A few random thoughts on keyboards ################################## :date: 2015-07-28 00:00 :author: cpatti :tags: ergonomics, input, keyboards, typing :slug: a-few-random-thoughts-on-keyboards :status: published | I've recently been very underwhelmed with the keyboards Apple ships with their computers. They're trying to make them all feel like laptop keyboards, which is an idea I | rather disapprove of. | In particular the recent `Apple Keyboard `__ | has such shallow key travel it's very easy to fall into the bad habit of pounding the keys, and the overall layout feels squished | and constrained. | I've had a couple of the old school model A1408 "Apple Keyboard" (and its wireless cousin) in my drawer for years because I remember | liking them. | Thus far it's definitely a big improvement over the current squashed and squishy laptop like keyboard, but my gold standard for | keyboards is the `Razer Black Widow Ultimate `__ - I use one at work with my | Linux desktop PC and it feels glorious to type on. Beautiful mechanical keys with very distinct tactile feedback and a satisfying | (if perhaps somewhat loud for your officemates :) click. | The original Apple keyboard definitely has a better typing feel but lacks the tactile feedback of the Razor or other modern | mechanical keyboards making the typing feel still come off a bit squishy for my tastes. | I may end up investigating other modern mechanical keyboards to replace them - we'll see. One irritation I have with the Razor is | that they're platform specific. Is there REALLY any good reason for this other than to try to get me to shell out another $100 for | yet another keyboard? I rather resent that as other brands seem to cope just fine in both platforms. *UPDATE 02/22/2016* I ended up buying a Das mechanical keyboard for home, and thus far it's made me appreciate my Razer Black Widow even more. | It's not that anything is particularly bad at all about the Das, it's a perfectly fine mechanical keyboard, I just prefer the | more 'clicky' feel of the Razer, and really appreciate the niceties like the lit, labeled keys. | As it turns out, choosing the Das with no labels on the keys has turned into an enormous pain. I touch type fairly well, but | even still when I occasionally need to press some fairly arcane sequence of keys (Yes I *DO* need to hit Alt+F15 occasionally :)) | the lack of labels really rains on my parade. | There's also the little tidbit that *occasionally* you might want your spouse or other friend who doesn't touch type be able to use | your keyboard and they simply won't be able to do it. At all. So, unless you REALLY know you like it, don't do that :)