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Review of Das Keyboard
First of all let me say that it sounds great. There's something really satisfying about the thunderous racket created by a nice tactile keyboard. The buttons move smoothly and lightly. As I type these words I find myself typing very fast. Ironically, I have to turn up my speakers just to listen clearly to the NPR program quietly playing... and this leads me to my first point. There are no volume control keys. So I have to navigate through various menus to put the volume control widget back on my toolbar. I haven't needed it for years, but this keyboard has none of the bloated keys that over populate a modern keyboard. Save for the 2 keys added for windows 95, this is practically the same layout as the first keyboard I called my own in the 80s. The keyboard is also available without any markings on the key- although my keyboard had them.
Then I hear the ping that tells me that I have mail so I apple-tab to go to my Mail program and then... crap. Did I mention that this is a windows keyboard? The alt key and the windows key are obnoxiously transposed, requiring me to rewire my brain to get to the program I need. It's not the end of the world- and of course it only matters if you are using a Mac. But since I switch daily from the laptop keyboard to a desktop keyboard, I suspect that I would slowly go mad as I was never able to reliably remember which key was alt and which key was apple. To say nothing of this meaningless preferences button which does nothing. Of course the OSX preferences panels contain an option to remap these keys, but I'd have to reset it every time I went home. And I just don't like the idea of monkeying around with this sort of thing twice a day.
So I decide that just for now I will use my mouse to navigate from app to app. This makes my heart cry a little bit- I don't much care for my mouse. He sits there lonely, the tool of last resort as I instead opt to use ridiculous keybindings requiring 7 fingers of syncronized chording. It only inflames my carpal tunnel, but I don't have to move my arm. But times of desperation call for us to rise up to the challenges that come before us.
Now Das Keyboard has the USB ports on the right hand side. I've plugged in 2 devices: the first is a little spinner wheel that I use for editing video, and the other is a little RF broadcaster for a wireless Logitech mouse. And like most of you, I'm right handed. So as I fling my mouse around, I find myself constantly bumping into the 2 giant USB plugs that now overlap my mousepad. My old keyboard had the mouse ports at the top and I never had this problem.
The toggle lights are completely invisible unless on, hidden cleanly within the black plastic surface. The num lock key doesn't seem to do anything, although I assume that's a mac thing. And scroll lock... well now seriously, who among us relies on that in any serious way? Maybe I should just remap those keys, along with the windows 'preferences' key to be the volume up, down, and mute key I'm missing.
But it's black. It's sexy. It's loud. It feels good to type on it. Which takes me to the big question: is this really worth shelling out $130 plus shipping for? For me the answer is a no. It feels great to type, but the lack of volume controls, the mac keys, and most of all, the irritating position of the USB ports make it an inferior keyboard in all practical ways except for the simple act of typing. But if you are a left handed windows user, you might feel differently. As for me, I'm going to have to keep searching for my perfect keyboard. This one is close, but it's just not it.
Unicomp sells a 104-key version of the Customizer that's USB-native. I'm typing on one right now. It's /slightly/ more lightly-built than the Lexmark M 3 feet away and my IBM M at home, but it's much better IMO than a standard kb.
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You can use that key for other things:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubuntu/use-the-windows-key-for-the-start-menu-in-ubuntu-linux/
if you are so inclined
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Why don't they sell keyboards without these stupid windows-keys?
Because the windows keys are really, really useful? They give you 3 more keys in easy reach of your thumbs. I dislike the current trend to remove some of them. If yiu want to know how to get the best out of them, try running the following command:
man xmodmap
and if you want to do something handy with the key, try:
man fvwm2
Which reminds me... the reviewer complained about having to do lots of key remapping every day. Is this really the case? With a good system (eg, X) you can keep lists of kemappings in a file and just apply the whole file in one go. You can even bind the command to do that to a menu in any good window manager. That way, you can have as many keyboard types as you wish, for instance wierd laptop internal, external UK and external US.
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You don't have to pay $130+shipping for Das Keyboard. You can get it from thinkgeek.com for $80+shipping. It's out of stock right now but is estimated to be back in stock in 1-3 weeks. This is the model with no markings on the keys. I've had mine for about five months, and I love it. It's helped me improve my touch-typing, it has great tactile feedback, and the sound of those keys clicking is very nice. Sure, it's not the Model M, and it doesn't have multimedia keys, but if you use Windows or Linux (can't speak for the Mac, don't have one), it's a very nice keyboard.
After I first started using ergonomic split-key keyboards over a decade ago, I can't go back to the old-style "bust your wrists" keyboard. After 5 min of typing, my wrists hurt.
So, no, Das Keyboard is NOT the best keyboard ever made. Microsoft's Natural Ergonomic 4000 is still the best IMNSHO.
I've heard if your old keyboard gets too crusty you can throw it in the dishwasher. Anybody try it?
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
It's called the Optimus Keyboard, and it costs eleventy bajillion dollars. But yes, it exists.
I've upped my standards, so up yours.
and b) there isn't a power button on them like the old iMac keyboard
While you can't turn a Mac on with the newer keyboards, you can turn them off. Press CTRL-Eject to bring up the power menu.
This guy's the limit!
As a Das Keyboard user that -doesn't- use a Mac, I think it is wonderful. If you're a keyboard enthusiast (which is whom I would have expected to review A KEYBOARD), I highly recommend giving one a shot.
Each key is individually weighted, which gives it a really fresh feeling, and the keys feel light but still click loudly. In my opinion, there's really three top-tier keyboards out there for awesome tactile feedback: the M series keyboard (for people that learned on typewriters, not me), this keyboard and its mechanical switches, and those people out there that refuse to use anything but an SGI keyboard, even though their SGI workstation has been unused for years (some of my coworkers).
This guy just cares about the placement of the Command key (which is settable in the Options anyway), and the "extra" keys. If you're like that, this keyboard is not for you.
DrPascal: Not the language, the mathematician.
The Lenovo M's keep popping up on eBay, factory sealed for ~$30. I have a stockpile in boxes that will puzzle my grandchildren.
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Agreed. I'm typing this from a Unicomp Customizer right now. It's basically built in the old IBM Model M keyboard factory (the employees bought the division and spun it off into its own company).
The external keyboard casing is thick plastic instead of solid metal, but it's still sturdier than most computer peripherals you'll run across. And as a bonus, mine has a USB interface instead of an AT connector.
I use a Mac, so I actually wanted the Windows keys. However, I didn't want the stupid Microsoft logo on a keyboard for my Mac. For $10 extra Unicomp actually made me two replacement keycaps that say "Command" on them and provided a free blank keycap. I popped off the three Windows keys and replaced these with the new ones, and now it's just perfect.
As with the Das Keyboard, on a Mac the alt and command keys are reversed. You can easily fix this in the System Preferences -> Keyboard and Mouse settings though. In OS X Leopard, they've even added a per-keyboard mapping option so I don't have to unswap the buttons every time I take my laptop out and use the built-in keyboard.
I've also found that keeping my old Apple keyboard around has been useful, I plug it in during conference calls. Otherwise when I start clicking away on the keys everyone stops and asks what that sound is.
Overall though, this is the best keyboard I've ever owned. It's just fun to type on, and if you're sitting at a computer all day long, that's worth something. The Unicomp keyboard sells for around $70. I'm sure you could get them to send you a set of blank keycaps for a little extra money if having blank keys is important to you.
It's worth noting to that the key action is a little bit different between the Das Keyboard and the Unicomp Customizer. The Unicomp uses the exact same technology found in the legendary IBM Model M keyboards. Das Keyboard uses something else that is also supposed to be very good, but they're not exactly the same thing. I haven't personally tried both so I can't comment either way on that one. I'm sure it probably boils down to personal preference.
I don't work for them or anything like that, I'm just a guy that got tired of replacing keyboards every few months.
For reference, this is the exact keyboard I'm referring to: Unicomp Customizer 104
No kidding. I'm tying this on a 1995/6 Microsoft Natural keyboard. The first natural keyboard. The one that came with a diskette to add functions for the Windows key (which was new at the time). The logo on the bottom says "Windows Compatible". Not Windows XP, or 2000, or NT, or 95. Windows.
I've used this keyboard daily for years and years. It got a break of a few years when I spent most time on a laptop in college (though I'd break it out for long papers due to comfort), but I took it to work (because typing on those standard non-ergonomics keyboards becomes painful quickly) and it's been in constant use for the last two years.
It's big, it's heavy, and it feels great to type on. Only two letters (N and M) are faded, every other one looks as good as the day I bought it. I took it apart a year or so ago to clean it really well (grime and dust from sitting around unused) and it was very well built. It has a large steel or aluminum plate in it to provide support.
Best of all, it has a real inverted T set of arrow keys and a 3x2 set of home/end keys. I hate the way they've changed those on all their models they sell now.
I had one of their internet natural keyboard a few years ago (with all the buttons on top). I didn't really use them, and at this point I'm not even sure where it is.
But my comfortable 1995 keyboard works as well today as the day I bought it. Microsoft can make some really nice hardware at times.
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On windows, the "winkey" has a number of extremely functional uses exclusively tied to the operating system (rather than applications)
Win + D shows the desktop. Hit it again, and your windows are restored. Not as swanky as Compiz or Expose, but gets the job done.
Win + E opens a file browser
Win + F opens the find file window
Win + L locks the screen
Win + R opens the "run" box
The only thing missing is a built-in shortcut to open a command prompt.
I also find myself using the context menu key quite a lot, as an alternative to mousing. This is especially useful when editing documents, or the like, and you don't know all of the keyboard shortcuts...
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I believe I'll stick with my Happy Hacking Lites... All that extra bulk on the right side of a 104 keyboard has the effect of either pushing the main part of the keyboard to the left (increasing wrist strain) or pushing the mouse further to the right (real fun to reach for it, you know...)
I wouldn't mind having some of those keys back, but only if I could put them on the left. Presently for Blender I use an external USB numeric keypad which I keep to the left of my keyboard... not too shabby.
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Das keyboard's claim to fame is that it's available with completely blank key caps. Get one of those and you can have your Dvorak layout without the manual labor of swapping keys.
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And a wife armed with a glass of Pespi. *grumble*
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On a side note, it's funny that there have been no Mac trolls so far :)
That's because Mac users smart enough to buy a Das Keyboard are also smart enough to find the setting in System Preferences that lets you swap the Command and Option keys so that it behaves as expected. In Leopard, this can even be done device-by-device, thus alleviating CmdrTaco's problem.
Using ControllerMate, I was even able to add volume keys and an Eject button (used the PrtScr, Scroll Lock, and Pause buttons for volume.)
I love my Das Keyboard II.
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One problem I've noticed is that... the per keyboard mapping isn't completely effective. USB keyboards won't respect their per-keyboard mapping, from what I've seen.
USB doesn't specify a standard way for devices to have a unique identifier. The result is that all USB devices of a given model appear identical to the host. So if you have two Das Keyboards, the host cannot tell them apart (within the world of USB).
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