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.