# Good keyboards



## jronald (Jun 6, 2010)

I want to buy a keyboard for programming, need some advice, thanks in advance.


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## Oko (Jun 6, 2010)

jronald said:
			
		

> I want to buy a keyboard for programming, need some advice, thanks in advance.


The best one ever made

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_keyboard


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## jronald (Jun 6, 2010)

It is not so easy


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## carlton_draught (Jun 6, 2010)

*MS Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000* ftw! Awesome ergonomic keyboard for the money, will do a lot to prevent RSI, especially with it elevated so that it faces away from you. I like to encourage MS to make some money from their hardware division where I can, so they focus more of their efforts there, away from software.


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## dh (Jun 6, 2010)

My vote goes to Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard too, it's a damn fine keyboard. All those extra keys don't work with FreeBSD though.


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## Alt (Jun 6, 2010)

I recommend this keyboard. Using similar at home. Its great cus keypad layot is fully-standard (no sleep buttons where they can be misscalled; no short-shifts keys etc; no non-standard key placing at all), and its ps/2 so it can be used in freebsd without any problems. Also, it have very(!) smooth keys, its pleasure to type on this kb =) Totally standard and totally good-looking, i like it =)
Also, there is models in this line, which are usb and they support 2 additional usb1.1 ports. Great for flash using =)


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## mickey (Jun 6, 2010)

Oko said:
			
		

> The best one ever made
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_keyboard



Affirmative. There's nothing better, money could buy.

I have been using some of these made by IBM in ~1987, and they are all still fully functional, and I would not want to swap them for any other keyboard.


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## Carpetsmoker (Jun 6, 2010)

I like this one:
http://www.google.com/products/cata...log_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ8gIwAA#

It's a standalone thinkpad keyboard, including trackpoint!

Other than that, I'm with Oko on the Model M keyboard.


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## Oko (Jun 6, 2010)

Carpetsmoker said:
			
		

> I like this one:
> http://www.google.com/products/cata...log_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ8gIwAA#
> 
> It's a standalone thinkpad keyboard, including trackpoint!
> ...



You told me about that one a while ago. I still have not tried nor seen stand alone ThinkPad keyboard
but that one does have a promise to be better than IBM M-type (really should by called Lexmark M-type). If I recall correctly free alone ThinkPad keyboards are only available here in U.S. Are you selling them in Nederlands now?


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## carlton_draught (Jun 6, 2010)

I've always wanted to try one of the Kinesis keyboards. Has anyone here ever tried one? They are supposedly the ultimate for RSI reduction.

Using a Logitech Marble Mouse (a trackball) has been really good for my RSI too. I recommend them. They can be configured perfectly in X too.


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## fronclynne (Jun 6, 2010)

You can still buy new buckling-spring keyboards:
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/keyboards.html

& while I haven't used one, I've heard people say good things about the old happy hacking:
http://www.pfu.co.jp/hhkeyboard/hhkbpro2/


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## Carpetsmoker (Jun 6, 2010)

Oko said:
			
		

> You told me about that one a while ago. I still have not tried nor seen stand alone ThinkPad keyboard
> but that one does have a promise to be better than IBM M-type (really should by called Lexmark M-type). If I recall correctly free alone ThinkPad keyboards are only available here in U.S. Are you selling them in Nederlands now?



I found a site that ships them for a reasonable charge. AFAIK they're still not available in Europe.


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## sossego (Jun 6, 2010)

I like Yamaha; but, Casio and Sony are good brands.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Moog_Modular.jpg


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## fronclynne (Jun 6, 2010)

No B3?


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## kpedersen (Jun 6, 2010)

I cannot vouch for the quality of them, but they seem kinda novel...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard


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## vrachil (Jun 7, 2010)

I use a sun type 7 and a type 5 keyboard.
While it wasn't cheap, it was propably the best keabord i've used (according to my standards...)


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## sossego (Jun 7, 2010)

http://www.computerpoweruser.com/images/smartcomputing/fullsize/00847451.jpg

Someone had a sense of humor.


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## fronclynne (Jun 7, 2010)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7510955@N05/440004911/


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## Oko (Jun 7, 2010)

vrachil said:
			
		

> I use a sun type 7 and a type 5 keyboard.
> While it wasn't cheap, it was propably the best keabord i've used (according to my standards...)


I have used both and I still use them on sparc because they are Mini-DIN 5 type keyboards. IBM M-type keyboard is PS2 keyboard. So in a sense we are comparing oranges and apples. While I concede that Sun keyboards are excellent I still think that IBM M-type is slightly better. On another hand Sun's keyboards come with real 3-button Unix mouse attached to them. Yes, on Sun's hardware the mouse is attached to the keyboard I still have not encountered better mouse than the Sun's.


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## expl (Jun 7, 2010)

Oko said:
			
		

> The best one ever made
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_keyboard



Do not get me wrong the keyboard is good but would not use it again due to the noise levels it generates, I prefer soundless plastic mechanisms. Old IBM Ms are as loud as an old typewritter and will get on someones nerves sooner or later.


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## zeiz (Jun 7, 2010)

sossego said:
			
		

> http://www.computerpoweruser.com/images/smartcomputing/fullsize/00847451.jpg
> 
> Someone had a sense of humor.



At their own expenses  
Hard to believe... but maybe it's a "supergamer's" tool?


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## Carpetsmoker (Jun 7, 2010)

expl said:
			
		

> Do not get me wrong the keyboard is good but would not use it again due to the noise levels it generates, I prefer soundless plastic mechanisms. Old IBM Ms are as loud as an old typewritter and will get on someones nerves sooner or later.



Das Keyboard has a silent "clicky" keyboard:
http://www.daskeyboard.com/products/


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## fronclynne (Jun 7, 2010)

Carpetsmoker said:
			
		

> Das Keyboard has a silent "clicky" keyboard:
> http://www.daskeyboard.com/products/



Hmm, the "silent" keyboard is only $8(whoops, $6) more, whereas they want $10 for a set of earplugs?


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## copypaiste (Jun 7, 2010)

If we go for cheap I'd choose Logitech stuff. Some of old Cherry keyboards were awesome and very sturdy. Microsoft are ok as well, but think twice before pick one.


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## knarf (Jun 7, 2010)

I use version 1 of this keyboard: http://www.daskeyboard.com/model-s-ultimate/

Yes, it has a loud click, but model M is much louder.


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## vrachil (Jun 7, 2010)

Oko said:
			
		

> I have used both and I still use them on sparc because they are Mini-DIN 5 type keyboards. IBM M-type keyboard is PS2 keyboard. So in a sense we are comparing oranges and apples.



Actually they are now shipping with usb ports, so using them on an x86 system is possible. And a usb-to-ps2 adaptor is so cheap that it's not even worth mentioning


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## nekoexmachina (Jun 15, 2010)

http://www.haskell.org/sitewiki/images/a/aa/Screen-triplehead-galois.jpg
This is awesome. Does even anyone know, what is keyboard model here?


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## Alt (Jun 15, 2010)

nekoexmachina said:
			
		

> http://www.haskell.org/sitewiki/images/a/aa/Screen-triplehead-galois.jpg
> This is awesome. Does even anyone know, what is keyboard model here?


I think its special keyboard for tux penguins :e


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## sixtydoses (Jun 15, 2010)

nekoexmachina said:
			
		

> http://www.haskell.org/sitewiki/images/a/aa/Screen-triplehead-galois.jpg
> This is awesome. Does even anyone know, what is keyboard model here?



Should be this one:
http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/advantage.htm


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