Keyboards come in two main types, clicky/stiff touch and silent/soft touch. You have to try both to see which you
prefer. If you don’t already touch type QWERTY, you might want to consider learning the modern DSK layout instead. That article also talks about the ergonomic Kinesis keyboards.
Computers usually come with very low quality keyboards. Spending even $10 extra on
the keyboard will greatly enhance your enjoyment. Keys that stick down or keys that don’t register when you
hit them can drive you nuts.
Microsoft brand keyboards come with an extra key, decorated with a Windows logo, called the Windows Key. If your keyboard does not have one, you can hit Ctrl+Esc
instead.
Black or grey keyboards have the practical advantage of hiding grime. You still have to clean them to get rid
of grit and hair that will interfere with the key action.
Ideally every key should have a slightly different shape so your fingers can subliminally tell if they are
hitting the correct key. I have conjectured that putting Braille on the keycaps would increase accuracy. At the
very least the two home keys should have some sort of distinct shape, a raised dot or bar, or a depression so you
can tell when your fingers are properly positioned over home row.
Be very careful not to spill coffee on your keyboard, especially coffee with cream and sugar. You can usually
revive a desktop keyboard splashed with black coffee with standard cleaning and drying techniques. You will
likely need a whole new laptop if you spill its keyboard with cream and sugar.
Laptop keyboards are fragile, have poor feel and are cramped. I think the designers should drop the numeric
keypad to reduce the number of keys across, and add an extra row of rarely used keys across the top, or use a
layout such as the Kinesis. There is plenty of room vertically for extra keys. One way to get around the quality
problem is to use a lightweight aux keyboard you plug into a USB (Universal Serial Bus)
port.
Replacement keyboards cost from
to
Canadian. If the one you are using offends you, throw it out and get another.
I don’t know how they do it, but the Chinese manufacture keyboards for the major companies for
$5 each.
Compact Keyboards (no numeric pad)
Ideally you don’t want a numeric keypad. Without the keypad the keyboard is considerably
narrower. The means you don’t have to stretch to reach the mouse. This saves shoulder strain. Most people
never use the numeric keypad. You can buy a detachable keypad you can move out the way when you are not using it.
Such narrow keyboards are hard to find at retail outlets.
The IBM (International Business Machines) spacesaver model gets rid the numeric keypad with
most people never use, thus making the keyboard more compact. The original IBM
AT (Advanced Technology)
83-key keyboards with the function keys on the left, were more compact, but are now collectors items and command
high prices as do most of the older keyboards. The Unicomp spacesaver retains the numeric keypad.
IBM then
later, Lenovo made the Spacesaver II Trackpoint with 88 keys. These are sometimes called
IBM
SpaceSaver keyboards. They have a nice compact layout, but not the clicky touch of the true IBMs. They are
usually black with a little red knob between the G and H keys. Compaq also makes a keyboard they call the
SpaceSaver, but it has a quite large footprint with a full numeric keypad.
A4Tech, Adesso, BTC, GoldTouch, Gyration, Kinesis, Motion
Computing and SolidTek make various compact
keyboards.
These compact keyboards are in ascending order by list price. This approximates the order of street price.
$18.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Super Slim USB 2.0 Mini Keyboard |
| asin: B0046L5CZ2 |
| Small inexpensive, compact keyboard |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$18.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Genius LUXEMATE I200 Compact Keyboard |
| asin: B0041I7GSQ |
| Small inexpensive, compact keyboard, wired. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$29.99 |
recommend electronic⇒A4 Tech Mini Slim Keyboard |
| asin: B000F6UUXQ |
| I have never seen one these keyboards, so I can’t say much about it other than it lacks a numeric keypad. It is only 32 cm (12.6 in) wide. Check out similar models too. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$34.99 |
recommend electronic⇒Solidtek Mini Keyboard |
| asin: B000H3ANV6 |
| Model KB-595BU. Very compact. USB. There is also a BlueTooth and PS/2 version. It is 29 cm (11.3 in) wide. Comes is black and cream. Keys are normal size though shift and enter and small. Almost mechanical feel. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$40.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Microsoft Arc Compact Keyboard |
| asin: B003BL9HKO |
| Works on PC or Mac. Wireless to USB. Uses non-standard rocker key in bottom right corner instead of four arrow keys. Silent. Much cheaper in Canada than in the USA. Details. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$49.99 |
recommend electronic⇒Motion Computing Keyboard |
| asin: B000SSR9HQ |
| Has touchpad. It is 30.5 cm (12 in) wide. Comes is black and cream. tech specs. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$53.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Lenovo Thinkpad wired Compact USB Keyboard |
| asin: B002ONCC6G |
| Has a TrackPoint that can pinch hit for a mouse. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$53.68 |
recommend electronic⇒HP Mini Keyboard |
| asin: B0025ZSBNG |
| Keys are full size. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$61.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Evoluent KB1 Compact Keyboard |
| asin: B000EMC1HY |
| It still has a numeric keypad, but on the left, putting the mouse closer to the important keys on the right. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$69.99 |
recommend electronic⇒Adesso 2.4 GHz RF Wireless Mini Keyboard |
| asin: B000JJM7S0 |
| Has an optical trackball. It has a range of 100 feet. It is 38.5 cm (15.1 in) wide. They make many different models. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$95.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Ergostars Saturnus Keyboard |
| asin: B005G4760C |
| Very compact keyboard |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$129.99 |
recommend electronic⇒Goldtouch Standard Keyboard |
| asin: B001QD8BME |
| I have never seen one these keyboards, so I can’t say much about it other than it lacks a numeric keypad. My partner uses a similar tilt keypad and finds it much more restful. Check out similar models too. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$149.99 |
recommend electronic⇒Microsoft Ultimate Keyboard |
| asin: B000H12IAC |
| The Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000, aka Ultimate Keyboard, has no numeric keypad. Microsoft makes the Ultimate Keyboard that has a compact layout and is rechargeable and cordless. I don’t know what the feel is like. One retailer refused to let me take the keyboard out the box to let me test it. I can’t imagine anyone buying a keyboard without testing the feel first. It comes with a mouse, rechargeable batteries and a blue tooth hub. At the right hand edge of the keyboard are three gizmos, but still much narrower than a full numeric pad. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$269.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Kinesis Advantage USB Keyboard |
| asin: B000LVJ9W8 |
| I use an older version of this keyboard, and I highly recommend it. It has a logical embedded numeric keypad. With the Kinesis, you can place your mouse right next to the left or right shift key, so you don’t have to reach way over every time you need to click. They come in QWERTY/DSK, black/white, USB/PS2 variants. Don’t buy this keyboard at the outrageously high retail list price. Shop around for new, and near new on eBay and you may save a bundle. Check out similar models too. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
$344.00 |
recommend electronic⇒Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional2 |
| asin: B000F8OECM |
| The unusual feature of this keyboard is the keys have no legends. It forces you to 100% touch-type. It also lets you create alternate layouts without misleading legends. Compact because it has no numeric keypad. Preposterously expensive. High quality capacitor-style keyswitches. |
|
| Greyed out stores probably do not have the item in stock |
IBM Clicky Keyboards
 |
| IBM Model M SpaceSaver |
 |
| IBM Model M |
IBM Model
M keyboards are in a class by themselves. They use a mechanical flapper plate for deep stroke, loud click, and
shock absorbers for your fingers. If you like your keyboards to fight back with strong resistance, more like a
manual typewriter, you will like these. They are heavy, about 3.18 kg (7 lbs)
. Don’t ever take a buckling spring keyboard apart, other than to pop the
keycaps for cleaning. You will never get it back together again. If you key in a room with other people, they
might not like the clatter. I find it useful feedback. They were manufactured by IBM, later Lexmark, and later Unicomp.
Most modern keyboards have a USB connector. Older keyboards use a small round PS/2 6-pin mini-DIN connector. Even older ones use a large round 5-pin DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung/German Institute for Standardisation) connector. Before you buy, factor in the cost
of the various converters you
may need. Make sure the converters are designed to provide extra power to the older style keyboards.
Rocketfish keyboards are not
as clicky as IBM ’s, but they are considerably more clicky than most. Logitech keyboards are slightly more clicky than average.
 |
| IBM’s buckling spring key mechanism |
The key to IBM ’s feel, is a mechanical buckling spring. When you press the key, the spring
buckles, flipping a plate closer to the base. This changes the capacity of a capacitor embedded in the base. The
change is electrically detected. There are no actual contacts to corrode.
| IBM Model M Clicky 101-key Keyboard Dimensions |
|---|
| width |
48.89 cm (19¼ in) |
| height |
20.96 cm (8¼ in) |
| depth lowest point |
1.90 cm (¾ in) |
| depth highest point |
3.81 cm (1½ in) |
| Weight newer Lexmark (blue label) |
2.27 kg (5 lbs) to 2.49 kg (5½ lbs) |
| Weight older (1985—1992)
IBM
(white label) |
2.49 kg (5½ lbs)
to 2.72 kg (6 lbs) |
Gaming Keyboards
Gaming keyboard such as the Razer Tarantula have a number of features that can be useful to non-gamers as well.
- Compact size
- Durability
- Lightweight
- Anti-ghosting the ability to hit a number of keys in rapid succession without
letting go of each key before hitting the text.
- Ultrapolling detecting your keypress instantaneously without any delay.
- Customisable keycaps
- Gold plated connectors for solid electrical connections even if you keep plugging and unplugging your
keyboard.
Keyboard Design Principles
If I were to design a keyboard from scratch, here are the principles I would employ:
- Y(es) and N(no) should be on separate hands so it is difficult to hit the wrong key.
- The most prime real estate is the centre home row. The next is the home row. The next is the row above
that. The next is the row below the home row. Basically you assign the most used keys to the most prime real
estate.
- Keys you most often use with the mouse should be on the extreme left of the keyboard, (or on the right for
the left-handed version). I would have dedicated Copy (Ctrl-C), Paste (Ctrl-V) and Cut (Ctrl-X)
- Like the DSK (Dvorak Standard Keyboard) layout I would put vowels on the left and common consonants on the right, so that you usually
alternate hands as you type.
- Like the DSK layout, I would be the T and H keys side by
side so you can type the pair with a single rolling motion. I would research if there are other such
pairs.
- Up/Down, Left/Right, PgUp/PgDn and Home/End
should be placed side by side so you can home in by fluttering two adjacent fingers.
- Like the Kinesis and Maltron, the thumbs should have
something more to do, with oversize keys. There is no need for a full-size space bar.
- Vestigial function keys, could be placed in the mid region or across the top. They could be small, but
should have the same feel as the main keys.
- It should have the solid feel of a Cherry switch, with some click. You might offer a silent version.
Whatever feel/click is researched for highest speed/accuracy should be made available, and I would be willing
to get used to it.
- The left and right keys would be separate by a unusually wide space so that your arms rest straight
forward, rather then pigeon-toed in.
- The plane of the keypad would be tilted at 45° so that you don’t
have to twist your wrists. This is a compromise with the SafeType
Vertical Keyboard. You can still get some support from heavily-padded, easy-to-clean wrist rests.
- The key placement, and possibly even the key size, would account for the differing lengths of the fingers,
dished like the Kinesis keyboard.
- There needs to be a way to generate any accented character without additional software, so this feature
will work in any program. This is intended for casual foreign language use. There are a set of accent dead keys
in the central area. You have three modes: E.g. when you hit dead-´ e
it types either é in direct mode, é in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) mode, or
\u00e9 in Java mode.
- There is a small LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or fluorescent display in the central area. It displays the current keyboard map. You
can convert the keyboard to various national layouts, e.g. Greek, Hebrew and this display will show the new
map. The smarts to handle all this are built into keyboard firmware no matter what the OS (Operating System) or even if there is
no OS (e.g. when tweaking BIOS (Basic Input Output System)). Flash ROM (Read Only Memory) is getting dirt cheap so it is reasonable to add this level of
complexity to a premium keyboard.
- It should be easy to pop all the keycaps for cleaning with a blast of canned air and alcohol swab.
- It should be possible to plug the keyboard into an Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix machine and go without
installing drivers. This allows a consultant to take his keyboard with him and go without help/permission of
the tech support people.
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