PDA

View Full Version : anyone want to recomend a keyboard for me?



hhhhhx
March 28th, 2008, 04:46 AM
the 'w' and 'S' key on my keyboard broke and i need a new one, what do you recommend?

thanks,
xhhux

sumguy231
March 28th, 2008, 05:43 AM
Keyboards are a huge personal preference thing. What kind of properties do you look for in a keyboard? Ergonomic? Plain? Media keys? 101-104 key?

IBM Model M keyboards are the best in my opinion, but I guess they're not good if you like soft keys and want a quiet keyboard, or are into ergonomic stuff.

Nano Geek
March 28th, 2008, 05:45 AM
Well, I got this one for Christmas and I really enjoy it.
The price isn't bad either.

http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Slim-Type-Keyboard-64365/dp/B000243DNA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1206679450&sr=8-1

hhhhhx
March 28th, 2008, 06:03 AM
Keyboards are a huge personal preference thing. What kind of properties do you look for in a keyboard? Ergonomic? Plain? Media keys? 101-104 key?

IBM Model M keyboards are the best in my opinion, but I guess they're not good if you like soft keys and want a quiet keyboard, or are into ergonomic stuff.
i love the ibm model m's but hey are too big for my desk :(

my previous keyboard was a saitek eclips 1. so, something along the lines of that.

tgalati4
March 28th, 2008, 06:36 AM
I like the HP Internet keyboards with 23 multimedia keys. A little work to set up but you have lots of extra keys to use as hot keys. With a volume dial and dedicated CD/player buttons, it makes a nice home/desktop keyboard.

schauerlich
March 28th, 2008, 06:38 AM
If you want a real sexy keyboard, the Apple wired aluminum keyboards are really nice. I'd know, I have one. It's really nice.

barbedsaber
March 28th, 2008, 02:27 PM
http://www.daskeyboard.com/

send me one as well please? :)

drascus
March 28th, 2008, 02:35 PM
I suggest the Zareason ubuntu Keyboard :http://www.zareason.com/shop/product.php?productid=16162&cat=0&page=1

I just bought one its pretty awesome.

coolglobal
March 28th, 2008, 03:17 PM
That Zareason keyboard would be hard to better.

I just started using a Cherry Model No: G230. It's really sweet. Cherry also make a model with a tux key.

mips
March 28th, 2008, 03:38 PM
Logitech UltraX

Redache
March 28th, 2008, 05:42 PM
I use an Aluminum Keyboard from Hiper that is really nice, but it is a bit compact compared to normal keyboards although it's not that hard to adapt to.

I have This (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/98571http://) Which is really nice and cold on a winters morning :P

herbster
March 28th, 2008, 05:51 PM
That's almost exactly what happened to my old keyboard. Years of Quake wore them keys out :D

I grabbed this one a while ago for $10 at a local store: http://reviews.cnet.com/keyboards/logitech-internet-350-keyboard/4505-3134_7-32059065.html

Has the multimedia keys that I binded to amarok, has the same key layout as my old one, USB.

tehkain
March 28th, 2008, 05:55 PM
If you want a real sexy keyboard, the Apple wired aluminum keyboards are really nice. I'd know, I have one. It's really nice.

I love the new apple keyboard. It works very well - especially if you are using a macbook(with GNU/Linux on it ofcourse) when you travel - Since the keyboards use the same system. I also find it to be a very forgiving keyboard in terms of finger motions, the key are activated at just the right pressure level.

tbrminsanity
March 28th, 2008, 06:02 PM
I love my M$ Ergonamic Natural Keyboard 4000. But if you don't like egronamic keyboards you may want to shy away from this one. On the plus side once I mapped all the keys on this keyboard I was able to get more functionallity out of it then you could get from it on Windows. I expecially like the zoom wheel for games.

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=043

Het Irv
March 28th, 2008, 06:11 PM
no Logitech links?
The G15 is an awsome keyboard, with a ton of customizablity. The one I use is an earlier version of The Wave.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboards/&cl=us,en

fwojciec
March 28th, 2008, 06:36 PM
If you want something that's simple and does it's job extremely well -- and has low profile (laptop like) keys -- Logitech UltraX is excellent:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126022&Tpk=ultrax

sumguy231
March 28th, 2008, 07:18 PM
I always liked Micro Innovations keyboards because their small models are as compact as a keyboard can get without having a weird keyboard layout, are simple, have good key response, and cost about $15 at Walmart. This (http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Micro%20Innovations%20Windows%20Keyboard:1991997 126;_ylt=AoX56RbYFmvB6G.Tz5wqjAEBVxoF;_ylu=X3oDMTB uMThqMzB0BF9zAzk2MzQ3MDI5BGx0AzQEc2VjA3Ny?clink=dm ss//ctx=sc:ckeyboard,c:ckeyboard,mid:57,pid:1991997126 ,pdid:57,pos:1) keyboard served me well, even though I found one without the really stupidly placed power management keys:

MeTylerDurden
March 28th, 2008, 07:26 PM
i bought the microsoft comfort curve 2000 and its great for like 9 or ten bucks at mwave.. you have to get it without the mouse.. oh and try the logitech trackball with the thumb ball its nice.. i like it better than my optical mouse.. great keyboard its a great price.. :popcorn:

Tell him the liberator who destroyed my property has realigned my perception.

MONODA
March 28th, 2008, 07:30 PM
if you have the money, the das keyboard ;)

Wobedraggled
March 28th, 2008, 07:36 PM
I have a Saitek Eclipse, and I find it comfy, and pleasing to the eye, and the addon keypad comes in handy.

macogw
March 28th, 2008, 09:30 PM
IBM Model M keyboards are the best in my opinion, but I guess they're not good if you like soft keys and want a quiet keyboard, or are into ergonomic stuff.

+1

Screw quiet squishy keys. Clicky keys FTW!

heartburnkid
March 28th, 2008, 09:49 PM
Stay the hell away from Microsoft keyboards. I've been through 2 of them (a Natural Elite, and a cheap $12 jobbie), and both of them lasted less than 6 months.

macogw
March 28th, 2008, 10:07 PM
Stay the hell away from Microsoft keyboards. I've been through 2 of them (a Natural Elite, and a cheap $12 jobbie), and both of them lasted less than 6 months.
You got a whole 6 months??? Mine lasted 6 weeks!

jonelnz
March 28th, 2008, 10:13 PM
Hi y'all

I bought an "Avant stellar" keyboard about 10-11 years ago!
Cost me heaps, but it's the best K'board i've owned and don't plan on replacing it any time soon. It's got the nice clicky keys and 24 programmable keys - 12 function keys along the top and another 12 on the left.
Software is available for the windows environment if you're that way inclined or you can just programe it using its built in "Macro Mode", very slick!

But I believe keyboards are very personal and my preferences may not necessarily be yours, or yours,
Happy hunting.:)

fedex1993
March 28th, 2008, 10:23 PM
I suggest the Zareason ubuntu Keyboard :http://www.zareason.com/shop/product.php?productid=16162&cat=0&page=1

I just bought one its pretty awesome.

those look like modified windows keyboard just place with ubuntu stuff lol

fedex1993
March 28th, 2008, 10:29 PM
OKay enough with the qwert keyboards what about typematrix and there dvorak solution. I love but it takes a while to get use to the layout.

jacob01
March 28th, 2008, 10:41 PM
i have a dell keybored, it works good for me

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/I_O_Devices/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=310-9669

red_Marvin
March 28th, 2008, 11:27 PM
OKay enough with the qwert keyboards what about typematrix and there dvorak solution. I love but it takes a while to get use to the layout.

There's nothing stopping you from using a standard keyboard with dvorak.

fedex1993
March 28th, 2008, 11:32 PM
actually if you havnt checked out typematrix there layout of dvorak and qerty are totally different and red_marvin there is a difference because regular keyboards can cause carple tunnel while typematrix keyboards do not at all

fedex1993
March 28th, 2008, 11:33 PM
i have a dell keybored, it works good for me

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/I_O_Devices/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=310-9669

i hate thos we have them at our school broke about 10 of them
PS: teacher doesnt know

stefangr1
March 28th, 2008, 11:34 PM
(1) No Microsoft keyboards on Linux machines.
(2) No white keyboard in front of a black screen.
(3) No expensive keyboards, since then you can't punish it freely when something goes wrong with the work you're doing.

D-EJ915
March 29th, 2008, 02:47 AM
These SGI ones kick ***, I have a few and if you don't care about the non-us layout (key labels don't matter anyway) they are really solid & hefty, the keys click and have an amazing feel (I have a few old IBM ones and they're similar but not as loud) and they're USB so you don't need an AT->PS/2 PS/2->USB thing going on lol...

http://cgi.ebay.com/DENMARK-DANISH-German-Keyboard-for-MAC-OR-PC-USB-NEW_W0QQitemZ220186388641QQihZ012QQcategoryZ4706QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQc mdZViewItem

L473ncy
March 29th, 2008, 05:09 AM
Have you considered the Logitech dinovo?

sumguy231
March 29th, 2008, 05:57 AM
OKay enough with the qwert keyboards what about typematrix and there dvorak solution. I love but it takes a while to get use to the layout.

That's another great thing about the IBM Model M: Swappable keycaps which are separate from the keys.

OffHand
March 29th, 2008, 10:43 AM
I love my Logitech UltraX (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/business/products/keyboards/devices/587&cl=roeu,en). It's cheap and uses laptop style keys.

OffHand
March 29th, 2008, 10:49 AM
Have you considered the Logitech dinovo?

That is a horrible keyboard. I have had many problems with this keyboard, especially with the bluetooth connecting/pairing.

dedmonds
March 31st, 2008, 06:59 AM
i have a dell keybored, it works good for me

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/I_O_Devices/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=310-9669

Oddly enough, I have been very pleased with the basic Dell keyboard (especially with the cheap attachable wrist rest). I use the keyboard at work and liked it so much that I now have a couple at the house. I've had no problems with any of them.

tbrminsanity
March 31st, 2008, 10:16 PM
(1) No Microsoft keyboards on Linux machines..

Why?

I may hate their software with every fiber of my being and I will never buy an XBox 360 but when it comes to M$ keyboards they are good. They did the one thing other companies didn't, they went to office workers and asked what they wanted. I tried to look for a better keyboard myself and can't find one. So sorry I'm using a M$ 4000 on my machine.

heartburnkid
March 31st, 2008, 10:23 PM
Are you kidding me? Like I mentioned before, I've had two MS keyboards that died on me within six months each. And these are the only keyboards I've ever had just out and out die. Hell, my cheap GE keyboard I got from Big Lots for 3 bucks was a champ compared to those (I just stopped using it because I hated the key action; not comfortable at all).

Now, I do love the shape of the Natural line, they're very comfortable to use, but until Microsoft can make them not... you know, fail... they're not worth the price.

tbrminsanity
April 1st, 2008, 03:55 PM
Are you kidding me? Like I mentioned before, I've had two MS keyboards that died on me within six months each. And these are the only keyboards I've ever had just out and out die. Hell, my cheap GE keyboard I got from Big Lots for 3 bucks was a champ compared to those (I just stopped using it because I hated the key action; not comfortable at all).

Now, I do love the shape of the Natural line, they're very comfortable to use, but until Microsoft can make them not... you know, fail... they're not worth the price.

I must be very lucky then because I've been using my keyboard since the 4000 came out in 2005.

The only keyboard I've worked with that had a high level of failure was the cheep Logitech first gen wireless keyboard. I had to install these POS in an office and the failure rate was around 60% (not to mention the fact that each keyboard had a 40' radius and only 14 channels, lots of people controlling other people's mice :( )

heartburnkid
April 2nd, 2008, 06:09 PM
I dunno, maybe their QA process has taken a downturn since, since both my keyboards were bought in 2007. Wouldn't surprise me terribly, as 2005 is the last time MS did anything I liked; namely, Windows Media Center and Visual Studio 2005 (the latter especially due to the free-as-in-beer Express editions).

harelguy
June 9th, 2008, 07:51 AM
Hi meTylerDurden,

I have the same keyboard (Natural Curve 2000), running Hardy, and some of the key combinations don't seem to work right (for example: to type a $ sign, I need to press shift, then press 4, then release shift and then release 4, otherwise it doesn't work..). I'm wondering - which keyboard layout are you using?

illbashu
June 10th, 2008, 02:09 PM
i bough the logitech wave (wireless set), does anyone know it works fine with ubuntu? i should be getting it sometime tomorrow...

gameryoshi600
June 10th, 2008, 02:51 PM
A keyboard with the Ubuntu logo on the super key rather than a windows key (http://www.zareason.com/shop/product.php?productid=16162&cat=0&page=1)

brm
June 11th, 2008, 07:22 PM
Probably the finest PC keyboards ever built were the Northgate Ominkey keyboards, which came out of a small IBM clone manufacturer located outside Minneapolis, MN in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I had the phenomenal good luck to acquire four. A year ago, I turned down flat an offer of $400 for one of them.

Next, I would name the old IBM PC AT keyboard.

Third, but this is IIRC --- if I remember correctly --- the Happy Hacker (HH) keyboards are an expensive attempt to copy the look and feel of the Northgates. I understand that the manufacturer of the HH keyboard was bought out by Fujitsu who re-introduced the HH keyboard back into the North American market.

I would reflect on what you want out of a keyboard, decide how much you are prepared to pay, and Google from there. My own position is that, as a human, the keyboard and monitor are the parts of the system that I deal with most, and I am prepared to put big bucks into both provided I get the high quality I am looking for. Others see it differently.

Mizzou_Engineer
June 12th, 2008, 04:18 PM
I recommend the IBM Model M keyboards. I have been using various Ms for about a dozen years and they are great. If you cannot find an original one, Unicomp (http://pckeyboard.com) sells new ones, including 104-key models (ewww) and ones with USB interfaces.