Worst keyboard you ever used, ever?

[YoshiCaps]

My dads old membrane keyboard. It had a big*** enter key and the smallest backspace you'll ever see. I dont have a picture, but it has the cheap feel to it of a 2 dollar dell KB.

[Zobeid Zuma]

My very first computer ever was an Atari 400 with the membrane keyboard.  No, I don't mean a rubber dome keyboard. . .  I mean the kind where you typed directly on the membrane.

[Findecanor]

Hmm.. I have a few candidates:

1. A ISO layout crammed onto an ANSI keyboard that was clearly inspired by the Mac alu keyboard but with more keys than that one. As ISO has one more key than ANSI, one key has to be sacrificed ... but of all those keys that this keyboard has, the one key that they chose to sacrifice, they chose the friggin Left Shift key !


2. Microsoft Internet Keyboard from around '00 with the "pool of melted ice cream" aesthetic that had a sloping "wrist rest" that you could not actually rest your hands on because it sloped too much and was too slippery. It was detachable, but the blob that was under it was only marginally smaller. Also, really bad key feel.

3. Lenovo Yoga Book. Touch keyboard with backlighting and only haptic feedback... only that the haptic feedback is delayed, so in practice it is nonexistent if you try to type at regular speed.

[YoshiCaps]

My very first computer ever was an Atari 400 with the membrane keyboard.  No, I don't mean a rubber dome keyboard. . .  I mean the kind where you typed directly on the membrane.

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geez, thats painful.

[killyou]

That would be Macbook Pro keyboard. My wife has 2014 or 2015 model and every time I type on it I get an irritating feeling in my fingers due to short travel and it's "crispiness". That's the only keyboard in my computing history since 1992 and Amiga 1200 days that I just refuse to use and I've used a lot of junk over the years.

[chyros]

The Fold-2000. Jesus, what an epic disaster of a "keyboard".

[klennkellon]

Nothing has really compared to those Smith Carona Leaf Springs I had the "luck" to try.

But as far as actual keyboards, the keyboard Apple shipped with their desktops in the mid 2000's. Absolutely some of the worst rubber I've ever tried.

[chyros]

Nothing has really compared to those Smith Carona Leaf Springs I had the "luck" to try.

Oh god yes, definitely a very good second x( .

[zars15]

Once I found pretty nice looking cherry branded board. Was excited, until I learned about this switch called "Cherry MY". Oh it's the most horrible thing I've typed on. It's a super awkward mix of rubber dome and spring based switch. Rubber domes feel so damn tactile compared to that mushy mess. Ended up getting rid of that board.

Don't have pictures of the board itself, but a blurry picture of the label:

[chyros]

Once I found pretty nice looking cherry branded board. Was excited, until I learned about this switch called "Cherry MY". Oh it's the most horrible thing I've typed on. It's a super awkward mix of rubber dome and spring based switch. Rubber domes feel so damn tactile compared to that mushy mess. Ended up getting rid of that board.

Don't have pictures of the board itself, but a blurry picture of the label:
(Attachment Link)

MY is not rubber dome, it's just a leaf spring. It's absolutely horrid though D: .

[Wolf123rt]

Doubt there is anything worse than this

[klennkellon]

Once I found pretty nice looking cherry branded board. Was excited, until I learned about this switch called "Cherry MY". Oh it's the most horrible thing I've typed on. It's a super awkward mix of rubber dome and spring based switch. Rubber domes feel so damn tactile compared to that mushy mess. Ended up getting rid of that board.

Don't have pictures of the board itself, but a blurry picture of the label:
(Attachment Link)

MY is not rubber dome, it's just a leaf spring. It's absolutely horrid though D: .

MY at least sounds nice, unlike the SC's and the breast implants.

[mrhead]

Those rollup silicone keyboards take the cake for me.

[pixelpusher]

But as far as actual keyboards, the keyboard Apple shipped with their desktops in the mid 2000's. Absolutely some of the worst rubber I've ever tried.

****!  I just found one of these at a recycling center. I should have snapped a pic for you 

[Diserasta]

Those rollup silicone keyboards take the cake for me.

Oh jeez, those things. They were the cause of much wrist pain back when my uncle had one. They can absolutely get piped.

[lordgiblite]

At my work we have a sterile environment but still have to use keyboards to input stuff. We have a strong arm brand interface in each room that has an ortholinear style "membrane" like keyboard, except it takes about 300+ grams of force to actuate. I can deal with the ortholinear part, I like that, but the actually trying to type part is very difficult.

[pixelpusher]

My worst was when I was teaching at the community college.  They had podiums with built-in A/V and computers.  There was a keyboard built into the fold-down shelf.  It was horrible.  I seriously feel sick thinking about it.  It was very thick rubber (solid for water resistance i guess) with raised sections for the keys.  Oh my god it was the worst piece of **** keyboard I've ever laid hands on.  The keys were even smaller than standard size with extra space between each key.  And of course, tiny, non-standard arrow keys and home bock.  You had to press so hard it was impossible to touch type.  Barf. 

[fohat.digs]

Those rollup silicone keyboards take the cake for me.

They don't get much worse than that. I have one rolled up in the garage in case I ever have to type under water.

I had a "Logic Controls" commercial keyboard with metal domes, intended for restaurants and the like. It was probably indestructible but horrific to use.
 

[mogo]

But as far as actual keyboards, the keyboard Apple shipped with their desktops in the mid 2000's. Absolutely some of the worst rubber I've ever tried.

Agreed. I've got a yellowed one just like this at work sitting on a bench and it is foul to touch. The rubber is so slow to bounce back.


Runner up goes to the brand new, mega-mass-produced basic ***** HP keyboards that ship with the computers. The plastic is thin, gritty, cheap as hell. The typing sensation is completely lackluster, the keyboard weighs nothing and flexes easily. They should have put in an extra dollar to provide something I won't hate and associate with their brand forever.

[Findecanor]

You mean you don't already hate HP for their ****ty printers?

[rich1051414]

Do I need to say more?

[Duckyreddy]

(Attachment Link)
Do I need to say more?

Ouch, that's sad.

[rich1051414]

(Attachment Link)
Do I need to say more?

Ouch, that's sad.

Ouch is right. Typing directly on wood doesn't feel very nice pretty quickly.

[chyros]

(Attachment Link)
Do I need to say more?

Haha, yeah, those definitely shouldn't be left out xD .

[elmwood]

Aside from the Atari 400, the Atari 1040ST I had back in the 1980s had a foul keyboard. The worst conventional non-membrane, non-chiclet, non-industrial, non-on-screen keyboard ever, IMHO.  Even third party spring kits didn’t help — they added a bit more resistance, but that’s all.

[Zobeid Zuma]

That's odd.  I remember rather liking the keyboard on my Atari 520ST.  Now, keep in mind that I was no keyboard connoisseur in those days.  I think the main reason I liked it was because it had so many more keys than my Atari 800XL!  More keys is more better, right?

additional thought. . .   The ST computers were all about getting more for your money.  More RAM per dollar.  More MHz per dollar.  More keys per dollar.  And if it was all flimsy crap, what of it?  As long as it was running circles around the PC clones, which it did, that was what I cared about at the time.

[OldIsNew]

My very first computer ever was an Atari 400 with the membrane keyboard.  No, I don't mean a rubber dome keyboard. . .  I mean the kind where you typed directly on the membrane.

Me too! I liked the machine - was very cool at the time, but the keyboard was a killer. I eventually moved up to an Atari 800, a better keyboard for sure and as the box said: "Now with 48K RAM!".

[klennkellon]

Oh, and a good runner up is Alps if they're in bad shape. I tried some abused n' dirty SKCM Whites and it was horrific.

[rich1051414]

Here is another contender.



I should point out that this keyboard was intended for special needs, like those unable to use a traditional keyboard due to the lack of digits or lack of control of said digits. Either way, it is a $400 dual arcade stick shaped like mice, which you type with.

[zslane]

I'd say it's a tie between the cheap chiclet bluetooth keyboards for iPad and the IBM Model M.

[mogo]

I'd say it's a tie between the cheap chiclet bluetooth keyboards for iPad and the IBM Model M.

[chyros]

[Duckyreddy]

hmmmmm, no need to say more.

[davkol]

Half of the responses are missing the point imho. Right tools for the job and all that. You aren't supposed to type essays and **** on pocket or kiosk keyboard, but they're better than nothing in an environment, where there's nothing better.

Like, for example, those foldable keyboards. I used to have one; took it on a trip with a PDA, so that I could take / look up short notes without having to peck on a software keyboard… I simply didn't have the space for a proper keyboard and couldn't afford a good pocket one (such as Logitech diNovo mini) at the time.

If I had to pick the worst desktop keyboard, I don't know… there are way too many annoying ones that I wouldn't want to use.

[klennkellon]

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wot

[chyros]

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wot

It's being sold right now on ebay.de as "slightly melted" xD .

[Duckyreddy]

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wot

It's being sold right now on ebay.de as "slightly melted" xD .

"Slightly"

[rich1051414]

Reminds me of the time I retrobrighted in my oven... then my brother came through and preheated the oven to cook himself a pizza...

To explain, on the lowest possible temp, the oven is the perfect temp to retrobright. However, I would not recommend for the above reason...

[Timpanogos Slim]

y'all don't even know. Things were bad in the bad old days.

I recall in about 1991 i used a laptop of sorts that had keys spaced so close together that they could get stuck under each other.

other than that, I'm pretty sure i used a packard bell keyboard in the early 90's that had a resistance that felt a bit like driving a toothpick through styrofoam, with the same sort of squeak.

And then in about 1997 Compaq started shipping keyboards where the space bar was split in half and the left hand portion was a backspace. For people who make a ****ton of typos i guess.

At the time i was a traveling troubleshooter for a niche software company and one of our customers had bought a ton of those machines. It's hard enough to type with an angry customer leaning over your shoulder without accidentally backspacing over your typing. So much rage.

[Timpanogos Slim]

My very first computer ever was an Atari 400 with the membrane keyboard.  No, I don't mean a rubber dome keyboard. . .  I mean the kind where you typed directly on the membrane.

I tried kinda hard to buy one of these off a neighbor in about 1989. He wanted more than i could come up with.

That was before i had strong feelings about keyboards though.

[Findecanor]

Reminds me of the time I retrobrighted in my oven... then my brother came through and preheated the oven to cook himself a pizza...

Ouch.

I once customised a plastic toy gun with some Sculpey, and was stupid enough to think that I could cure the Sculpey -- on the gun -- without melting the plastic.

[Zobeid Zuma]

And then in about 1997 Compaq started shipping keyboards where the space bar was split in half and the left hand portion was a backspace. For people who make a ****ton of typos i guess.

Shouldn't that be listed under a "best keyboard" thread?  Every keyboard should have a split space bar with backspace on the left!  It's just so obviously a better place for that key.

I think the only reason this didn't catch on and become standard is because it was patented in 1996 and trademarked as Erase-Eaze.  That patent was surely bogus, or else everyone would file for a patent every time they change a keyboard layout or move any key to a more convenient location.  However, challenging even a ridiculous patent costs a buttload of money, and it seems like nobody was willing to tackle it.

Since patents expire after 20 years, I expect an upwelling of new split-spacebar keyboards Real Soon Now.

[Findecanor]

AFAIK, not all of these keyboards have had a switch for swapping Eraze-Ease and Space Bar.

[LevelSteam]

I picked up a Logitech K400 Plus to use with my Steam link. It's easily the most unsatisfying keyboard I've ever used. It feels like I'm typing on wet paper towels, but I deal with it because I don't want to buy a bluetooth mech just to play the handful of games that I do on it.

[rich1051414]

I picked up a Logitech K400 Plus to use with my Steam link. It's easily the most unsatisfying keyboard I've ever used. It feels like I'm typing on wet paper towels, but I deal with it because I don't want to buy a bluetooth mech just to play the handful of games that I do on it.

I have a different model, don't want to hunt it down, but I don't remember it being horrible. Pretty sure it used laptop style scissor switches. Did they change that for their new wireless keyboards?

[LevelSteam]

I guess so. I just popped a key off it and it's definitely a low-profile rubber dome.

[MrBeefy]

I think the worst keyboard I have used are the new wireless apple keyboards.  As they are quite slick looking, I cannot stand the lack of button travel.  This goes double for the keyboards on the new apple powerbooks as well.    Give me one of their old A1016's anyday. 

[Data]

HHKB

[Duckyreddy]

HHKB

*Drumroll please*

[iLLucionist]

HHKB /savage

No but, really, Dell is pumping out these new light gray chiclet-style "keyboards". We have them at the office and it barely manages to register keystrokes. So backspace is the key used most on those ones. What ware they thinking at Dell? Also, why don't my colleagues complain?