Searching for Keyboards Loaded with Features?

halfgeek asks: "I was just considering how keyboard-centric I've managed to make my setup, even under the mouse-hungry Windows GUI (no shouting; I regularly SSH to my Linux routing box for experiments, bring up VMWare when I need some X, and can't live without Cygwin). Almost everything I would want to do can be done without moving a hand to the mouse. I can open up an SSH to my server with Win+Shift+V, bring up a calculator with Win+C, run a one-shot console command with Win+0, open up the MW dictionary website to a highlighted word by hitting Ctrl+C (to copy) and then Win+Enter (to look up the contents of the clipboard). (Much of this is implemented with Perl programs and WinKey.) I also make frequent use of the volume knob and mute button built into my Logitech keyboard. If there is any good route to finding the keyboard I want with all the features I'm thinking of at a justifiable price, whether prefabricated or a wicked mod, I would just love to know about it." There are quite a few options the submitter is looking for, but it basically boils down to is this: the more keys, the better. What keyboards have you found, in your browsing travels, that have been stuffed full of useful features?

"I'm aggravated over having the mouse still so separate from the keyboard, and I've been looking through the available options along the lines of keyboards with built-in touchpads. The closest I've found to what I want seems to be the Adesso WKB-120, but this is by no means the ideal choice. It does have three basic properties I want: One, it doesn't have the ergo-split form I so despise. Two, its touchpad is situated in the right place, just below the space bar. Three, it's all one piece, so I can keep the board off the desk and on my knees, where it belongs, eh. But it also appears to have those three intensely undesirable and horribly misplaced power management keys, and lacks the volume knob, mute button, and media controls. An illuminated keyboard would also be cool, but I'd take standard beige; it's just that my current black keyboard is hard to see in the dark."

Comments

There's only one answer, no need for a thread:

[FFFish]

PCKeyboard, who own the rights to the venerable IBM high-tactile keyboards (aka "the wing of death").

They also have myriad options and some extremely programmable/configurable keyboards.

Re:There's only one answer, no need for a thread:

[Trixter]

They may own the rights, but you can get original IBM 101-key keyboards from ebay regularly for about $12. I own 7 myself (Best. Keyboard. Ever.) for all my machines.

My co-workers hate me, BTW. They claim the noise is deafening, but an average of 100 words per minute can't be wrong! :-)

Focus Electronic

[Drakon]

I use a keyboard from Focus Electronic called the FK-8200
I sincerly regret not waiting for the FK-9200 to become available, since it has a trackball in the center of the keyboard.
This keyboard is great.. it has a built in calculator, a clock with batteries for when the machine is off, and 12 macro keys that can be mapped to just about anything..

roundup

[yarbo]

a good roundup of fancy keyboards here

Re:Windows is the best mouseless UI there is

[Atzanteol]

The same cannot be said for gnome/kde or X in general.

I beg to differ: http://ratpoison.sourceforge.net

Re:IBM trackpoint keyboards.

[einTier]

Personally? I love them. Cannot stand the trackpads. I can't imagine any geek liking them over an extended period of time. Why? Let me count the ways.

1. Trackpads are imprecise. Very imprecise. I can get incredible precision out of my trackpoint, nearly as good as I can with a mouse. To achieve the proper granularity out of the trackpad, I've got to jack up the sensitivity, which leads to the other problem.
   
2. There's not a 1:1 relationship with the screen. To move the pointer across the screen (unless it's a banzai run, and sometimes not even then), you've got to drag, lift, drag, lift, drag, lift, rinse, repeat. I feel like I'm using a mouse on a desk about two inches square. If I get pointer to the point where I can move it quickly, I can't get the fine control I need.
   
3. With all that lifting and pushing, inevitably, I get a nice 'click' when I didn't want one. God forbid I should touch down on the pad with a double touch, then I might really do something I didn't want.
   
4. The touchpad is under my thumbs. Who in the world thought this was a good idea? OK, yes, I know that you can set it to turn off the touchpad when you're typing -- but it's still a hack, and you shouldn't have to do it. Even when it's 'turned off', it's still possible to do actions you didn't intend, particularly if you pause for a second to study your code. It's just another imperfection of the touchpad.
   
5. This is kind of a continuation of the above, but one of the things I love about my trackpoint is that I can use the mouse and never take my hands off the keyboard. It's the best of both worlds. On the few occasions I need to use the mouse, it's right at my fingertips. I don't have to move my hands or anything except move my index finger over a bit and my thumb down.
   
   I know there are others, but it's 2:30, and that's all I can think of for now.
   
   I find most people who have trouble with trackpoints have problems for two reasons. Number one, they don't realize that the harder you push, the faster the pointer moves. Slow pushes give you great precision. Hard pushes zoom the thing across the screen. Number two, most people aren't used to pushing on something that doesn't move and getting a response. The stalk isn't supposed to move, but it will record even the slightest brush of your fingertips.

PI Engineering's X-Keys

[Zocalo]

PI Engineering make a range of rather nifty "keyboard extenders" for all those keyboard macros. I've got my eyes on an X-Keys "Stick" or two, but want the USB version which has been "coming soon" for a few months now, so should be imminent. The only drawback is that the management software utility is Windows only, although you can still program the keys directly or use a Windows PC and then tranfer the keyboard to a Mac/*NIX box. Since you have Windows anyway that shouldn't be a major problem in your case though. They seem open to developing custom solutions though, so *might* be prepared to provide the info necessary to develop a *NIX version of the programming tool. In my experiences with programmable keyboards however that's only really of use to people who need to either bulk program the things or flip between application specific macro sets.

Re:Windows is the best mouseless UI there is

[kiwimate]

Yes it can. I do everything using the keyboard, including moving and resizing windows under X (with sawfish.) I kid you not! Care to show me how to do that in windows?

With pleasure.

Use the ALT-space key combination. This will bring up that window's control menu, including options to Restore (switch between full screen or windowed view), Minimize, Maximize, Close...and Size or Move. If you select Size or Move, you can then resize the window or move the window around the screen using the arrow keys. When done, press the Enter key. Presto -- all without a mouse.

You're welcome.

Touchstream Keyboards

[Argot]

I repeatedly drool over Touchstream keyboards. I can't justify the expense, but the entire keyboard is a touch-sensitive surface (like those laptop glide pads), and has an absurd number of macro functions (including ones for emacs).

Re:The most useful keyboard for me.

[stanmann]

Yes.. Try Ebay look for IBM PS/2 Model M type keyboards... Built like a brick(literally can be used to put a nail into a board). and no Windows key.