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A Selective History Of The Keyboard

Posted by timothy on from the triumph-of-the-louse dept.

Anonymous Gimp writes "Today's keyboards aren't what they used to be, no sir! Back in my day, we had our BS technology; our keyboards had chassis which allowed 'em to be thrown off a 3-story building and still work - barely dented. Yes those were the days. Now we've got these newfangled Wireless Ergonomic E-Mail button membrane keyboards. To heck with them, I say!"

5 of 436 comments (clear)

  1. The original IBM keyboards rule! by barc0001 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You know, the ones with the steel plates inside? I have 5 of them, 4 in storage, hopefully enough to last the rest of my life. The one I am typing this on is from my IBM AT that I got in 1992. Still going strong..... You can occasionally find them at garage sales(!) and swap meets and such. If you see one, grab it. It is really the best keyboard.

  2. nostalgic but... by CProgrammer98 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I remember with fondness the big old solid metal cased IBM keyboards, I guess the fondness comes from the fact that it was my first pc (well, ok, the companies, but the first one I used). But I would actually much prefer a modern quiet membrane keyboard. I work in an open plan office with desks in clusters of 4, and it's very distracting whne you're trying to pin down a bug and having to think and concentrate but your neighbour is clacking away typing an email (or a slashdot post!) The keyboards we have now are Compaq (well, probably not, but that's what it says on the label) and they are quite noisy when you're typing quickly, and very distracting. My keyboard at home (generic no-name $15.00 membrane keyboard) is much quieter and even has a nicer feel. It has all hose fancy media and internet buttons which I never use, I bought it cuz I needed a new keyboard fats and didn't have much money. I went for the cheapest on the shelf and was actually pleasently surprised.

    The other thing I like about mebrane keyboards is that they're very easy to strip down and clean when the accumulated crud from sandwich crumbs and cake bars gets too much!

    --
    And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour Isaiah 3:5
  3. Apple Extended Keyboard II !!!!! by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Still my fave, and they stopped making them years ago. Apple's keyboards have gone downhill ever since. I have two Apple Extended Keyboards and I will keep using them until the keys don't work anymore. They're huge, heavy (but not too heavy), and the keys have the perfect balance between "soft" and "clunk" when you pound on them. I even spilled tequila on one of them and didn't fry it (don't try this at home though; I'm sure I got lucky.... heh, friends don't let friends code drunk). My heart sunk when I bought a 7100/66 back in the day and, expecting another extended keyboard, I opened the box to find a smaller, mushier keyboard (I forget its name, but I threw it away it sucked so bad).

    Anyway here's a pic if you like to drool over pics of keyboards (the page itself is not so informative unless you speak Japanese). You can probably still buy these things used on ebay... if you use a Mac and have an ADB input (I don't think they have them on the newest ones but I'm not sure) that you don't mind using your keyboard in, pick one up!! This keyboard rules over all others.... I'm so obsessed with this keyboard that I'm considering getting a USB to ADB adapter so I can plug it into my tibook.

    Keyboards do matter.

  4. Re:Curious about Dvorak? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    LOL. Lets state some facts :)

    * The qwerty standard was optimized for typewriters with moving parts that could jam.
    * There are no moving parts in todays keybeards.
    * Just because everybody uses something, it isnt necessarilly the best thing. (think Microsoft :)
    * One of the main principles that dvorak is built on is alternating hands. FYI all vowels are placed on the middle row of the left hand exept for Y which is placed in the upper row. And yes, alternating hands does speed up typing a lot, I wont argue about that =)
    * All letters in the word TYPEWRITER is placed in the upper row on the qwerty keyboard to make it easy for salesmen to type that word when trying to sell typewriter machines to customers. Wow that sounds like a very optimized design if you ask me.
    * Very few people have actually tried dvorak.
    * Everybody I know (including myselfe) who have actually tried dvorak will never change back.

    hans AT anti DOT nu

  5. Amiga & Northgate Omni Key Ultra keyboards rul by Tekoneiric · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As far as layout goes, the Amiga keyboards rock! They place the system options keys "Amiga keys" next to the space bar where they should be and there is actually a help key. Of course the Amiga OS knows how the use those keys far more efficent than Windows can use it's Windows keys. On the Amiga, left key is for global system hot keys and right is for app short cuts. But when it comes to physical construction, nothing can beat the Omni Key Ultra keyboard. I could kill someone with it. Plus when you press a key, you know it's been pressed. Since that keyboard supported the Amiga, although somewhat buggly in faster Amigas, it combined the best of both keyboards. -Tekoneiric-

    --
    *It's not what you can do for the Dark Side but what the Dark Side can do for you!*