Mechanical keyboard is 1000x better
No offense to Apple but those keyboards are kinda **** for typing which is the purpose of keyboards right?
Right now, I moved back to QWERTY and its no picnic. I need to get good at it quickly. I was wondering if the mechanical keyboard would help in that sense.
...one thing that seemed to help me learn to type was the blank keycaps I got on my first Leopold Otaku. I had no choice but to remember where the keys were.
i go back and forth between a hhkb and a macbook keyboard which is pretty much identical to the discrete apple keyboards. i can type plenty fast on the macbook without looking -- in fact, low travel keys are preferred by a lot of heavy-use touch typists.
Trick question. Both the Apple and Razer are subpar.
That's not a bold statement at all. Apple makes nice looking, overpriced stuff. Razer makes overpriced, goofy looking stuff.Trick question. Both the Apple and Razer are subpar.
Quite a bold statement. Especially with the Razer. What would you say is a better keyboard?
That's not a bold statement at all. Apple makes nice looking, overpriced stuff. Razer makes overpriced, goofy looking stuff.Trick question. Both the Apple and Razer are subpar.
Quite a bold statement. Especially with the Razer. What would you say is a better keyboard?
We shouldn't scare off the new users too much.
Trick question. Both the Apple and Razer are subpar.
We shouldn't scare off the new users too much.
In the end, whatever keyboard works best for you is the best keyboard. And if that is an Apple keyboard, great. They are well built for a scissor switch rubber dome.
We shouldn't scare off the new users too much.
In the end, whatever keyboard works best for you is the best keyboard. And if that is an Apple keyboard, great. They are well built for a scissor switch rubber dome.
LOL.. Don't worry about me. I don't scare easily. I'm pretty much ready for any kind of comment. But I appreciate those looking out for me. :)
As for Mr. Elite-ness... I'm pretty sure that he uses a HHKB or a Das Professional. Or just maybe he is one the elite who still uses an IBM model M.
I still use an IBM Model M. Actually I have 4 of them and rotate them from time to time. What's wrong with that?
I still use an IBM Model M. Actually I have 4 of them and rotate them from time to time. What's wrong with that?
Absolutely nothing. The IBM is truly one of the greatest and most sought after keyboards I think. If you have 4, hold on to those. Anyone who knows computers wants one. Had a look on ebay and those are pricey. Its like a classic Rolls Royce of keyboards. I think that DAS is attempting to get the same feel with their keyboards and are probably nearly there with it.
If they are not using buckling springs, then they are not close to the feel.
Unicomp still makes buckling spring keyboards, and that's about as close as you'll get with something modern.
However there are lots of conversion options for the older original BS keyboards :)
If they are not using buckling springs, then they are not close to the feel.
Unicomp still makes buckling spring keyboards, and that's about as close as you'll get with something modern.
However there are lots of conversion options for the older original BS keyboards :)
Having a look at the Unicomp keyboards. They seem pretty good and not too expensive I think.
Mechanical keyboard is 1000x better
No offense to Apple but those keyboards are kinda **** for typing which is the purpose of keyboards right?
But an HHKB owner, and i haven't drunk the Topre kool-aid. I'm actually using my IBM SSK this week, but before that most of my typing has been on my 60% customsWe shouldn't scare off the new users too much.
In the end, whatever keyboard works best for you is the best keyboard. And if that is an Apple keyboard, great. They are well built for a scissor switch rubber dome.
LOL.. Don't worry about me. I don't scare easily. I'm pretty much ready for any kind of comment. But I appreciate those looking out for me. :)
As for Mr. Elite-ness... I'm pretty sure that he uses a HHKB or a Das Professional. Or just maybe he is one the elite who still uses an IBM model M.
But an HHKB owner, and i haven't drunk the Topre kool-aid. I'm actually using my IBM SSK this week, but before that most of my typing has been on my 60% customs
I like custom built stuff, and Topre/HHKB don't provide many options for that. I'll take a raw PCB and a pile of diodes and switches over a HHKB any day.But an HHKB owner, and i haven't drunk the Topre kool-aid. I'm actually using my IBM SSK this week, but before that most of my typing has been on my 60% customs
So I take it that you don't like the HHKB. Or you don't believe that the switches are any better than the ones from Cherry MX.
Mechanical keyboard is 1000x better
No offense to Apple but those keyboards are kinda **** for typing which is the purpose of keyboards right?
This is a meme that needs to die. Apple boards are decent, and the low travel and profile make them a good choice for a rubber dome board.
Mechanicals will feel better long term however.
I've always been a fan of the apple keyboards. Never had any issues with them. Anyone remembers this?Show Image(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Apple_Pro_Keyboard_black.jpg)
It was one of my favourite ones. I like the low action of the keys. It is sort of a laptop style keyboard.
Those were soooooo gross. I still have one and it's a gross collection of hair and whatever else. Yuck.
The ones such as the original poster linked are great. I hit my highest WPM on those and they feel great to me. But to each his own, right?
Those Apple keyboards are absolute ****. You could not pay me to use one. I prefer fingers that don't hurt after an extended typing session. The height and angle are also all kinds of wrong and they make the home keys hard as hell to find.
I've always been a fan of the apple keyboards. Never had any issues with them. Anyone remembers this?Show Image(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Apple_Pro_Keyboard_black.jpg)
It was one of my favourite ones. I like the low action of the keys. It is sort of a laptop style keyboard.
Show Image(http://xahlee.info/kbd/i2/Apple_pro_keyboard.jpg)
I was always a big fan of this model, and still have one kicking around, even though it blows to type on. Apple nailed aesthetics with this one.
MoreThose Apple keyboards are absolute ****. You could not pay me to use one. I prefer fingers that don't hurt after an extended typing session. The height and angle are also all kinds of wrong and they make the home keys hard as hell to find.
I'm only accustomed to my Macbook board for light use so can't directly comment on the standalone boards but for light use mine is fine and the low profile and flat angle is comfy. The problem is when it's an old board the keys are less snappy, and if it's seeing moderate to heavy use for hours at a time it's easier to get sore finger tips.
Mostly I'm just tired of the hyperbole around Apple chiclets. It always has to be that mechs are '1000x times' better, or the Apple board is 'the worst thing humans have ever invented'. No, users should describe the pros and cons for an OP coming from one so they can decide for themselves. The rest is unhelpful.
I currently have an Apple full size wired keyboard, exactly as the one below.Show Image(http://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4711/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/M/B1/MB110LL/MB110LL?wid=1200&hei=630&fmt=jpeg&qlt=95&op_sharpen=0&resMode=bicub&op_usm=0.5,0.5,0,0&iccEmbed=0&layer=comp&.v=1400774915255)
My brother has a Razor gaming mechanical keyboard just lying around and I was wondering if that is better to use. I like the Apple keyboard, but which would be better as I'm just trying to learn to touch-type on qwerty.
Show Image(http://xahlee.info/kbd/i2/Apple_pro_keyboard.jpg)
I was always a big fan of this model, and still have one kicking around, even though it blows to type on. Apple nailed aesthetics with this one.
You are correct. I used to have one of those too. However unlike the ones with the black keys, as it aged, the keys on that one used to get sticky and hard to press. I remember removing one to bits and putting it back together to try and get it to work and make the keys normal again, but it just wouldn't work. That was the reason that I bought a microsoft ergonomic keyboard and many others after it.
Mind you aside from the Apple keyboards, I liked the HP ones that used to come with the workstations.
This one...Show Image(https://www.iplaza.lk/sites/default/files/hp_standard_keyboard_dt528al.jpg)
I think this one is probably the second most favourite standard issue keyboard after the IBM model M. They were not in any way mechanical, but they just had the feel just right. I still think that I got one of those around somewhere. From what I remember, my brother spilled Coke on it and that is why he bought the Razer.
I've always been a fan of the apple keyboards. Never had any issues with them. Anyone remembers this?Show Image(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Apple_Pro_Keyboard_black.jpg)
It was one of my favourite ones. I like the low action of the keys. It is sort of a laptop style keyboard.Show Image(http://xahlee.info/kbd/i2/Apple_pro_keyboard.jpg)
I was always a big fan of this model, and still have one kicking around, even though it blows to type on. Apple nailed aesthetics with this one.
I was always a big fan of this model ..... even though it blows to type on.
I was always a big fan of this model ..... even though it blows to type on.
My daughter had one of those, and I seriously think that it was the worst keyboard I have ever used.
And hideously ugly too, even without the clear bottom that shows off your board chow and the inherently greasy key feel.
I was always a big fan of this model ..... even though it blows to type on.
My daughter had one of those, and I seriously think that it was the worst keyboard I have ever used.
And hideously ugly too, even without the clear bottom that shows off your board chow and the inherently greasy key feel.
I liked the small, almost non-existent bezel, which is what I think attracted me to it originally, but agreed on every other part. Typing on it is just completely awful.
Apart from the mech superiority, apple keyboards are pretty tolerable to type on
Did try the Razer Mechanical keyboard. Looked back almost immediately when the little typing that I was able to do went straight down the toilet. I gave it a whirl for a whole day and didn't find it comfortable at all.
Apart from the mech superiority, apple keyboards are pretty tolerable to type on
This. If I'm not on my Topre or one of my CODEs, I want to be on an Apple keyboard. They absolutely nailed the good-feeling chiclet-style keyboard. No other low-profile board has ever come close.
From what i hear, Apple made a mechanical keyboard in the 80s called the Apple Extended Keyboard. From what I'm reading online, it was one of the best keyboards Apple ever made and is still desirable today; just like IBM's Model M.
I believe that the Matias Tactile Pro is an attempt to recreate that keyboard, so I'm wondering whether I should get one of those or the SpaceSaver one from Unicomp.
The AEK and AEK2 were good keyboards, I prefer the original with the orange or salmon Alps, but AEK2 is more common and cheaper.
You will need to have an ADB-to-USB converter to use them on a modern computer, and they are very prone to nasty yellowing.
I took my old Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 out of mothballs just to try out today. I still felt the Apple keyboard better than it.
What I haven't heard mentioned in this thread is the importance of 'when' the key actuates. The Microsoft 4000 doesn't actuate until the key hits bottom. All membrane keyboards are this way. But a mechanical keyboard (Cherry MX or Topre) actuates 2mm into the 4mm keystroke. That's a significant point that needs to be made because it totally changes the typing experience.
What I haven't heard mentioned in this thread is the importance of 'when' the key actuates. The Microsoft 4000 doesn't actuate until the key hits bottom. All membrane keyboards are this way. But a mechanical keyboard (Cherry MX or Topre) actuates 2mm into the 4mm keystroke. That's a significant point that needs to be made because it totally changes the typing experience.
I'm sure that the Microsoft does not have a tactile feel at all. Did feel like it did at all. The apple keyboard seems to have some sort of tactile feel. But if you are asking to what point does the key actuate, I can't say. All I can say is that I find myself slightly faster with less mistakes when trying to touch-type on the Apple keyboard.
From what i hear, Apple made a mechanical keyboard in the 80s called the Apple Extended Keyboard. From what I'm reading online, it was one of the best keyboards Apple ever made and is still desirable today; just like IBM's Model M.
I believe that the Matias Tactile Pro is an attempt to recreate that keyboard, so I'm wondering whether I should get one of those or the SpaceSaver one from Unicomp.
From what i hear, Apple made a mechanical keyboard in the 80s called the Apple Extended Keyboard. From what I'm reading online, it was one of the best keyboards Apple ever made and is still desirable today; just like IBM's Model M.Like some others have said, keyboards are a very subjective and personal choice. The best advice I would give is to see if you can give one a try--but I'd only do that after you can notice the difference in your typing speed, accuracy, or the condition of your hands. If not, you'll be like a kid with a driving permit test driving a Lambo or Ferrari. Get your skills up and then get the tools you need, otherwise you may invest in the wrong tool.
I believe that the Matias Tactile Pro is an attempt to recreate that keyboard, so I'm wondering whether I should get one of those or the SpaceSaver one from Unicomp.
Aesthetics is always a top priority in Apple's design agenda, I just wonder if people want a keyboard to stare at it or to type.Seriously! Function>form for me any day!
My Treo 650 had a touchscreen and a keyboard and it was much faster to get anything done because it had buttons to do anything you could via touchscreen--answer a call, send a text, get to the main menu. The combination was pretty killer. Even the android platform sucks at this. It takes 5 steps to dial a number from a text because of all the stupid questions and bad UI decisions along the way. Placement of where you have to touch things in sequence on a task can be at the opposite ends of the screen (who thought that was a good idea?) and there's no buttons to speed through the crap.
And what's really worse: now we have touchscreen interfaces in CARS, which is just an atrocious idea.You know, I never thought of that until I remember renting an Infiniti Q50 recently and was trying to get things adjusted while driving in Atlanta traffic--I might as well have been looking at my phone every two seconds. God, what an awful idea of putting touchscreens in cars without tactile feedback.
all I had to do was open the device and hold down a single number key for a couple seconds and it would start dialling that person.
Well the yellowing doesn't bother me. If I could get one of those keyboards I'm sure that I would be happy. But I think that going for the Matias Tactile Pro would be a better choice.
Apart from the mech superiority, apple keyboards are pretty tolerable to type on
This. If I'm not on my Topre or one of my CODEs, I want to be on an Apple keyboard. They absolutely nailed the good-feeling chiclet-style keyboard. No other low-profile board has ever come close.
I suppose that the Apple keyboard is not to everyone's taste. Some people like it and prefer it. It has the same feel as if you're working on a laptop. So I guess the prepares you for working on either machine.
Having said that, I would be getting myself an AEK or AEK2.
But! the new ones with the even shorter travel distance are incredible crap and feels more like typing on a touchscreen.That's interesting that you say this as my brother now spends 50% of his work time on a touchscreen. I guess the idea is to make the transition from one to the other more seamless?
I think that once someone gets used to the travel & feel of the mechanical keyboards, you tend to want to stick with that.
If you think that typing on the new Apple ones are typing on a touchscreen, then imagine what it would be like typing on this...Show Image(http://img00.deviantart.net/105d/i/2008/323/d/b/ironman_keyboard_by_xqlusiveevan.png)
I wonder how this glass keyboard would be like to type on.Show Image(http://cdn.thegadgetflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Glass-Keyboard-by-Bastron-01.jpg)
Ugh reminds me of HP laptop keyboards. They have almost zero key travel and it bugs the everliving crap out of me. It makes an otherwise decent laptop feel really cheap.I wonder how this glass keyboard would be like to type on.Show Image(http://cdn.thegadgetflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Glass-Keyboard-by-Bastron-01.jpg)
It would be like typing on glass -- so, utterly terrible for human fingers. But probably only slightly worse than the newer generation of MacBook keyboards, which have near-zero key travel.
I like the keyboard on my 2010 MBP. I heard they've changed the switches since then; I've yet to try the new ones, but my computer is slowly dying so I may need to buy a new one next year.Not sure if you will like the new MBP...
Just use what accommodates your own preferences, needs and feels better; there is no need to inflame another futile discussion of this against that. If you like the apple then use it, I like my Thinkpad keyboard, but I would not use it beyond those situations when a dedicated mechanical keyboard is not available. But, that is just me, it is not a rule, nor anything close.Thank you for the advice.
Just use what accommodates your own preferences, needs and feels better; there is no need to inflame another futile discussion of this against that. If you like the apple then use it, I like my Thinkpad keyboard, but I would not use it beyond those situations when a dedicated mechanical keyboard is not available. But, that is just me, it is not a rule, nor anything close.
MacOS is still the best, but Apple notebooks and desktops are sadly no longer in the vanguard of excellent design.One reason why I use a Hackintosh. :D
MacOS is still the best, but Apple notebooks and desktops are sadly no longer in the vanguard of excellent design.One reason why I use a Hackintosh. :D
Yeah that's very tempting to do. I'd like to get a base model ThinkPad P70 (17" screen, quad-core i7 laptop) to try that out. That would be seriously cool!
Yeah that's very tempting to do. I'd like to get a base model ThinkPad P70 (17" screen, quad-core i7 laptop) to try that out. That would be seriously cool!
You can have a look at tonymacx86.com
How reliable is your Hackintosh? I mean, once it's set up, how much tinkering do you have to do to keep it running and up to date?
How reliable is your Hackintosh? I mean, once it's set up, how much tinkering do you have to do to keep it running and up to date?
Truthfully? Nothing at all. The Updates come automatically and are applied automatically. The only downside is that the operating system is fooled into thinking that my Hackintosh is a Mac mini. However my motherboard does not have a Thunderbolt port. So that is the only update that is constantly left out actually. But other than that, my Hackintosh was updated from Yosemite to macOS Sierra like it was an original Apple computer.
If you picked the right motherboard and parts, you literally have nothing to worry about.
This is great to know, thanks. Apple seems to be just letting its desktop line languish these days, and it's nice to know there are options. I just got a 5K iMac, which I love, but I could see going down this road when it's time to upgrade...I quite agree. The main reason for going down this route is because I wished for Apple to make another PowerMac like their old towers, but they didn't. Their new one is an amazing machine. In fact their new lineup of machines are really good. But nothing like their old towers. For instance, I do not think that Virginia tech is going to make another super computer using Apple machines like they did below.