OT: need a keyboard for work

[Nate Nagel]

So I need a new keyboard for work. Only keyboard I've ever *liked* was an IBM Model M. you know the one, the clackety one that drives your coworkers nuts, and also has enough heft to it that it doubles as a handy weapon if you're attacked by zombies in your cube. But I can type on it and I don't bash the keys until they bottom out because I can feel when I've hit the contact. My hands feel so much better at the end of a long day of typing out angry emails :) And it works reliably.

BUT, it drives my coworkers nuts.

After doing some research online it would appear that to duplicate the feel/function of the One True Keyboard but without all the clacketiness (which doesn't bother me in the slightest) what I want is a keyboard with Cherry "Brown" mechanical switches. My choices seem to be:

Filco Ninja Majestouch-2, NKR, Tactile Action, USA Keyboard FKBN104M/EFB2

XArmor U9BL-S LED backlit mechanical gaming keyboard

DAS Keyboard S Professional Silent Keyboard - Wired

opinions/comments? They're all extortionately priced compared to the One True Keyboard used on fleaBay (I have two of those,) but using the s**te that passes for a keyboard that is shipped with most PCs pisses me off, and using the One True Keyboard pisses my coworkers off.

Unfortunately, I don't have any kind of computer sellin' emporium near me that sells these kinds of keyboards so I'm at the mercy of Amazon, Newegg, et. al. and also opinions on durability would also be appreciated.

thanks much

Nate

[notbob]

Relief is here. Be the first on yer block to once again annoy the crap outta yer cow orkers. Besides, what did they ever do for you, besides short change you on the collected bill/tip the last time you all went out fer lunch.

Check out the other keyboards. These guys got all kindsa cool stuff, and I read in similar thread good feedback on the quality of the hardware:

nb

[Don Phillipson]

Northgates (best available and rugged) used to cost $120 when I bought my first in thee 1980s: and I am glad I bought two more much cheaper as Northgate vanished and the market dwindled. Another manufacturer offered a Northgate clone a couple of years ago, back up to $120 and I would have bought one if my 20.y.o. units were still not thundering on . . .

A minor factor some users judge major is that Northgate 101s and 102s were Classic AT design, with F-keys in a block on the left rather than spread across the top row. This is much faster for touch typists (as is the numerical keypad.)

[Percival P. Cassidy]

I have read about a highly programmable and allegedly robust keyboard called "Avant Stellar" that was sold by Lueck Data Systems in Kalamazoo, MI (who might not have been the manufacturer). The price was considerably higher than my budget would allow, so I have never tried one. It might be worth investigating -- if they are still available.

Perce

[Jules Richardson]

I hear ya... I'm typing this on a trusty ol' Model M (1986 build, so it pre-dates the three status LEDs) and I hate using anything else - they all feel far too soft and sponge-like.

My recommendation is to buy each of your coworkers a pair of headphones. :-)

cheers

Jules

[N8N]

Sadly, even if I had to spend $200 on a new keyboard, it'd be cheaper than buying each of my coworkers even a crap set of headphones :/

As per usual I've been obsessively-compusively researching this issue. There's forums at geekhack.org where people who *love* keyboards hang out, I've picked up some good advice from there. I currently have some cheap old keyboards on order from eBay to try out the various types of switches that I think I might find pleasant to type on - I think I've revised what I think I want to either Alps switches or Cherry whites. Unfortunately the whites are damn near impossible to find on a good new board, but I do have a Cherry-brand POS board coming (Point Of Sale, although it might also be what you're thinking I meant) with them just to try. Keeping an eye peeled for a SGI granite board, but no luck yet.

I'll post back when I come to a conclusion, although it may be a few weeks.

Holy crap the rubber dome Cherry board (not everything branded Cherry uses Cherry mechanical switches!) I'm using now is awful. Even after only one day at work, my hands are not feeling well. I may just take the old Compaq board w/ Cherry Browns in (that one already came in) even though it's a fugly server board because it's still better than these awful, high-force but no feedback rubber domes for serious typing. I just hope it's not too loud for the sensitive ears of the cow orkers (have heard that you can dampen the sound when you bottom out the keys - which is really the problem with it, I'm not used to a board with such a light touch so if I were to commit to it I'd be bottoming out the keys for a while until I acquired the touch for it - somewhat by putting little silicone o-rings under each keycap.)

but anyway, if anyone has a similar aversion to most crap modern keyboards, geekhack.org is the place to go for info apparently.

For what it's worth, if I do settle on the browns, it looks like the board to buy is the Filco Majestouch. (yeah, seriously, what a hell of a name.) Comes in two versions though, "linear" and "tactile" switches, I know without even trying that I'd prefer the "tactile." supposedly a well made board and it appears that it is pretty close in layout to the standard laid down by IBM lo these many years ago.

nate