NathanH
I’ve been really happy with my Typematrix 2030 that I’ve been using for the last year or two. It’s small, quiet, and comfortable.
I’ve been really happy with my Typematrix 2030 that I’ve been using for the last year or two. It’s small, quiet, and comfortable.
I thought I was the only one…
I have been using the Microsoft Natural keyboard since the very first 0one came out. I have had many over the years the 4000 is the best since the original.
My only complaint is the lack of a window key for the right hand. I am sure it’s just me but I loved being able lock my machine with one hand. As a workaround I programmed the close button(F6) to lock the machine when the F Lock is on.
I have another one:
Thou shall NOT change the function keys spacing:
http://image911.net/cart/index.php?main_page=popup_imagepID=162zenid=c22a309f998be7442feecfcb3961288f
Hate Microsoft all you want, one has to admit that they make decent peripherals. I’ve been using the same Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro for the past seven or eight years, and it’s been nothing but rock solid. Great to type on, without being too clicky or too soft, has multimedia keys, and even an integrated USB hub. I don’t even think the same model is available anymore, but I’d definitely buy another MS keyboard when this one finally kicks the bucket.
As a lot of people have said, I use mostly vim key bindings, so those commandments don’t really matter to me, personally.
One thing that gets me every time is the Backslash / Pipe key. I don’t really have a strong opinion on whether it should be above a thin enter key, or down beside the right alt, or anywhere else, but I’d like it to be consistent. Fairly often when switching between computers I accidentally hit enter when I intend to put a pipe.
Oh, the commands I’ve sent through half baked! Forgive me!
I also actually like the mangling of the home/end/delete key layout on my work keyboard. It has the insert key removed from that group and placed above the keypad on the row with the Function keys instead.
For me, insert is one of those keys like caps lock that I almost exclusively only use accidentally. And it’s sticky just like caps lock as well. I really never want to be in insert mode when I’m in a text editor, so I like having it far away to prevent my accidentally typing it.
Another vote for the Kinesis-ergo advantage:
http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/advantage.htm
If you ever develop hand problems, then this is the way to go. The Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 (and similar designs) are also very good, but the key resistance is typically too high. In addition to an ergonomic layout, the Kineses keyboards have a much lighter keypress resistance, which is extremely important if you have hand problems due to typing.
In addition, the higher-end Kineses keyboards can be fully remapped. I’ve remapped mine to a Dvorak-inspired layout that’s to my particular liking.
The downside is the high price relative to other keyboards, but if you develop any hand problems, then there is no doubt which is the best keyboard.
I love my Apple Keyboard too.
I have nothing against a spring keyboard in principle - but when my officemate is typing fast I cannot do any subtle thinking, so that gets annoying at times.
The navigation keys are sancrosanct. So why did IBM, Microsoft and others screw them up?
The DEC VT-220 had the perfect layout, with Home and End side by side, and Delete beside Insert as the FSM intended. (Ramen!) Almost more importantly, the inverted tee of arrow keys should be immediately below the other navigation keys. Push the arrows down an extra row creates extra movement that leads to neck pain.
These changes caused me years of heartache when I moved from VAXen to PCs.
It was bad enough getting over the swapping of the Control and Caps Lock keys. And when did Shift Lock become Caps Lock anyway?
And where’s my Do key?
Now if only we could have a keyboard without a capslock key!
http://www.enermaxusa.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_48products_id=137
I have an Enermax Aurora Premium. All the keys are in the right place. It’s built with laptop keys so it’s quiet and very flat (less strain on the wrists). It has 2 USB ports and functions as an external sound-card (with mic and headphone jacks)
A bit expensive but hands down the best programming pad I ever had.
I love my Apple wireless keyboard.
I too have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000. It is great keyboard but came with two initial flaws:
The space bar makes an awful FLAK sound when clicked from the RHS (sounds normal from the left but who the hell clicks space with their left hand?). Fix: Use it for a few days and you get used to it
GOD AWFUL F LOCK BUTTON that makes all the function keys do weird things if you press it accidentally. FIX: PULL THAT F#$%ER OUT. After the thousand time it did it, i yanked the button out and blu-tacked a appropriately cut piece of black plastic its place
Huge fan of MS 4000, also have a Comfort Curve 2000 for when I want a change in hand position every now and then, it deserves an honourable mention for those who don’t want to spend much and don’t like splits.
Quality can be a bit variable on the 4000, first one I bought had very sticky keys - B would only come back up about half the time, and nearly had to stand on the space bar. I returned it after a day and the replacement was brilliant. If you get one that doesn’t feel right, send it back, a good one feels perfect.
Tried the wireless natural that a friend had, but felt a little bit laggy, and I rarely sit that far away from the screen while working.
Admittedly, I haven’t used an Apple keyboard for a few years, but past experiences make me recoil in horror at the thought of using one, except perhaps as a pretty paperweight.
Been coding on a Happy Hacker Keyboard every day for the past 5 years. It’s required minimal maintenance and works as good today as the day I bought it.
Highly recommended if you like your Control key where it belongs.
I recently got an Mac Book Air. I got it for my partner because it is so light while being very robust. After getting it and taking the geeks tour, my opinion on Apple has changed. The quality is through the roof and it is simply the best laptop I have seen bar-none (I work in IT and see lots of laptops).
BUT - I used it a couple of times to develop (remote session to my work computer). Initially I was frustrated that I would have to use this little keyboard with half the keys only functioning by pressing the FN button (including delete - which acts as backspace withotu FN pressed). And let’s face it, the keyboard isn’t designed to work well with Windows let alone development. Right?
I couldn’t believe how wrong I was. I have found the Apple keyboard on the Mack Book Air Much easier to use for development than my full windows keyboard. Why? Less hand movement required.
For example: I can go from using arrow keys to home/end/page keys with a press of my little finger (on FN button), and then back again by letting go with my little finger.
After about an hour of developing I became really quick. The improvement wasn’t realised until I went back to my office and used my old keyboard. I noticed it was a lot slower because I have to keep shifting my hands so much just to get to home, end, arrow keys, etc.
And what about the apple mouse? It is by far the best touch pad I have used. I have the option of plugging in a mouse, but it would make more sence to swap my work mouse for an Apple trackpad than to plug a mouse into an Apple. It is sensitive yet forgiving, intuitive yet powerful and smoth yet allows easy movement.
If I were to get another system, I’d go Apple (an install Windows on it), because the engineering is at a level above the others, and the keyboard is a dream to use.
My trust Model M turned 15 years old three weeks ago and is still going strong. My wife insists I clean it at least once every 3-4 years, but is otherwise essentially zero maintenance.
Sitting beside it is an ALR keyboard, a few years older, which is also still working perfectly. Thanks to the wonders of KVM switches, not to mention remote desktop, I get to use my favourite keyboards on all my PCs, instead of having to pick choose.
One thing nobody has mentioned yet is the solid feel of these old keyboards, usually achieved by including a solid metal plate. This means the keyboard stays put, even when my typing reaches frenzy level (http://www.unoriginal.co.uk/finger-frenzy.html - 2.4 seconds)
Keytronic Lifetime Classic II
Wonderful feel to the keys, standard location for all keys, large enter and backspace key.
Guaranteed for life – used to be you could cut off the end of the connector and send it to them and they would send you a new one.
Still the best keyboard I’ve ever bought.
Though honestly, the Saitek Eclipse II was pretty damn good too.
I will never understand why a tab key is not over by the keypad. We develop account software and had to deviate from the windows standard of using the enter key, to close a form, to using the enter key to move between fields on the form. The data entry personnel want to be able to use one hand to enter numeric information along with navigating between fields.
I’m a huge fan of the Microsoft Natural keyboards. The angle and separation arc make typing much easier on my wrist. They’re quieter than most and I actually find some of the extra keys (mainly the calculator) useful!.
I still use a Memorex MX1998. I like that it has a smaller shift key on the right with the backspace key to the right of it. Then, the Enter Key looks like a backwards L.
Most keyboards have the backspace above the Enter key. Don’t care for that.
Sheesh, what sillyness! Just switch to Scala and forget and the semi-colon.
The Canadian government has apologized for Bryan Adams on several occasions…
Hhmmm, it’s interesting that in every keyboard pictured there’s something that annoys me a lot - the tiny Enter key. I prefer the bigger version:
http://km.support.apple.com/library/APPLE/APPLECARE_ALLGEOS/HT1168/pc-keyboard-all-gray2.png
And those with a tiny backspace key are also a pain.
My perfect keyboard would be an MS Ergo 4000 (which I’ve been using for the past year or so) with the classic IBM keyboard’s awesome tactile feedback, minus the number pad which I never use and puts my mouse a little too far to the right.
Lots of people talking about wanting Control where Caps Lock is. That’s actually part of the layout I grew up on in the 80s. I use Linux and always map Caps Lock to Control, but in the 90s I got out of the habit of looking for Control there, so I still never hit that key.
The Sun Type 5 keyboard (the one I hate) has the Backspace key where most of us expect the backslash to be. Drove me nuts. Meanwhile the Type 4 has Delete directly above Backspace, and which one you really want to hit to delete the last thing you typed depends on your terminal settings.
I used to like the big backward-L enter key, then I started using Unix and needing the backslash and vertical-bar characters to be easier to get to than they are on those keyboards.
Oh, and at those asking about the standard insert, delete, home, end layout and why it matters – several reasons. I use ctrl-home and ctrl-end all the time. I also still use the ctrl-insert to copy, shift-insert to delete, and shift-delete to cut in addition to the standard ctrl-x, v, and c. There are situations where those combinations are more effecient such as using ctrl-shift left and right arrow to hightlight. Since your left finger is already on shift and your right finger is coming of the arrow, it’s quicker to hit insert or delete to do a copy or cut.
I use an evoluent ergonomic keyboard, mainly because it puts the numpad on the left, which brings my mouse closer to my right hand, and has escape where I am used to it. (vi/vim user) Most of the layout is pretty regular, with the arrow keys in an inverted T pattern which I like.
Must say that the kinesis looks interesting though. I wonder if I can move the esc key into the thumb pad.
I also like having non-standard keyboards to keep others off my workstation. They get frustrated with the layout and let me do the driving! It’s like spitting on a piece of cake so that no-one else will eat it.
Oh and the captcha is always orange for me too.
I have an IBM, a little newer than the one you pictured, that I’ve had since 1999 when I purchased a very solid IBM PC.
This keyboard has shown no signs of giving up!
Our CTO swears by Kinesis Contoured keyboards. They’re pricey, but apparently really awesome. His already insane typing speed increased to beyond insane speeds once he got accustomed to it.
http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/contoured.htm
Specifically this one:
I use MS Natural 1.0 keyboards exclusively. Of course since these haven’t been made in over 10 years, and they do sometimes break, I’ve amassed quite a collection of them. They’re rare to find even on eBay anymore, but it’s worth it.
Note to keyboard industry: build a copy of the Natural 1.0 with mechanical switches and I’ll buy a dozen!
I have to disagree with the first one, after purchasing a Logitech Wave keyboard (which I absolutely love). I actually like having the significantly bigger delete key, because I use that far more than insert or page up/down. and I use home/end a lot, and they’re easy to get to as the only 2 buttons on the top.
The Apple keyboard is the best keyboard I have ever owned! Just perfect for typing, feels great and looks stunning.
I had a kinesis for many years, and really liked it. It took only a day or two of retraining for me, and significantly improved my typing comfort. I’m an emacs user, and having the control key down at my thumbs instead of out beyond my pinkies was a huge improvement. I should probably get a new one…
My keyboard at home is a 17-year old Samsung with standard PC layout from before Windows special keys (pretty much like the IBM Model M). It weighs a ton so it doesn’t slide across the desk. No point in replacing something that works. 
No. No no no. The Mac keyboards are freaking horrible. My college has them (together with Macs, for some reason, running Debian or Gentoo or something… I think Debian).
The keys are spaced too far apart! I can’t touch type on it! I can’t even look-type at normal speed and it’s extremely frustrating to have to code on them. To the point where I actually was considering buyingmy own USB keyboard and bringing it in…
Stick to the bloody standard spacing between keys! I know Mac users are stereotypically clueless marketing execs who want to look cool/trendy… but… wait, that seems to be quite fitting.
I will mildly disagree with #3. Not because I want my function keys remapped, but because it’s really not a big deal to always have F-lock on.
Maybe you missed the most pretentious keyboard ever:
http://www.essell.org/journal/index.php?id=479
I agree with Paul and disagree with Jeff on point 1. I’ve used MS keyboards with mangled home clusters for years and I believe the Home-End/Delete-PageUp/PageDown arrangement is much more productive than the native 104 keyboard layout. It takes a bit of getting used to but it feels much nicer to me.
In reference to point 3, leaving F-Lock on should keep you from having any problems with your F keys unless you don’t like them being arranged in different groups.
I wholeheartedly agree with point 2 though. The few keyboards I’ve used with the goofy arrow layout have driven me absolutely nuts.
I’ve got one of the old style Northgate keyboards (OmniKey Ultra). It’s super clicky - great feel for touch-typing, with function keys across the top and on the left (where $Diety intended them to be), and supplemental ‘*’ and / keys. The only downside is no Windows key, but it can be keymapped to take care of it. It’s apparently indestructible, since it’s over 15 years old.
The Apple keyboard is excellent. Beware the wireless one however; it doesn’t have a numpad.
What the heck is the Caps Lock doing there next to the A key?!? That is an abomination. That is the holy place reserved for CTRL, and only he may reside there. Caps Lock must be relegated to the outer reaches of the keyboard. Long live OmniKey!
And stop waltzing my tilde! 
I have the Apple keyboard at work with my iMac. Love it surprisingly. I thought for sure it would suck but I love it. Very easy to type on and doesn’t make a ton of noise. Just enough to let you know you are typing.
The Apple flat keyboard is what dreams are made of, if they ever ruin it I will continue to buy up any I find forever.
Not the fanboy talking because I can honestly say I REALLY REALLY hated the dust viewing window keyboard they had before it and its unreliable return and shift keys.
One before that was ok but nothing I’d write home to my Dad about
Jeff,
Your timing is as immaculate as ever - I’ve spent a serious amount of time this morning considering just how stupid the home key cluster is on my keyboard.
Having built a new PC a couple of months ago, I opted for the Logitech Easycall keyboard - mainly because the keyboard and mouse are both wireless, communicating with the PC via a smart - wired - speakerphone that supports skype and MSN messenger.
The end result is a very clean desktop layout with no wires trailing across the surface of the desk.
I’ve been vaguely aware of how annoying the Home key cluster layout is (I Never hit the End key when I want to) but have become even more aware of it today, due to a snow induced ‘working from home’ session. (The snow isn’t that bad, really, but I’m in the UK, so it gets translated into - We’re all gonna die!!!)
Now that I’m doing my first serious stint of typing at home, the Home key cluster layout has become even more annoying.
Should I consider sticking with it long enough to develop a muscle-memory for the new layout, or will this just conflict with the habits developed on the normal keyboard layout at the office?
Having had a quick peek at the Logitech site today, not only is the Easycall discontinued, most of their wireless keyboards use this strange layout.
It’s a shame really, as this one small point ruins an otherwise excellent keyboard.
Why do companies have to change things that not only work fine, but people have become very used to?
I want a wireless keyboard that is split into 2 and is rigidly affixed/attached independently to both wrists. So, it is like part of my body. Does anything like that exist?
funny I rarely use the arrow keys, home cluster, or function keys when programming. probably something to do with using vim but it shows that the keyboard is not really good for programming per-se, but good for a particular piece of software
I’m thinking of replacing my 13 year old keyboard (apricot - a by then Mitsubishi company) - not because its broken, but because it doesn’t match the colour of my new LCD monitor!
The new monitor replaced a 13 year old 17 monitor (also Mitsubishi) that also still works (even more unbelievably than the keyboard in my opinion).
Since I mostly write code in Emacs, I’m not so sensitive to the home/end/paging, cursor and function keys. I rarely use them. That is one benefit of using a programmer’s editor like Emacs or Vi - they use mostly standard keys for all of these basic cursor movement operations. So it’s more important to me on the feel of the keyboard than the size and placement of these special keys.
The holy grail of keyboards was the MSFT Natural I bought in 1997. Hands down the best keyboard ever. Classic layout, no stupid media keys, ergo form factor. LOVED IT.
Tried to restore it last year. Failed :(. Now using a newer basic Natural keyboard that is…ok.
My problem with the Media Natural keyboards is the ergo form does not seem as pronounced. The last one I bought broke relatively quickly, too…only lasted a year or two.
If you’re in the UK, a double height Enter key is pretty much essential too. I’ve been a fan of Logitech keyboards for a long time, but they’ve taken to mangling the home cluster lately. Except on their awesome G15 that is, which I can recommend if you have the money.
I own a Logitech G15, and even though the extra buttons on the left are a bit awkward to reach, they sometimes pay off in VS2008 ([Ctrl]+[Shift]+[B] versus [G12]?).
What I love most about the (old) G15, are the media player controls under the LCD (which displays what I’m currently listening to). Extremely convenient.
Happy Hacking keyboard anyone???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard
#5 (for vi users at least):
Thou shalt not muck with the position of the escape key.
I love my 14 Thinkpad T61 except that they positioned escape above F1. This also is an abomination. Thankfully I’m not programming on the laptop keyboard itself that often. I guess laptop keyboards are in a class of their own …
Stop talking crap
3. Thou Shalt Not Remap the Function Keys
What do you think your beloved Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 does?
I think all programmers can agree on these three. Beyond that, it rapidly becomes a matter of personal preference
I think your three are personal taste because they are not mine.
For me, there’s really no keyboard like the Microsoft Confort Curve 2000.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=040
For a Microsoft keyboard, it does a surprisingly good job not mangling the arrows/home cluster/function keys.
It even has volume keys and back/forward keys (which I remapped to change desktop in KDE).
It’s curved, but not split, so it provides a nice comprimize between an ergonomic and standard keyboard.
(It’s also got low profile laptop-style keys, which I tend to go for.)
Thou shall likewise tit not, with the Shift nor with the backspace keys.
As a unix programmer, I do not agree with your idea of a bad keyboard. I don’t need the home key cluster, I have ^D, ^A, ^E, etc. I don’t need the arrow key cluster either, I have hjkl (or ^F ^B ^P ^N when I was still using emacs).
I also stick to microsoft natural keyboards though, I just wish someone would make a similar keyboard without the numeric keypad and without the home key and arrow key clusters so the mouse isn’t as far away on those occasions I need it.
ah, the never ending struggle to find the perfect keyboard.
I agree with all your points as what makes for a bad keyboard, plus I have a bigger issue that I grew up using a Spanish layout keyboard, so finding the perfect keyboard takes double effort.
I specially like gaming-grade keyboards like the Razer Lycosa and the G-15 but those only come in English layout, which more than messing with Spanish punctuation, kills my right hand by moving the and key from the bottom left of the keyboard and also moves the semicolon one row up.
My current favorite is the Samsung Pleomax PKC-700B which is like a perfect classic layout keyboard. (except for the oversized return key, which makes the right brace key to move next to a tiny backspace key)
I really like Cherry. Try G80-3000 (the http://www.cherry.de/deutsch/produkte/kabeltastaturen_G80-3000.htm). Longlife, gold contacts, good response, etc…
My biggest complaint about a keyboard is where the CTRL keys are…
I ‘grew-up’ with the CTRL key where the modern day CAPSLOCK is.
Luckily I can remap that in X11 via .xmodmap, or skip that entirely in windows by mapping it in the registry.
Travel greatly affects my happiness with a keyboard, as does the feedback. I never understood how folks could love the collapsable spring keyboards… I’ve always been a collapsible rubber dome kinda-guy.
Laptop keyboard for me please.
Once you get used to it there is no going back especially because the keyboard is smaller hence all the keys are closer. Dunno if it makes a difference for anyone else but I just love everything about my laptop keyboard.
I completely agree that the MS Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is the Holy Grail of keyboards. There are at least three of us in my office that have purchased them. The unmangled Home cluster is a must, along with the unmangled arrow key cluster. Unlike previous models, the remapped Function keys actually START as function keys and have to be switched to the remaps by pressing the F-Lock.
I ended up buying a Logitech G15 gamer keyboard in a pinch a few years back. It was literally the only one I could find without the mangled home/end cluster.
I don’t use any of the extra programmable keys, or the LCD (well, I didn’t with my old desk, since on the keyboard tray I couldn’t see it - I don’t have a new desk yet, still building a new office). What I do really like about it is the feel, it is solid and yet very easy to type on. The backlight is also surprisingly nice, especially since I tend to work with just a light on behind my monitors, reflecting off the wall.
@warp: Your dreams are answered:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Wireless_Keyboard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard
You missed one important rule: the double-sized backspace key is mandatory.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good Dvorak ergonomic keyboard? I currently use a G15 at home (which I love - reprogrammed the LCD display to show CPU/MEM/HDD/BW usage, time, uptime, volume, current winamp track) and an IBM at work. I’ve popped the keycaps off both and rearranged them into Dvorak, but they’re a little uneven since the caps aren’t all identical.
My own cleansing process, no silly compressed air…
WIN
I still have 3 or 4 old metal-cased Zenith keyboards that are built like a tank and weigh almost as much. Great feel, classic layout - but the built-in click speaker/amp will drive everyone else in the room a little bonkers. I had to disable a couple of those clickity-clackers.
Got them surplus years ago $1/ea.
Of course to use them now you need a PS2 adapter, if not a PS2-USB adapter totem-poled behind that too!
Recently got a Logitech Wave, absolutely love it, curved layout but not split is my ideal, yeah the home cluster is mangled but doesn’t bother me at all, don’t use those keys much I guess, just personal preference really.
Of course, if you have $1600 to spend on a keyboard you could go with this one: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/9836/
Little OLEDs on every key, sounds really cool, although I’ve heard they are actually very comfortable for typing on.
I’ve got both an IBM model M and a Das Keyboard … they’re freaking awesome! Problem arises when you get used to that clicky feeling and you can’t use them (like when’re not at your place, they’re kinda loud)
Following Christian Wyglendowski idea:
Thou shalt not muck with the position of the escape or ctrl key.
Who told IBM/Lenovo to place that stupid Fn key where the Ctrl key is supposed to be? Yeah, people will turn that stupid LED light more than using Ctrl+C. Oh well, this come bundled with Windows, what can you expect.
I also disagree with the first point. It has taken me a bit to get used to the long delete key at work - but I do use it a lot more than the insert key and find it quite handy. At home I have a G15 logitech, which has the normal delete-insert layout. What I find interesting is that I have had no trouble switching between the two after I got used to the big-delete keyboard I have at work.
I do agree with the other two points - I’m very lucky of being the only one in the office who uses linux for development - I never have to press F-Mode in the morning to get my F keys to work. That was annoying on Windows.
Two other things I think are a must: a long backspace and a big enter key. I don’t mind the small shift as much, though it would be nice to have it the other way around - the reason why modern keyboards have the |\ key twice still eludes me.
Following Christian Wyglendowski idea:
Thou shalt not muck with the position of the escape or ctrl key.
Who told IBM/Lenovo to place that stupid Fn key where the Ctrl key is supposed to be? Yeah, people will turn that stupid LED light more than using Ctrl+C. Oh well, this come bundled with Windows, what can you expect.
+1 on the Kinesis Advantage. Got one less than a year ago and have never looked back.
A lot of people I recommend it to are afraid of trying something new, or that they won’t be able to use an old style keyboard again. It’s simply not true. While there is an adjustment period, once you get the hang of it, it’s wonderful. It took me about a week to adjust. Just put away your old keyboard and pretend it doesn’t exist. Otherwise you’ll want to switch back and forth and you’ll never get the hang of it.
I got the keyboard because I had arm/shoulder troubles. Once I started using the Kinesis, my problems improved significantly (over the period of about a month). Now I do get fatigue, but not even as bad as before.
I also use Emacs, and mapped control to the caps lock key, and turned off caps lock altogether. Having control right next to the home row makes it even easier on my fingers.
A great investment, and it should be something all programmers should consider. You use a keyboard all day. It should be something that helps you get your job done more efficiently, and keep you comfortable and pain free.
P.S. I’m in no way affiliated with Kinesis
Because I use Vim as my main code editor, the home cluster and f-keys dont really bother me. This is partly because Vi (of which Vim was based off) was written back in the days of terminals. As a result, those keyboards did not have the home cluster, or even arrow keys (i think?)
My saitek eclipse has two big benefits for me, it feels great to type on and has lived longer than any other keyboard I’ve ever had (currently; twice as long as the previous record-holder, but I am egregiously harsh on my keyboards).
When it comes to keyboard layouts I really wonder: Why do they make non-standard keyboards at all? Is there any possible reason for flat enter keys? Is there a purpose imaginable for odd arrows? Is there a meaning behind deviating from the standard delete key?
Sometimes, sometimes I just think; Jesus… How freaking hard can it be: http://img.systemaxdev.com/productmedia/htmlimages/cten/accessories/128076.jpg ?
Ah, yea, i need a new keyboard. And I agree with the red flags you look out for.
+1 vote for the Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000. So good. So cheap. I have three. One had a clicky spacebar when I bought it, but I sent it back and the replacement was just fine.
I have the Mac keyboard and it works well as a SECOND keyboard because it is so small and light and has a USB port built in. It tucks away nicely under the iMac I have sitting next to my PC monitor. But my hands hurt after using it for any longer than a few minutes.
As a unix programmer, I do not agree with your idea of a bad keyboard. I don’t need the home key cluster, I have ^D, ^A, ^E, etc. I don’t need the arrow key cluster either, I have hjkl (or ^F ^B ^P ^N when I was still using emacs).
Ahhh thank you, this explains the mysterious Deck keyboard
Perhaps it’s just me*, but I found that once I’d gotten used to the home key cluster layout pictured in your #1 hate-a-thon, that it was an amazing, amazing timesaver.
I’d hit Insert repeatedly, randomly, when reaching for the Home or End keys, and end up in overtype mode. No more.
I hated it at first, but then came to see that a) I never used Insert for anything except self-annoyance, and b) um, that first point was probably enough.
Sigh.
I think FLock is possibly the devil incarnate, though.
Sorry about that, my last post was un-finished. What I meant was …
(i think? I wasnt even alive when Vi was first written). Also, this is why Vi(m) has the method of moving around via the home row keys hjkl, which, as it turns out, is pretty useful (and quick!)
Ooh, and story of hate: the Toshiba I was given for work had a Windows key at the top right.
Yes, the top right.
Combine that with generally awful typing ergonomics, and that was it - I sent it back, and lived without a work laptop for two years.
(Shortly thereafter I got a P1610, with the best damn cursor key layout on a subnotebook I’ve ever experienced. Everything should have Home, End, PgUp, PgDown mapped to Left Right Up Down with accelerators, respectively).
By far my favourite keyboard of all time was the BTC 53-Series, made since the early 90s. Their defining chacteristic was the fact that you could mash down every single one of its 105 keys at the same time. Absolutely fantastic for gaming (Descent!) or multiplayer action (Star Control II - Melee), etc.
Also, I hammered and pounded the shit out of it while programming and debugging. They withstood many hours of sheer teenage frustration. Tough as nails.
when you get used to that clicky feeling and you can’t use them (like when’re not at your place, they’re kinda loud)
I’m a little scared by the horror stories I’m hearing about noise on the clicky spring keyboards. My typing is already pretty, uh, forceful…
Man, talk about timing … on my to-do list for today is replace keyboard.
I loves me those old IBM keyboards: stiff and clicky, tons of travel – the pushbutton equivalent of positive feedback. But then, I learned to type on manual typewriters.
I hatehatehate split and ergo keyboards with the fire of a thousand suns. (A thousand petty little suns, apparently.) I’ve learned that (for me at least) ergo = wrist busting. But I also prefer to sit eight hours a day on a folding chair and drink my coffee black. So YMMV.
I was really wary of those Apple keyboards but after using a MacBook I’ve been pleasantly surprised. They have excellent feedback despite the lack of travel, and somehow I never mash multiple keys which is the bane of my typing existence on lesser keyboards.
Arrow keys? But h j k l are directly under your right hand
Yeah, but the f-lock actually works on it, and survives power offs and reboots. Not really an issue.
If you like the Model M, you can actually get a new one here:
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/
This guy used to work for IBM, and he bought the rights and equipment to the keyboards and now makes them custom. They are pricey, though, and $69.99usd
You missed the irritating laptop key combo, where the lazy designers put the Fn key where god said the ctrl key should be because they could fabricate it easier. You can get used to it but if you’re an emacs user it drives you nuts for a while, and who wants to schlep a keyboard around??
Sorry, I don’t understand your rules. Just because one day one company decided to arrange keys in a certain way, we must now keep it like that forever? That’s absolute nonsense! I hate the standard home key cluster. For me the one of Logitech (that’s the one on your picture) seems much better and it removes this stupid insert key, that has no function in most application and on my favorite OS (it’s almost completely pointless in OS X). Actually I like compact keyboards. The MS Ergonomic 4000 is a nice one, it would be even nicer if it had no num block at all, no home home key cluster and the arrow keys integrated into the main block. This one here gets very close to a perfect keyboard IMHO:
http://www.fentek-ind.com/hhlite2lrg.jpg
Except that it’s not ergonomic.
It has everything you need. All missing keys could be easily emulated using CTRL+key. The great thing is Mac OS X has the classic keyboard bindings. You don’t expect me to ever hit backspace, do you? Nope, Backspace is CTRL+H (backward delete) and the delete key of the home row block is CTRL+D. These shortcuts were already effective at the days where keyboards actually all looked like in the image I posted above. And using CTRL+W you can delete a whole word backwards. This works in almost any Mac OS X version and that’s how hacker codes. Hackers couldn’t car any less how the Home Key Block looks like, because they actually never even get close to the block.
And the more compact the keyboard is the closer the mouse moves to its right, which is much more ergonomic than having plenty of useless keys there and move the mouse far away. Actually a mouse is also not ergonomic, I have a full hand trackball (you move the pointer by moving your fingers across a big ball), as moving the fingers is ergonomic (nature designed your fingers for fine grained movement), moving your hand wrist is not.
I was going to comment on how you should use vi and not have to worry about these issues, but other beat me to it.
So here is my complaint…
The function keys should be arranged in two columns to the left of the main key area, not over the top. In this way you can use the functions keys combined with Ctrl/Alt/Shift with only one hand.
Best keyboard I’ve ever experienced was on the IBM 3101 terminals. (IBM also made some 3270-type terminals with similar keyboards, but I never used them) These keyboards were similar to the venerable IBM PC keyboards of the day, but they also had a kick solenoid built in that would optionally activate when you pressed a key. The resulting feedback was similar to typing on an electric typewriter.
This rich and powerful feedback made typing a joy – you always knew exactly when you had kit a key, because the kick solenoid would produce a pleasing jolt to your fingers. The keys were well sculpted and positioned. The keyboard was also heavy and stayed in place.
They don’t make keyboards like this any more – the preference today is for cheap plastic keys and lightweight plastic housings, and keys with little movement, and barely any click.
The Apple Extended Keyboard II (the old ADB one) would probably meet your criteria as well. That was one damned nice keyboard, but not as good as the IBM 3101…
Take a look at the Cherry Stream.
Very nice kb, using it now 
