My keyboard needs replacing

[Chuck Wintle]

I know this is a very basic question but my keyboard is worn out and needs replacing. upon looking for a new on online i see many in the +100 dollar range and only a few in the midprice range which is better for me. The problem is that I want a fairly good one at a decent price....who uses what kind of keyboard and could you comment on it... Thx.

[Dave Richards]

the latest keyboard I purchased was for a new PC and I bought a Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse package. I think it was somewhere around %60 USD for the package.The keyboard has more buttons than I need but it works fine. I can't see much point in spending more money for a fancy keyboard unless it has special buttons for some application you use.

[David Masters]

Chuck,

Amazon has a wired keyboard for under $12 (Amazon Basics brand) if you're looking for something cheap. I've bought several keyboards for computers that I've built and have always chosen the cheapest without problems.

[Tony Joyce]

Check "newegg.com" search for keyboards & you can sort for popularity or price. They also have customer reviews for most items.

[Larry Browning]

I have an original IBM model M keyboard for my work computer that I have managed to hang onto from the early 90's. In my opinion these are absolutely the very best keyboards ever made and there is no suitable competition. Recently a coworker who had the same keyboard and shares my opinion of these keyboards had the space bar key fail after over 20 years of faithful service. After some googleing we discovered that these are still being manufactured and sold by a company named Unicomp. Here is their website where you can still purchase these great keyboards. http://www.pckeyboard.com/ I think you can get one for around $80. Which in my mind is a bargain at twice the price.
As it turned out we were able to repair his old keyboard, so he did not order one from them, and therefore I do not have any first hand experience, but if mine ever does fail, I will be ordering one in a heartbeat.

[Brian Elfert]

You can get an inexpensive standard keyboard for $5 to $20 at just about any store that sells electronics. Even Walmart/Target should have keyboards.

Personally, I like mechanical keyboards with Cherry MX Blue keyswitches. Not cheap at around $100. I have one for work and one for home. I can't stand the cheap $5 keyboards anymore.

[Steve Wurster]

The problem with both Model M keyboards and those with Cherry MX Blue switches is that THEY ARE LOUD. There are at least 2 guys at work with Model M keyboards and the sound is just super annoying; especially since one is in the next cube and that guy types super fast.

Apparently Coding Horror put out a new keyboard with Cherry MX Clear switches and it's way quieter than one with the Blue switches. See this article: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/typing-stealth-a-review-of-the-code-keyboard/

I have some random Dell keyboard at home (came with a computer years back) and they gave me a wireless Logitech at work. Both are fine and neither are loud. I have no idea on what either costs.

[Brian Elfert]

I put dampeners on my keyboard with Cherry Blue MX switches and none of my co-workers has complained about the noise. I tried a keyboard with Cherry brown MX switches for work and it wasn't any better than a $5 Dell keyboard. It got sent back for blue switches instead.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have an original IBM model M keyboard for my work computer that I have managed to hang onto from the early 90's. In my opinion these are absolutely the very best keyboards ever made and there is no suitable competition.
Is that one of those suckers that weighs about 14 pounds?
If so, I agree,,,those things were built like tanks.

[Lornie McCullough]

I bought my most recent keyboard from a 'used computer' store; they had dozens and dozens of them. Went through them one by one while typing with my eyes closed, until I found the right feel. Cost two dollars. I wouldn't want to buy one without trying it first.

Lornie

[Larry Browning]

I will grant you that these keyboards produce a little noise. It can be a bit annoying to others. But only to the people not using them, if you are in a home office or even in one where everyone is using them then it is a moot point. The difference in quality is worth the slight inconvenience. A fair analogy would be a high end industrial saw to a harbor freight circular saw. To me there is that much difference in quality. Those mushy "quiet" keyboards just don't cut the mustard.

[Larry Browning]

Is that one of those suckers that weighs about 14 pounds?
If so, I agree,,,those things were built like tanks.
Yes! They don't slide around on your desk either.
BTW: The ones that came with the IBM 3270 terminals were even heavier. Now that was a keyboard!

[Pat Barry]

Sounds like the argument for loud pipes on motorcycles from another thread. Some people love the sound, most find it annoying.

[Tom Stenzel]

I'm with Larry on this one.

The only computer I used that had that IBM keyboard (buckling spring is the name I remember them being called) was on a microchannel transportable that ran OS/2 1.3. For a boat anchor it was a joy to use, ran it long past the due date.

I'm still using a Zenith ZKB-2 that I got in 1989, it was over $100 back then. It would be almost silent except it has a built in speaker that sounds 10 cycles of a 1Khz oscillator with each keystroke. The resulting ticks bug my daughters so they don't use it, something I'm eternally grateful for.

If my keyboard died I probably would use a cheap replacement until I saved my nickels for one with real switches. I've saved the link that Steve posted just in case.

-Tom Stenzel

[Brian Elfert]

I would just as well have a silent keyboard if it had the same feel as my noisy keyboard. I don't need to hear noise from my keyboard.

[John Coloccia]

I use a Das Keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches in them. They're most comfortable for me. I do plan on picking up a keyboard with MX Blues in it too, just for a change of pace, but I do find the blues to be a little loud. The browns are still tactile but they don't make an audible click, though the keys DO give a nice, satisfying click because they bottom out in the course of normal typing.

Das Keyboards are expensive but it's not nescessarily expensive to buy a keyboard with Cherry switches in them.

I personally can't stand to old, buckling spring IBM switches. If you like the feel of the old IBM keyboards, you can get an ALPS switch with a very similar feel but less obnoxious BADOOOIING sound. I had those in an old, Northgate Omnikey 102. Very nice.

Do a search on YouTube. There are all sorts of reviews for keyboards. If you spend a lot of time at a computer, it makes no sense whatsoever to buy a cheap keyboard. For the price of an oil change and a combo at Dunkin Donuts, you can have a world class keyboard that will last for a very very long time.

Here's a decent guide:
http://www.daskeyboard.com/blog/mechanical-keyboard-guide/

Note that the click vs no-click is more than just the noise it makes. It's a completely different actuation mechanism and completely changes the feel of the keyboard. You can't really make a switch that feels like a click but doesn't actually click because the "click" is the internal mechanism releasing and hitting the switch. Also note that blues require you retract the key beyond the actuation point in order to "reset" the key. In this sense, it's somewhat similar to the difference between upright piano action and grand piano action...completely different mechanism and completely different feel and capabilities.

That's probably way more than anyone really wants to know about keyboard switches. If you really want to go nutty, check out some of the gamer websites. I'm not a gamer but you won't find a community that's more obsessive about keyboards, mice, etc.

re: too loud for work
I suspect that me typing on a click keyboard is no louder than me typing on one of those new, piece of garbage spongy keyboards. I'm a fairly fast typist and I don't fool around. If I have to deal with a junk keyboard that doesn't have a decent feel to it, that means that in order to type I need to hit the keys louder. I remember my co-workers used to poke a little bit of fun at me because of the "CLACK CLACK CLACK" that would emit from my desk when someone else was in my office. Much louder and than the gentle click of a decent clicky keyboard.

[Myk Rian]

I'm with Larry.
I use the old PS/2 IBM keyboards. Still about $75-$100, if you can find them.
I have 3 of them. Made with real steel.

[Larry Frank]

I love the Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse..good price and nice feel on the keys

[Keith Westfall]

Look for one that has the same layout as you are used to. When I changed laptops, some of the keys were different and smaller and it took a LONG time to get used to it. Maybe more noticeable when you don't type well (like me).

[Stephen Tashiro]

upon looking for a new on online i see many in the +100 dollar range and only a few in the midprice range which is better for me.

Are you particular about the "feel" of the keyboard? Keyboards with inexpensive "rubber domes" under the keys have a different feel than keyboards with mechanical switches ( see http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide). I, myself, prefer a rubber dome keyboard because they keys are harder to press and I make fewer mistakes by accidentally pressing keys. People who are fast and accurate typists often prefer keyboards with mechanical switches under the keys.

I think the main difference in keyboard prices is due to the type of switch under the keys, not whether the keyboard has special keys on it.

If you like mechanical switches, old IBM keyboards are nice, but most I've seen have "PCI" connectors and some computers nowadays only use keyboards with USB connectors.

[Chuck Wintle]

Are you particular about the "feel" of the keyboard? Keyboards with inexpensive "rubber domes" under the keys have a different feel than keyboards with mechanical switches ( see http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide). I, myself, prefer a rubber dome keyboard because they keys are harder to press and I make fewer mistakes by accidentally pressing keys. People who are fast and accurate typists often prefer keyboards with mechanical switches under the keys.

I think the main difference in keyboard prices is due to the type of switch under the keys, not whether the keyboard has special keys on it.

If you like mechanical switches, old IBM keyboards are nice, but most I've seen have "PCI" connectors and some computers nowadays only use keyboards with USB connectors.

I likely will get the cheaper type meaning the rubber dome type keys. My typing skills are not that good so I am not very speedy at it.

[Michael Schneider]

Chuck,

It depends on what you are looking for. I program for a living, so I spend some $$. I like topre keys, but they are $$. Cherry makes very good mechanical keys at a decent price. Many keyboard makers use cherry keys. Note: some keyboard makers use cheaper keys for some keys on the board (corsair...) IBM M's are also very good.

The Cherry keys are available in several types:

There are 2 differences between the cherry key types. Tactile bump, and noise (or click).

When a key has a tactile bump, you feel a resistance in a key when it engages. With no bump, the key engages, but you don't feel it. This is similar to a wall light switch that turn on when you slide the switch. There is often no feel when the light switches on, it is smooth all the way through. You can feel a toggle switch engaging.

When a key has noise feedback, you hear a click when it engages.




blue - nice for typing, these have both tactile and noise feedback. If you are a touch typist, these are nice because you press until you hear/feel the click, then hit the next key.

brown - nice for quiet typing. You feel the bump, but it is pretty quiet

clear - similar to brown, but more resistance. (quiet, soft tactile)

black - no bump or noise, slight stiff

red - nice for gaming, there is no bump or noise, very fast for repeat key pushing


There are many good brands. The coolmaster quick fire line is available in most key types

Good luck
Michael

[Dan Hintz]

Whatever you do, see if you can find a local shop (like Staples, Best Buy, etc.) that will let you test the keyboard... nothing worse than spending a bunch of dough only to find out it just "feels" wrong.

[John Coloccia]

Unfortunately, they mostly only carry low end keyboard. The exception to this is Best Buy. They OCCASIONALLY have some high end "gaming" keyboards. I bought on...a Razor something or other, I think. Had nice, Cherry Blues in it. I couldn't get over the utterly awful font on the keys. I don't even look at the keyboard when I'm typing, but for some reason just knowing it was there really screwed me up. It's always a little baffling to me why someone would take an otherwise great product and screw it up like that. It doesn't add anything, and the only time it's mentioned in the reviews is by people who really dislike it.

If you're not going to go for a nice mechanical keyboard, second best IMHO is the Apple style keyboards. They're actually not bad for what they are. I believe that Logitech makes a similar one. Don't be put off by the somewhat odd chichlet keyboard look. They actually have a decent feel to them and they're a nice compromise between cost and feel. I really don't mind typing on those and despite the somewhat similar construction to standard keyboards, the feel is far and away crisper and more comfortable. If I didn't want to spend some money on a mechanical keyboard, that is the style I'd buy, hands down.

Then again, even those will run you $50 to $100 depending what style you choose, so you may as well get mechanical switches anyway. :)

[Curt Harms]

Micro Center is the only place I've found higher end keyboards that I could actually try out, including game/mechanical switch keyboards. I came home with a Logitech K320 - keyboard only refurb for $19.99. It's not a IBM model M or Unicomp but there is decent tactile feedback, it isn't really 'compact' and it isn't clacky. I don't care for the compact keyboards - the keys seem too close together and I strike the key next to the one I intend too often. I'd like to get a Unicomp keyboard but don't feel like spending the $ right now.

[David Weaver]

This topic came up last year, and I bought a Tesoro cherry brown G1N or whatever, without all of the LED gizmos and such on it. It's a nice keyboard and i Like using it. AT the time, I had a new dell quietkey or whatever their chiclet style keyboard was, and I have to be honest, as nice as the Tesoro keyboard is, I don't know that I really prefer using it over the keyboard that came with the PC.

I agree with John about the spring sound of the old IBMs. My roommate in college was still holding on to a very old IBM keyboard in the late 90s and the "doinggg.." every time he hit a key was pretty annoying. It wouldn't fly in an office environment. Even a brown cherry is pretty loud compared to most of the membrane keyboards.

The only reason I bought a Tesoro keyboard at the time last year is because someone was selling the G1N model for $57 shipped on ebay and I wanted cherry brown switches. If it would've been any other brand with cherry brown switches, I would've gotten something else. That's my only tip for the mechanicals - that you can search on the switch type and see if someone is clearancing a certain keyboard and go with that and save a few bucks.

[Larry Frank]

As a reminder, BestBuy does price matching and will match prices with Amazon. This can save you some $$.

[Curt Harms]

As a reminder, BestBuy does price matching and will match prices with Amazon. This can save you some $$.
I had not heard that. Do they price match in stores or only online?