So here it is, the 10^6th "Which keyboard!?" post begins.
I've been researching keyboards for a little over a month now, but regrettably only found geekhack.org a couple of days ago. I've poured over the forums reading opinions and reviews, and have a pretty good idea of what I'd like. I have a perfect keyboard in mind, but it doesn't seem to exist.
I've narrowed my choices down to more or less a
Filco Ninja Majestouch-2 Tenkeyless with Cherry MX Blues or a Razer Black Widow Ultimate or Standard. I'm about 90% sure I'll go for the Filco, as the only thing I don't like about it is the price. (After all, I can get the awesome-looking Black Widow Dragon Age II edition with red backlights for *less* than the tenkeyless Filco.)
There are several factors I've considered in searching for a keyboard, each with various importance to me. They are:
Tactile Bump - 80/100I want to feel the exact moment the key actuates. I don't want to have to bottom out the key to do so.
Clicky - 50/100I loved the sound of the older buckling spring keyboards from grade school, and would like to have it in a modern mechanical keyboard. However, most of my work will be done at my desk right next to my girlfriend and the sound might drive her crazy. If I can still have as "fun" a typing experience with a quieter switch type where my fingers still "fly" over the board, I'd consider quieter switches.
Actuation Force - 80/100I want my fingers to be able to fly over the board. I have at least a thousand hours of development in front of me, and I'd like to be able to use the keyboard all day without finger strain. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to try out any of the mechanical keyboards I'm considering, but Cherry MX Blues should be fine at 50g actuation force, though if there was a way I could get them down to 30-40g, that would be superb.
(*I'm currently using a $12 Logitech K120 crapboard. Just for comparison, does anyone have the actuation force specs for that board?)
PS/2 - 60/100I haven't researched it thoroughly, but I did read somewhere that PS/2 offers lower latency than USB thanks to it being closer to the pure hardware level, while USB requires CPU cycles to poll. I'm sure the difference in latency is barely noticeable if at all, but if I had two otherwise perfect keyboards and my only choice was USB vs. PS/2, I'd go for PS/2.
Tenkeyless - 60/100I do use the numpad at times, but it's not a necessity. If it reduces the cost of the keyboard while simultaneously giving me more desk space, I'm all for it.
Standard Layout - 100/100I don't want to adapt to using a board with a large Enter key, which moves the |\ elsewhere. The backslash especially is essential for development, and I don't want it someplace weird. Same thing goes for the arrow keys and the Insert/Delete/Home/End/PgUp/PgDown. Especially since I'm going to start using vim, I need these keys to be in the proper positions.
Key Lights - 10/100I touch type expertly and don't need to see the keys, so for me key backlights would be purely aesthetic. Again if it was the only choice I had left I'd go for lights vs. no lights, but not if it meant requiring USB over PS/2, or if it increased the price of the board significantly.
Dedicated Media Keys - 30/100For me, coding and music go hand-in-hand. The thing I liked most about my Microsoft Wireless Comfort Curve Keyboard 4000 were the dedicated media control keys - I used the "Next" key the most. However, I can use software to bind an unused key such as Scroll Lock to "Next," and another (Pause/Break?) to "Play/Pause," so dedicated keys built-in aren't entirely necessary. It's worth noting, however, that the media controls on Fn keys like the Razer Black Widow don't do anything for me - media controls should be quick to access and require only one finger.
The following things I'm not expecting, but my "perfect keyboard" would include them:
Slight CurveI used a Microsoft Wireless Comfort Curve Keyboard 4000 for a few years, and even bought a second one so I could have one at work and at home. I loved the mild curve (but NOT split!) that the MS 4000 offered. I'm a bigger person and my arms meet the keyboard at wider angles, especially the right hand. Frankly though, I don't like the look of curved keyboards, and if I can find a straight one that won't give me RSI, I'll be happy.
Integrated MouseIn high school I had a white Compaq laptop which had a trackpoint mouse nestled between the G and H keys, with mouse buttons below the space bar. For gaming and Photoshop this type of mouse is atrocious, but for when I'm coding it's a thing of beauty. I love not having to remove my right hand from the keyboard to use the mouse for quick things like moving windows around. Before I get into really heavy development, though, I want to try to become proficient in using vim for PHP development, so by then a mouse will be completely irrelevant.
Shifted F-key RowThis earns the Razer Black Widow a few points. For games, It's nice having the F1 key be directly above the W key. Since my primary purpose is programming, though, it's not extremely important.
The VerdictIn the end, I'm still probably going for the Filco. It seems that a lot of people like it, I like the design and layout, and I like that I can use it as PS/2. The price is a bit of a problem, but it's not outside of my budget, and I'm confident it will be worth it.
What I like most about the Ninja Majestouch-2 is that the key labels are actually on the front edge of the key facing you, so your fingers don't strike the labels directly, so they will never wear off. Not to mention, it gives the keyboard a much cleaner, utilitarian look.
If I wasn't going to be spending most of my time coding, I might consider the Black Widow more heavily. For now, though, I just want a reliable, well-built tool that is nothing more or less than exactly what I need.
