BEST AND WORST KEYBOARDS

[microsoft windows]

ALRIGHT FOLKS...WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST KEYBOARD AND THE WORST KEYBOARD? I'D SAY THE BEST KEYBOARD IS THE IBM MODEL M, AND THE WORST KEYBOARD IS ANY APPLE KEYBOARD MADE SINCE 1998.

[rowdy]

Someone trollin'?

Best: NEC APC-H4100E.

Worst: Some crappy Microsoft rubber dome keyboard I was stuck using at work.

[Architect]

I don't get the IBM M love, those keyboards gave me RSI back in the day.

I vote the TECK/Truly Ergo as the best, and the worst were the old DEC/PDP-11 keyboards. Those made my arms go numb in grad school.

[morpheus]

Best: Any Topre Board
Worst: Any used Alps keyboard off Ebay and/or cheap membranes at the local store

[terran5992]

Best : Buckling springs keyboard/ Topre Realforce

Worst: Free keyboard when i bought my desktop

[terrpn]

Someone trollin'?

Best: NEC APC-H4100E.

Worst: Some crappy Microsoft rubber dome keyboard I was stuck using at work.

best- not sure how you can go wrong with a model m or f (of course like most have a couple favorites and just rotate)

refurbishing my nec412 now..............

seems like a decent board

which switches does your 410 have?

[tp4tissue]

Best: Ergodox

Worst:  Everything else equally "worst"

[divito]

Best: Model M, or similar

Worst: Anything and everything accompanying a computer

Best: Ergodox

Worst:  Everything else equally "worst"

Show Image

Psch...ErgoDox almost seems to have a Apple/iPhone-esque following.

[BliTzKiN]

Best: Ergodox

Worst:  Everything else equally "worst"

Show Image

Love of the ergodox :D

Best: 62g lube stickered ergoclears

Worst: some dell ISO board im stuck at work with. Im an ANSI guy and the short shift on the ISO really kills me in autocad and sketchup.. No hate to ISO users though :)

[Puddsy]

Best: Ducky DK 1087 w/ green ALPS

Worst: Ducky DK 1087 w/ green ALPS

I love/hate mine SO MUCH.

[dante]

Best: Apple ][ GS w/ SMK Alps

Worst: Matias Quiet Pro

[AuRinBei]

How do so many of you not bring your keyboards to work?

[Puddsy]

How do so many of you not bring your keyboards to work?

Not all of us work a job. I'm a student, which isn't really a job, and I wouldn't have a use for a keyboard at school.

[AuRinBei]

I want them to make another one of these http://www.pcworld.com/article/139100/the_10_worst_pc_keyboards_of_all_time.html

[Puddsy]

I want them to make another one of these http://www.pcworld.com/article/139100/the_10_worst_pc_keyboards_of_all_time.html

The commodore 64 was awesome though...

[AKIMbO]

ALRIGHT FOLKS...WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST KEYBOARD AND THE WORST KEYBOARD? I'D SAY THE BEST KEYBOARD IS THE IBM MODEL M, AND THE WORST KEYBOARD IS ANY APPLE KEYBOARD MADE SINCE 1998.

Best keyboard= one that has a functioning capslock
Worst keyboard= one that has a malfunctioning capslock

[MKULTRA]

Haven't we had this thread before?

[Neo.X]

Best: Any topre keyboards and any Korean customized keyboards.
Worst: cheap laptop keyboard or anyone with touch screen.

[dorkvader]

Best: Model M, or similar

Worst: Anything and everything accompanying a computer

Best: Ergodox

Worst:  Everything else equally "worst"

Show Image

Psch...ErgoDox almost seems to have a Apple/iPhone-esque following.

Nah, fanboys are bad the world 'round. apple fanboys, thinkpad fanboys, ergodox fanboys: it's all the same. I enjoy my ErgoDOX, but I'm not a fanboy.

Anyway, in my opinion:
Best: IBM model F (beam springs are a close second, as I don't own one yet)
worst: Toshiba Tecra A11 keyboards (and basically any qosimo keyboard) Low end toshiba scissors are the worst, and I have to work with them all the time when I fix their terrible computers.

[skuko]

Best - Filco anything
worst - rubberdome crapola

[Kagusaki Wolf]

Best:  IBM Model M and Northgate Omnikey
     These are high quality keyboards that would last more than a lifetime.  Got kids?  Pass it down like an heirloom! 

Worst:  Dell KB212-B Quietkey
     Probably the best POS keyboard money can buy.  We got a few of these at work and they just plain suck.  I don't think they're even good enough as a door stop cause they will break under any pressure.  I popped one of the keys to see if it was a scissor switch but nope just regular rubberdome.  Hell, I found a new one in the box at work and popped off the backspace and the ten key "Enter", "+", and "0" keys.  None of them had stabilizers!  They had slots for them but they weren't even installed and try pressing those keys at a corner.  They'll just jam up.  WORST KEYBOARD EVER!!!   

[TimIsABat]

Best:

Worst:

[Sifo]

DT-35 best

Worst... everything else.

[TimIsABat]

DT-35 best

Worst... everything else.

I might get a Qsenn so I can feel cool and only use it when I play SC2 XD.

[jameslr]

I hate to admit it but I think I'm a convert. I love Topre. The RF87U 55g board is probably the nicest board I've ever used. It just has a feeling that oozes quality. It's a heavy board and a dream to type on.

Best: Topre Realforce 87U 55g
Worst: Laser grid keyboards (these things are terrible, neat in concept but very difficult to get correct key registers out of).

[AuRinBei]

I want them to make another one of these http://www.pcworld.com/article/139100/the_10_worst_pc_keyboards_of_all_time.html

The commodore 64 was awesome though...

I would definitely be interested in a Commodore 64 keyboard with MX switches.

[elttaboi]

Best: That anniversary HHKB with hand painted keys.

Worst: Casio VL-Tone

[larrymoencurly]

Worst: 

1. RocketBoard -- lots of sticky keys, with the wide keys being worst due to lack of equalizer rods.

2. Old BTCs with aluminum foil disks glued to urethane foam disks -- mushy and among the least spill resistant.  The key markings were either double shot, painted, or painted with a drop of clear protectant over them that put a bump in each key top.

Best:

1. IBM Model F or Model M, not just because of the buckling spring switches but also the deep curvature of the layout.
 
2. Anything with Alps or Cherry switches.

3. Old Compaq and Gateway keyboards, despite their use of rubber dome switches. 


 

[ch_123]

Best: Out of all the keyboards I've used, the Model M SSK is probably my favourite all-rounder. The 75-key beam spring is probably the nicest to type on, but it's nowhere near as practical. The AT and 122-key Model Fs fall somewhere in between for typing quality and convenience of use and transport.

Worst: If we leave beside touch screens and no-travel membrane keyboards, I am going to stick to an old enemy of mine...

[TimIsABat]

Worst: 

1. RocketBoard -- lots of sticky keys, with the wide keys being worst due to lack of equalizer rods.

2. Old BTCs with aluminum foil disks glued to urethane foam disks -- mushy and among the least spill resistant.  The key markings were either double shot, painted, or painted with a drop of clear protectant over them that put a bump in each key top.

Best:

1. IBM Model F or Model M, not just because of the buckling spring switches but also the deep curvature of the layout.
 
2. Anything with Alps or Cherry switches.

3. Old Compaq and Gateway keyboards, despite their use of rubber dome switches.

Compaq RT-101 is pretty sweet not gonna lie. Soft and solid key presses.

[rowdy]

How do so many of you not bring your keyboards to work?

I do.

Best: Out of all the keyboards I've used, the Model M SSK is probably my favourite all-rounder. The 75-key beam spring is probably the nicest to type on, but it's nowhere near as practical. The AT and 122-key Model Fs fall somewhere in between for typing quality and convenience of use and transport.

Worst: If we leave beside touch screens and no-travel membrane keyboards, I am going to stick to an old enemy of mine...

Show Image

VT220?  I have a couple of these lying around somewhere - nowhere near as clean at that one though.

[Oobly]

Best: Still building it out of parts from a Ducky G2Pro tactile mix... Ergo board with browns and ergoclears. At least I hope it will be my best 

Worst: ZX Spectrum rubber key... Especially the faulty one I had..

[insilica]

ALRIGHT FOLKS...WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST KEYBOARD AND THE WORST KEYBOARD? I'D SAY THE BEST KEYBOARD IS THE IBM MODEL M, AND THE WORST KEYBOARD IS ANY APPLE KEYBOARD MADE SINCE 1998.

Best: Anything Topre, Ergodox, Model M SSK - sorry I can't pick one

Worst: ANYTHING CREATED BY MICROSOFT, ESPECIALLY ERGONOMIC RANGE

[Tarzan]

Best?  Whichever one is on my desk at the moment.

Worst?  Cherry MY-7000. 

[1391406]

The best:

[ch_123]

VT220?  I have a couple of these lying around somewhere - nowhere near as clean at that one though.

It's the DEC LK201, which was used on the VT220, VT320 and some VAX workstations (maybe some of the MIPS ones too). There was a later LK401 which used rubber domes which looked like this -



rootwyrm says he's seen some rubber dome LK201s, but the ones I've encountered all had a switching mechanism like a Cherry MY which was absolutely vile to type on.

[Altis]

1. Still finding best.  Hoping it will be Ducky Shine 3 with Reds!

2. Squishy Dell keyboards of recent years. Genuinely appalling.

Special credit to Quickfire Rapid family for bringing a slew variations of a solid keyboard at a great price to the masses. (although I don't have one)
Ditto for Apple since the Aluminum mini keyboard, albeit without the variations.

[mapple]

best : IBM Model M
worst: any robber dome and those f****n touchpads

[Emospence]

Aren't people supposed to reply, there is no best, the best is what you like most etc etc?

[Altis]

Aren't people supposed to reply, there is no best, the best is what you like most etc etc?

I think that's assumed in this thread.  Best and worst that you've experienced personally.  Best-to-you = favorite-to-you