Wanted

Dear Lazyweb. I want a new keyboard.

I'm after a new keyboard: it needs to have very good action (there is a reason my current keyboard is about 7 years old), be black or grey (to match my new Logitech Cordless Click! Plus mouse), and ideally have an integrated USB hub (into which I can plug the dongle for the mouse) or be wireless (and share the dongle that came with my mouse). It must not be a "natural" keyboard, although the Microsoft Comfort range is interesting. The only keyboard I've found so far which has all of these is an IBM USB keyboard, which costs £60...

Any ideas? Mail me!

Update: so I'm probably going to order the Apple USB keyboard (even though it's white). Does anyone know how the keyboard layout differs from the "standard" PC British layout?

Update: Apple USB keyboard ordered. Thanks for the suggestions!

14:20 Sunday, 27 Nov 2005 [#] [computers] (11 comments)

Posted by Joakim at Sun Nov 27 15:05:24 2005:
I am tempted to suggest the "Ultra-X Flat" keyboard from Logitech. It's black, has very nice buttons, nice overall feel to it and seems to be very solid so far for me after about 3 months of usage, and 5000 letters per day.
Worth a try if you type a lot.
Posted by Hong Kong Dan at Sun Nov 27 15:18:30 2005:
Buy an Apple keyboard and spray it black :)  They have a lovely action and a USB hub, all for 19 squids.

D.
Posted by Chris Ball at Sun Nov 27 16:52:37 2005:
I'm using a Touchstream, but well, if you were worried about spending 60 quid..  :)

- C.
Posted by AnonymousCanuck at Sun Nov 27 21:15:06 2005:
I find the action on the Apple keyboards to be very soft. Have you tried one?
Posted by Tim at Sun Nov 27 22:46:03 2005:
It's been a while since I used a Mac in the UK, but I think they use mostly an American layout - i.e., they have @ rather than " on shift-2 and stuff like that. I don't know how big of a problem that would be for you, but it might be worth checking before you put down your 19 bars.
Posted by AdamW at Sun Nov 27 23:26:37 2005:
You want an IBM Model M keyboard. It meets almost none of your requirements, but it IS the best keyboard ever, and that's why you want it. :)

http://www.clickykeyboards.com

only buckling spring keyboards, of which the old IBMs are the most easily available, have 'good' actions. All modern keyboards (except really odd specialty ones) use rubber dome keyswitches and are therefore just varying degrees of 'really crap'. Model Ms are also virtually indestructible, last forever and can be used to repel burglars, since they weigh about ten pounds and have a solid steel backplate. You can get black / grey ones if you look hard enough. No USB hub, though. Heh.
Posted by Romain at Mon Nov 28 01:27:15 2005:
Try the PFU (now, Fujitsu) Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2:
- reduced size (do no more need to make big gestures to reach the mouse on the right...)
- standard key size
- no numerical key pad
- normal placement of the Control key
- integrated USB hub
- in black or white

http://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/en/hhkeyboard/

The "Professional" version has much better keys, but it is also more expensive and has no USB hub.

I have used a Lite 2 for years and I will never use anything else again.
Posted by Chris Cunningham at Mon Nov 28 07:11:55 2005:
The most annoying differences between US and UK layouts are the tiny Return key (it's only one key high and occupies the space used by the hash key, so hash / tilde are more annoying to get to) and the swapping of " / @.

Mac keyboards also have an action somewhat similar to typing on the top of a halogen hob (and look much the same as well). I'd second the Model M, if only because they can be purchased for about a buck at any market these days in bulk. Best keyboards ever.

- Chris
Posted by Jon Dowland at Mon Nov 28 10:06:14 2005:
My ibook keyboard has " and @ swapped, as mentioned, but also the tilde key is down where backslash should be, backslash and pipe are over where hash should be, hash is missing entirely (you have to press some evil key combination to get it). It's sort-of like the worst aspects of the US keyboard locale with the hash key swapped for a pound-sterling.
Posted by Andrew at Mon Nov 28 10:36:04 2005:
Mac keyboard is nice to type on. I haven't used one for long enough, but the designers I know all have something borken on it.

Also the the UK version is definitely missing the # key. Makes #! a little difficult without changing the layout.

I just get the US keyboard and remap the keys to the British layout. A little annoying perhaps...
Posted by Wouter Bolsterlee at Mon Nov 28 14:40:10 2005:
In the Netherlands, Mac keyboards have the tilde/backtick key at the right side of the left shift (at the left side of the z in the lower row), instead of left of the 1 key at a traditional US layout keyboard. Also, the backslash is on a strange location :)

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