Keyboards

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Keyboards

I like the cheap ones. They're usually quiet and the cheap mechanisms they use allow peaceful fast typing, when all the keys have fallen off from over cleaning them with too strong "100% bacteria killer + superbug destroyer" detergent, just buy a new one.

I can imagine the benefit of a strong click mechanism of course, I imagine they would be best suited to resist jewel encrustation and plating.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Keyboards

A friend to me recommended me the Logitech UltraX Flat Media Keyboard

Any comments on this one?

[Tom41]

Re: Keyboards

I myself cannot stand the 'clicky' keyboards; the ones that seem to be designed to make a loud click when pressed. To me, it sounded like someone was trying to fire a gun (with no bullets) every time a key was pressed! I had a couple of those old IBM ones - even in the middle of the day, the clicking could be heard all through the upstairs of my house when I was typing!

A 'good' keyboard for me, noise and comfort wise, is the older generation of Apple iMac keyboards. In fact I'm using one now; keys easy to find and press and not much of a click. Recently I tried out the new iMac and its keyboard in a store... and didn't like it at all! The keys are much too flat for my liking, and I kept making typos all the time because I couldn't feel where my fingers were - just hovering above the keyboard.

I once took an old clicky keyboard and spray-painted it white, to hide the key legends. Then, I could practice touch typing without being tempted to look at the key legends while typing!

[Harvey]

Re: Keyboards

I've only recently stopped using an old Compaq keyboard - nice solid metal base and keys with proper springs-onto-metal-foil-on-foam-pad construction (TM).

Solid as a rock, and with enough weight to stop it sliding around on the desktop as I type.

Unfortunately it was very fussy as to what motherboards it would work on, and it didn't like my last system so it got consigned to the garage where it unfortunately got wet when the roof leaked.

I'm now using a rather crappy TINY keyboard, which just about does the job but I'm not really keen on it.

I keep looking for a decent keyboard at a decent price, but I've not yet found it - even the 'high quality' keyboards from Microsoft and Logitech are cheep and nasty in comparison.

One day I'll find one as nice as the old Compaq again....

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Keyboards

I've got a couple of those Compaq keyboards, big heavy things with a curly cord. I got about 4 of them out of the dumpster at the local high school, along with about 15 perfectly working Deskpro 575 systems, still loaded with Windows 3.11, and several students' assignments, book reports, etc.

A couple years ago I sat all the computers out by the road and they were gone within 20 minutes. I would have kept a few, but I didn't feel like buying rails to mount cdroms in all of them. Plus they were only Pentium 75's with 16MB ram. I kept the keyboards though

[bgavin]

Re: Keyboards

i stash every ibm clicky i find.
new stuff is like typeing on mush.

Amen to that.

I have a client who had a whole bunch of PS2 keyboards they wanted to dump. Evidently a cat had gotten into their garage and pissed all over everything, so I took several that were spared the cat piss. These are the expensive clackers, similar to the old 3270 keyboards. I have enough to last me for quite awhile.

After that, I actually like the Keytronic PS2 models with the large Enter key. They aren't an IBM, but for $16 each they work well.

[WNG]

Re: Keyboards

My current keyboard is over 10 years old, a Micron branded, NMB-made Windows PS2 keyboard. Not a clicky, but I found it nicely weighted, and spaced, and has been a favorite to use compared to the crap out there.

I would love to have an IBM clicky, that tactile feel is best. Enjoyed it since my IBM days in the late 80s where they provided me an AT.

I found a current $100 wireless Logitech media keyboard to feel pretty good.
Too $$$$ for me.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Keyboards

Can you please post a pic of these "clicky" keyboards you talk about?

I'm not quite getting what you are describing...

[Tom41]

Re: Keyboards

I think this is a 'clicky' keyboard, the IBM Model M:
http://www.dansdata.com/images/clicky/ballboard1024.jpg
This particular keyboard has a built-in trackball (by the arrow keys), but most Model M keyboards didn't have this.

With regards to 'clicky' keyboards, we're talking about the buckling spring mechanism that was used on these keyboards. When pressed, the mechanism would cause a loud click as the circuit was completed, and the keypress would be sent to the computer.

If you have a keyboard in front of you, try pressing a key down very, very gently and slowly until it won't go any further. If you hear a discernible 'click' when it reaches the bottom, it's one of those clicky keyboards. The more modern membrane and rubber-dome keyboards won't make this click.

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Keyboards

I was reading about how noise pollution in the future could be the new hidden killer. (likened to breathing in cigrette smoke (which was thought completely harmless) in it's outcomes by method of causing stress to others - which is thought to cause cancer etc)

I tried out in my local store different keyboards briskly for their clickyness whilst nobody was looking (just incase the stupid sales assistance phone/call/wink to the men in white coats on me for unusual behaviour - like they do if your behaviour isn't perfectly robotic according to their perception of normal behaviour modeling.) ... ahem

And the winner was Genius KB06X £6.99/$12 for least noise and also nice minimal footprint, no noob things for wierd people like hand wrest and multimedia keys.

Thought may aswell add this post. Despite not being inkeeping with clickyfans.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Keyboards

That's the one I have now, except mine doesn't have a trackball. I think that one is a remake. The originals were from the mid to late 80's. Lexmark made the later ones.

I think this is a 'clicky' keyboard, the IBM Model M:
http://www.dansdata.com/images/clicky/ballboard1024.jpg
This particular keyboard has a built-in trackball (by the arrow keys), but most Model M keyboards didn't have this.

With regards to 'clicky' keyboards, we're talking about the buckling spring mechanism that was used on these keyboards. When pressed, the mechanism would cause a loud click as the circuit was completed, and the keypress would be sent to the computer.

If you have a keyboard in front of you, try pressing a key down very, very gently and slowly until it won't go any further. If you hear a discernible 'click' when it reaches the bottom, it's one of those clicky keyboards. The more modern membrane and rubber-dome keyboards won't make this click.

[Per Hansson]

Re: Keyboards

Ref my post above^^

I bought that "Logitech UltraX Flat Media Keyboard"

The short key travel (same as a laptop keyboard) makes me able to write allot faster and with less errors, I also find it easier to write without looking at the keys on this keyboard without hitting the wrong key..

So that's the good part about it, the bad is that when gaming, using the WASD keys I have to really press the key to the bottom for the press to continue to register, if I relax my fingers (like I presume I did with my previous keyboard without thinking about it) my character will stop moving in that direction...

That is to say that I can have the key depressed but they keyboard does still not register the key press... Very annoying

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Keyboards

Can't faulter my KB06X; although I'd prefer it to be classic PC cream colour so I can actually see what the keys say (to be picky).

Recently bought one for a friend and put some quality rubber feet on to further tweak it, he gave me his expensive keyboard in return, he's happy, and I have yet another keyboard in perfect working order to practice my kung-fu chop on. (vacuum cleaner on hand)

I feel interface devices are quite personal thing anyway. Keep buying until you find what you like I reckon, just smash up the rest - too low value and item to bother selling (on a green note - if they didn't make crap and hypnotize you to buy it - wouldn't have to bin crap!).

[Per Hansson]

Re: Keyboards

The bad is that when gaming, using the WASD keys I have to really press the key to the bottom for the press to continue to register, if I relax my fingers (like I presume I did with my previous keyboard without thinking about it) my character will stop moving in that direction...

That is to say that I can have the key depressed but they keyboard does still not register the key press... Very annoying

Heh, well, I tried my old keyboard again. I can actually manage to do the exact same thing with it, i.e. key depressed but nothing gets registered...

So with this in mind I can't faulter the new keyboard, I probably just need some time adjusting to the new feel... It's already happening less and less often the problem I described....