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Light Touch / Low Force Keyboards
buggedbug writes "My favorite old keyboard finally died, and all of the new keyboards I have tried have such a hard keypress that I get wrist pain. Can anyone suggest a good pc keyboard with a light touch / low-force keypress? I actually did try the Kinesis Classic which does have a good low force keypress (45 grams), but the contouring and relocated keys are driving me nuts and the contouring is more than I need to prevent the pain. I'd prefer to find a more standard keyboard... Any suggestions?" We've done plenty of keyboard questions, regarding durable keyboards, one-handed keyboards, ergonomic keyboards, etc. But I don't recall any on light-touch keyboards.
Ouch. The ZX81 was the first computer I built and own, but the membrane force needed to get reliable typing motivated me to search for an aftermarket keyboard. Back in those days, an aftermarket keyboard meant a bunch of keys on a plastic base that needed soldering and a case made for it.
Unlike today's keyboards, the old ones had a distinctive solid feel through the heavy keys. Each key was its unique switch on a heavy plastic frame. The weight of they keys were nothing considering the lack of friction heavy construction provided. And this was a cheap keyboard in its day ($20.) More expensive models had a HAL effect switch for each key. Pressing a key had the smoothest action and least friction. Top of the line keyboards had a very light spring under tension to create a threshold that stimulated typing action.
Today's keyboards just don't compare to the old clickety clunkers of yesterday. The keys in modern keyboards have a sloppy path of travel not staying level under the fingers, giving bad feedback. The keys on older keyboards stayed level under force and would travel an accurate straight path downwards when pressed. Good keyboard feedback is noticeable after a short time. Its a feel that can be compared with a car that wanders between lanes down the road with one that tracks the center on its own.
Everyone needs to save those old junk keyboards, especially the ones made in the 70's. Gold connectors, HAL effect switches, and solid metal frames rival the finest precision machines known as typewriters they were to replace.
Boy, you ain't kidding about the Model M. I recently managed to snag one and it is wonderful. You forgot to mention the removeable keycaps, though.
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"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
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I've got a Microsoft Natural, a Logitech Deluxe 104, a PC-Concepts i-MMT ($10), and a Honeywell 101WN sitting here. The Logitech has the lightest touch of all of them, even compared to the keyboard on my Dell laptop. I actually went to several office stores, and compared keyboards before I found one that I liked. Must confess that I fell in love with the Kinesis keyboard at a UW computer fair years ago, but could never bring myself to spend that much.
You might also consider building forearm strength. It's easy to do, prevents carpal tunnel, reduces arthritis, and you'd have to actually work at it for a couple of years to get Popeye's forearms. I've known several women with incredible grip strength (one rock-climber, one nurse, and one pastry chef), and they all had slender arms. If you want some tips (clean ones, I promise), post back to the forum.
I like the keyboard myself -- I have one sitting in front of me in my cubicle. However, I would not recommend it for his purposes. Pressing the keys on that keyboard takes a bit more force than that of the Dell QuietKey that I'm typing this on, and even this keyboard might be a bit more than what he's looking for.
They do sound, look, and feel good to me, but my favorite keyboards are still the old IBM PS/2 keyboards. You know the ones.. the ones that felt like they had bed springs under the keys? I loved the feel of them even though the noise they made meant that you couldn't use them at night when other people in the house might be sleeping.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
The lightest touch I ever had was on the ones which Digital was selling with their Personal DECStation and original AlphaStation line. You could barely feel that the key had moved, and there was virtually 0 tactile feedback, the key action was so low. They stopped selling computers which used them a LONG time ago (when they went to a new generation of AlphaStations), and they didn't have standard keyboard attachments (some crazy DEC thing). However, it was the lightest touch ever. And if you wanted (I did) you could set it up to issue a very low click-style-electronic-sound when you hit a key, to get over the "did I really hit that key" effect you have with something like that.
At one point I was using FreeBSD and SunOS, and I actually would telnet into the machine that I really needed to work on from the alpha box (even though the freebsd box was right next to it) just so that I could use that keyboard. You might be able to pick up a really cheap DECstation or AlphaStation (the really old ones that used the same chassis as the DECstation they replaced) on eBay or something for dirt cheap. Not the fastest machines in the world, but this stuff worked really well.
Well, a few things first.
C ap.htm">Keyswitch technology review</A>
Most people find themselves most comfortable on a mechanical keyswitch. The most common technologies are the ALPS mechanical keyswitches (found on SOME NMB keyboards) or the IBM mechanical keyswitches (OMNIKEY keyboards $$$).
Per element, mechanical keyswitches cost a lot. Capacitive membranes are the cheapest, and the worst.
I think the NMB mechanical keyboards are around $50 US - probably the least expensive ALPS keyswitch keyboard out there.
Darwin Keyboards used to make a split keyboard with ALPS keyswitches that use 75% of the force of the NMB keyboards. Now datadesk carries them.
<A href-"http://www.pcguide.com/ref/kb/const/switch_
<A href-"http://www.datadesktech.com/smartb.htm">C urrent home of Smartboard</A>
And they look cool? They're gray with white buttons. It's just a standard OEM style keyboard.