Time for a new keyboard

My old workhorse Microsoft keyboard that I bought in 2012 or so is starting to show its age, so I busted out the Dell keyboard that this PC came with. Blech. I don't like the Dell. I find the Microsoft keyboards very comfortable, plus, I love the feature of having programmable buttons 1 - 5 that I can use for oft-used apps. I also like Logitech keyboards, but they don't have that same system of programmable buttons, so I'll probably get another Microsoft one. I don't need the mouse. I have a nice, ergonomic Logitech laser mouse, but I guess it can't hurt to have a backup mouse.

It's ironic that I like Microsoft keyboards so much because I'm super critical of their operating system, and I don't use it. I'm a Linux user. But Microsoft keyboards and mice tend to be nicely designed. A close second choice for me would be a Logitech one, but I would miss those programmable buttons.

The keyboard in the photo I think will work well for me. I like how it's a little bit ergonomically curved, but not radically so. I tried one of the super ergonomic keyboards one time, but could not get used to it. Today's pay day, so maybe I'll pull the trigger on this thing.

Or maybe I should give Logitech another shot? Maybe I could get used to not having those 1 - 5 programmable buttons. Logitech keyboards to have a very nice feel. I'm not loving doing my work today on this generic Dell keyboard. IMO it's worth getting a keyboard you really like since you spend so much time using it.

I never liked those ergonomic keyboards. Made me feel more "un"-ergonomic. LOL

aliens.

Jammer said:

I never liked those ergonomic keyboards. Made me feel more "un"-ergonomic. LOL

Click to expand...

I agree about the majorly ergonomic ones. What I like is just a little bit of an ergonomic curve.

I switched to a RoG Cherry MX Strix Flare Mechanical keyboard and once I got used to the mechanical clicks it rocks. Fully programmable. It's great for everyday use and awesome for gaming.

I like big letters with lights behind them. I would like a keyboard like the piano in "Big".

If only I'd spent more time trying to learn to type instead of trying to look up Mrs. Jolley's skirts it might not look like I type in boxing gloves.

But who knew this was going to be a thing back in the 60's?

CouchCoach said:

I like big letters with lights behind them. I would like a keyboard like the piano in "Big".

If only I'd spent more time trying to learn to type instead of trying to look up Mrs. Jolley's skirts it might not look like I type in boxing gloves.

But who knew this was going to be a thing back in the 60's?

Click to expand...

One of the best things I did in High School was going to typing class. This was 79-80. I had to fill a class to get the credits to graduate. There were about 50 of us in the class and maybe 5 males in the class. It's pretty much the only thing I learned in HS that I use daily. When I was at the top of my game I could type 100 wpm. When my daughter was little she marveled how fast I could type. Now she is easily in the 120-130 wpm range and I'm down to about 60 wpm. It's served me well over the years.

Jammer said:

One of the best things I did in High School was going to typing class. This was 79-80. I had to fill a class to get the credits to graduate. There were about 50 of us in the class and maybe 5 males in the class. It's pretty much the only thing I learned in HS that I use daily. When I was at the top of my game I could type 100 wpm. When my daughter was little she marveled how fast I could type. Now she is easily in the 120-130 wpm range and I'm down to about 60 wpm. It's served me well over the years.

Click to expand...

I took typing so long ago that the class was typing on typewriters. Some were even manual ones. I didn't do that great in the class, but it was my Freshman year, my D year. I was skilled in the art of doing just enough to just barely pass. My entire Freshman year of high school I only got one grade: a D. I got straight Ds the whole year. I'm the only one I know who has done that. (I improved in later high school years.)

Anyway, I got up to about 25 words per minute on an electric typewriter and about 10 WPM on a manual. Then years later, after college (yes, I actually made it in), it was the computer age, and I bought a great program named Mavis Beacon Teaches typing. It was just the old MS DOS version, but it really helped me to improve. I got up to about 70 WPM, which is about what I type today. What a difference motivation makes. I wanted to get better because I had gotten interested in play writing. I didn't want it to take forever to type up my plays.

Back in the 9th grade all I was interested in doing was playing my guitar and cutting class, but doing enough to avoid failing.

Reverend Conehead said:

I took typing so long ago that the class was typing on typewriters. Some were even manual ones. I didn't do that great in the class, but it was my Freshman year, my D year. I was skilled in the art of doing just enough to just barely pass. My entire Freshman year of high school I only got one grade: a D. I got straight Ds the whole year. I'm the only one I know who has done that. (I improved in later high school years.)

Anyway, I got up to about 25 words per minute on an electric typewriter and about 10 WPM on a manual. Then years later, after college (yes, I actually made it in), it was the computer age, and I bought a great program named Mavis Beacon Teaches typing. It was just the old MS DOS version, but it really helped me to improve. I got up to about 70 WPM, which is about what I type today. What a difference motivation makes. I wanted to get better because I had gotten interested in play writing. I didn't want it to take forever to type up my plays.

Back in the 9th grade all I was interested in doing was playing my guitar and cutting class, but doing enough to avoid failing.

Click to expand...

Cool story. I got the Mavis Beacon typing "game" as a birthday gift one year. I loved it. It did improve my skills even more.

My teacher, Mrs. Jolley, who was well aware of my proclivity for dropping pencils, in a typing class, and was as hot as the teacher/stripper in "The Faculty" told me she was giving me a D so I couldn't take her class again. Toward the end of the year, her husband visited her during the class and I could swear he surveyed the room and honed in on me because his eyes fixed on me a little too long. Oh, there's the little maggot that's been trying to shoot my wife's squirrel. I am not sure she didn't send him in there to do that but it was effective and cured me of my quest. I even stopped taking pencils but did consider dropping the manual typewriter on the last day of school.

Jammer said:

I never liked those ergonomic keyboards. Made me feel more "un"-ergonomic. LOL

Click to expand...

The ergonomics don't apply when you type with one finger.

Runwildboys said:

The ergonomics don't apply when you type with one finger.

Click to expand...

I actually LOL'ed on that.

Runwildboys said:

The ergonomics don't apply when you type with one finger.

Click to expand...

I use the Columbus method “search and find.”

don't like mechanical keyboards since they kill your wpm. At the time I was unaware and bought one because I figured why not, ended up hating it but dealt with it for months before switching to logitech mx keys. The indentations in the keys aren't big enough to be a distraction and typing feels right at home. I usually leave the keyboard plugged in so I don't have to worry about it dying on me, but I recently found out I nearly split the cable in half (was still working) so I currently have it unplugged and need to buy another cable. It's been going strong for a few weeks with it only plugged in once midway.

CouchCoach said:

I like big letters with lights behind them. I would like a keyboard like the piano in "Big".

If only I'd spent more time trying to learn to type instead of trying to look up Mrs. Jolley's skirts it might not look like I type in boxing gloves.

But who knew this was going to be a thing back in the 60's?

Click to expand...

I absolutely must have a backlit keyboard. I type in the dark a lot, and can't find numbers or symbols by touch. I currently use a DBPower keyboard that has red, blue, or purple backlight, or it can be turned off.

BooBooBear said:

I absolutely must have a backlit keyboard. I type in the dark a lot, and can't find numbers or symbols by touch. I currently use a DBPower keyboard that has red, blue, or purple backlight, or it can be turned off.

Click to expand...

I use a Logitech G with rotating colors, red, blue, purple and green, on the backlight. I have to have one as well.

I want one with a blacklight backlighting ....voodoo lights!!!!

I use the cheapest keyboard I could find on Amazon. Seems to work.

InTheZone said:

don't like mechanical keyboards since they kill your wpm. At the time I was unaware and bought one because I figured why not, ended up hating it but dealt with it for months before switching to logitech mx keys. The indentations in the keys aren't big enough to be a distraction and typing feels right at home. I usually leave the keyboard plugged in so I don't have to worry about it dying on me, but I recently found out I nearly split the cable in half (was still working) so I currently have it unplugged and need to buy another cable. It's been going strong for a few weeks with it only plugged in once midway.

Click to expand...

What's your WPM, and what kind of loss are you talking about? Unless you're writing a Merriam-Webster, I'm struggling to see how whatever loss there might be matters.

Hoofbite said:

What's your WPM, and what kind of loss are you talking about? Unless you're writing a Merriam-Webster, I'm struggling to see how whatever loss there might be matters.

Click to expand...

I don't know, I hadn't tested since I was a kid. But the stroke of each key annoys me. It's a very annoying feeling, like your running slow in dreams, but that sensation ends up in your hands and forearms.

Laptop style keyboards with minimal length strokes and lower profile caps are perfect.