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What's the best keyboard for my PC?

Dave, I wonder if you can recommend a good keyboard for my Windows PC? I don't want the usual Logitech etc. I am typing on a Logitech right now that I haven't had that long. The keys are sticking and not catching my touch the way it should. Therefore I end up typing yu instead of you. I am a touch typist if that matters. I can afford 150.00 to 200.00 for it. As a writer, you could probably give me the best advice.

Dave's Answer:

Actually, I've been suffering through a keyboard transition myself. For years I had a wonderful Apple split ergonomic keyboard that for some peculiar reason Apple no longer makes. Then I bought a funky green Ortek Extended Keyboard which worked just great. In fact, I pretty much wore it into the ground: none of the keys have labels anymore (which is a great security measure!) and the palm rest and space bars gleamed with the combined oils of years of use.

About two months ago I cast my net and tried to find a good ergonomic keyboard but was disturbed to find that Microsoft seems to have pushed many of the other keyboard manufacturers out of the market. Even searching online, I'd find some promising keyboards just to find that they were no longer available for purchase, even through eBay.

Finally, I settled on an Adesso Intellimedia Pro keyboard, white (about $50 at Amazon), and it's pretty decent. The key action is good, it's surviving my typing (so far), and there are only one or two keys that are horribly misplaced on the Adesso compared to my neurally-imprinted Ortek keyboard, most notably the key that has "\" and "|", which is tucked to the far right of the right shift key. Most weird!

Through the wonder of a switching device, I also use this "Mac" keyboard on my Windows XP PC too, and it works perfectly fine. The only difference as far as I can tell is that on a Windows keyboard, the "meta" key has a little Windows logo, while on a Mac it has what I call a cloverleaf symbol. Otherwise, they're 1:1 compatible and the unit works happily on Windows.

On the Mac, I have to say that the integration of the Adesso keyboard functions with Mac OS X is really superb. On the keyboard I have Prev/Next/Play/Pause buttons for iTunes, mute, volume up/down buttons to control the overall Mac audio, and buttons that launch my Web browser, email program, Stickies, calculator, and more.

Finally, I've found that keyboards are highly personal purchases. If you can, I would strongly recommend that you find a store with a good selection of keyboards and try some of them out to see if the bounce, click, press-depth, etc., are all to your liking. And good luck! There's nothing more frustrating than a bad keyboard.

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Comments

Wasn't there a company that made "Tactile" Keyboards with real metal switches instead of membranes. They clicked with each key press. I'm sorry I cannot remember the name.

Posted by: Tim at December 12, 2004 5:49 AM

Been looking at keyboards of recent... don't like the Natural ones with the middle gutter, and a laptop-style (mini) keyboard I tried didn't cut it.

Would be interested in reading what folks have t say about the TypeMatrix 2020.

www.typematrix.com

P.S. I type Dvorak

Posted by: Roman Kowalczuk at December 14, 2004 11:40 PM

I was banging on keyboards even before IBM marketed the first Selectric. As my wrist aches worsened I went thru the original MS Wave, various tenting shapes and other ergonomic offerings promoted in Computer Shopper in its ZD incarnation, then found Kinesis with its separate wells was just right. 2 years ago I converted to Dvorak all my keyboards.

Posted by: stone at December 18, 2004 4:21 PM

The best keyboard ever is the Dell AT101W. Its about a 20 year old design, and it ROCKS. It is rock solid - beat on it all day, and it will take whatever punishment you dole out. Spill food and drink on it ... will never fail. I bang on mine, slam it against my desk, and type like the Phantom of the Opera. Oh, and it makes this really neat, loud "clickety click" sound that brings back fond memories of previous jobs as a Network BOFH Administrator. I have stockpiled a dozen of these keyboards, and doubt I will ever find a better. Note that Dell stopped making this keyboard years ago. I bought the last one they had too.

Posted by: kw at January 7, 2005 9:13 AM

The absolute best keyboard ever devised is the IBM model M. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Model_M_Keyboard

Posted by: r2q2 at September 20, 2005 3:52 AM

Believe it or not, I am new to computers. Recently, a drink was spilled on my keyboard and I was wondering if I could switch out my sons keyboard with mine? The one I have now is a gateway and the one I want to switch it out for is microsoft. My monitor is a dell, my tower is gateway and I'm running windows xp pro. Thanks

Posted by: Tami Beavers at April 10, 2007 9:02 AM

Yes you should be able to do that without a problem, even if the computer's running at the time. The real key is whether you need any special drivers, and 99% of the time you don't, so you should unplug the old one, plug in the new, and keep happily humming along. :-)

Posted by: Dave Taylor at April 10, 2007 11:14 AM

I have a lot to say, but ...

I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!