Keyboards, Keyboards, Keyboards

[iranu]

For the past 4 years I have been using various generic keyboards all on the standard format.

I've been wanting to get a nice one for a while but pathalogically hate anything I have had tried in pc world etc (including the £150 Divo stuff) where I can get, literally,my mitts on 'em.

Can anyone recommend a good keyboard (see below for my requirements) or a place where I can check 'em out or atleast send them back if unhappy?

I'm after

1. A standard layout (no small enter key or large delete key or split ala
microsoft)
2. usb (not wireless yet, unless there is something really good)
3. No strangely rounded or shaped keys - just the normal concave ones.
4. Must have a volume control - not too bothered either way about other
buttons for surfing etc.
5. Stylish! Preferably silver or silver and black.
6. A "positive" feel not spongy! (for gaming)

Would also like it to have/be

Adidtional usb ports (MS used to do one with extra ports)
As cheap as possible
No stupid wrist rest thingamajig.
Beer proof

Well after that I didn't realise I could be so picky but I like to have my interface as comfortable as possible. As a friend of mine says,

"Buy a comfortable bed and a comfortable pair of shoes, cos if your not in one your'e in the other!"

[richman]

I have had my logitech desktop mxpro keyboard & mouse for a while now and it is the dogs knackers it is wirless but it is well worth it, it is packed with features. Take a look at one in your nearest store or fav online shop.

- Richman

[SilentDeath]

I think you might like the coolermaster Q keyboard.

The layout is more laptop standard. Once you get used to it, its definatly better! esp for gaming as it groups up the arrow keys (which I used as im left handed) with the others.

The enter key is just bigger than an normal backspace.. again once your used to it.. it doesnt need to be bigger.

The keys are also laptop type, instead of big fat chunky lumps of plastic that need 2 tons of weight pressed against them to move half way down
Takes much of the effort out of typing, and I suppose could help prevent RSI.

It doesnt have a volume control as such - I hate keyboards with extra buttons that do nothing for normal use anyway. There is however programs you can used to bind keys to do volume. For example I use K-control with winamp, so that ALT-HOME goes up and ALT-END goes down.

Stylish - well its black, with a annodised aluminuim frame. Its let down by the green LED's, which I have changed to bl00

Not sure what you mean by 6.. the movement of the keys maybe?

Its usb and I think *maybe* comes with ps2 converter - I cant remember, you'll have to check.
This is great for me as it doesnt take much effort to build a keyboard/mouse switch. My monitor has dual inputs.. so that does the video.. Really usefull for more than one pc.

It cost me £30, so not cheap...l but imo its work it. I got it from simply, which were the cheapest at the time.

Hasnt got a wrist rest thingy


AND best of all , it IS beer proof.
My keyboard is on a keyboard tray. I had a can of lager behind it, and accidenly pushed the tray back, and the whole numpad was flooded. Then in an attempt to stop it, I knocked it on the floor and the can landed in an open pc below - luckly without leaking over anything important.
Three of the keys sort of dont move properly, but it doesnt affect them apart from how they feel.. the rest are fine, so Im calling it beer proof.

[Allen]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...aKB_2d006_2dLG

Looks good, feels good, wired, USB, removable wrist thingy, cheap and pretty much everything you listed above.

[iranu]

Allen,

I looked at those logitech ones and they are great except the 5th row of keys have a slope on them which to me feels weird. Picky I know, it would have been pretty damn near perect though. Thanks for looking!!!

I'm still hunting the websites myself

[DaKid]

I've got one of those logitech ones and I'm over the moon with it ... really very, very nice indeed and the wrist-rest is detachable.

[Lee H]

I'd recommend a cherry keyboard mate

I recently got a G86-21000gbabab from cherry themselves and it took me like a day to get used the the keyboard but now its awesome and I'd recommend nothing more.

I used to think that cherry k'boards we're designed for women typists ( sorry girls....) but after 3 hours of gaming on CS and UT2004 I'd recommend nothing else now and even a few collegues at work who got 1 as well when I did all say the same.

Its just a damn shame its soooo white I need to clean the fingermarks off it after 6 hours of gaming over a weekend, but the black one is awesome

[iranu]

I have found what I'm looking for - so here it is for those that might be interested too

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/do...-G83-13500.pdf

btw can you get wireless keyboards with the internal usb hub?

[Steve]

btw can you get wireless keyboards with the internal usb hub?

That would mean the wireless signal would have to handle the USB devices plugged into it to, yeah? So, I'd say no.

[Zak33]

Allens choice is the finest ....


get over the angled keys....

its just superb. Nowt better. Period.

[rajagra]

You sure about the Cherry keyboard? I had several Cherries (!)years ago, they all had a very soft feel (!!), and much worse, they suffered from appalling keyboard bounce (or keyyyboaaard bbouncce.) Strange really, because they were (still are?) one of the most prolific KB suppliers. Admittedly the ones I had were the cheap models. Try before you buy.
Some Fujitsu keyboards are said to have a solid action much like the old IBM KBs.

[nichomach]

I can vouch for the Fujitsus; before I switched to the Logitech my last KB was a Fujitsu PS/2 rebranded by Panrix. Very clicky, good action. The older Dell mechanicals were pretty good too. On the Cherry front, I just got two of THESE at work, and they're actually pretty good.

[Russ]

I love my cooler master Keyboard, cost me 40 quid, and worth every penny, i play mostly fps games, and this KB is excellentay for it mate

[Knoxville]

Got a trust keyboard here that pretty much fills everything you want, only problem is the home and insert keys are in a slightly different layout, tis a cracking little keyboard though

[ed^chigliak]

I have found what I'm looking for - so here it is for those that might be interested too

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/do...-G83-13500.pdf

btw can you get wireless keyboards with the internal usb hub?

Hey that looks just like my keyboard. I don't have the built in USB hub but other than that it looks identical. It's one of the better cherry keyboards out of several that I have purchased over the years. I'm quite fussy about keyboards and I'm still using this one. No unecessarry curves... retro style

Not as good as the keyboard I stole off a compaq PC when I was contracting... well actual erm... swapped it for a lesser compaq keyboard of which they had dozens. Awsome keyboard and since the idiots in the office who had been there for 20 years were still looking for the on button on the PC's I didn't think they would notice. You could try some second hand PC emporium as some of the big name PC manufacturers have awsome keyboards.

[GingerNinja.net]

Personally, I currently use the MS Internet Keyboard and it is great for gaming - use it at home and at work. Really positive keys, great for a touch typist such as myself and the calculator launch button I now find indispensible! Oh yes - one of the girls at work poured a whole cup of coffee on my office one and it is still going.....

When I go for my customised paint job I will be torn between getting the black keyed version of this keyboard, the multimedia version (good-bye fecking INSERT key!) and the Logitech Internet Navigator™ Keyboard Special Edition mentioned above (despite having no experience of it!).

Of course, if you want a simple keyboarrd with no wrist rest and a USB hub....go for an apple keyboard!

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_3018.html