Can anybody post any documentation on how Mac OS X and Apple's Bluetooth keyboard pair up with each other?
I have seen the articles Apple keyboard pairing over Bluetooth and https://superuser.com/questions/15788/which-wireless-keyboard-is-most-secure but they do not contain any specific details on this, except other users saying "I think" or "It is like this, because I say so".
Should I buy a keyboard with a cable, or are the nifty Bluetooth keyboards secure "enough" these days?
Again, please include sources when you post.
Best Answer
The simple answer is "it's secure enough." The Apple Wireless Keyboard uses bluetooth, which since 2007 has been quite secure.
The pairing process protects you in a number of ways, as outlined on wikipedia. While wireless connections are always subject to sniffing, bluetooth uses public-key cryptography to securely exchange the keys used to encrypt everything else between the keyboard and your computer. Also, your computer will make you enter a code on the keyboard during pairing—this is done to protect against a man-in-the-middle attack.
The Wikipedia article on Bluetooth has an almost obscene amount of relevant information.
Basically: get the wired keyboard if you want a numpad. Get the wireless one otherwise. Only your computer will be able to see your keystrokes.