Just looking at those giant punchy keys makes me cringe. Once you get used to Apple’s low profile keyboards the amount of extra work you have to do punching those giant keys on a PC defeats any gain over mechanical or rubber… I also thought Apple’s keyboards were magnetic - with the keys floating due to the paired polarity - but I couldn’t find any link to back that up. Either way… they just seem to have that perfect amount of crispness.
I like the tips on quality keyboards, but have to disagree on the comparison of hunt-and-peck to virtuosity. Speed is not a measure of ability in this regard. If we were talking about 70’s era typists whose skill was measured in words per minute, okay.
Maybe I can’t jam out the code like you can, but I know at least as good a programmer as you. Code is more like art in that regard. When was the last time someone said the fastest artist was the best artist? Michelangelo took 4 years to paint one ceiling. Bob Ross could’ve knocked it out in a day.
Heheh, one up for http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/4740
I love this keyboard. Back-lit, shallow, good feedback. And above all, they stylish and good looking. Logitech makes some decent keyboards. To be honest I find it strange not a single one was mentioned in that document.
I can’t fault the Microsoft Ergo 4000, I’ll be gutted when they stop making them. I do, however, love the idea of the Das Keyboard but refuse to buy something that isn’t ergonomic. This keyboard is the only thing stopping me from getting RSI (I spend a good 9 hours a day on a computer).
Are there any other manufacturers who make good ergonomic keyboards which are affordable?
If you ever get a chance to type on an old Selectric typewriter, try it.
It’s the best keyboard ever built, and the one IBM was trying to emulate with their buckling-spring keyswitch.
I use a Unicomp Model M, but I actually prefer the Cherry keyswitches-- they’re just really hard to find if you don’t know where to look (and some Cherry-branded keyboards use other kinds of switches).
I heard a while back that Unicomp was having financial problems, because their product lasts forever, and the market for premium keyboards is small. I hope they’re still doing OK.
Does anyone make a laptop with good long-stroke mechanical keyswitches?
I know they want to minimize the thickness, but I can’t stand typing on modern laptops-- I always end up taking a separate keyboard with me (usually one without a number pad).
Cool. This article is going to make me spend money today :).
If you want one of these l33t keyboards, but don’t want to lose the functionality that the Media Keys on your current keyboard provide, check out http://www.autohotkey.com/.
AutoHotKey will let you program your own keyboard shortcuts to do almost anything, so you won’t need your Media Keys.
I’ve seen commentators say they won’t consider a mechanical keyboard until someone makes an ergonomic version.
Personally, I’d go back to mechanical keyboards in a heartbeat, if someone made a wireless version (RF, please, not IR).
I with the “Happy Hacking Keyboard” professional (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard). Carry them with me anywhere.
I second the Kinesis Advantage mentioned above, I have one now, had one years ago, and loved both.
A note on Dvorak, I put a key chart up on the wall, and taught my self to use Dvorak when I wasn’t looking at the keyboard, and to use qwerty when looking at the keyboard, this kept me from being crippled on a computer that did not have a remapped keyboard. I don’t think you are much faster on a Dvorak, but I think you get fewer errors, and it’s easier on your hands. It needs to be updated though, it is for typing, not computers.
Low-profile, keyboards, like the one on my Thinkpad, are great because of short key travel. However, Aeron, flat keys such as the ones on the Apple keyboards, suck. There’s no feedback as to where you are on a key.
/This post was touch-typed on the PS2 IBM KB-9930 from 2000, the best keyboard I have ever used as evidenced by the fact that I STILL use it, and a decade later, it works just as fine and the labels have not rubbed off even a bit, even though some of the keys have been mirror-polished by my fingertips. http://www.google.com/images?q=kb+9930 I have a white one.
They don’t make 'em like they used to.
I loved the Logitech Ultra X Premium flat keyboard. Perfectly washable in a dishwasher, sturdy and heavy enough to not wobble.
Now I’m enjoying the Macbook keyboard quite a lot as well. It took me a while to learn the function key combos that replace keys such as Home/End/PgUp/PgDown but after a while I find myself using those even on a full keyboard. And having the trackpad built in right under it is also very nice.
Oh, and I guess it would probably qualify as a shameless plug to mention my touch typing practice game Type Raiders, right? Check out www.typeraiders.com
I know it was Adams’ line, not yours, but …
What happens when people become trained to think of information and entertainment as something they receive and not something they create?When people become trained to think that? Hate to break it to you, but the vast majority of people has always thought that. Most people will never post regularly to a blog. Most people will never post anything to YouTube. Most people will not have more followers than followed.
Hell, that last one is simple math. The reason phones don’t fit this mold is that use doesn’t fall into an “entertainment producer” model, but a communication model. So the upper limit on producers of content on YouTube and other publicly available sources will be communication intended for a limited audience, that just happens to be available to the rest of us, if we care to look.
Don’t overlook Keytronic. I have two $19 Keytronic classic 101s (http://www.keytronic.com/home/index.html) that work great. Also note that mechanical keyswitches, while they feel great, can lead to RSI. A softer touch is safer. Whatever you do, keep a few mouse pads under your keyboard to help absorb shock and ward off RSI.
There’s a huge gearhead vibe going on in these comments: “I’ve got a 52 small-block v8 with titanium springs and vanilla flavored valve covers!”
You have an old keyboard. Congrats.
Also I think the article totally missed the ergo aspect. Many many developers care about ergonomics – would you trust a tennis player who didn’t care whether his racket strained his … uhhh … whatever muscle that’s called.
Partly I’m amazed at the issue of how people are so defensive - “I can’t type quickly and I’m such a good programmer”. Fine, if you’re genuinely so good be a good programmer and show everyone how wrong they are. Anyone can say they’re good at stuff - I’m a brilliant intergalactic space pilot.
I think there’s a issue of being taken seriously and being technically accomplished being slightly different things. You can be an amazing programmer - maybe you can even solve NP problems in polynomial time - but if you can’t quickly find the e key on a keyboard I’m going to feel nervous about trusting you with work. To my eye the very least difficult problem you’ll have today is finding the keys on your keyboard. It’s also a question of “how much experience can he have and yet not know where that key is?” It looks very bad to outsiders who don’t think you’re an amazing coder because they don’t know everything about you like you do (or maybe you’re just not quite as good as you think and say you are).
I completely agree that people who hunt and peck cannot be taken seriously as programmers. That doesn’t mean they can’t be good but exactly how much of a leap of faith do you want to take with your [insert substantial, expensive, mission-critical project here] ?
Thanks Ronny, that’s exactly the keyboard I want! I love typing on my Thinkpad and using the trackpoint (over 100wpm since Grade 8 when they taught us at school 30 years ago), and getting what I’m thinking straight onto the page. Although I do wish I was a little more accurate. As long as the keyboard isn’t the worst around, I’m happy.
I’ve got a Filco Majestouch. It thought it was hideously expensive before I got it, but after using it for several months, I vastly prefer it to any other keyboard I’ve used. Also, if somebody with a knife tries to sneak up behind me, it’s sturdy and heavy enough to use as a weapon 
Mladen Mijatov on October 23, 2010 8:07 AM said:
“To be honest I find it strange not a single one was mentioned in that document.”
That’d be because the document is clearly titled “Mechanical Keyboard Guide”. Logitech keyboards are not mechanical, despite being similarly priced. You’re probably not quite getting what you pay for
Jcollum on October 23, 2010 2:35 PM said:
“Also I think the article totally missed the ergo aspect. Many many developers care about ergonomics – would you trust a tennis player who didn’t care whether his racket strained his … uhhh … whatever muscle that’s called.”
Many many other developers realize that the word “ergonomic” could be replaced by “body-fitting”. A wide split keyboard is not required to be ergonomic, if your body is not wide. The point of the split keyboard is so you’re not pulling your arms inward. If your shoulders aren’t wide, then you’re probably not pulling your arms in on a standard keyboard. Would you trust a programmer who always used some keyboard library only because the name was a buzz-word instead of some other more efficient keyboard library?
Casey McLaughlin on October 23, 2010 8:44 AM said:
"If you want one of these l33t keyboards, but don’t want to lose the functionality that the Media Keys on your current keyboard provide, check out http://www.autohotkey.com/.
AutoHotKey will let you program your own keyboard shortcuts to do almost anything, so you won’t need your Media Keys."
Personally, I prefer 3RVX
@Ronald: Ooh, what changes to Dvorak have you in mind? I’d love to see changes would make it a better keyboard for a broad range of users, and not just programmers, for example.
To me, seeing Dvorak succeed is very important. I liken it to Firefox vs Internet Explorer—the success of Firefox in chipping away at Internet Explorer’s market dominance in recent years was very heartening, and anything we can do to help Dvorak do the same against qwerty is well worth it.