Hey guys,
Love the site. I make the rounds on a few of the 'niche'-ish tech boards (headphonic, [h]ard, stackoverflow, Tom's, etc) and thought I may as well set up over here too. You know it's a good site when a healthy portion of the threads you read have some reference to GAS - Gear Acqusition Syndrome :-)
So I've never really had a good keyboard before, and recently got a co-op (internship for 6 months) that has me earning a bit of money. I'm building a new PC, buying a second HP LP2475w (well, maybe...definitely an IPS though) and looking to get a new receiver and some bookshelf speakers in addition to my old reliable ATH-ES7 phones. Needless to say you'll see me around here haha.
What the heck, might as well get a good keyboard right?
Here's my usage breakdown:
USB or PS/2 acceptable
most-least:
surfing, programming, games (RTS, fps), music, photoshop (lotsa shortcuts), other
Needs:
-Doesn't suck
-Under $125
-Not NUCLEAR BOMB loud. I'm a college student, but have headphones on a lot and while my roommates will likely be tolerable, I don't want to be a jerk so I'd sacrifice a little to be a little quieter. I understand that avoiding a bottom-out will make me quieter, so there's also that. Volume is fine and I think I'll like audible clicks, but sonic booms are discouraged.
Would like:
-Windows key: I use the guy a lot. I can use AHK if necessary, though.
-Backlit: would really like a backlit keyboard. I could potentially mod this given I'm an EE student, but I'd like to avoid it and would pay to buy a backlit version of the same keyboard vs non backlit. Prefer something non-obtrusive, as well. No blood-red leds or flashing christmas tree stuff, basically. Whiteish or soft white/blue would be perfect.
-Not a monster: I don't want something that'll take up my entire desk. I'm willing to sacrifice media keys and a numpad for this. I've been more than fine with your average full keyboard in the past, however. Physical thickness isn't a problem, but you guys are well aware of how dorm desks can be smaller in general.
-Looks. I don't need a jet-black Razer keyboard with racing stripes and dancing LEDs, but I'd like something RELATIVELY modern.
Don't care about:
-Numpad
-Scroll lock (had to take a shot at it :-p)
-Media keys (can use autohotkey)
On all points: if you can make a good argument, I will be more than happy to research and you'll definitely be able to make me reconsider. I'd say that price is firm, but I also said that when I bought my first IPS monitor and pair of headphones. A $300 budget became $550, and a $60 budget became $100+. I understand that this is an investment and will have no problem justifying it to myself if you can justify it to me. Given how much I use my computer (like many of you) there's no reason not to make it as nice as possible.
Cheers!
