I like a keyboard with dedicated cut, copy and paste buttons. These are very rare. I saw one in a local computer store and bought it immediately.
I have a USB MS Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, and I love it. It does have some of the weird Function keys that double as different operations, but there’s a key (next to F12) that turns this on and off (and it defaults to On, which is where I leave it usually). It’s very comfortable to use, and I find that I do get some use out of the different buttons (such as the Play/Pause button, the Volume controls, Calculator button, etc.)
I use Linux too, and it works straight out of the box (aside from the media keys at the top that you don’t need) which is nice - and it’s pretty easy to get the other keys recognized. It also has some of the shortcut operations printed on the keys which is nice if you ever forget (apps tend to use the same default key configs, it seems).
Wow, this was posted some 3 years ago and is still active. Nice 
For me the entire keyboard layout is sacred. Thou shall not mess with the F-keys. Thou shall not screw with the arrows. Thou shall not change the size of the delete key. Thou shall not, under any circumstances, change the size of the Enter key. Moving or resizing the backslash key will result in instant and eternal damnation.
At home I’ve used the same keyboard for about 6 years and am scared of the day it stops working. It is one of first wireless keyboard Logitech made and it is still today better than most other new ones I’ve used.
It’s been a long time since you posted an update to this. What keyboard do you use now? Now and then I peruse Best Buy and friends and have this super cool internets-enabled crap is all they sell.
I use an IBM model ‘M’, made in 1984. (It is 8 years older than I am!) It is about 10% bigger than modern keyboards tend to be, with large, deep keys. When I type, it leaves a continual metallic musical ringing in the air from the spring-action, clickey-style keys. It weighs a ton, and I love the thing. However, it requires an adapter to connect it with my computer, and two with some of the newer computers. It has every key where the key should go, no fancy ‘internet’ buttons. I find most keyboards now to be too small for me, as I tend to mash the keys when I type. It was evidently built to last… man, they don’t make things like they use to!
For three years people have been complaining here, and for three years the damned keyboard industry is only making it worse.
Look, wasn’t it enough that backspace has, for decades, constantly jumped around four different positions? To the right of Shift, left of Backspace, above Enter, or between Ctrl and Alt.
Isn’t it enough that “Power”, “Sleep”, and “Wake” took the top row above the Insert cluster, pushing “Print Screen”/“Scroll Lock”/“Pause” down to the Insert cluster, screwing me up when I go for the corner where PageUp should be?
What sense does it make for Insert not to be adjacent to Delete? I can’t imagine what reason there is to mangle the layout, but if you must mangle it, at least mangle it in a logical manner!
All I want is an unmangled cheap rectangular USB keyboard to keep plugged into my laptop’s docking station. Is that so much to ask?
I found one that I really liked, I even used the multimedia functions (which were in separate buttons, instead of taking over for the F-keys), but it failed in a couple month’s usage, and the seller was crappy too. Well, I’ve just gone back to their site and the price is now $6, so I guess I’ll just order a bunch of 'em from those jerks.
For me the only keyboards are the Avant Stellar keyboards (formerly Northgate). They have the one feature I love, function keys down the left side of the keyboard, all twelve of them, so I can chord Ctrl, Alt, Shift and normal codes all with the left hand without undue stretching of fingers. This gives me 48 keys to program for my editor. They also last for 20 years or more (I still use 20yr old ones.)
Here is my choice of keyboard (http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/eclipse.htm) the Saitek Eclipse (I have the ‘Gamers Keyboard’ but it comes to the same thing), it has a very smooth typing action, and all the keys are in the correct place. Volume controls above the num pad are nice too.
I hate the Insert key! It hasn’t helped me any. All it does is irritate me while trying to do school work.
Akria Nathna A'strta
I’m with Jeff… I have the Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro. I wish they would bring it out of retirement. I have one at home but at work I use the shitty Dell keyboard that came with my PC.
I can’t find anything as good as the MS Natural Pro. The new Natural keyboard 4000 (I believe is the model #) is good but missing the USB hub functionality. However, I can live without that since my monitor is a hub as well.
What I really don’t like messed with is the inverted T arrow keys. Don’t mess with the Insert/Home/PgUp/PgDn/Delete/End keys. Leave them as two rows of three keys in the usual layout. Also don’t F**K with the function keys. F5 should by default be refresh, F10-F12 should map to debug step functions in VS. If the marketing geniuses want to change it, then make it clear on the box and make it possible to over-ride.
Oh yes: I am not a fan of the ergo keyboards - nor the lightweight piles of crap now sold at sometimes astonishing prices - and i got lucky with my current board:
One morning when I was running, i found an IBM 101 keyboard in a ditch, wet and plastered with brown leaves that had pretty much permiated every possible hole. So I removed the plastic face plate and washed the board down with soap and warm water- let her dry on the kitchen rack, then dug out a AT to ps/2 adapter and plugged her in and never looked back. that was 3 years ago and there are still some crusted leaves under some of the keys: but shes rock solid. likesay i could probably use it to inflict some blunt force trauma and proceed typing without pause.
i left the front plate off so it even looks a bit deconstructed and modern- since its actually got a nice black plastic backplate: sort of darth vader ish vs the horribly faded beige of the front plate.
if you are dissapointed with modernity- return to that which you find most loving- go dig a 101 out of a landfill-
Not sure how alive this thread of comments is (a LOT of links are broken), but a couple things occur to me:
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There should be a company that sells customizable keyboards (that click). Not just what letters/functions go on what keys, but where the keys go. I’m sure if the process could be streamlined enough, it could even break into the mainstream market. Maybe Optimus can do this?
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I am very interested in learning to use Dvorak, or some other, more efficient layout. To me, it is the ‘metric’ system to a world that uses the ‘english’ (aka QWERTY) system. Just like the US-metric switch is gradually happening in America (experts first, trickling down to consumer goods, and hopefully further), I think that programmers need to lead the charge. I see two drawbacks:
-It will take a few weeks to make the switch, during which I will have poor skill in both systems
-If I want to use someone else’s (or a public) computer, I will have to either a) go into OS-level settings and remap keys, b) open a web application that translates, and ^x, ^v, c) retain fluency in QWERTY, or d) carry around a thumbdrive with a piece of software that I can run on any computer (without installing) that translates from one system to another.
d) seems the best solution, but I don’t know where to start. What language has the options I’m looking for? I’m willing to learn it, but I don’t know if it exists (or can exist until Windows changes fundamentally to open source).
I used a Sun keyboard for assignments when I was studying. I got really fast using it, it had the right height, pressure and satisfaction sound (click) when pressed. Only problem was that they switched the “old” american keyboards in for new swedish ones and that totally screwed the layout since it added three keys for , and (aring, auml, ouml), before that we had to use Alt Gr(-aph) for those letters but it didn’t slow me down any.
The variant “Sun Type 7 Keyboard” looks like having the same layout, but lacking the other design we had (shape, color, feel).
I’m mostly satisfied with keys being in the right place and having proper size (and I need the little numpad on the right). I have a hard time to like keybaords on laptops since they are all screwed up.
At the end of the day I find the secret to a good keyboard is to get one and stick with it. Through out my IT life I have been through many and usually find them slightly different. I once had a keyboard where the pg up/dn cluster was immediately above the cursor keys, another where the layout of the cluster was slightly different. Absolute hell!!
From my dads point of view the function buttons are essential. It would take him forever to get a web browser up without the button!
I once worked along side a developer who had a maltron keyboard (http://www.maltron.com/) it was the weirdest thing I had ever seen but he swore by it. His reason for buying it was due to severe RSI. He also said the layout was superb once you got used to it. He could knock out code quicker than I could eat MMs. As it was so expensive and it reduced his RSI he took it everywhere so never had changing keyboard woes.
Only nec pk-kb015 and datadesk smartboard upc5000 can be called ergo keyboards, all logitech, microsoft, acer, goldtouch, belkin, etc are rubbish, but pk-kb015 and upc5000 are also not enough good, look at this: http://diyism.com/?action=hardware.keyboard
boring give me excitment somthing that people will talk about and us alot somthing that kids will alway stay on the computer blow are freaken mind!!!
Depends on how your stuff is setup. Myself, I have my computer connected to my TV in my living room. However, to address issues of noise and heat, I put my computer in the next room. (Ran the cables through the window, behind the tv.)
I found the Logitech PS3 MediaBoard, and now I wouldn’t use anything else. It’s USB, doesn’t need drivers (Windows will do so automatically), wireless, and has a built-in touchpad. I turned the sensitivity on the touchpad as high as it can go – it works for selecting media and browsing the web.
http://reviews.cnet.com/keyboards/logitech-cordless-mediaboard-for/4505-3134_7-32319140.html
Oh, and it’s VERY light-weight. That part is extremely important.
You can pass it across the room with one hand without issue. I’d say it weighs about as much as a half-drunk bottle of beer.
I’ve been using the same two AA batteries since I bought it, some two months ago. It’s used daily.
I currently use a TypeMatrix EZ-Reach 2030 keyboard (PS/2 version) which serves me exceptionally well. It supports both QWERTY and Dvorak layouts without the need for software remapping, and it’s also small and compact. It uses a matrix layout which I find much more ergonomical than the staggering columns layouts. It also has centre Enter and Backspace keys which means I can use either of my hands to press them. There are also shortcuts for Cut/Copy/Paste (Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V) which although don’t work well under GNOME they are useful to have sometimes (I would love some Emacs shortcuts as well but maybe I’m asking for too much!). It also has large vertical Shift keys, which are much easier to use than the horizontal Shift keys.
About my above comment about EZ-Reach 2030, I forgot to add that it also supports special rubber skins that I find very useful for changing layouts or preventing dust. If you are interested to see the TypeMatrix keyboard I described above check their WWW address: http://typematrix.com/
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What keyboard areas are sacred to you, as a developer?
3x2 cluster + inverted T arrows : I use all of them extensively.
For exemple, one combinaison I do often is : home, shift + (down, del, ins, ins) : duplicates the current line.
Function keys are important too but less crucial. -
How important are the extra multimedia functions such as sleep, calculator, scrollwheel, volume control, etc? Do you use this stuff frequently? Rarely? Never?
Multimedia keys : never
Volume control : I would probably use it if I had it.
Scrollwheel : On the mouse, i use it very frequently. On a keyboard, probably much less. The only use I consider is scrolling through a document without moving the cursor. -
Does it really matter if your keyboard is wireless?
As a developer : no. But useful when the PC is used as a media center. -
Does an ergonomic layout help?
Not really. -
What keyboard(s) do you recommend, and why?
Standard layout, the rest is all about feeling. Try them if you can. I am personnaly quite happy with my keytronic kt2001.