Best Keyboard for Lubing?

[TotalChaos]

I want to buy a Cherry Red MX keyboard with lubed springs, etc.  Using that newfangled synthetic bonding lube.  I want the buttery smoooooth experience that some ppl have reported.

Apparently spring lubing requires a ton of work to desolder all the switches, do the lube and solder everything back.

Is there a keyboard that exists that can be lubed without all the solder/desolder process?

[esoomenona]

And board that is PCB mounted will be easier to lube, as you don't have to desolder/solder.

[TheProfosist]

Phantom

[firebt]

And board that is PCB mounted will be easier to lube, as you don't have to desolder/solder.

The Ducky Shine II is a PCB mounted but it still requires desoldering. 

[Shadovved]

And board that is PCB mounted will be easier to lube, as you don't have to desolder/solder.

The Ducky Shine II is a PCB mounted but it still requires desoldering.

Practically anything with LEDs you will have to desolder, no matter where its mounted......

[laffindude]

Uh no. Shine 2 is a platemount.

[Sifo]

Poker! Or Phantom style plated boards.

[firebt]

Uh no. Shine 2 is a platemount.

My mistake.  You're right. It's dual PCB, but plate mounted Cherry MX switches.   Yes, it does require desoldering and stuff, and a little more because of the extra LEDs, and you HAVE to coordinate them in the correct direction as they only work in one way. Light emitting diode

[Leslieann]

You will want a small keyboard, this way you get pcb mounted (large with pcb mount will be flimsy), and you also want no LED's, unless you want to cut the switch tops or de-solder them.

Most of the smaller boards need to be imported, and most use special key caps.
There are Poker and KBT (Race and Pure) group buys, as well as a few for sale for reasonable rates. Keep in mind that reasonable, is relative.

[TotalChaos]

Would a CM Quick Fire Rapid constitue a "small pcb mounted keyboard"?

If not then if someone will tell me what to get when it becomes available I would appreciate it.  I am exhausted.  I can't think anymore.  My friends say I have Keyboard Psychosis 

I suppose I don't care what it costs since I will only get one and lube it.  I guess these keyboards you guys are recommending me are ez enuff for me to lube them myself?   That would certainly simplify things for me.

I don't really believe that lubing the switch will really make that much of a difference so I am not in a super hurry or anything.  But since it might make a big difference as profosist has said then I must try it for Keyboard Science! 

[davkol]

Would a CM Quick Fire Rapid constitue a "small pcb mounted keyboard"?

Well, it's plate-mounted.

[TotalChaos]

You will want a small keyboard, this way you get pcb mounted (large with pcb mount will be flimsy), and you also want no LED's, unless you want to cut the switch tops or de-solder them.

Most of the smaller boards need to be imported, and most use special key caps.
There are Poker and KBT (Race and Pure) group buys, as well as a few for sale for reasonable rates. Keep in mind that reasonable, is relative.

Would any of these things you are mentioning come with Cherry Red switches?

That is the kind of switch I want to lube.

[Human]

Basically those boards from PLUM and noppoo will do.

[Caaaarrrt]

I'd go for a Poker with reds, it is PCB mount so you can just open the switches, and their is not as many of them so it would be quicker.

I am planning on doing this with my Poker with reds soon.

[TotalChaos]

I thought the Poker GB was closed?

Would make it kinda hard for me to get one.

Does Poker work on PS/2?

[esoomenona]

There is one GB open right now, though it may be sold out (quantity was limited). There is also an IC going on. Gotta be quick on your toes with Pokers around here...

[Leslieann]

I don't really believe that lubing the switch will really make that much of a difference so I am not in a super hurry or anything.  But since it might make a big difference as profosist has said then I must try it for Keyboard Science! 

Lube does several things...
It dampens the noise a little and on tactile switches, it reduces tactile bump feel. They feel a bit less snappy.

Lubing the ends of the springs and the sliders, but not the actual switch contact itself, reduces friction enough to simulate a 5gram drop in spring pressure, so a 45gram Blue switch will feel like 40grams. Not much, but it's there. (This is based on my own testing)

Would any of these things you are mentioning come with Cherry Red switches?

My race came with reds.
KBT's come with red, blue, brown and black, however, they are not the cheapest you can get. Noppoo will likely be cheaper. I think Keycool may also make something similar as well as the others we all have mentioned.

Here is Imav's thread, he has a Red KBT race for sale for $125 shipped, which is quite a good price.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=37481.0 I just noticed they have LED's.

Feng has a Noppoo Mini with reds on Ebay for $95
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Noppoo-Mini-w-Red-MX-Switch-Mechanical-Keyboard-/330759333542?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item4d02cae6a6
This is probably the cheapest you will get something like this.

[davkol]

Choc Mini is plate-mounted.

[Leslieann]

Mechanical keyboards has a couple
Ducky TKL is PCB mount according to them, but it;s a larger board ($116)
http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=217

KBT Pure ($95)
http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=131

They also had the poker, but it is out of stock in red.

[TotalChaos]

Lubing the ends of the springs and the sliders, but not the actual switch contact itself, reduces friction enough to simulate a 5gram drop in spring pressure, so a 45gram Blue switch will feel like 40grams. Not much, but it's there. (This is based on my own testing)

Awesome!

Would any of these things you are mentioning come with Cherry Red switches?

My race came with reds.
KBT's come with red, blue, brown and black, however, they are not the cheapest you can get. Noppoo will likely be cheaper. I think Keycool may also make something similar as well as the others we all have mentioned.

Here is Imav's thread, he has a Red KBT race for sale for $125 shipped, which is quite a good price.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=37481.0

I can't remember the Race.  I hope its not another mini where they amputate vitally important keys.

I will hafta spend some hours googling it when I wake up.
I surely hope to God it works for me.  I would really like to practice with a lubed keyboard.  I can feel all the grindiness in my Cherry Reds.

Feng has a Noppoo Mini with reds on Ebay for $95
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Noppoo-Mini-w-Red-MX-Switch-Mechanical-Keyboard-/330759333542?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item4d02cae6a6
This is probably the cheapest you will get something like this.

Looking at they picture they appear to have destroyed 1 regular key + 1 modifier key.  No way I can live without my modifer keys.  That is a thousand keycodes!  I will have to stay away from this one.

I care about price but I am not some super cheapskate

There would have to be 2 different keyboards that met my minimum critieria before price would be a factor.
1. Cherry Reds
2. PS/2
3. All the freaking keys.  I can suffer without a numpad.  But all other keys must be there.

A lot of the mini keyboards from the far east are missing keys so they are useless to me.  Doesn't do me any good to lube a keyboard that I can't actually use to perform work.


Thank u for all ur infos!

btw: How did u lube ur keyboard?  That Teflon stuff?  Silicon stuff?  Good old fashioned Grease?  You sound like a Lubexpert

[Leslieann]

I care about price but I am not some super cheapskate

There would have to be 2 different keyboards that met my minimum critieria before price would be a factor.
1. Cherry Reds
2. PS/2
3. All the freaking keys.  I can suffer without a numpad.  But all other keys must be there.

A lot of the mini keyboards from the far east are missing keys so they are useless to me.  Doesn't do me any good to lube a keyboard that I can't actually use to perform work.


Thank u for all ur infos!

btw: How did u lube ur keyboard?  That Teflon stuff?  Silicon stuff?  Good old fashioned Grease?  You sound like a Lubexpert

Between not wanting a plate, and needing the full TKL, you are a bit limited on options, give it a year and I would expect a lot more options.

Almost every small keyboard will have an oddball key, they have to or else you end up with blank areas or an odd shape.  The ultra compacts like the Poker and Happy Hacker types all omit the insert, delete, home, end, arrows and F keys. Like you, I can't live without those as I use them too often and I bind them in games.

The KBT Race and Noppoo Mini both have all the keys of a TKL, but in compact format. Both have some odd key sizes and neither seems to support ps2 well, however there is 6kro over usb, which is fine. If you need more than 5 you much have 6 fingers. The Race has LED's, you can trim the switch tops to let them come off without soldering, or possibly just remove them altogether, as they are on a separate circuit. I cut the tops of the switches on mine since I planned on experimenting a lot.  The Noppoo Mini does not have LED's, is cheaper and easier to get than the Race and even has POM keys where the race has ABS. You will want to check if it truly is PCB mount like the race is. I went with the Race because I like the LED's, it's a bit more rare, and I always think No Poo when I see the name Noppoo.

To get everything you want, the Ducky may be your best bet, as it has everything on your list. According to Mechanicalkeyboards.com it hist every one of your bullet points. I can't comment on how flexible it is and I would verify that it is PCB mount before you buy. Something to bear in mind is that some claim even even small pcb keyboards can flex quite a bit and if so, with the Ducky it could be an issue. I can say that the Race is built solid, it's not a Model M (what is?) but it is more solid than my DAS which is a plate mounted full size.


As for lube, do NOT use normal grease, you could cause all sorts of issues since some will eat plastic.
There is a guide for it [urlhttp://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34332.0]here[/url]. Some of the lubes listed are insanely priced. I went to a hobby shop that sells radio controlled cars and got mine, pretty much everything they sell is going to be ABS safe since those cars are all plastic. I used light weight "differential grease" for my spring ends, and then some medium viscosity pure silicone shock oil for the sliders (lighter would be better for tactile keyboards, on Reds it won't matter). $10 will get you enough for a lifetime of keyboards, and you can ask if they have any old nearly empty bottles they will sell for even less, remember you don't need much at all. Mine was all leftovers from the kits they had built, I only paid a few dollars. Wear a short skirt and bat your eyes, that may help too. Or not.  )

I used cheap paint brushes to apply it (10 for $2 at Walmart), you just need to coat the surfaces, no drops or anything. If there is an entire drop of lube in 3 switches, I would be surprised. This is a case where less is more, if it can run, it will, and you don't want that. They will feel a bit sluggish at first, and if like tactility, you may question having done it, but after about a day, the lube settles in and a bit of crispness will start to return.

[WhiteFireDragon]

Is there a keyboard that exists that can be lubed without all the solder/desolder process?

No keyboards come prelubed, and the only keyboards you can easily lube are ones without plates, such as Poker, Pure, and some Cherries.

[TotalChaos]

I love ur msg!  Chock full of yummy infos!

I went to a hobby shop that sells radio controlled cars and got mine, pretty much everything they sell is going to be ABS safe since those cars are all plastic. I used light weight "differential grease" for my spring ends, and then some medium viscosity pure silicone shock oil for the sliders

I am not sure what "sliders" means since I have never taken apart a Cherry switch yet.  But it sounds like u r saying that you did not lube the entire spring, only the ends?

Instead of lubing the whole spring, did u lube the plastic piece that it rubs against?  All the way around?

Oops u forgot to take that into account?


"shock oil" is that what it says on the bottle?

What made you decide to use 2 different kinds of lube on one little ol' cherry switch?

(lighter would be better for tactile keyboards, on Reds it won't matter). $10 will get you enough for a lifetime of keyboards, and you can ask if they have any old nearly empty bottles they will sell for even less, remember you don't need much at all. Mine was all leftovers from the kits they had built, I only paid a few dollars. Wear a short skirt and bat your eyes, that may help too. Or not.  )

   )

I used cheap paint brushes to apply it (10 for $2 at Walmart),

Walmart, the king of cheapness, both in price and quality. 

you just need to coat the surfaces, no drops or anything. If there is an entire drop of lube in 3 switches, I would be surprised. This is a case where less is more, if it can run, it will, and you don't want that. They will feel a bit sluggish at first, and if like tactility, you may question having done it, but after about a day, the lube settles in and a bit of crispness will start to return.

  Sounds like I will end up buying 3 lube boards and trying different lubes on each.

[Leslieann]

I am not sure what "sliders" means since I have never taken apart a Cherry switch yet.  But it sounds like u r saying that you did not lube the entire spring, only the ends?

By sliders, I mean the guides on each side (look at the lube guide, you will see). And yes, only the ends of the spring where they contact, it shouldn't rub a whole lot on the rest. You can lube it, but it will be difficult and easy to overdo.

Instead of lubing the whole spring, did u lube the plastic piece that it rubs against?  All the way around?

Oops u forgot to take that into account?

Inside the switch is quite small. Trying to lube down inside is asking for problems in my opinion. As for the coils, it will be easy to overdo it. Too much lube can cause a short circuit which would require disassemble, and finding something to clean it out without harming the switch.

All you do is put a little on the very ends.

"shock oil" is that what it says on the bottle?

Yes.
Shock oil for slides/guides


Diff lube for the springs.

Sounds like I will end up buying 3 lube boards and trying different lubes on each.

That will get pricey, besides, lube has less effect on feel than the switch type itself and since you want reds with no tactility, lube will have even less effect on feel. It will only reduce friction and a bit of noise and there is only so much that can change.

[TotalChaos]

The Shock Oil and Differential Lube are both considered "liquid" lubricants, correct?

I don't suppose u ever tried a "dry" lubricant before?

[TotalChaos]

Mechanical keyboards has a couple
Ducky TKL is PCB mount according to them, but it;s a larger board ($116)
http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=217

I  was all ready to buy one but the WASD keys have LEDs.  I don't mind skipping the lube on Capslock and ScrollLock but I don't want to skip WASD keys.

It might be easier for me to just hire someone to desolder/lube/solder my keyboard for me....

[Leslieann]

The Shock Oil and Differential Lube are both considered "liquid" lubricants, correct?

I don't suppose u ever tried a "dry" lubricant before?

The benefit to dry lubes is they don't attract dirt, this makes them great for things like bicycle chains or brake cables. I use it on my mtb, it's great stuff, but not always as good as the hype. They dry leaving a film that can be thicker than a fluid, which can add friction in tight places. Besides, switches are not prone to dirt contamination.

Another issue with dry lube is that it needs some sort of solvent to make them liquid, solvents and plastics don't always mix. You need to know what that solvent is before you use it, or you may have a melted keyboard.


I hate paying someone to do something can do myself. You could buy a cheap solder station and desoldering tool for under $50, though you could burn up the board before you learn to do it right.  Personally, I don't de-solder my Race when I open up the switches, despite having LED's, then again, a few people here cringe at some of my mods. Other than circuit board and chassis, everything else is replaceable, so why worry about it.

[TotalChaos]

I was told the benefit to dry lube was that it would bond to the surface and STAY there and not leak out during shipping while the keyboard is upside down or sideways and being violently shaken in that UPS shakermachine thing that  they transport everything in.

I am having a horrrrrrible handpain problem from an incident with an evil rubberdome over membrane keyboard so I am not in a position to try to learn soldering and desoldering right now.

If u had the dry lube micro Teflon stuff (I forgot what its called) then I would happily pay u to lube my traditional plate mounted keyboard(s).  How much $$$$$$ do u want?

[Leslieann]

I was told the benefit to dry lube was that it would bond to the surface and STAY there and not leak out during shipping while the keyboard is upside down or sideways and being violently shaken in that UPS shakermachine thing that  they transport everything in.

I am having a horrrrrrible handpain problem from an incident with an evil rubberdome over membrane keyboard so I am not in a position to try to learn soldering and desoldering right now.

If u had the dry lube micro Teflon stuff (I forgot what its called) then I would happily pay u to lube my traditional plate mounted keyboard(s).  How much $$$$$$ do u want?

If there is enough lube in the switch to run, much less run out of the switch, you used way, way, too much. You are only lightly coating the surface (making it wet), not drowning it so a few drops can do an entire keyboard.

I just got done tearing apart a BW Ultimate, I'm not interested in doing another right now. 
I'm not setup for mass work like that (and you wouldn't like my rate!).  There are a few guys here who do this sort of thing and have the better equipment for it.  WhiteFireDragon is one, see here.

[TotalChaos]

I already mailed him before I asked you.   I haven't heard back yet.

If someone would use the dry lube I would happily pay $100.00 each for  3 keyboards ($300.00 total)

I am not trying to insult u with the $100.00 offer.  I know ur time is valuable.

If the rate is $200.00 then I would prob just do 1 keyboard.  As like u said, the change in feel is only minimal.

Maybe I will get lucky and find an easy lube keyboard...

If I could make myself wait then I know an ez lube keyboard will appear one day...  drat why is everything so complicated.

You have been most helpful.

[TotalChaos]

If there is enough lube in the switch to run, much less run out of the switch, you used way, way, too much. You are only lightly coating the surface (making it wet), not drowning it so a few drops can do an entire keyboard.

I understand.

But even a fine coat of a liquid is still a liquid is it not?

And it would still be subject to the laws of physics (gravity) would it not?

I just got done tearing apart a BW Ultimate,

I hope u performed an Exorcism on it while u were at it 

[Leslieann]

If there is enough lube in the switch to run, much less run out of the switch, you used way, way, too much. You are only lightly coating the surface (making it wet), not drowning it so a few drops can do an entire keyboard.

I understand.

But even a fine coat of a liquid is still a liquid is it not?
And it would still be subject to the laws of physics (gravity) would it not?

There are tons of examples of this not being entirely accurate sitting all around you.

Did the paint on the walls around you drip onto the floor before it dried? How about the paint on your car? Did the lube in your computer fans leak out? How about the grease in the steering system on a bicycle? Most bearing seals are to keep dirt and water out, not to keep the lube inside.

Friction/stiction as well as static electricity can overcome gravity.

[firebt]

You can literally just touch the plunger with a q-tip with the lube, and rub it around until you literally can't really feel the stuff or see it.  The fact is that it will permeate the small microscopic scratches and provide lubrication, without attracting much dirt.  This will promote longevity and ensure long lasting switches, since if you have too much lube and dirty gets in I can 100% guarantee that they will not last to 50 million clicks.

[TotalChaos]

@Leslieann

I got hold of WhiteFireDragon and u were right.  He's a lot cheaper than u 

The only problem is he just doesn't look as good in a miniskirt as u 


 )


Ok so I think the Cherry G80-3494 is the best keyboard for "regular ppl" to get for lubing.

They took the steel plate out of that keyboard.

Well it turns out the big heavy steel plate is what holds the price down.

When u take the steel plate out the price skyrockets up to $180.00
I could get 3 Rosewills for that price.

Ok, but I am desperate and would pay that much for a keyboard that I could lube myself every few years or whatever.  BUT the thing is so ridiculously big.  It is way way bigger than my vintage 1987 keyboards.  That Cherry thing has to be from 1983 or before.  For a regular person it might not matter.  But for me, in my screwed up painful ergonomical situtation I can't deal with it.  I can only use a mouse by having it right in front of me in my lap.  And the keyboard further out in my lap.  Any other position causes me horrible pain and is totally unusable. (Remember my nerves are fried from that damned evil rubberdome over membrane keyboard ) But I know from experience that keyboards with large overhang invade my mouse space and increase my pain.  So I only can use slim trim keyboards such as the Rosewill or lots of others by lots of manufacturers.

If anyone ever finds a new keyboard that is slim & trim, has all its keys, works (that means works on PS/2), all keys emit the correct keycodes, uses Cherry Red switches or something better, and has no giant steel plate, or has a plate that allows lubing,  has a case that is openable (not superglued shut, not welded shut), uses US Layout, and can generally be lubed by me then I would like to know about it so I can buy it. 

In the meantime I am hiring WhiteDragonFire dude to lube my keyboards for me the complicated way.  I hope it works out and I will let u know the results.

  For Keyboard Science!

[iri]

tons of valuable info in this thread.

Leslieann, are you really a girl?

[Leslieann]

@Leslieann

I got hold of WhiteFireDragon and u were right.  He's a lot cheaper than u 

If anyone ever finds a new keyboard that is slim & trim, has all its keys, works (that means works on PS/2), all keys emit the correct keycodes, uses Cherry Red switches or something better, and has no giant steel plate, or has a plate that allows lubing,  has a case that is openable (not superglued shut, not welded shut), uses US Layout, and can generally be lubed by me then I would like to know about it so I can buy it. 

I never said how much, but I'm certainly not cheap. 

There a lot of innovative ideas, projects and new products coming, so if you hold out, it's only a matter of time before manufacturers catch onto some of the things you are looking for. The one thing that may actually become your biggest issue as time goes on is going to be the ps2 port. On the other hand, USB is getting better. I had ps2 and went to usb with 6kro, and it's not an issue.

Leslieann, are you really a girl?

Hoping for a date?

[TheProfosist]

Leslieann, are you really a girl?

Hoping for a date?

i think everyone around here is

[iri]

Hoping for a date?

let's lube all night and never stop!

[TotalChaos]

There a lot of innovative ideas, projects and new products coming, so if you hold out, it's only a matter of time before manufacturers catch onto some of the things you are looking for.

I really doubt that anyone will make a proper 12mm switch or even just an 8mm switch would be awesome.  They just don't care.

The one thing that may actually become your biggest issue as time goes on is going to be the ps2 port.

ppl have been telling me that since 2001.  I keep getting scared that it might come true.

On the other hand, USB is getting better. I had ps2 and went to usb with 6kro, and it's not an issue.

100kro is better than 6kro

USB 1.1 burns 1000x (yes thats ONE THOUSANDx) more cpu cycles than PS/2 does.

Millions of computers, robots, and other wierd machines from 1980s and 1990s do not have USB and will NEVER have USB.

All my PS/2 keyboards work on everything.  They work on all PS/2 devices and they work on all USB devices.

When u buy a USB-only keyboard u r paying ur money for an inferior product that cannot connect to millions of devices.

USB 1.1 devices don't make any sense.  I don't want any USB 1.1 devices connected to my computer unless there is a valid reason.  I don't even like USB2.0 much because it wastes TONS of cpu power too.  My new computer has a bunch of USB3.0 ports.  USB3.0 is respectable and properly designed.  USB1.0-2.0 are not.

There are gazillions of robots in zillions of factories that can't use a USB 1.1 keyboard and I am not going to tell them to throw away millions of $$ worth of equipment because I was too stupid to buy a proper PS/2 keyboard.

The best way to connect a keyboard and mouse to a computer is PS/2.
It uses ZERO cpu power until such time as u press a button.  Then it uses a normal nonwasteful amount of cpu power.

USB devices continously use CPU power.  Always. Its called PIO (Polled Input/Output).  It is total garbage.  Its only conceivable use is for a camera, MP3 player or other tiny device that can only manage USB.
It doesn't matter if u have not touched the keyboard all day long.  It stills wastes ur cpu power just for being connected.  It is just dumb.

We hafta wait another 10 years before we get USB 3.0 keyboards and mice.  USB 2.0 mice and keyboards are nonsense.  They still waste massive CPU power for absolutely nothing.  USB 3.0 keyboards and mice would be totally ok from a "use it on my home computer" point of view.  But that doesn't change that fact that there is nothing wrong with PS/2 and no reason not to use it.  PS/2 is still used by millions of devices that will NEVER have USB on them.

Newegg sells PS/2 computers all day long every day for countless years.  So do lots of other places.

If u bought a desktop computer without PS/2 then u got ripped off.  Sorry.

I will be using PS/2 til I die.

I have PS/2 on my 2012 computer.
I have PS/2 on my 2005 computer.
I have PS/2 on my 1992 computer
I have PS/2 on my 1990 computer
I have PS/2 on my 1987 computer
I have PS/2 on my 1985 computer

Old computers did not magically stop working when USB 1.1 came out.

PS/2 is way better than USB1.1 anyway.

Btw all my old computers came with FREE perfectly smooth doubleshot or dye sub extremely high quality durable keycaps that all still look perfect.
I didn't have to spend 45 days hunting them down and dealing with nonstandard Leopold spacebars and nonstandard cherry capslocks and all this other nonsense that the keyboard industry has these days.



When I walk into a factory with my PS/2 keyboard I can connect it to anything. (At worst I use a little adapter thingy)

When I walk into a factory with a USB keyboard I can really only plug it into certain newer devices.  It CAN'T be made to plug into PS/2 with an adapter.  Such adapters don't exist.  That is why Topre is banned from receiving $$$ from me.  I would have happily bought 3 Topre keyboards 45 days ago instead of spending all this time doing keyboard science.  But Topre keyboards are all sabotaged and useless for business purposes.
 

Leslieann, are you really a girl?

Hoping for a date?

I knew all the guys would be after u after my last joke.  But I couldn't resist. 

[TheProfosist]

Full speed USB beats the pants off PS/2 and its not antiquated

[Leslieann]

100kro is better than 6kro

Just imagine how good 200 would be!
You still only have 10 digits, 4 of which only ever touch a few keys.

USB 1.1 burns 1000x (yes thats ONE THOUSANDx) more cpu cycles than PS/2 does.

Here is where perspective becomes important.

If I remember right, USB polls at a maximum of either 4800 or 5800 times per second.
Even Pentium 3's were pushing past 1 billion of cycles per second and has only gotten faster and faster, today we have cores pushing over 4 billion cycles a second and we can have more than 4 of them. Even a benchmark is going to have trouble seeing the effect of a p2 verses a usb keyboard, much less a person.

Millions of computers, robots, and other wierd machines from 1980s and 1990s do not have USB and will NEVER have USB.

How many of those does the average home or business contain?

I have ZERO intention of ever going back to an 80's or 90's 386 or 486, heck, even the old Pentiums and Athlons for that matter.

When u buy a USB-only keyboard u r paying ur money for an inferior product that cannot connect to millions of devices.

It only needs to connect to a semi modern computer and a cell phone, not an Apple Lisa.

There are gazillions of robots in zillions of factories that can't use a USB 1.1 keyboard and I am not going to tell them to throw away millions of $$ worth of equipment because I was too stupid to buy a proper PS/2 keyboard.

Not only is it not my problem, but there are plenty of PS2 keyboards out there to keep them running for decades. It's not like there is a shortage or anything, nor will they immediately cease production if ps2 ports suddenly were dropped. Backwards compatible products would still be made for decades as would ps2 adapters.

The best way to connect a keyboard and mouse to a computer is PS/2.
It uses ZERO cpu power until such time as u press a button.  Then it uses a normal nonwasteful amount of cpu power.

Again, the cycles argument really needs to die, it's irrelevant on anything even remotely modern.

When I walk into a factory with my PS/2 keyboard I can connect it to anything. (At worst I use a little adapter thingy)

In my line of work, when I walk into a customers office or home, if the computer doesn't even have USB. I tell the customer to call me when they've replaced it. It's not worth the time or effort to fix.

Besides that, I expect them to have a working keyboard and mouse, I don't supply one unless they are buying a new system from me.

[TotalChaos]

Full speed USB beats the pants off PS/2 and its not antiquated

Full speed USB is called USB 3.0 and there are no USB 3.0 keyboards in existence.

While we wait for another 10 years to get full speed USB 3.0 keyboards I will happily keep using PS/2.

[davkol]

Full speed USB beats the pants off PS/2 and its not antiquated

Full speed USB is called USB 3.0 and there are no USB 3.0 keyboards in existence.

Wrong. From Wikipedia:

The original USB 1.0 specification, which was introduced in January 1996, defined data transfer rates of 1.5 Mbit/s "Low Speed" and 12 Mbit/s "Full Speed".

[TotalChaos]

USB 2.0 is obsolete.  USB 3.0 is much faster.

[firebt]

USB 2.0 is obsolete.  USB 3.0 is much faster.

True, but the speed of the USB matters a lot too.  For example, a 2.0 USB full speed will be CONSIDERABLY different from a USB 2.0 low-speed.