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The Best Keyboards For Every Occasion
ThinSkin writes "ExtremeTech has written an article on the best keyboards in every category, such as gaming keyboards (macro and hybrid), media center keyboards, keyboard gamepads, and so forth. Of course, the big companies like Microsoft and Logitech dominate these lists, while smaller companies like Razer, Ideazon, and others play an important role as well."
The IBM Model M
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
I suppose writers, spreadsheet jockeys, and developers all have to share the "generic" category, which doesn't seem right.
In the generic category, they are going for cool appearance (interesting materials, backlight) over functionality, key layout, tactile feedback, and durability. How else to explain the complete absence of any "clicky" keyboards? The old IBM keyboards are still available. They are fantastic, I'm using one right now. And there are newer keyboards with similar mechanisms -- I expect that they are very good but I haven't tried them.
Ok, so a keyboard that they describe as having "soft and cushy keys" is #1 in their "generic" category. WTF guys? And no clicky boards at all? Hell, you could have saved your time by just ranking them according to number of "multimedia" buttons and extraneous LEDs. You would have done about as well.
Get off my lawn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_Keyboard - About the keyboards. http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=model+m+keyboard&_sacat=0&_fromfsb=&_trksid=m270.l1313&_odkw=model+m&_osacat=0 - Ebay availability http://www.clickykeyboard.com/ - Used Model M Retailer http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/keyboards.html - Unicomp Model M Keyboards (using the same machinery that made the originals)
This article hardly covers *every* category. I'm a full-time translator, sometimes spending far too much time at my keyboard, and RSI is a big issue. One big help I found in working around and avoiding RSI issues is the Alphagrip.
It looks like a PS2 controller on steroids. Sure, it's a bit funky and takes a while to get used to, but its different key layout means that learning it does not overwrite your muscle memory for regular QWERTY boards, allowing you to swap back and forth with no confusion -- unlike Dvorak layouts, for instance. Plus, it's portable. :) The one drawback is no wireless version yet, but word is they're working on that. I've found the Alphagrip to be very useful in recovering from RSI induced by generic keyboards.
(Note -- I have no relation to the Alphagrip company. I am merely a satisfied customer.)
Cheers,
"What in the name of Fats Waller is that?"
"A four-foot prune."
Would have been nice if they said how Mac friendly each was.
A one-handed chorded keyboard, of course.
The link brought a two paragraph page, designed not for useability but for page views. If a TECH publication can't do something as simple as designing a useable web page, it has no credibility with me whatever.
C|NET was always bad about this, too. Do they still use this incompetent madnes? Whatever these sites are paying their webmasters and visual designers, they're getting ripped off. The site is simply shoddy.
Lastly, does anyone have a link to a "printer-friendly" (i.e., human useable) version?
Free Martian Whores!
Yes
Er, no. Fuck the idiots who spread TFA over three ad-filled pages. Here, enjoy:
http://www.extremetech.com/print_article2/0,1217,a%253D235406,00.asp
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
7. Can be used to club burglars into submission.
Sure, the act of bludgeoning another person with a Model M will probably be quieter than actually typing on the damn thing, but such is the price of home security.
Oh, and almost forgot:
8. Reduces instances of cat-on-keyboard syndrome. They'll either weigh too little to depress the keys, or the sound of the spacebar going off like a gunshot will probably traumatize them enough that they won't try it again.
Integrated audio chip might annoy those with speaker setups
What? How? Does it force you to use its own audio?
Short of hotkeys.
Ok, first of all, does anyone here find the "Home Page" key to be useful?
Alright, I can see the point of things like volume keys. What I don't see is why it's so hard to map some unused keystroke to those anyway. I tend to map various global keystrokes with the Windows key to Amarok.
Also, WTF is a "Gaming keyboard"? Last I checked, most games are built to respond to keystrokes on a normal keyboard. As for macros, why not do it in software? If it's to foil the game's anti-cheat mechanism, wouldn't this then be considered cheating? Is WASD really that hard to use?
The media center keyboards I can kind of see, but really, it's not that difficult to just use any wireless keyboard (why do you need integrated tracking?) and learn keystrokes, or use a good old-fashioned infrared remote.
As for "clicky" keyboards, at least you've got a valid reason for those -- personally, the keyboard I'm fastest with is Apple's aluminum keyboards (I prefer the wired version), which cost me $50. Most of these are much more than that, even one of the "gamepad keyboards". I just wish someone other than Apple would make one, so I could have an insert key, and not have to swap command/option.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
Why is it that the number pad on a telephone is vertically mirrored from the number pad on computers and calculators? The number pads on calculators and computers pre-dates those on phones by several decades, so why did the phone guys make theirs upside-down?
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
I've been using a Kinesis Advantage keyboard for several years now and I have to say it's probably one of the best out there, specially if you have issues with RSI.
I ended up getting two; one which I leave at home on my workstation, and one that I have at work.
Programmable, very good tactile feedback (almost as good as the Model M), can be switched to Dvorak, and their support staff is phenomenal.
It will take you maybe a week or so to get accustomed to the key positions, but once you get the hang of it, you'll never go back.
If you're in the market for a good keyboard that will last you years, definitely have a look at these. They're a little pricey (about $300 or so, depending on the model), but they'll be the best money ever spent on a keyboard.
"We'll need 2000 crickets, 4 cans of Easy Cheese, and the fluid from 18 glowsticks for this plan to work...." - ph0n1c
Unicomp sells model Ms in a "Linux" layout: Capslock and lctrl swapped, and escape & ~ swapped.
The keys are very easy to take out, and the keycaps themselves can be removed separately.
The sound isn't as important as the tactile feedback, though both help when not looking at the screen (say, copying text from a written page.
I've never had one of my M's keys gum up.
Not a sentence!
I then take that keyboard, and remap the capslock key to be a second control key. After all, when was the last time you needed to use capslock? Never.
You must lose a lot of your internet debates.
I've heard a lot of people on slashdot say the model M is awesome, but why? Supposedly annoyingly loud clicky noises are... good?
I agree with these people. The reasons are:
1. Durability. The keyboard is built using the design principles first worked out during the construction of the pyramids. It contains lots of metal. In a pinch it can be used to deflect RPGs. The key switches do. not. wear. out. ever. because they are based on a mechanical switch with a 10,000,000,000 activation duty cycle where the standard rubber dome design is good for at best 100,000 activations. The standard rubber dome designs also become squishy and unreliable with age. Model M keys work the same way always.
2. Ease of maintenance. Easily disassembled and cleaned of foreign debris. Nose hairs, Cheetos, Pepsi, spray from food fights not a problem. If you should spill Pepsi into it, disassemble and cycle in the dishwasher and you are good to go.
3. Tremendous tactile and auditory feedback. There is no doubt that you have completed a keystroke. Yes, I can see where the person you are sharing your cubical might not like this but that is a sign that you should be working for a company that provides its developers with offices.
4. Keypress distance. All too many modern keyboards have 0.001" keypress distance. This drives me nuts.
5. Full sized. No compromise in key spacing meaning people like me with relatively large hands do not have trouble using these keyboards.
6. No newfangled keys. The good old One True Way ANSI-101 design. No learning bizarre key loacations every tine that new age girly-keyboard needs to be replaced.
7. Chicks can tell you are a real man who will satisfy all their needs if they see you using a Model M keyboard.
Other than the keyboard with a storage compartment under it that I bought for $5 somewhere, (which is spill proof and dishwasher safe btw) all of my others are Cherry keyboards.
I have one with a smart card reader, and one with a trackpad, credit card reader, and about a dozen programmable keys (no f'ing multimedia keys).... and it beeps when connected which is handy when you are plugging and unplugging things behind a desk.
The POS features aren't particularly useful, but the keyboards themselves can take a real beating and are heavy enough to compete with the Model M for self defense.
Make America grate again!
I wanted to get out of bed and clean then you people post this, lovely - I'll be here 20 minutes typing this one up.
So anyhow I'm in the process of hunting for a new keyboard myself.
I personally feel one of those most important things to focus on first is the layout of the keys themselves on the board, if you don't have a layout you're happy with, what's the point?
You've got several varieties, I'll show several here and my personal opinion on them (and also why you may like or dislike them)
http://img.clubic.com/photo/00351428.jpg
First up the enermax aurora keyboard.
This is absoloutely 100% standard US key layout, every key is exactly where you would expect it, the only slight change is slimmer and closer function keys to the number keys, I think likely quite acceptable and my favourite layout.
http://ak.cdiscount.com/pdt/0/0/0/1/f/PCK8000.jpg
Here is the Samsung Pleomax Zen edition keyboard, this also has perfect and standard key layout, with NON intrusive multimedia keys at the top, aesthetically they look simple (cmon, I'm a slashdotter) but they also don't look like they will get in the way.
http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_images/microsoft_ergonomic_keyboard_4000_black_usb_large.jpg
An ergonomic keyboard, I have no interest in these at all as I like consistency from machine to machine that I use, if they are good or not, I simply don't care as consistency = speed and that's important to me (I use many, many PC's)
https://ssl11.chi.us.securedata.net/miccomputers.com/merchantmanager/v4/images/microsoft-keyboard.jpg
Now this is one of the ones a lot of you should be paying attention to.
I used to use a similar model to this, you will note the multimedia keys are again mostly non intrusive, not in an area you could likely hit them accidentally, HOWEVER! This is one of those new keyboards where MS have opted to well..frankly fuck up the delete key and the function keys (3 grouping not 4) - look at that abomination - it's a disaster, I don't know why they've deviated from the norm but I've accidentally hit delete many a time on one of those things.
AVOID - I hope they die out >:(
http://techgasm.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/logitech-g15-gaming-keyboard-2007.jpg
Finally a 'gaming' keyboard from Logitech, the G15, nice and backlit and frankly one of the worst keyboards humanity has created.
Firstly, I want all of you to press control escape.
I use left thumb (ctrl) and middle finger or index finger on escape.
Where do your remaining fingers go? Mine dangle off the edge of the keyboard - on the G15 however they hit these stupid keys strapped to the left - UGH.
Next problem, the distance between left shift and right shift (ie the keyspace) seems to be ever so partially smaller than most, maybe it's 1mm maybe it's 2 but the whole keyboard feels slightly smaller AND the physical key caps are small!
What this means is I end up typing something and always hitting S intead of D or F instead of D snd "studd csn rnd up lookung lukw thus"
In conclusion fuck that keyboard!
OK! So we've got the layout out of the way, the only really remaining thing is the keytype
This link should explain it better than I can
http://www.ergocanada.com/ergo/keyboards/mechanical_vs_membrane_keyswitches.html
(regular rubber pushback, laptop scissor switch with rubber pushback, or 'full on' mechanical (likely noisy) with spring pushback but reliable)
Over the past 4 years of owning a laptop I've come to enjoy usin
Bought a Kinesis a little over a year ago and I absolutely love it. It's worth every penny. (~$325 for usb contour advantage).
After slaving away on model m's, microsoft natural's (& knock-offs) ,thinkpads and my current mac book pro; I can say that I've tried a lot of different things.
Between my hobbies of guitar and lacrosse, and all of the typing through high school, high school internships, college, college internships and co-ops and my full time job now; I can say with ease my hands and wrists have never felt better.
Prior to the switch my typing endurance was starting to fade somewhat rapidly; I noticed that my guitar playing was suffering. Additionally if I took a couple whacks to the hands during lacrosse my typing tended to really suffer for the next couple days.
Took me about 2.5 weeks to regain full speed on it; but within a month I was typing faster than I ever had. I could go on endlessly. Every one who comes in my office asks me about it, so if nothing else its a great conversation piece :-). Loaned it to my best friend for two weeks while I was on vacation last June, as he had been suffering from what he thought was (what people call mis-label) as RSI or some precursor. He reluctantly put aside his model M (much to his girlfriends delight, as he works at home) and used it exclusively while I was gone. By the time I got back he had already ordered and received one of his own, and had safely secured his modem M away for posterity. (much to his gf's dismay)
My parents came for a visit recently and I brought it to my apt from my office to show them. Immediately after looking at my mother (a licensed O.T. in MA before retiring) saw many of the obvious benefits that I saw immediately in regards to both speed and reducing fatigue/strain: emphasis on our thumbs instead of pinky/index finger. The critical keys (space, backspace,delete, enter, pg up/down, home/end, ctrl,alt,super/meta) are all moved to the thumbs. This single factor is what will make it nearly impossible to ever use another keyboard because of how much I enjoy it. Particularly as an emacs user this is fantastic (and FWIW my friend a vim user found just as many benefits)
Obviously it's probably not for everyone, and it is a little pricey.. but I'd buy it again in a heart beat. In fact I might have to buy one for my apartment after being so spoiled by using it all day at work.
Apologies for the slightly over detailed plug/endorsement. But I freaking love this keyboard if it isn't obvious.
"Jazz isn't dead, it just smells funny" ~Frank Zappa
EdelFactor