What keyboard are you using right now?

[Eclairz]

Work : Logitech G11 (the horror, not really but i need something quiet in my office and these are bearable plus the quick macro functionality saves alot of time programming, got it real cheap from staples, some people think your an extra from star trek with this keyboard which is a plus in my book)

Home : Cherry G80-1856 (Modified to use blue cherrys instead of blacks together with remapped keys to chord page up, page down, home and end keys) Preferred layout over my G80-3000 standard layout now.

[keyb_gr]

Have pity on me, for my allegiance is broken!!!

iow, i'm using a Cherry RS6700 rubber dome board today.

So... how do you dislike it?

[cchan]

So... how do you dislike it?

RS domes don't feel mushy, much to my surprise! I think they're a nice low force dome board. Not bad for six bucks shipped.

[ricercar]

Using MY Cherry today. Aesthetically it's pleasing, clean, white, crisp: has seen maybe 30 hours of use. but the typos are coming almost as fast as I type. Either I'm hitting multiple keys more often, or I've become Tommy Ten-Thumbs overnight. Time to go back to a Type M.

[itlnstln]

Using MY Cherry today. Aesthetically it's pleasing, clean, white, crisp: has seen maybe 30 hours of use. but the typos are coming almost as fast as I type. Either I'm hitting multiple keys more often, or I've become Tommy Ten-Thumbs overnight. Time to go back to a Type M.

This is something I notice when I move to lighter keycaps.  I seem to make more errors since I can't get away with accidently hitting wrong keys.  With heavier switches, I can be a little more "sloppy."  After awhile, I get used to it and become a better typist.

[wellington1869]

This is something I notice when I move to lighter keycaps.  I seem to make more errors since I can't get away with accidently hitting wrong keys.  With heavier switches, I can be a little more "sloppy."  After awhile, I get used to it and become a better typist.

ya i'm much more accurate on medium/heavy keys, prolly for the reasons you describe.  And less typo correction translates directly into higher WPM. I also like how they make me exert just enough so I feel energetic hammering away on them. BS and the "real-simplified alps" in the TP2 were the two switches that worked really well in this regard (the latter being very hard to find, btw)for me.  Black cherries for instance were heavy but too heavy I thought.

[ricercar]

I seem to make more errors since I can't get away with accidently hitting wrong keys .... After awhile, I get used to it and become a better typist.

Good point. I discovered sloppy technique in piano keyboard when I moved from an early Arp synthesizer to a MIDI keyboard with velocity and aftertouch; also discovered sloppy technique in driving my car when I moved from a consumer sports car to a more expensive vehicle.

Time to improve alphanumeric keyboard technique. I'll keep the Cherry on my desk for a while and see if I get fewer typos before I get too frustrated.

[itlnstln]

Good point. I discovered sloppy technique in piano keyboard when I moved from an early Arp synthesizer to a MIDI keyboard with velocity and aftertouch; also discovered sloppy technique in driving my car when I moved from a consumer sports car to a more expensive vehicle.
 
Time to improve alphanumeric keyboard technique. I'll keep the Cherry on my desk for a while and see if I get fewer typos before I get too frustrated.

I find that once I clean up my typing using a lighter switch, I am much faster and more accurate.  I pretty much suck at typing anyway, so any improvement is welcomed.

[justin]

It's actually my first mechanical board. I'm using it with my iMac, after years of using the Apple Mushboard Plastic & Aluminum Mushboard. I LOVE this thing! It absolutely blew me away the first time I typed on it. A vast & welcome change from the world of cheap china-made trash!

[wellington1869]

It's actually my first mechanical board. I'm using it with my iMac, after years of using the Apple Mushboard Plastic & Aluminum Mushboard. I LOVE this thing! It absolutely blew me away the first time I typed on it. A vast & welcome change from the world of cheap china-made trash!

i hope you voted in the poll!

[maxlugar]

Original IBM PC AT 84-key Buckling Springs over Capacitive Contact Key Switches

Is there any other keyboard?  Just kidding.   I actually have a Northgate Omnikey 102, several Chicony KB-5181s, several vintage Model Ms (including some NIB) and an early Jan 1986 1390120 which weighs a lot, but has rather light springs.

Out of the several PC AT keyboards I own, one in particular stands out from the others because of the particularly smooth key action.  The force required to register the key presses is perfect for my fingers.  No matter what keyboard I try, I ALWAYS look forward to coming back to my favorite PC AT keyboard.

I am looking forward to acquiring a HHKB Pro 2 and Topre Realforce keyboard in the near future to see what all the fuss is about.  I understand that they do not provide the buckling spring tactility of the  IBM PC AT keyboards (what keyboard does?) but many of the Japanese seem to prefer the HHKB and Topre boards next to the 84-key IBM PC AT keyboard.

I would also like to try a Filco Cherry Brown keyboard for grins someday.  Actually, I wanna try em all.

[Bollwerk]

As long as I have to wait for my new Board, I use my old Olympia-Board (G80-1000).

[keyb_gr]

As long as I have to wait for my new Board, I use my old Olympia-Board (G80-1000).

BTW, can you tell which revision (and production time --> serial number) it is or what kind of rollover capability it has?

There's one that's been floating on the 'bay for ages but doesn't look too well-kept (which I guess is why nobody bothered to pick it up)... I'd be afraid of inequal yellowing showing after removing the stickers.

[vils]

For the moment I'm using my crappy Toshiba laptop's built in KB. It's a horror.
For some reason the computer gets very unstable if I connect more than one usb device at a time. A external mouse is my choice before a keyboard since the touchpad is hopeless to use, especially when a external KB gets in the way.
To make things ergonomically worse I have to raise the back of the laptop 6" to improve airflow. If I don't the computer overheats and restarts...
Must finish project Facit.

[timw4mail]

I'm currently using my Model F. It makes the Model M seem like a rubber dome board.

[ch_123]

I'm currently using my Model F. It makes the Model M seem like a rubber dome board.

Now that's what I call a hyperbowl!

[timw4mail]

Now that's what I call a hyperbowl!

Well, to me it makes the Model M seem like a rubber dome board in comparison.

[ch_123]

I'd like to see what rubber dome boards you've been using... Sure the M-style Buckling Springs are nowhere near as sharp, but I'd still take them over just about anything else except blue Cherrys.

[itlnstln]

It's actually my first mechanical board. I'm using it with my iMac, after years of using the Apple Mushboard Plastic & Aluminum Mushboard. I LOVE this thing! It absolutely blew me away the first time I typed on it. A vast & welcome change from the world of cheap china-made trash!

I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything, but to my old-school computing a*s, the thought of using an IBM keyboard on a Mac is hilarious.

[ch_123]

He's definitely not the first person to do it.

[keyb_gr]

The wonderful world of the Universal Serial Bus... :smile:

In return, an Extended II should also work on a regular Wintel PC (provided one could dig up one of these elusive Griffin IMates), shouldn't it?

[itlnstln]

The wonderful world of the Universal Serial Bus... :smile:
 
In return, an Extended II should also work on a regular Wintel PC (provided one could dig up one of these elusive Griffin IMates), shouldn't it?

Yes.  This has been done here, too, and is equally funny to me.

[timw4mail]

The wonderful world of the Universal Serial Bus... :smile:

In return, an Extended II should also work on a regular Wintel PC (provided one could dig up one of these elusive Griffin IMates), shouldn't it?

I've heard of ADB adapters, so yes, you should.

[Bollwerk]

BTW, can you tell which revision (and production time --> serial number) it is or what kind of rollover capability it has?

There's one that's been floating on the 'bay for ages but doesn't look too well-kept (which I guess is why nobody bothered to pick it up)... I'd be afraid of inequal yellowing showing after removing the stickers.

Well it has NKRO.

Olympia Aktiengesellschaft

Ser-Nr.: 4108

BM-Nr.: 37.400-0012.9

Don't know, what this number is.
37 260-3712.1 (00)

Tomorrow or later I can give you the number of the PCB.

[maxlugar]

I'd like to see what rubber dome boards you've been using... Sure the M-style Buckling Springs are nowhere near as sharp, but I'd still take them over just about anything else except blue Cherrys.

It's all relative isn't it?

The IBM 84-key PC AT provides excellent keyboard precise and crisp auditory and tactile feedback, while requiring relatively light key force (well. light to me, but heavy to other people who prefer Blue Cherry key switches).

The IBM 83-key PC/XT keyboard is even more "clicky" and tactile than the 84-key PC AT keyboard.  It is the loudest keyboard I have ever typed on, but I never used any of the IBM terminal keyboards.  I actually prefer the 84-key PC AT keyboard feel over the PC/XT keyboard (completely independent of the key layout and compatibility issues).

My next choice would be the Chicony KB-5181 with its blue tactile SMK Monterey key switches,  fake Alps,  or whatever they are.  Although the plastics are cheap, I prefer the Chicony boards over Blue Cherry boards and also over the Model Ms.  The tactile bump is sharp vs. the Model M and the keys require slighty more force than Blue Cherry key switches.

My third choice is a silver or white label Model M.  I have gone to extraordinary lengths to acquire and compare Model Ms made from 1986 to 1999.  I've seen all the "scientific" analysis on this forum about weight, plastic quality, spring length, etc.  If you line the boards up side by side, it is clear that the pre 1991 IBM Model Ms are superior to Model Ms manufactured after the keyboard manufacturing was outsourced to Lexmark and later Unicomp.

The early Model Ms just feel more satisfying to type on vs. the later Model Ms, including later model NIB keyboards.  Compared to an orginal IBM PC AT keyboard, the Model M does feel dull.  But compared with any "modern" rubber dome keyboard, the Model M feels razor sharp.

For those who prefer light key presses, the orginal white ALPS found on the Northgate Omnikey keyboards are hard to beat.  I prefer them over Blue Cherry key switches.  

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I use an iONE Qtronix Scorpius 32 key numeric keypad with my PC AT keyboard because Scorpius has a set of dedicated arrow keys and an enter key on the number pad.  The difference in quality and typing feel between the IBM buckling springs over capacitive contacts vs. the Blue Cherry MX key switches could not be more dramatic.  The sound and feel of the keys on the Scorpius make it seem like a cheap toy compared to the machine like feel of the IBM PC AT key switches.

I returned my Das keyboard, but I intend to give Blue Cherries another shot when Filco releases the new 104 key Blue Cherry keyboard later this summer. (distributed by Elite Keyboards).

[keyb_gr]

Well it has NKRO.

That would be impressive. So it does accept, say, ASDFGHJKL?

These numbers don't tell me much, must be internal.

Seems like AEG-Olympia computers came in XT to 486 versions back in the day and were quite service-friendly.

Tomorrow or later I can give you the number of the PCB.

Watch out for stickers on the top side in particular. Usually there should be some encoding the model number (minus "G80-") and production date.

In my G80-1000 I confusingly found both "1196HAD / 00" (B05 date code) and "1000HAF / 17" (B04 date code). It would make sense if this was originally intended for a regular French layout rev. 17 board but then used for an OEM order, but the date codes are the other way round. It definitely is a German layout OEM board though. I may never know for sure - the back label is missing.

[timw4mail]

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I use an iONE Qtronix Scorpius 32 key numeric keypad with my PC AT keyboard because Scorpius has a set of dedicated arrow keys and an enter key on the number pad.  The difference in quality and typing feel between the IBM buckling springs over capacitive contacts vs. the Blue Cherry MX key switches could not be more dramatic.  The sound and feel of the keys on the Scorpius make it seem like a cheap toy compared to the machine like feel of the IBM PC AT key switches.

I returned my Das keyboard, but I intend to give Blue Cherries another shot when Filco releases the new 104 key Blue Cherry keyboard later this summer. (distributed by Elite Keyboards).

I just got my Scorpius 32, and it has fake Cherry switches, with translucent plungers. They do feel quite similar to the blue Cherry switches, though.

[wellington1869]

I just got my Scorpius 32, and it has fake Cherry switches, with translucent plungers. They do feel quite similar to the blue Cherry switches, though.

i had one of those fake translucent-plunger cherry boards. its clicky like blue cherries, a bit more tactile.

[Bollwerk]

That would be impressive. So it does accept, say, ASDFGHJKL?

These numbers don't tell me much, must be internal.

Seems like AEG-Olympia computers came in XT to 486 versions back in the day and were quite service-friendly.

Watch out for stickers on the top side in particular. Usually there should be some encoding the model number (minus "G80-") and production date.

In my G80-1000 I confusingly found both "1196HAD / 00" (B05 date code) and "1000HAF / 17" (B04 date code). It would make sense if this was originally intended for a regular French layout rev. 17 board but then used for an OEM order, but the date codes are the other way round. It definitely is a German layout OEM board though. I may never know for sure - the back label is missing.

Hm. I messed up. It doesn't have NKRO. It can register really lots of keys, but not as many as I want. Combinations with the arrwocluster and the numpad are no problem as well as many other combinations. It isn't critical but surprisingly the whole row isn't possible. Well, sry for the misinformation.
Tomorrow I'll open it.

[keyb_gr]

Hm. I messed up. It doesn't have NKRO. It can register really lots of keys, but not as many as I want.

So, what does it accept then? How many of ASDFGH do you get, for example? For these old-style Cherry matrices, things like QWASYX are not a problem, but on boards without diodes, you get no more than QW out of QWER or AS out of ASDF. For reference, my G80-1000 (with diodes) manages 3KRO, it can do QWE or ASD (or both). It fails SDFJKL, and ASDFG gives .

EDIT: Mind if we take this over to the NKRO thread and continue there (so we don't clutter this thread too much)?

[Bollwerk]

I find it really odd.
asdfklöä#

you might miss ghj.

ghjlköä#

xD

I'm not kidding.

wqeriopü+
tzuiopü+

bnm,.-

It seems like

tzu
ghj
vbn

is special. Beats me. You are the professionals. Tell me, what's going on.

[DrunkenDonut]

Just got an AT101W   Fun stuff.

At first I didn't like the Brown Cherrys much since it was low force. I use it at work a lot though, so I'm used to it. Slight bump, quiet, and low force. The AT101W and the ABS M1 are both heavier and the bump is definitely more defined. The AT101 seems to have force all the way to the bottom, whereas the M1 gives after the bump. I'm missing some key presses due to this. They feel nice though. My only major complaint right now is that the space bar is looser than the other keys and makes rattling sounds.

Only white alps and clear cherrys to try out and I'm going to call it good. I don't think I need more variations unless I feel like springing for a Topre. I have enough keyboards to provide me with years of rotation fun as is. Oh yeah, this thing isn't small. I really should have a desk for this, rather than using my lap.

[keyb_gr]

wqeriopü+
tzuiopü+

Seems like it's a generous 4-key rollover then (it won't do QWERT?). Must be a revision 16 or older but newer than rev. 03. Expect to find some date stamp on the case parts, must be older than my G80-1000 (Jan 1989) in any case.

[Bollwerk]

I'll open it, when I'm home.

[Bollwerk]

OK.

601-1458 Rev.: 03 is printed on the PCB

There are two Stickers:

CHERRY 4160 A35
1089HBD/03

and:

1089HBD/03
1082
1392095002

There is a Phillips-Chip on the PCB but I can't make good photos.

Sigh. Don't expect me ever opening this case again. It sucks so hard. Don't expect a good case-Quality. The caple isn't fixed or something. Just thrown in an rolled on a ring to hinder it pulling at the PCB. Just cheap. Made in Germany... what a mess.

[keyb_gr]

So that makes your board a G80-1089HBD / 03 from week 35, 1988.
Ah, stupid me, this was already visible on your cellphone camera shots here.

Cherry boards have never been overbuilt, that's true. But then they never really costed an arm and a leg either (maybe around 110 DM in the early '90s). Plus, the construction does get the job done plenty well enough and makes them quite service-friendly to boot. And that's what ultimately counts. They were mainly targeting the office market anyway.

[tds1]

I am using the HP Wireless Elite Keyboard.  Very thin and ultra light touch.  It is the best keyboard I have used to date.  Very fast for typing.  I have been using computers since 1984 and have tried many different keyboards.  For me, the lighter touch the better.  I also have the Microsoft Mobile 6000 Bluetooth keyboard.  It is also nice, but only if you like the curve.  I think the HP keyboard is a little lighter touch.  At work I have a Gyration Elite keyboard which is 4 times the price and types very similar to the HP.  I highly recommend the scissor style because they have such a light touch.

[NamelessPFG]

I primarily use an IBM Model M 1391401 (two-piece keycaps), with an IBM/Lexmark Model M 1370477 (one-piece keycaps) as a backup. I expect to keep using them for as long as they work; these buckling-spring switches are just so delightful with their tactile feel. I know exactly when one has pressed and released, and there's a lot of travel to them.

That said, I still want to try out some of the other switch types and more exotic keyboard designs (specifically the contoured Maltron and Kinesis), though I don't particularly have to. White XMs in a Focus FK-2001 weren't particularly desirable (inconsistent feel), but Cherry MX Blues and Browns should fare better, hopefully.

Also, I've tried a few Apple Extended Keyboard IIs. The keys feel way too linear. No obvious sign that they've actuated or released. (This is why I don't expect to like Cherry MX Blacks, even for gaming.)

[elbowglue]

I'm using mostly this: SMK-88 with cherry blues.  Multimedia keycaps and function keycaps are removed to make it essentially a Plum-84 keyboard.

[adamlau]

Customizer 104 (Pearl White).  Running xev to see which keys are registering improper keycodes...

[Pylon]

Currently, I'm using a well worn, somewhat yellowed Dell Quietkey RT7D5JTW, an unusually nice rubber dome.

Some of the F-keys have functions assigned to them to make up for the lack of extra keys. Ctrl-F7 is volume up, Ctrl-F8 is volume down, Ctrl-F6 is mute, Ctrl-F9 through F12 launches various apps, etc. Making shortcuts is really easy with Ubuntu.

Other than that, I partly sanded the keys with 320 grit since they were originally pretty shiny.

[MyNameIsDan]

Currently using a filco browns! wanting to buy  a unicomp spacesaver though, or some other clicky keyboard for the funness.

[gore]

Right now I'm using a g84 4100LCAGB-0

[Half-Saint]

At home: IBM Model F AT
At work: Logitech UltraX Premium - feels like typing on a wooden plank

[Azuremen]

Rosewill RK-9000.

I've gotten to the point of taking it work with me rather than typing on the super cheap HP OEM keyboards there. Or leaving my 6Gv2 there, since its not quite as loud:redface:

[patrickgeekhack]

Topre at home.
Das Model S at work.

[bigpook]

I have been switching between the HHKB and the Model M Mini for the past 6 months or so. Have been using the mini for the past 2 months...
I may take the HHKB to work. Need to get a travel case for it first.

[keyboardlover]

See my sig =)

Soon to be a Topre at work though (now that I have 3) - I think I'll bring it next Monday. Can't decide whether I want a 55g or variable-force at work! Hmmm...

[keyb_gr]

Good thread necro job there.

Dug out the G80-3000HEMDE (MX clears) here yesterday since I needed something quieter for Morse code exercises. Pretty nice, these clears - not quite up to blues or BS, but definitely among the good ones.

[Moogle Stiltzkin]

Logitech G15 V1 (rubberdome). Good working condition except the LCD screen, and one of the + keys on the numpad doesn't work which i never use anyway.

My Ducky 9008 with laser etched pbt keycaps which i've already paid for will only arrive in December :{

The double shots keycaps will arrive sooner :X Sometime this November.