What's the best keyboard?
 

I'm thinking of getting a new keyboard. What's the best keyboard to get right now?

like all computer questions, it really depends on the user. I had the Microsoft Elite Pro, it was the split down the middle kind with 2 usb ports in the back of it. Its hard to find now that its discontinued but its on e-bay for $40 or so. I also checked out the new Micorosoft Wireless Keyboard/Mouse combo. The mouse has the new tilt wheel function. I saw that at Best Buy for something around $60.

Dell QuietKey.

No questions asked, it's the best keyboard I've ever used. I've had one since I started using computers, and anytime I've used another, it's just been inferior in overall feel. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of newer keyboards, but it's perfect for what it's designed to do.

http://www.directron.com/dellkb1.html

That's the newest version of Dell's QuietKey. Directron has them for $6.00. My friend got one on sale for like $2.99.

When it comes to keyboards, I can't play games or even type worth a shit unless I'm using one of these. If you buy one, you won't be disappointed. Hell, it's worth getting one just to try out since they're $6.00.

-Lasereth

I also really like the Dell QuietKey, for the price it totally blows away all the competition

The PC Concepts Wave 101 was the best keyboard I ever owned. Ignore the built-in glidepoint mouse, but the keyboard itself ROCKED. perfect spacing, perfect feel, etc. It was beautiful.

VERY hard to find nowadays though.

Dell Quiet Key is the best

The company I buy my parts from sell these cheap $10 keyboards that I love...they are inexpensive and durable...and usually go through a keyboard a year....

Try a Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop - Executive Edition. It has the new side-scrolling mouse, has a duplicate mouse wheel on the keyboard, plus programmable buttons and features.
Extremely cool. Once you try it, you'll love it.

Dell Quietkey, I'm the friend who bought that sniznatch for 2.99. It's awesomely quiet. It's a very basic keyboard though, it doesn't have any fancy shit on it, no multimedia crap or anything like that.

The Logitech Cordless MX Duo

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...1.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Had it for about 6 months now and I absolutly love everything about it. Definently overkill as the price tag reflects, but it has been my loyal servant.

I've got this set - paid less than $90 for it and I absolutely love it! Only prob I have with it is fast paced FPS games with the mouse - I can feel the delay - no biggie, but I won't play competition with it. For everthing else it's great plus I love the *leather*? feel both the mouse and keyboard have.

I really like the laptop style keyboards. So I got myself a Viewsonic Slim Black keyboard. Works and looks great.

As for a normal tradional style keyboard, I would go with the Logitech one. Something like the Elite model is really nice.

For wired keyboards, I enjoy using the older Mac G4 keyboards. The ones with the clear body and smoke keys. It works fine on my PC, even the volume keys over the number pad :)

My every day keyboard is a Logitech Wireless Duo. I got it for free last year when they did that promo where Logitech gave away 20,000 of em. I loves it much.

I love the Dell keyboards. I bought mine off Ebay for use as an external keyboard for my Powerbook. Just the feel of typing on it is better than anything else I've used. Highly recommended.

Is there anyway to get those Dell keyboards without the Dell logo on them? I hate Dell.

I absolutely 100% agree. I got this for Christmas and I still can't get over how cool it is. Everyone always compliments my keyboard when they see if for the first time too. I know that sounds cheesy, but its true, lol. "Wow, that's a really cool looking keyboard!"

:p

i like the microsoft natural pro keyboard... i like the media buttons for controlling winamp without having to go to it on screen...

I vote for anything from Logitech that has the Zero Degree Tilt capability. My Cordless Freedom Optical has it, and I wouldn't wanna go back.

Vote here for Logitech Elite - Black

Awesome looking, and features back it up to boot. :)

Put a piece of duct tape over the logo if it bothers you that much.

Logitec MX Duo or Cordless Elite...i like logitec. however, any cheap keyboard would be fine, as i have an ancient keyboard for my current system

Yeah, they're good enough to use even with the horrible Dell logo. :) Why's everyone hate Dell, anyway? They're not for hardcore gamers, but for everyone else they're the best deal. I'll use Dell keyboards as long as they make QuietKeys.

-Lasereth

i agree with the MX duo, definetly one of the best things ive ever gotten for my comp.

I went with the Logitech diNovo.
The numeric pad is detached and can be used as a calculator (it has a display) and as a remote control for DVD, music and photos. It also beeps and tells me about mail and instant messages. Very cool.
And I think the look of it beats everything around.

I have an old IBM keyboard from 1991. I love it. Each key is an actual switch, not a membrane. It is a clickity-clack keyboard. It is very heavy and does not flex at all. It was given to me after I installed a copier in a church in Wyoming. I saw a stack of them by the copier and asked about them and the nun said I could have one. (She also told me that I could take a 286 computer, but had no interest.) I LOVE this keyboard. No silly Windows keys. It's built like a tank. Untill this keyboard dies, I will not buy a new one. Actually, I don't think it will ever die. So, when it comes to keyboards, I am old-school. Just did a bit of research, it's a "model M" keyboard. Pretty much unchanged from 1984. Sometimes, a company makes a product that is soooo good that there is no need to replace it, even 13 years after it was made. I'm sure these keyboards can be found on ebay. It rocks. Hate the split keyboards, hate the quiet, mushy keyboards. You will have to pry this keyboard out of my cold, dead hands. Lol

well, i can recommend the Logitech Cordless MX Duo. along with the Dell Quietkey it seems like its the most popular version around.
i absolutely love the zero tilt aspect in the logitech... and hey, it just looks cool.

I also have one of the M$ 1337 boards and I love it. I can't type at all on a regular kb now.

Oh, man, that looks sweet. I can't justify the cost at all though - you can get the MX Duo for half the price. Is there any big difference?

I use the Virtually Indestructable Keyboard here: (2 versions, I use the first one)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0105288
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0117712

Not only is it cheap, but if I ever want to clean it, I just take it to the bathroom and plop it in the sink. It took a little gettting used to, but I actually now perfer the 'soft' style keyboard to the typical 'hard' style.

Plus, it's quite the conversation piece. Whenever anyone sees it, they all say the same thing: "Is that your keyboard? Cool..."

I don't think anyone's made a decent keyboard in the past ten years. I can't stand rubberdomes and want to hear and feel the clunk clunk clunk under my fingertips...and I want to be able to put something (perhaps just resting my hands) ON the keyboard without whatever it is to actually press the keys.

Presently on my KVM is a BTC 5100C, and my spare/traveling keyboard is a good old IBM PS/2 one (made in nov 1987 :) )

You want a GOOD keyboard, look around at used computer shops or ebay.

Best Keyboard Ever: DataDesk Mac101E...was made in the mid-80's. (I have one of these too)

I miss Sun's Type 5...they really dropped the ball when they replaced it with the rubber-dome 5c.

Apple? ha. The old Mac keyboards were sooooo nice (even the way-too-big one nicknamed "USS Enterprise") but they got bitten by the let's-make-it-cheap bug years ago. I literally can't use a new powerbook keyboard.

Northgate Omni-Key. nummy. The original Gateway AnyKey was excellent too.

With the Logitech keyboards.. there's the set that looks exactly like the MX Duo, but its w/ bluetooth technology... How else is this useful, and is it really worth it?

The best keyboards in my opinion are the ones without Windows keys and that are loud... Its the sounds of progress without the global domination of Microsoft

I have one of the old IBM keyboards that came with a P/S2. Looking at teh back of it, it says Model M2 01-DEC-93.....

I HATE that keyboard, just can't thow away some thing that works though, and it looks brand new.....
I don't like the kicky stile keyboards.....

Hey I will trade someone for a dell quite key.....lol... I need a new k/b got one developing a short in the cable....

The older Dell Quietkeys are great (they also came in black, too, sweet). The new ones, the cheesy black curved ones, aren't the same. Sometimes when typing, I've found if you strike a key at just a slight angle on the new ones, it sticks & won't go down. It happens so frequently I've stopped using them (we have a ton at work and so it wasn't isolated). The new quietkeys just suck, they're cheap little crappy buggers). And they flex way too much.

Damn you Michael Dell, why couldn't you leave well enough alone?

I like my new, cheesy Quietkey, I don't have any problems with keys sticking.

I put the Logitec system pictured above on last night. I will NEVER use a wired set again. I love the freedom of sitting, looking , or doing whatever I want without being tied down!

I've never understood spending $100 on a fucking keyboard. My old VIAO came with a keyboard that had all these programmable buttons but I've never used one of them. Anything more than the keys on an old school keyboard is wasted materials to me.

my honest opinion, any keyboard that costs more more than about $10 is a waste of loot. but you gotta find a good one. i'm using a Compaq server keyboard rite now (no windows key, even) and it feels great. i really like IBM keyboards too. always hated the logitech keyboards.
good luck!

All I have aside from the server that sits in the closet - that one uses a Gateway 2000 124 anykey programmable keyboard from1993 - are the Microsoft Natural models.
Early signs of Carpal Tunnel disappeared immediately after I switched from the old clunky style 2+ years back.

much love!

http://www.nhob.com/sween/SA/M$NKpro3.jpg

http://www.nhob.com/sween/SA/M$NKpro2.jpg

http://www.nhob.com/sween/SA/M$NKpro1.jpg

I use an IBM RapidResponse keyboard at home. Probably the best keyboard I've seen since the early 1990s. I still use an old-school IBM keyboard at one office. The new fancy looking ones only serve to waste money. I wish they made a wireless RapidResponse, though.

Am I the only one that HATES Dell QuietKey keyboards? They're on all the school workstations and they annoy me to death with the lack of response. Perhaps I've just been typing on keyboards for too long.

Best keyboard design in the world
 

Great thread. I badly need to replace my keyboard and this is great info. I have been considering the Logitech duo's but wondered how they would perform.

Absolutely agree with this. The original IBM keyboards are still the best. I love the solid feel of the click of each key press and they were built to last. I've had mine for 20 years!!!!! No bells and whistles but then, I don't see the point of littering your keyboard with useless clutter.

No Das Keyboard II in this thread? For shame.

http://www.fahad.com/pics/das_keyboard_lrg.jpg

Mechanical switches at an affordable price. Custom weighted keys in five zones, too. Only $80.

http://www.daskeyboard.com/

That's cool. DO you actually have one of those?
It's very tempting!

http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/.../mb167_125.gif
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...nplm=MB167LL/A

Nuff said.

If you are looking for the absolute "best" keyboard, this is it:

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/demo/

http://www.trovster.com/images/weblo...s-keyboard.jpg

but if you don't want to spend $1500 on a fucking keyboard, Logitech is nice as well.

How the hell do you play games on that?

I saw the optimus YEARS ago in school and drooled over it, is it actually released now? :D

http://www.trustedreviews.com/images...ine/3789-1.jpg
This is a pretty neat one too.
The G15.
There was another I liked with an attachable 9 button pad...

It's done, and he is taking preorders now for shipment in December. It's ridiculously priced though.

The G15, only $71.99 from newegg, with free shipping, if you went to pricegrabber or pricewatch, I'm sure you could find it cheaper.

I haven't had one problem with mine, comes with 3x18 hot keys, so for any game you're set for life. The LCD display tells time, lets you control your MP3 player on board, control the volume and many other things.
It has back lights that you can change, and a button the mute the volume all together, handy if someone wallks in and you need to hear them.

Also, with the hot keys, you can program Windows shot cuts, like with G1, you can make open My Computer or your browser.