S
S
santa
: Hi,
:
: I guess I've been out of the loop too long. I was at CompUSA looking at a
: whole isles worth of keyboards for my new system and came away thinking
that
: for something a person would spend hours working with the quality seems
like
: they were meant to be about as enduring as Gillette disposables. Can
anybody
: recommend a corded keyboard that, dare I say, strikes one as being
elegant,
: sturdy, and a fitting part of a $2,500 system?
:
: Thanks for the input, Steve.
Why not buy one with lots of white space and send it out and have it
decorated by a well known artist? Make sure it has 5 or 6 coats of hand
polished water white lacquer on it so that the paintings show through. If
you shop carefully you should be able to spend 25,000 no sweat and it will
probably be worth something in six months which the computer will not.
claus
:
: I guess I've been out of the loop too long. I was at CompUSA looking at a
: whole isles worth of keyboards for my new system and came away thinking
that
: for something a person would spend hours working with the quality seems
like
: they were meant to be about as enduring as Gillette disposables. Can
anybody
: recommend a corded keyboard that, dare I say, strikes one as being
elegant,
: sturdy, and a fitting part of a $2,500 system?
:
: Thanks for the input, Steve.
Why not buy one with lots of white space and send it out and have it
decorated by a well known artist? Make sure it has 5 or 6 coats of hand
polished water white lacquer on it so that the paintings show through. If
you shop carefully you should be able to spend 25,000 no sweat and it will
probably be worth something in six months which the computer will not.
claus
L
Larc
| I guess I've been out of the loop too long. I was at CompUSA looking at a
| whole isles worth of keyboards for my new system and came away thinking that
| for something a person would spend hours working with the quality seems like
| they were meant to be about as enduring as Gillette disposables. Can anybody
| recommend a corded keyboard that, dare I say, strikes one as being elegant,
| sturdy, and a fitting part of a $2,500 system?
Unless you want a lot of bells and whistles on your keyboard, get something that
feels and looks nice in the $10 to $12 price range. I'm typing this on a $9.99
Smart Keyboard that I got from Circuit City. I like it far better than some of
the higher priced models I've owned over the years.
Larc
§§§ - Please raise temperature of mail to reply by e-mail - §§§
| whole isles worth of keyboards for my new system and came away thinking that
| for something a person would spend hours working with the quality seems like
| they were meant to be about as enduring as Gillette disposables. Can anybody
| recommend a corded keyboard that, dare I say, strikes one as being elegant,
| sturdy, and a fitting part of a $2,500 system?
Unless you want a lot of bells and whistles on your keyboard, get something that
feels and looks nice in the $10 to $12 price range. I'm typing this on a $9.99
Smart Keyboard that I got from Circuit City. I like it far better than some of
the higher priced models I've owned over the years.
Larc
§§§ - Please raise temperature of mail to reply by e-mail - §§§
M
mp
I have a Memorex 5200 which is the best keyboard I've had for a while.
And under a tenner from Ebuyer. Graphite with black keys and a wrist
rest.
And under a tenner from Ebuyer. Graphite with black keys and a wrist
rest.
T
Tim Auton
i d o r u said:
Deja? They stopped carrying the newsgroup archive years ago and went
out of business a year or two after. ITYM Google Groups.
Tim
T
Tim Auton
[Thread about keyboards]
I think all you can glean from this thread is that it's different
strokes for different folks.
Try as many as you can find and don't buy before you've tried.
Tim
I think all you can glean from this thread is that it's different
strokes for different folks.
Try as many as you can find and don't buy before you've tried.
Tim
A
AD C
Kris said:
I got plenty of keyboards here, but most of them are AT style, and by
the time you get an adaptor, you may as well buy a new keyboard.
There is a lot of keyboards that got more and more features on, which is
nice, but they seem to lose the quality.
S
Strontium
Actually, I think they turned into RemarQ and then were bought by SuperNews.
-
Tim Auton stood up at show-n-tell, in
(e-mail address removed), and said:
-
Tim Auton stood up at show-n-tell, in
(e-mail address removed), and said:
i d o r u said:[snip]IBM Model M baby!
If you're based in the US it's easy to find one on Ebay, but if
you're based in the UK I'll refer you to a chap called David Longley
in the uk.adverts.computer newsgroup. Do a search on deja for his
ad...
Deja? They stopped carrying the newsgroup archive years ago and went
out of business a year or two after. ITYM Google Groups.
Tim
A
AD C
Strontium said:
I have never used a Mitsumi on a P.C, but Mitusmi keyboards is what my
Amiga 4000 got, and it is a great keyboard, nice feel and everything.
G
Guest
Steve said:
Avoid keyboards with painted-on markings because they tend to have the
worst key switches, but some companies burn on the markings with a
laser beam (you can see the roughness or dots), and while they won't
rub off, the key switches tend to be no better. If the markings are
raised, they're definitely painted on, but beware that molded markings
can look very similar because of gaps between the two colors of
plastic.
Also look for the exact IBM layout, where the "\" key is between the
backspace and enter keys, not because this is the best position for
that key but because few bad keyboards use that exact layout.
Heavier keyboards are usually better as well. Some contain a piece of
steel against which a mylar flexible circuit board rests, and this
design makes the keys bottom out abruptly and avoid the mushy feel. I
believe that NMB uses this in some of their designs, and they supply
IBM, Microsoft, and maybe Compaq.
Keyboards made with a rubbery membrane tend to feel mushy, but so do
those made with foam-backed foil switches, which are also the least
resistant to spills because the foam absorbs and holds liquids.
One brand I would avoid is BTC, although their Keytronics division
makes good keyboards.
The best feel is usually with individual switches made with metal
contacts, and these have been made by Chicony, Cherry, Focus, Fujitsu,
Alps, and Monterey. Alps used to make the famous Northgate keyboards.
The old IBM/Lexmark model M keyboards actually didn't use such
switches but instead had a flexible circuit board pressed by small
levers when coil springs buckled under pressure.
@
@drian
Heavier keyboards are usually better as well. Some contain a piece of
Absolutely. Their black version includes a steel plate inside. Very
sturdy, well-made keyboard. NMB's beige version does not use the plate.
Ugh, BTC. The only brand that of keyboard that I know that lasted 3 weeks
before some of the the keys caved in.
@drian.
Absolutely. Their black version includes a steel plate inside. Very
sturdy, well-made keyboard. NMB's beige version does not use the plate.
Ugh, BTC. The only brand that of keyboard that I know that lasted 3 weeks
before some of the the keys caved in.
@drian.
A
Al Dykes
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Alps OEM'd the switches. Northgate designed and sold the omnikey
keyboard. When Northgate went under (appx 1990) rights to the keb
design passed thru a couple of companies, currently a web site
"http://www.ergo-2000.com" seems to be in the business.
The keyboard that wouldn't die. Pretty soon one of mine is going to
be old enough to drink. I don't think I've ever spilled booze on it.
M
Moontan13
I have a Compaq kb that might be a model M clone. Got it at a yard sale,i d o r u said:
new, in a generic box 2 years ago. Nice and heavy with the right key
springiness. Haven't been able to find another one like it.
U
uncooked meat prior to state vector collapse
R
R. Wink
Last time I checked, you can still buy the "old" IBM k/b from Lexmark International in Lexington, KY USA. I've had a bunch
of clones and swapped my old keyboard to them all as the furnished ones died off. In fact, I'm in the process of replacing
the one I using now with it. It's the only one that doesn't break, holds up and the key logos don't wear off. Phone numbers
I have are: 800-539-6275 (Lexmark International) & 800-838-5915 (Printer parts & access). Don't remember which to use to buy
from.
Lexmark is the name of the "old" IBM when it went out of the k/b and printer business. IBM sold the designs and fronted part
of the money with a second company to form another company (Lexmark) dedicated to these products so the IBM could "focus" on
it's "core" business.
It would seem that they're the only company that knows how to make keyboards the right way as the furnish them to a number of
other companies, including some that have been mentioned in this string of replies.
IIORC, they have an "800" phone line dedicated to the public sales. Mine cost about $50 when I bought it back in the late
'80's.
I think they've include a mouse ball, a removable numeric key pad and a bunch of other wizbang things into the later k/b's.
R. Wink
of clones and swapped my old keyboard to them all as the furnished ones died off. In fact, I'm in the process of replacing
the one I using now with it. It's the only one that doesn't break, holds up and the key logos don't wear off. Phone numbers
I have are: 800-539-6275 (Lexmark International) & 800-838-5915 (Printer parts & access). Don't remember which to use to buy
from.
Lexmark is the name of the "old" IBM when it went out of the k/b and printer business. IBM sold the designs and fronted part
of the money with a second company to form another company (Lexmark) dedicated to these products so the IBM could "focus" on
it's "core" business.
It would seem that they're the only company that knows how to make keyboards the right way as the furnish them to a number of
other companies, including some that have been mentioned in this string of replies.
IIORC, they have an "800" phone line dedicated to the public sales. Mine cost about $50 when I bought it back in the late
'80's.
I think they've include a mouse ball, a removable numeric key pad and a bunch of other wizbang things into the later k/b's.
R. Wink
R
Ric
Steve said:
Coolermaster's aluminium ones take some beating, although personally i've a
bit of a softspot for the very elderley IBM PS2 keyboards...!
R
Ross Tregaskis
The current BTC range appear to be of very acceptable quality, and, most
importantly, are very cheap (starting at £7 at Maplin Electronics) -
although, of course, they do have a history.
No F-locks (a particular peeve of mine).
No "clever rearrangements" of the control keys (another).
Space betwen each of the sections of the keyboard.
Keys that actually feel right for a change.
Yes - a keyboard that *works*. Unlike the current Logitech range (F-locks)
or Microsoft range (F-locks and rearrangements). This is, of course, IMHO.
--
C
Chuk Goodin
I hate those F-locks too! There's one on our new Microsoft Keyboard -- I
don't mind the keyboard itself (not as good as our old Fujitsu, but the
kids spilled one too many drink on it...), but that F-lock thing is
driving me mental. There doesn't appear to be a way to set it to default
to "On", either, so I'm constantly pressing function keys, having nothing
happen, then saying "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHH!!" and pressing the F-lock,
then the function key.
M
methylenedioxy
Chuk Goodin said:
Yeah, I just upgraded my excellent Natural "Elite" kb to the multimedia one
and it has that bloody f lock key, and although the keyboard is absolutely
amazing, that bloody f lock drives me insane, I keep forgetting about it!!!
S