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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Rajagra on Sun, 25 October 2009, 00:25:40

Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: Rajagra on Sun, 25 October 2009, 00:25:40
Warning - may not be the ones you expect!

http://www.oobject.com/category/best-keyboards/

Number 19 (http://wearcam.org/septambic/) is at least thought provoking. DIY Datahand anyone?
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: msiegel on Sun, 25 October 2009, 00:28:31
Quote from: Rajagra;128113
Warning - may not be the ones you expect!

http://www.oobject.com/category/best-keyboards/

meh??!?

edit: what a bizarre assortment of keyboards :)
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: hyperlinked on Sun, 25 October 2009, 03:30:45
Aside from the Apple fanatics voting their brand to the top, I guess it's a weirdest keyboard contest.

Optimus Maximus
http://www.oobject.com/best-keyboards/optimus-maximus-keyboard/1217/
532 Votes? There aren't even 532 owners of this thing yet is there?

Apple Wireless Keyboard
http://www.oobject.com/best-keyboards/apple-wireless-keyboard/1210/
Sigh. I guess people are bound to confuse "Best" keyboard with "Prettiest" keyboard.

Z-Boards
http://www.oobject.com/best-keyboards/ceratech-zboard-with-world-of-warcraft-key-set-review/1220/
Bleah. Z-Boards are garbage. The special gaming layouts are a nice idea. It'd have been nice if they had at least attempted to put a passable keyboard beneath it. Even for rubber domes, it sucks.

Combimouse
http://www.oobject.com/best-keyboards/combimouse/1222/
The keyboard of choice for those who had childhood dreams of being a forklift operator.

Orbitouch Keyless Keyboard
http://www.keybowl.com/whatis.html
Never bottom out again I guess. Say goodbye to wrist and finger injuries. Say hello to shoulder and neck pain.

DIY Septambic Keyboard
http://www.oobject.com/best-keyboards/build-your-onw-septambic-keyer/1211/
How the hell did this have the votes to make it on the list?
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: quadibloc on Sun, 25 October 2009, 06:23:22
It certainly seems like a "weirdest keyboard contest", but what it seems to me to be intended as is more of a most interesting keyboard list. Here are the designs that are different, the ones that hold the most promise for the future of revolutionizing how a keyboard works.

I thought it particularly odd that they chose a dual typewriter set up so that one typewriter was used for equations. Why not choose a Selectric typewriter - or a Hammond (or Varityper) or a Blickensderfer, for that matter? Or, if they did want a multiple keyboard setup that did equations without changing elements (or even turning the typing head, since a Hammond/Varityper holds two elements at once)... why not a Monotype keyboard, set up for four-line mathematics?

The Optimus Maximus does use a tactile switch, and they did include one version of the HHKB. Economy wasn't on their minds, so the Model M, for example, didn't make the list. But by concentrating on designs that are different, designs that may point the way to something for the future... they seem to be revealing a profound dissatisfaction with keyboards the way they are.

I can be profoundly dissatisfied with the output of market leaders Logitech and Microsoft (when Microsoft went to Windows 3.1, it ended the offer where you got a free copy of Windows 3.0 with a Logitech mouse, and Logitech had the temerity to sue it... is Microsoft getting into the keyboard and mouse business all about revenge?) without thinking that the whole idea of the keyboard has run its course.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: timw4mail on Sun, 25 October 2009, 12:12:45
The list is bogus, they have one of those laser keyboards.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: JBert on Sun, 25 October 2009, 13:46:33
Quote from: Rajagra;128113
Number 19 (http://wearcam.org/septambic/) is at least thought provoking. DIY Datahand anyone?
Ehr no, that's a keyer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyer) (a kind of chording keyboard in a compact layout).

The datahand on the other hand has a seperate keyswitch for each character and then adds extra layers on top of that.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: Rajagra on Sun, 25 October 2009, 16:22:07
Quote from: JBert;128162
Ehr no, that's a keyer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyer) (a kind of chording keyboard in a compact layout).

The datahand on the other hand has a seperate keyswitch for each character and then adds extra layers on top of that.


I meant does anyone fancy making their own Datahand type board based on that mouldable plastic sheet.

Shame there's no text describing the materials. Might be useful for that DIY trackball being made in another thread here.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: J888www on Sun, 25 October 2009, 16:43:43
I was more interested in the "Latest List" section for "12 Spectacular Erections". Amazing how they can get them to such heights and able to keep it up there. BTW, IMO, I didn't like anyone of the Keyboards/Gadgets featured
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: Rajagra on Sun, 25 October 2009, 16:50:35
Quote from: J888www;128190
I was more interested in the "Latest List" section for "12 Spectacular Erections". Amazing how they can get them to such heights and able to keep it up there. BTW, IMO, I didn't like anyone of the Keyboards/Gadgets featured


Perhaps that should be listed next to this one (http://www.oobject.com/category/10-anti-masturbation-devices/).
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: msiegel on Sun, 25 October 2009, 16:52:20
Quote from: J888www;128190
I was more interested in the "Latest List" section for "12 Spectacular Erections". Amazing how they can get them to such heights and able to keep it up there. BTW, IMO, I didn't like anyone of the Keyboards/Gadgets featured


:D cool! my town lays claim to 16% of those erections. seeing them up close is truly spectacular.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: J888www on Sun, 25 October 2009, 17:01:12
Seen "this one " too. Sos, but those keyboards/gadgets were so not interesting that I could not resist my attention being drawn elsewhere.
  "this one" was also of little interest, as I only use IT to go toilet, most of the time into my IBM mug.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: JBert on Mon, 26 October 2009, 14:29:13
Quote from: Rajagra;128185
I meant does anyone fancy making their own Datahand type board based on that mouldable plastic sheet.

Shame there's no text describing the materials. Might be useful for that DIY trackball being made in another thread here.
Well, it seems it was done by Steve Mann, here's a page about some guy making his own: http://wearcam.org/septambic/septambi.htm (No info on the kind of plastic though)
Some more pics of the process: Wearcam.org: septambic (http://wearcam.org/septambic/).

The explanation itself might be given in a book by Steve Mann himself, it's named ]Intelligent Image Processing (http://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-Image-Processing-Steve-Mann/dp/0471406376) and appendix B seems to be relevant.


So far it seems like it is made of some kind of plastic which can be made deformable when placed in near-boiling water.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: microsoft windows on Mon, 26 October 2009, 17:45:46
Those people forgot about the real best keyboard.
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5394&d=1256597143)
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: chimera15 on Wed, 28 October 2009, 14:54:19
Quote from: microsoft windows;128450
Those people forgot about the real best keyboard.
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5394&d=1256597143)


Seriously, that list is wack. How is a dual typewriter from 1940 or whatever one of the best keyboards.  stupid. lol
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: microsoft windows on Wed, 28 October 2009, 18:36:52
I don't want to know.
Title: "Best keyboards"
Post by: TWX on Wed, 28 October 2009, 19:38:04
*sigh*

I love how the only input devices with any ergonomics are either figgin' weird or are designed for video games.

I won't deny that I don't have the same phobia about rubber-dome switches as many of the rest of you, so I'm biased in that I don't mind first-generation Microsoft Natural Keyboards and other split ergos that have a 101-type layout directly modified for the ergo shape.  I had a Mouse Systems clone back in the day that worked quite well.  That no semi-conventional ergo boards appear on their list is kind of pathetic.  I don't expect it to be all ergos, but not a single one?