant, but sellers ought not claim something is generally compatible if it is only compatible with specific versions.

[Gromit]

When you buy computer equipment there is usually system requirements/compatiblity in the specification.
Just looked at the two Apple wireless keyboards that Apple sell, and the specs are different.
The keyboard with numbers works with OSX 10.6 (7 years old) and later, while the small keyboard require OSX 10.11 (1 year old) and later.

The good news is that to update to OSX 10.11 is free, the bad news is that it cannot be installed on computers older than 2007.

There wasn't an iMac in 2006, you must have an older machine that does not have Intel chips. The compatability problems are because your iMac has obsolete chips, which Apple stopped supporting in 2009.
Your 2011 iMac should pair, as long as your system software has been updated to OSX10.11 (El Capitan)

[Nightcleaner]

Sorry Gromit and thanks Lots of good information.

What a pain though you must agree for a complete novice to understand. not your information But the whole Apple thing. Buying an imac like buying a Harley Davidson you do not buy just a product . You buy a life style. You really have to wear the Apple T-Shirt.

The apple magic keyboard cost me 50 pounds and the keyboard not english It has two letter A and the have over scores over them. The numerical keys have Two options on each key and i tried various ways of trying to figure it out. But can not I Can do this @ by pressing the left hand shift key and the letter 2 at the same time. But this dose not work for the other keys i tried the normal method holding down the option key and tried the FN key


our second Imac 2006 has capitan 10.6.11 Apologies for the hicup

[Gromit]

You cannot blame Apple if third Party hardware does not work.
The keyboards that Apple sells work on every Mac sold in the last 10 years.
Macs before 2006 did not have Intel chips in them, and are no longer supported. If your Mac is running OSX 10.5, then modern keyboards will not work with it.