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.

Show Image

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]

Show Image

wot

[chyros]

Show Image

wot

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

[Duckyreddy]

Show Image

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?

[Duckyreddy]

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?

Haha, I tried to convince my school to get Cherry G80-3000's for our lab (new school)
They considered it for a bit and still bought god damn chiclets, half of them have died in less in a year..

[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?

Haha, I tried to convince my school to get Cherry G80-3000's for our lab (new school)
They considered it for a bit and still bought god damn chiclets, half of them have died in less in a year..

I gave up on my work. I just bring my HHKB and my Avior 7000 and call it a day. Most colleagues complain about "wrist pain". Yeah, not surprising if you have the feeling that you need to hammer down each key to get it to register.

[mogo]

Seeing how abused and icky some of my coworkers' keyboards get, I get the impression that the keyboard just isn't something they give thought to, even if their job is something intrinsically tied to constant use of a keyboard. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Duckyreddy]

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?

Haha, I tried to convince my school to get Cherry G80-3000's for our lab (new school)
They considered it for a bit and still bought god damn chiclets, half of them have died in less in a year..

I gave up on my work. I just bring my HHKB and my Avior 7000 and call it a day. Most colleagues complain about "wrist pain". Yeah, not surprising if you have the feeling that you need to hammer down each key to get it to register.

You know what, I've given up too, I'm going to start bringing my board for school, I can probably get sick looking at those keycaps, shiny, greasy and full of food crumbs...How are you liking your HHKB? I'm about to get one. 

Our technology workshop runs Nvidia Quadros and colour calibrated monitors and tenths and thousands of dollars of wood-working equipment, it was given a huge budget but yep, Logitech K120, makes sense.

[Prothrin]

I would say probably any foldable silicone keyboard...

[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?

Haha, I tried to convince my school to get Cherry G80-3000's for our lab (new school)
They considered it for a bit and still bought god damn chiclets, half of them have died in less in a year..

I gave up on my work. I just bring my HHKB and my Avior 7000 and call it a day. Most colleagues complain about "wrist pain". Yeah, not surprising if you have the feeling that you need to hammer down each key to get it to register.

You know what, I've given up too, I'm going to start bringing my board for school, I can probably get sick looking at those keycaps, shiny, greasy and full of food crumbs...How are you liking your HHKB? I'm about to get one. 

Our technology workshop runs Nvidia Quadros and colour calibrated monitors and tenths and thousands of dollars of wood-working equipment, it was given a huge budget but yep, Logitech K120, makes sense.

There's 3 HHKBs in this household and they are all holding up great. I use my white HHKB at the office as a daily driver. At home, I use my 87UB 55g, so basically 50% time typing on each.

Honestly, I could go either way as my daily driver. No to be elitist about it, but for me Topre is endgame for longer periods of typing (and MX for gaming).

If you are considering the HHKB, you could also look at the Leopold FC660C, with the difference being that the Leopold is plate-mounted as opposed to case mounted in the HHKB, and a dedicated arrow cluster and, IIRC, page up / down.

[Duckyreddy]

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?

Haha, I tried to convince my school to get Cherry G80-3000's for our lab (new school)
They considered it for a bit and still bought god damn chiclets, half of them have died in less in a year..

I gave up on my work. I just bring my HHKB and my Avior 7000 and call it a day. Most colleagues complain about "wrist pain". Yeah, not surprising if you have the feeling that you need to hammer down each key to get it to register.

You know what, I've given up too, I'm going to start bringing my board for school, I can probably get sick looking at those keycaps, shiny, greasy and full of food crumbs...How are you liking your HHKB? I'm about to get one. 

Our technology workshop runs Nvidia Quadros and colour calibrated monitors and tenths and thousands of dollars of wood-working equipment, it was given a huge budget but yep, Logitech K120, makes sense.

There's 3 HHKBs in this household and they are all holding up great. I use my white HHKB at the office as a daily driver. At home, I use my 87UB 55g, so basically 50% time typing on each.

Honestly, I could go either way as my daily driver. No to be elitist about it, but for me Topre is endgame for longer periods of typing (and MX for gaming).

If you are considering the HHKB, you could also look at the Leopold FC660C, with the difference being that the Leopold is plate-mounted as opposed to case mounted in the HHKB, and a dedicated arrow cluster and, IIRC, page up / down.

After a long discussion on a thread I started "HHKB VS 660C Battle of the ultimate Topre" I ask around and got some opinions from people who have tried both boards, I came down to the HHKB Type-S vs the tandard Pro 2, the main reasoning was probably the layout, I also like the look and how it sounded and the whole package was simply more attractive to me.

The 660C is actually more expensive than the HHKB Pro2 when shipped to my country...
$60 more in fact...

[ullr]

In recent memory, actually the HHKB JP

I don’t know if it’s similar to the normal HHKB but the switches felt like mushy linears, the Dell rubber dome in my room (the one notorious for being ****) had a better feeling. It is so light it feels like it would blow away in a stiff breeze.

Not falling for the Topre meme again

[Azmodan]

Dell KB216!

They provided those to us at the office along with DELL laptops and monitors, by far the worst keyboard I ever used!



Took me 3 days to order a 10keyless with MX Blue switches to replace it with!

[Hyde]

Funny enough I remember grade 10 keyboarding class, we had those iMac gen 3(?) keyboards.

The keyboard itself look amazing, however it would lock and bind on off centre strikes so it would be really annoying when you try to type fast (keyboarding class) and the keys would lock itself.



You'd assume for "keyboarding class" they use nicer keyboards.

[klennkellon]

Funny enough I remember grade 10 keyboarding class, we had those iMac gen 3(?) keyboards.

The keyboard itself look amazing, however it would lock and bind on off centre strikes so it would be really annoying when you try to type fast (keyboarding class) and the keys would lock itself.

(Attachment Link)

You'd assume for "keyboarding class" they use nicer keyboards.

Yep I think those are like the ones I mentioned.

As someone else noted about them is that the rubber seems to slow to come back up.

[LoveYouFyi]

Worst mechanical keyboard I ever used was the first one I tried, the POS "Black Widow" by Razer.  Their products are all junk, mice junk, everything junk.   

[mogo]

Funny enough I remember grade 10 keyboarding class, we had those iMac gen 3(?) keyboards.

The keyboard itself look amazing, however it would lock and bind on off centre strikes so it would be really annoying when you try to type fast (keyboarding class) and the keys would lock itself.

(Attachment Link)

You'd assume for "keyboarding class" they use nicer keyboards.

They definitely have crap rubber that only gets worse and mushier over time, but I haven't had the off-center catching happen. But if it's a keyboard in a high school, it's not surprising to think that they were gummed up with soda/crumbs/whatever other horrifying contaminants teenagers can pack into them.

[iLLucionist]

Funny enough I remember grade 10 keyboarding class, we had those iMac gen 3(?) keyboards.

The keyboard itself look amazing, however it would lock and bind on off centre strikes so it would be really annoying when you try to type fast (keyboarding class) and the keys would lock itself.

(Attachment Link)

You'd assume for "keyboarding class" they use nicer keyboards.

Interesting. I actually pretty liked those boards back in the day. But I wasn't particularly into boards back then.

[Findecanor]

I tried one out yesterday. Mushy, binds on off-centre presses, key surface is too big ... and it collects dust and crud in a transparent tray.

[Snarfangel]

I'm going to say this one:



That's right, the keys were actually weird rectangular buttons you had to essentially push straight down, and which you couldn't touch-type on.

The 4A was a bit better.

[chyros]

I'm going to say this one:

Show Image

Show Image

That's right, the keys were actually weird rectangular buttons you had to essentially push straight down, and which you couldn't touch-type on.

The 4A was a bit better.

Jeez, the 4A was BETTER?! Oo

[jcoffin1981]

The Dell L700?  Looks like this or like it.  Shipped with Dell Pentium computers in early 2000's.  Every key rattles, makes horrible noise, is wobbly, and mushy.

Nobody wanted to use a 60% keyboard at work, so I replaced the one I use with a Cherry MX 3.0, a vast improvement.

[digi]

Worst keyboard ever was the HHKB..

[ardentdreg]

I'm going to say this one:

Show Image

Show Image

That's right, the keys were actually weird rectangular buttons you had to essentially push straight down, and which you couldn't touch-type on.

The 4A was a bit better.

Jeez, the 4A was BETTER?! Oo

I should have appreciated the improved 4/a keyboard more as a kid! The TI joysticks made up for it.
The bottom of the flare of the base of the joystick wasn't low enough to stay below the surface of the joystick housing, somehow exactly the right size to nick the side of the housing, and sharp. Since the base was only like 3" wide, the meat by the base of the thumb of your off hand (holding the joystick base) would inevitably come within hole-punch distance in the heat of Parsec or Miner 2049'er battle and then your brother would win and you'd have to sulk off and tend your literal wounds.

Anyway, keyboards. Whatever that ubiquitous $5 Dell brick that Dell tossed in for free with every computer or monitor or whatever whether you wanted it or not until like 5 years ago. I'm pretty sure they used those things as shipping box filler. My employer had heaps of those things hoarded away. I'd have one destroyed, unusable, in a couple of months. The keycaps ran on these tubular sockets that would gall, and before you know it the keys you used most would bind halfway down. I hated those keyboards, so I didn't let that stop me, keep pushing through the creeeeaaak and they'd CRACK down sounding like you'd just split the entire keyboard. Which was cathartic, until realizing that nothing broke, which was the second most disappointing thing about that keyboard, the first being the endless supply of identical replacements.

It's totally correct that membrane, or otherwise keyless keyboards are undeniably more awful on a one-on-one comparison. Pretty much the (in)tangible embodiment of malevolent design intent. However... Imagine Gauntlet. Ye olde video game Gauntlet. I fought those Dell bricks like an unstoppable wave of Gauntlet skeletons granted the ability to shoot the food. An insanely terrible, legitimately useless keyboard would have been refreshing, like a nice boss battle. Skeletons are the worst.

[jcoffin1981]

Okay, how bout the Logitech Wave?  I actually do like the wave profile and find it ergonomic, but if you missed the center which often happened the key cap would bind up.

[shinze]

A ZX81 its only a membrane, hard as wood…

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5X en utilisant Tapatalk

[mogo]

Okay, how bout the Logitech Wave?  I actually do like the wave profile and find it ergonomic, but if you missed the center which often happened the key cap would bind up.

The Wave is on my "Best non-mechanical board" list. I still miss it.

A ZX81 its only a membrane, hard as wood…

Show Image

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5X en utilisant Tapatalk

ye gods. Is there any feedback at all? A bubble? Or is this just something you stub your fingers on and hope it's working?

[shinze]

Okay, how bout the Logitech Wave?  I actually do like the wave profile and find it ergonomic, but if you missed the center which often happened the key cap would bind up.

The Wave is on my "Best non-mechanical board" list. I still miss it.

A ZX81 its only a membrane, hard as wood…

Show Image

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5X en utilisant Tapatalk

ye gods. Is there any feedback at all? A bubble? Or is this just something you stub your fingers on and hope it's working?

Not a single bump or click feeling, only finger muscle and extreme patience to type any basic program.

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5X en utilisant Tapatalk

[ollir]

I was thinking of something with Cherry MY's but then I remembered this.

[mogo]

I was thinking of something with Cherry MY's but then I remembered this.

Now that is a letter of hatred.

[fohat.digs]

I have never used this work of art, but it probably deserves an honorable mention here:

[invariance]

I have never used this work of art, but it probably deserves an honorable mention here:

Imagine the media release:
Introducing the JiZZ Magic Wand.
The ultimate keen for the ultimate wanker!

[OfTheWild]

surface pro board:


followed closely by just about every mac keyboard post alps.

[mogo]

surface pro board:

Show Image

followed closely by just about every mac keyboard post alps.

Show Image

I actually don't mind the aluminum apple kb's. The short-throw scissor switch isn't bad (or is it butterfly? I dunno the difference :X).

[dante]

I don't remember the name of it or what mechanism it used, but it was a one piece dumb terminal with a phone and 300bps modem built in.

It was at least 100g of stiff mush and the worst keyboard I've ever typed on.

I used it as a teenager in the 80's to find love in all the wrong places.

[rioc]

Show Image

hmmmmm, no need to say more.

my vote is also for these roll-up silicone sheets...

[Findecanor]

surface pro board:

I think it belongs on this list only because the key surface is ultra-slippery.
Otherwise, chiclet or not is a matter of preference.

The tactility, stability and key travel isn't as bad as some other low-profile keyboards I have encountered and Microsoft has (finally) given up on the ridiculous idea of reducing the keyboard by 1/2 key on the right side so that ISO Enters would get super-slim -- something which Apple still persists in doing.

Apple's chiclet keyboards are at least quite tactile, stable and have frictiony surfaces.
I came across an older white MacBook (not "Pro") the other day: it had slippery keys though.

[Findecanor]

I don't remember the name of it or what mechanism it used, but it was a one piece dumb terminal with a phone and 300bps modem built in.

It was at least 100g of stiff mush and the worst keyboard I've ever typed on.

I used it as a teenager in the 80's to find love in all the wrong places.

That sounds like something like a Minitel, or a local variant. Here in Sweden, my dad had a Teleguide for a while.

[dante]

I don't remember the name of it or what mechanism it used, but it was a one piece dumb terminal with a phone and 300bps modem built in.

It was at least 100g of stiff mush and the worst keyboard I've ever typed on.

I used it as a teenager in the 80's to find love in all the wrong places.

That sounds like something like a Minitel, or a local variant. Here in Sweden, my dad had a Teleguide for a while.

Didn't look like either of those.  It had full key travel and the phone/modem was on the left (I think... it's been 20+ years...)

[Duckyreddy]

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hmmmmm, no need to say more.

my vote is also for these roll-up silicone sheets...

hahaha, They are a joke.

[euphxenos]

I see a couple of other membrane keyboards mentioned, but I'd like to add the membrane keyboard on the Magnavox Odyssey 2.  It wasn't even on a real computer, just an also-ran console that wished it was the Atari 2600.

[tristinDLC]

I have a friend who works for these guys (he hates the board as well) but was given it for free... I have it for novelty sake but have tried to type on it. Not only is it membrane, it's ortho-linear, and the buttons are huge... how they thought this was a great way to teach kids to learn computers blows my mind. It's absolutely terrible. But hey, it looks good with all the other weird keyboards I build and it was free, so whatever.

[Duckyreddy]

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I have a friend who works for these guys (he hates the board as well) but was given it for free... I have it for novelty sake but have tried to type on it. Not only is it membrane, it's ortho-linear, and the buttons are huge... how they thought this was a great way to teach kids to learn computers blows my mind. It's absolutely terrible. But hey, it looks good with all the other weird keyboards I build and it was free, so whatever.

I'm a kid, I'm glad I didn't learn to type on that.
The Ortho is a little weird to be on a kid's keyboard, the modifiers! look at the tab and capslock!  :))

[badziew]

Lenovo Ideapad 710S ultrabook keyboard.
Whoever came up with an idea to put right Shift on the right side of the up arrow key (so it goes like / <up> <RShift>) should be pummeled to death with a Model M...

[tristinDLC]

I'm a kid, I'm glad I didn't learn to type on that.
The Ortho is a little weird to be on a kid's keyboard, the modifiers! look at the tab and capslock!  )

I can see their idea behind the color scheme where each different type of character or modifier is a different color to teach kids what is the same, but kids have little hands and shouldnt be trying to use those giant buttons. I'm over 6ft tall and I have trouble stretching my fingers to fluidly hit the right keys. I won't debate whether ortho is superior or not (I do own a Planck and will be building more for weird projects), but when basically every other computer is staggard, why teach them something new?- might as well made the keyboard Colemak just to top it all off.

[Duckyreddy]

I'm a kid, I'm glad I didn't learn to type on that.
The Ortho is a little weird to be on a kid's keyboard, the modifiers! look at the tab and capslock!  )

I can see their idea behind the color scheme where each different type of character or modifier is a different color to teach kids what is the same, but kids have little hands and shouldnt be trying to use those giant buttons. I'm over 6ft tall and I have trouble stretching my fingers to fluidly hit the right keys. I won't debate whether ortho is superior or not (I do own a Planck and will be building more for weird projects), but when basically every other computer is staggard, why teach them something new?- might as well made the keyboard Colemak just to top it all off.

I respect both staggered and ortho, both beautiful but yea, why teach them something new?
Might as well make it Colmak, ortholinear and blank! 

[_rubik]

(Attachment Link)
Do I need to say more?

Damn you beat me to it...

[gak1234]

[pwnd by Massdrop]

[Myoth]

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Wonky Alps switches that Apple never used on any other board.  The plastic case binds up during adjustment, squeaks and rattles like crazy.  I used to be an Apple Certified Repair tech and these things were NOT reliable nor cheap.

Apple being not reliable nor cheap ? we've never heard this  ;)

[DALExSNAIL]

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Wonky Alps switches that Apple never used on any other board.  The plastic case binds up during adjustment, squeaks and rattles like crazy.  I used to be an Apple Certified Repair tech and these things were NOT reliable nor cheap.

I feel like you haven't seen too many bad KBs if this one is your worst haha. But is that really a bad thing?

[gak1234]

[pwnd by Massdrop]

[SamirD]

Hmmm...I will have to think about this one...which one hurt my hands the most after the least amount of time...

[mogo]

Hmmm...I will have to think about this one...which one hurt my hands the most after the least amount of time...

for me, that's "every ortholinear board ever"

[Mainian]

Just in general... hypersphere'd topre, especially the hhkb.

Maybe I type too hard for things with plastic plates...

[tristinDLC]

for me, that's "every ortholinear board ever"

I have a Planck built purely for aesthetic reasons as I keep it displayed on my desk on a stand (along with a Pok3r on a stand as well). I have tried to use it a handful of times and while it hasn't been the worst experience, it's definitely a different experience. I was easily about to transition from a normal keyboard down to a 60% almost immediately, then got used to a 40% moderately fast (still working on my perfect JD40 keymap though), but the learning curve from 40 to 30 along with ortho has been really challenging.

What makes me retarded is that even though they aren't my favorite board (IMO the BananaSplit will take the cake along with all my Apple/Alps boards), I am still going to build probably another 3 Planck projects  I just like weird builds and I have a couple in mind, so once I get around to it, I have some ideas for some new to market Planck builds.

Definitely lower on my build list, so hopefully I get around to them (though my wallet hopes not).

[xtrafrood]

Tossing in another vote for roll-up silicone squishy thing. Bad.

[OfTheWild]

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I have a friend who works for these guys (he hates the board as well) but was given it for free... I have it for novelty sake but have tried to type on it. Not only is it membrane, it's ortho-linear, and the buttons are huge... how they thought this was a great way to teach kids to learn computers blows my mind. It's absolutely terrible. But hey, it looks good with all the other weird keyboards I build and it was free, so whatever.

lol Plugable donated one to the Atlanta meetup and I traded the guy who won it for my door prize instead. I wanted it for my daughter, more to play with to keep her occupied while i was working. My wife wondered why i didnt give her one of my 40% boards to play with stating "Why would they make the caps so huge for people with tiny hands? That makes no sense. It should be smaller than normal."  Cant say shes wrong. I'm going to use it for her "Space Ship Control Center" activity wall.

[tristinDLC]

I'm going to use it for her "Space Ship Control Center" activity wall.

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That sounds like both an appropriate and cute idea. I have toyed around with ideas on how to modify it for fun, but I have so many that this is literally at the bottom of the list

[berkiyo]

There was one particular Logitech keyboard that came in a combo which often had keys like ctrl, shift and tab being hard to press when pushed towards the corners. It was the Logitech MK270 but I can confirm that they have moved on since that with their newer products. The MK345 for example isn't too bad and sounds like a Topre

It was probably the worst I've tried but other than that, I haven't tried many crap keyboards to begin with. Logitech MK270 isn't bad but it's not the best I've tried so far.

[berkiyo]

Dell KB216!

They provided those to us at the office along with DELL laptops and monitors, by far the worst keyboard I ever used!

Took me 3 days to order a 10keyless with MX Blue switches to replace it with!

I too have a Dell KB216 lying around and I've smashed high typing speeds but that said, it doesn't mean it is a joy to type on. For my taste, the flat key design isn't that great but the overall look of the board is nice. It was originally made to be used for server racks so that may explain why they haven't payed much attention to the typing experience.

For the $15 I spent on it, I'd be happy to use it again though it's not something to rave about. It's also really quiet which is welcoming to me I guess. In the end, it is all about using what works best for you! 

[TheFresko]

I bought a Razer Lycosa off of Woot! before I got into this hobby and knew better. It worked for about 2 days before it just stopped doing anything. Swapped it out with Razer, same thing happened. Swapped for another, same thing again. Come to find out the Lycosa had driver problems that Razer never fixed. My wife actually went through the same thing with the same keyboard before we met. If you google Lycosa problems, you'll see a TON of random problems people had with it. I guess different setups had the drivers screw up in different ways. Not sure how there was never a recall on it. They just kept allowing retailers to sell them and moved on.

[tristinDLC]

Here is another similar keyboard akin to the Plugable one aimed at children, but apparently this is aimed at people with dyslexia. Something about the horrid Comic Sans legends (which the dyslexic community has even more fonts created specifically for aide in their disability) and neon yellow are supposed to help in some way. I don't know the real science behind it, especially the color choice, but while the design world loathes Comic Sans, apparently it's lack of san serif accenting and obvious difference in character design help dyslexics type easier.

Still looks like a toddler's keyboard IMO, but I read some comments citing some evidence of actual functionality. Thank god I'm only stuck with my Plugable monstrosity for humous occasions. I've tried so many times to try and regularly use it and fail every time to get any key of typing speed of key feedback enjoyability. While I have no dyslexic tendencies, so maybe I just "don't get it" I can't understand the need for such a large child-like keyboard with poor plastic a dombed key construction, just because you have a mental disability that switches up your letters while typing and reading.

As a designer, it really grinds my gears on so many levels, so hopefully, there is some hard-back science behind this and not some "As Seen on TV" psuedo-science to take advantage of anyone.

At least the Plugable unit is color-coded to help kids learn which types of characters belong to the same subset of characters (letters, punctuation, modifier keys, etc. wheres the dyslexic on is just blinding and in a horrible font with terribly utilize dombed keys in a giant form-factor. Hopefully, it really works.

Dyslexia Board:



The Plugable kids board (that I and OfTheWild recently posted about:

[twin_rotor]

(KB101-A for scale)

For the NTSC guys, my personal Timex/Sinclair 1000. I saw the ZX81 already listed; the 1000 was no better!

The 3COM infrared keyboard, on the left, is one of the worst feeling AND sized keyboards I've ever experienced, that I used for longer than anyone should ever have to (including the system it came with). No love for late '90s dome small form factors! This one is really, really strange. I do not have the vocabulary to even begin to explain the key feel. Maybe I should send this one to chyros, along with the Audrey it came with.

I always HATED the C64 keyboard as well! I reminded myself how big of a pile of mush it was/is while pulling these examples out of my case. My TRS-80 is a close second in this respect. MUSH!

[chyros]

[rioc]

haha, yeah, was wondering when that'd find it's way into this thread.

really fun video 

[xtrafrood]

haha, yeah, was wondering when that'd find it's way into this thread.

really fun video 

Aye. Lots of surprises in that video

[sncbraxsc2]

The Dell L700?  Looks like this or like it.  Shipped with Dell Pentium computers in early 2000's.  Every key rattles, makes horrible noise, is wobbly, and mushy.

Nobody wanted to use a 60% keyboard at work, so I replaced the one I use with a Cherry MX 3.0, a vast improvement.

My 55y/o coworker dissed the cherry board I was letting her use, saying shes got one of those old dell keyboards at home she prefers that she'll bring in and she comes in with the board you pictured! UGH!

I think they had Dell Quietkeys at my school's computer lab, but the first computer my family bought was a Dell/Gateway back around 2000 and it had the below keyboard which I've found in thrift stores since and it is a really crummy rubberdome.

[Snowdog993]

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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The very worst in my opinion. Yes the old Atari 400 Membrane.

[OfTheWild]

reminds me of this terrible keyboard from when i was a kid:

[Snowdog993]

A ZX81 its only a membrane, hard as wood…

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Envoyé de mon Nexus 5X en utilisant Tapatalk

..Compared to the Atari 400 keyboard, that is BLISS!

[Duckyreddy]

reminds me of this terrible keyboard from when i was a kid:

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lmao, say no to qwerty!

go abcdef!

[OfTheWild]

reminds me of this terrible keyboard from when i was a kid:

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lmao, say no to qwerty!

go abcdef!

its no wonder we had to do Mario Teaches Typing to figure out keyboards. lol
I should force my kit to use Colemak

[rich1051414]

Anyone have one of these as a kid?

[ander]

Anything with the dreaded

[audax989]

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)

This has to be the worst I have tried so far.

[Professor Fate]

It was a Mitsumi rubber-dome keyboard. We had some of them at high school and later at university. The keys were rather hard to type, so if somebody like me, who types very quickly, has the honor to use such a board, everybody (!) in the room will hear how he's trying to destroy that piece-of-scrap.
 
@Duckyreddy: You used a flexible rubber keyboard? Eeeeehhhh!!! I once sold them. For special applications (intensive care unit, cleanroom etc.) it may be even a viable option (its protection class is IP54), but typing long texts on such key-something is a nightmare.

[Duckyreddy]

It was a Mitsumi rubber-dome keyboard. We had some of them at high school and later at university. The keys were rather hard to type, so if somebody like me, who types very quickly, has the honor to use such a board, everybody (!) in the room will hear how he's trying to destroy that piece-of-scrap.
 
@Duckyreddy: You used a flexible rubber keyboard? Eeeeehhhh!!! I once sold them. For special applications (intensive care unit, cleanroom etc.) it may be even a viable option (its protection class is IP54), but typing long texts on such key-something is a nightmare.

I used it on someone's tablet for 2 minutes, absolutely hated the feel.....ew...
I would never use one let alone buy own one! 
I guess it isn't designed for home use so I guess there is a market for them in environments like the ICU, cleanroom as you have mentioned, which is pretty cool!
And it rolls up which is quite convenient actually... 

[microsoft windows]

I think those Apple keyboards with the white keys and clear plastic bezels were pretty bad.

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[DaBubbs]

The Dell L700?  Looks like this or like it.  Shipped with Dell Pentium computers in early 2000's.  Every key rattles, makes horrible noise, is wobbly, and mushy.

Nobody wanted to use a 60% keyboard at work, so I replaced the one I use with a Cherry MX 3.0, a vast improvement.

x2... I blocked out all of the horrible memories of using those keyboards and now they are coming rushing back. Thanks... 

[clicked121]

Xbox 360 attachable controller keyboard.

[rich1051414]

These are really bad too:



Like rubber domes, tablet keyboard cases are not made equal, but the iRulu one has to be the worst tablet case I ever attempted to type on. The whole thing flexes when you type on it, and you have to press hard to actuate keys, but if you type too hard, it triggers the keys near it. It might as well be a foil membrane keyboard.

[metalliqaz]

The waterproof keyboard on an old Toughbook.

https://www.bobjohnson.com/panasonic-toughbook-cf-27-cf-28-cf-29-backlit-rubber-keyboard/

pure rage-inducing

[mogo]

Xbox 360 attachable controller keyboard.

You say that, but I think it was pretty good for the purpose it served. It was nice to have a qwerty board for the thumbs with individually clicky little caps. Arranged in a grid, but it's not like you could get your full hands over it so you couldn't touch type anyways. I liked it.

[xtrafrood]

Xbox 360 attachable controller keyboard.

You say that, but I think it was pretty good for the purpose it served. It was nice to have a qwerty board for the thumbs with individually clicky little caps. Arranged in a grid, but it's not like you could get your full hands over it so you couldn't touch type anyways. I liked it.

I had a 360 keypad as well. At least the official 360 keypad keys registered when you pressed them, unlike certain squishy roll-up keyboards. I would seriously consider a 360 keypad/controller as a lounging keyboard/mouse.

[sandy1995]

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hmmmmm, no need to say more.

hahaha man! TRUE!!