USB Natural Keyboard?

[Jonny M]

Hi,

I am after a USB natural keyboard. don't want a wireless one, or part of a mouse and keyboard package, just after a USB natural keyboard. Microsofts new ones are PS/2 only for some reason.

[DsW]

Hi,

I am after a USB natural keyboard. don't want a wireless one, or part of a mouse and keyboard package, just after a USB natural keyboard. Microsofts new ones are PS/2 only for some reason.

Not sure why you prefer USB to PS/2? You might need the extra USB port at some point.

Anyway, try searching for "usb natural keyboard" on a certain auction site... cheap as chips!

cheers,
dave

[dgr]

Not sure why you prefer USB to PS/2? You might need the extra USB port at some point.

Anyway, try searching for "usb natural keyboard" on a certain auction site... cheap as chips!

cheers,
dave

because he might have a usb KVM

because ps2 isn't hot swappable, usb is

because he has a motherboard that doesn't support ps2

because he hates legacy ports and wishes they would just go away?

pick an option!

dgr

[Howard]

PS2 keyboards are hot swappable

I've never seen a mobo without them

Legacy ports are there because the majority of hardware still uses them

[dgr]

PS2 keyboards are hot swappable

I've never seen a mobo without them

Legacy ports are there because the majority of hardware still uses them

ps2 is not hot swappable. you risk frying your components if you do pull them out (oh and if you think they are hot swap, try pulling um out and plugging them back in whilst outside of windows, e.g. in grub. good luck!

oh and i think its abit that make a series of MBs without legacy ports.

dgr

[Gunbuster]

Caged: they have a couple in the bargain basement on aria.co.uk only place I've seen them.

Wilkied: Not to get into a flame war, but...

PS2 are hot swapable if you want to risk an unbuffered interface damaging your motherboard. Ooo the danger and excitement.

Toshiba tablet pcs and apple macs do not have PS2. As my boss found out when he tried to use his BattleStar Gallactica keyboard with his new Toshiba Portege M200.
See here: http://download.trustreseller.com/_i...ge/13157-1.jpg
The buttons on the far left relate to the hatches in the floor below our seats.

Fair point, some bioses don't have usb legacy mode switched on by default. Also there are alot of people that have pre-windows key PS2 keyboards, usually yellowed beige and grimey, eewww.

[Howard]

I've been hot swapping keyboards since time began. Mice you need to restart though

[dgr]

not wanting to keep this going but.... look at the pins on a ps2 connector - they are all the same length. compare to a usb connector, where 2 asre longer than the others. why the difference? it has to do with the power connection - YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO (THOERETICALLY) UNPLUG PS2 CONNECTORS WHILST LIVE. thats why i said they are not hot swappable.

just my (informed) 2c...

dgr

[Gunbuster]

I guess its just down to what levels of risk you are willing to take. I know someone who has hot swapped PCI cards before.

[DsW]

Poor guy only wanted to know where to get a USB keyboard...

Why on earth would you ever want to hot-swap a keyboard anyway?!? Can't really see the need for it myself - I'd take the extra USB port every time.

(now expecting a list of 10 obscure reasons for needing a hot-swappable keyboard... )

BTW caged - you could always get a PS2 to USB convertor.

cheers,
dave

[BUFF]

I've got an as new (came with a PC & I use a ps/2 KVM) Belkin ErgoPro which is very similar.
Willing to let it go cheap to a good home as it is taking up space.



review

[Rythmic]

I've got to admit I haven't a clue why MS stopped making their keyboards USB - I've got an old(ish) Natural Pro, and love the fact I can plug my mouse & nostromo straight into the back of it. Their new keyboards don't seem as well built as their older ones either (only replaced my original natural due to a nasty cigarette burn - given up again now - but that one seemed better than this one - which is better IMO than the newer ones). I just hope someone comes out with a decent well built natural soon, or I'm gonna be stuck when this one wears out.

Been hotswapping keyboards since XTs - worst damage it's ever done is a reboot I hadn't asked for

[XTR]

I guess its just down to what levels of risk you are willing to take. I know someone who has hot swapped PCI cards before.

i done that with an AGP card


It was a desktop case i was reviewing... and it was sooo quiet... that i forgot it was turned on. just yanked the gfx card out and the pc turned itself off.


motherboard and graphics card survived.

Im not usually dumb enough to do a stunt like this but since the system was so quiet and a desktop case... it was easy to get to.

[Howard]

I've only ever hot-swapped a PCI card, AGP card and HDD. Each time, the worst thing that happened was the PC froze.

I never knew hot-swapping keyboards could be dangerous... Thought it was just like anything else really. I know with most mice you need to restart, but yeh.

[dgr]

I never knew hot-swapping keyboards could be dangerous...

hey i never said it was dangerous - i was just taking the pedantic technical meaning of "hot swap"

hell i pull out ps2 connectors all the time

dgr

[Rythmic]

Knew a guy who owned a dodgy ISA modem that kept hanging - so he used to hotplug that to get it going again. Worked fine for about 2 months then it all went bang. blew his ISA bus completely - so no PS/2,serial, parallel or floppy ports. Ended up lending him my old computer til he could afford a new motherboard (on the condition he not try that again of course!)