Is there an acceptable rubber dome keyboard out there?

[Idiot_Hacker]

I personally like the Dell Bluetooth wireless keyboard with mouse combo.  Although I hate the mouse, the keyboard is pretty decent even though it's a rubber dome.  Looking at the dongle, I believe Logitech makes these.

Does anyone here have a rubber dome keyboard they like?

[ozar]

I'm not sure that there is a truly great rubber dome board but some of the older IBM boards weren't too bad.  I have one from 1999 that is probably the best rubber dome board I've ever used.  That board was made in Thailand.  I have another one that is the very same IBM model from 1999, but that one was made in China and it's total crap, so you can't even necessarily go by model numbers when buying some boards.  Quality seems to have continued to go down hill since then.

I also have a Keytronics rubber dome board that feels better than most of those made today.  I use it when I need quiet typing, or just want to feel something different.

[IBI]

There are some nice hybrid rubber dome boards like the Maxiswitch/Gateway ones and the Torpe Realforces.

[keyb_gr]

My old 1995 Packard Bell 5131C (a BTC affair, it seems) is a pretty nice 'board for a rubber dome, disregarding the slightly small lettering. Good tactile feel, no wobbling keys. I merely don't like that you have to bottom out the keys (as typical for a rubber dome), which my fingers aren't that fond of.

[zwmalone]

IBM M4s are supposedly great.  Not a 'typical' rubber dome (not that it matters unless you need standard domes for some reason...) and can usually be had for relatively cheap.  Also sold as the Unicomp Mighty Mouse.

[bhtooefr]

I don't mind the midnight grey Dell basic USB keyboards. The black ones suck horribly, though.

Off-topic: This thread shows up as "Is there an acceptable rubber..." on the front page. Discuss.

[Mercen_505]

I vote for the M4. The keys are nice and wide, have decent throw, and it isn't too noisy to use in an office environment.

[ozar]

Off-topic: This thread shows up as "Is there an acceptable rubber..." on the front page. Discuss.

I've always hated the damn things!  :lol:

[IBI]

Off-topic: This thread shows up as "Is there an acceptable rubber..." on the front page. Discuss.

With the Das suffering problems and the HHKBs being really expensive it's not surprising that people are looking for acceptable rubbered out keyboards.

[watduzhkstand4]

I think the Microsoft Natural Elite that I have is pretty nice. Short travel on the keystrokes. Me likey x]!

[ynggrsshppr]

I also have a Keytronics rubber dome board that feels better than most of those made today.  I use it when I need quiet typing, or just want to feel something different.

I like the Keytronic keyboards as well. After trying one out and reading about it here I was shocked to find that it was a membrane keyboard.

[JBert]

As far as rubber-domes go, I love my IBM (Model M-based) KB-8923.
Truth be told, as someone who grew up with PC's in the 90's with no exposure to mechanical keyboards, it's still my primary at-home keyboard. I'm going to retire it when I find a mechanical keyboard that fits me, but in the mean time it's certainly decent.

Main advantage is that the keyboard is sturdly built (noticeable in weight). On the other hand, a disadvantage is that the keys may clatter when typing at regular speeds.


It could be that the modern Unicomp equivalent is the Customizer with their "Enhanced Quiet Touch". I never typed on one though, so I couldn't say for sure.

[cchan]

I love my NMB RT6856TW. It's a really well constructed keyboard, and the keys don't feel mushy at all like most rubber domes.

[CX23882]

Cherry Cymotion rubber domes (G86 - the G85 is scissor switch) are quite nice to type on, and some Dell keyboards are not too bad, so long as they've been looked after. There is something "special" (sorry, Simon Cowellism) about the Cymotion feel - you can tell it's rubber dome, no denying that, but it is very crisp and precise. There is a good amount of travel but the actuation point is very early, so you don't have to bottom them out to get the keys to register.

I used a Logitech rubber dome keyboard at work the other day, and the whole experience was very unenjoyable. Absolutely no response from pressing the keys and the lettering on the key caps was rough and raised around the edges (from where it's been stuck on). I'll not even mention the bastardized layout.

[huha]

CX - do you have the Cymotion Expert?  It's $37 on Amazon and  was wondering if it could handle 6 key rollover.  If you could do a quick check it might be a good one to recommend to gamers who wander in to Geekhack.   Not a  lot of boards available WW that are inexpensive

If you define 6-key rollover (I don't want to try every combination to find the two strange ones that don't work ), I could probably test it for you. We have these boards at out computer lab (although in grey), so testing it wouldn't be much of a problem.

I personally absolutely hate the Cymotion feel. It's crisper than a standard rubber dome, but doesn't feel good in any way whatsoever.
I think as far as rubber domes go, I prefer scissor switches.

-huha

[IBI]

If you define 6-key rollover (I don't want to try every combination to find the two strange ones that don't work ), I could probably test it for you.

Try ctrl+w+r and a+s+x.

[CX23882]

I personally absolutely hate the Cymotion feel. It's crisper than a standard rubber dome, but doesn't feel good in any way whatsoever.
I think as far as rubber domes go, I prefer scissor switches.

Do your Cymotion boards have grease on the plungers? The Cymotion Expert boards I bought did and they feel better than the non-greased but more-expensive Cymotion Master XPress.

[watduzhkstand4]

I want.

Been searching on Ebay but only m4-1s keep coming up.

LOL - he calls the trackpoint a trackball.  I call it "barbie's tit".

lmfao to the barbie's tit.

[huha]

Do your Cymotion boards have grease on the plungers? The Cymotion Expert boards I bought did and they feel better than the non-greased but more-expensive Cymotion Master XPress.

I'm just feeling a bit uneasy when it comes to dissembling keyboards I don't own with several other students and video surveillance in the computer lab.

From my personal collection, neither Cherry's Evolution Stream nor Cymotion Pro will allow the key combinations posted to be pressed.

-huha

[ironcoder]

It's not great but I'm typing on an SK-8820 now. Pretty good for a rubber dome. It's reasonably sturdy and heavy and stood up to my use in a dusty environment all day long for about a year. Still going strong.

One interesting thing it has huge rollover. I don't use it for gaming so I don't really care but I was surprised what the test said.

[keyb_gr]

One interesting thing it has huge rollover. I don't use it for gaming so I don't really care but I was surprised what the test said.

If it'll do SDFJKL and QWER, it has an IBM-style matrix (as one would expect in an IBM 'board), nothing too exotic. Should fail QWAS then.

[mesmer]

I don't mind the Dell QuietKeys. They give pretty good feedback.

[jazza]

It's not great but I'm typing on an SK-8820 now. Pretty good for a rubber dome. It's reasonably sturdy and heavy and stood up to my use in a dusty environment all day long for about a year. Still going strong.

One interesting thing it has huge rollover. I don't use it for gaming so I don't really care but I was surprised what the test said.

Reading this and seeing one for sale I bought one on a whim the other day.
It fails asx on the N-key test.
Will do CTL-e-a-s fails if you add the x.

Other impressions:

Good:
It's heavy, looks sturdy etc. Good in a fight then.
Will do w+a+tab (nwn key combo I use) and up arrow+right arrow+ctr; (flatout2 key combo I use). Both of which my old keyboard won't.
It's quiet (good?)

Bad.
It feels mushy... really mushy compared with my logitech internet keybaord (also rubber domed) that I have been trying to replace.
The left ctrl key will only depress if hit on exactly the center. Otherwise it sticks.
I pulled it out and had a look but it doesn't look like there's much that could go wrong... seems more like a design fault than anything else.
I swapped the two ctrl keys but that didn't make much difference.


So yes, wasn't really impressed. I would recommend the old Logitech internet keyboard (model Y-ST39) over this. Much better feel, keys don't move sideways or stick. Makes a good solid clack when bottoming out and hitting the spacebar. The logitech does have huge issues with roll-over though.

I'm going to have to try a mechanical I think. I think I have an apple one lying in a cupboard somewhere that feels quite good (wonder if it is mechanical... should check I suppose) but the connection is the same as that of a phone.

Jay

[o2dazone]

Is there an acceptable rubber dome keyboard out there?

Happy Hacking?

[cmr]

i typed on a keytronic rubber dome keyboard earlier that was better than most. it unfortunately had the wrong backspace/enter/backslash however.

[afton]

The keyboard in my office - Hewlett Packard KU-0316 is pretty good.
I actually prefer it to Das Pro.

[quadibloc]

I found the old Fujitsu keyboards acceptable.

EDIT: I have a couple of Hewlett-Packard keyboards that are good as well; however, these are keyboards for office computers, not for their home systems, and while I haven't opened them up, they seem to be mechanical switch keyboards.

EDIT: The old Fujitsu keyboard I was thinking of was the FKB 4700.

[Bollwerk]

We've got an Hewlett Packard keyboard too for our server. I don't know the serial number but it is quite bouncy.

I have an old keytronic but nothing jumps really out at me. Ok, maybe because of the age. (Must be the late 90's or so.)

I think of all ruberdomes, the G86 is worth a try. Cymotion boards have a good quality in comparison to many others.

[ch_123]

Yeah, whenever someone needs a new basic keyboard, the G86-6105 is my cheapo keyboard of choice. It doesn't have that nasty stiffness that the Dell boards do.

[microsoft windows]

I have a good rubber dome keyboard from 1991 made by NEC Technologies. It has black linear sliders underneath the keycaps which push the rubber domes. It's also got a steel plate in the back, although it is not as heavy as the Model M.

[rdh]

Show Image

Is that HP a scissor switch?

We have lots of boards around the office that look just like your picture and ours are all simple rubber dome boards.

Maybe the perspective in that picture is making the keycaps look shorter than they really are?

[cmr]

that keytronic looks pretty similar to the one i was referring to earlier in the thread.

[InSanCen]

IBM KB-9930

dirt cheap on the bay too...:wink:

[quadibloc]

We have lots of boards around the office that look just like your picture and ours are all simple rubber dome boards.

The HP keyboards I have are much older than the one in that picture.  At least until today, when I saw one like that on sale at a thrift shop. Even after removing all the visible screws, I could not open the keyboard, and it is so thin that it seems like it would have to be a rubber dome keyboard, but the keys do have a good tactile response, and a significant amount of travel.

There was another keyboard in the store as well, and its keys were obvious mushy rubber domes; there was simply no comparison with this one.

So if it's a rubber dome keyboard, it's a good one.

EDIT: Well, I've opened it up (the electronics in it apparently had a problem), and, yes, indeed it is a rubber dome keyboard.

[banyanleaf]

You call this dirt cheap?

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-IBM-RAPID-ACCESS-KB-9930-MULTIMEDIA-KYBORD-PS2-EBR_W0QQitemZ250400452132QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item3a4d07ae24&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

But I got one like new for a dollar from a yard sale. Can't complain for that price.

IBM KB-9930

dirt cheap on the bay too...:wink:

[Xuan]

I have one of those (black), got it for $10.
Not as bad as most rubber domes, but crappy anyway.
Has problems with some keys getting stuck when not being pressed right in the middle (specialy left control, which is really annoying).

[banyanleaf]

Kishy,

I have a Key Tronics just like yours. I found it new from a yard sale and it is a much nicer rubber dome than today's cheapos. If you use a flat screw driver and carefully pry the key cap off, you will see the switch.

[watduzhkstand4]

I was going to say the BTC 5100C. Many said that that was one of the best rubber domes out there also a great form factor.

[Bruce]

I used a Sejin Mini SPR-8695 for a long time. I really like them but it is just membrane.
Just love the shape and size and they are bullet proof. Of all the mini's i've tried they seem to have the best spacing of the keys. I've not had a HHKB though. Here's the Sejin:-
http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_big.asp?PRODUCT=180

[o2dazone]

Has anyone here grabbed a Liberitouch

http://www.diatec.co.jp/shop/det.php?prod_c=545
http://www.diatec.co.jp/shop/det.php?prod_c=542

[justin]

As far as rubber-domes go, I love my IBM (Model M-based) KB-8923.
Truth be told, as someone who grew up with PC's in the 90's with no exposure to mechanical keyboards, it's still my primary at-home keyboard. I'm going to retire it when I find a mechanical keyboard that fits me, but in the mean time it's certainly decent.

Main advantage is that the keyboard is sturdly built (noticeable in weight). On the other hand, a disadvantage is that the keys may clatter when typing at regular speeds.

I'm going to have to second that. I just finished modding an IBM KB-8923 to give it blue keys, a black case, grey WASD for games, and a white ESC key.
Don't get me wrong, the Model Ms have a fantastic feel that beats about anything, but I think I'll be keeping this one around as a "nocturnal" keyboard for after everyone goes to bed, to keep the noise down. It's good to have a decent quality quiet IBM as an alternative to the M.

[JBert]

You call this dirt cheap?

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-IBM-RAPID-ACCESS-KB-9930-MULTIMEDIA-KYBORD-PS2-EBR_W0QQitemZ250400452132QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item3a4d07ae24&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

Anyone who writes "KEYOBARD" and "KYBORD" in one and the same listing is not to be trusted...

[AndrewZorn]

Anyone who writes "KEYOBARD" and "KYBORD" in one and the same listing is not to be trusted...

come on surely they have just predicted the intelligence level of potential CUSTOMERS and thus are more likely to come up in a search

EDIT love the japanese ads, by the way:

[itlnstln]

Japanese ads are crazy.  There is so much crap going on, I have no idea what the're trying to sell me.  Is it for a keyboard or kitty litter.
 
Seriously, WTF, why is there a cat in the ad?

[hyperlinked]

Well, this is my first post. I'm glad I found this place. You guys are going to save me a lot of cash from all the keyboards I've been buying and stashing away in search of that one perfect interface.

My favorite membrane switch keyboards in terms of feel are the Kensington Comfort Type USB:
http://us.kensington.com/html/17167.html

And the Matias Optimizer:
http://matias.ca/optimizer/index.php

I'm currently using the Matias Optimizer and I still like it, but I think that the switches are feeling stiffer than they used to. My only problem with the Kensington is that it has a tendency to result in shadow keypresses when you start typing fast. The Matias Optimizer has the same issue too, though to a much lesser degree. The biggest problem with the Kensington is that one of the shadow key combos in the Kensington happens to activate a "select-all" action.

You can imagine the fun that will result from that. You're typing away when mysteriously you select all and type over everything you were working on.

Due to this one extremely fatal flaw, I'll only pull out my Kensington when my tendinitis is getting bad enough for me to resort to it, but I do like the feel of it very much. The keys on it have the rare combination of being both super springy and posessing of a very low activation force. It's so springy that it ends up producing a pseudo click when the keys bounce back in place. I put it through several months of very heavy use and found that it continued to work smoothly.

The Matias Optimizer is good enough for a membrane switch keyboard, but I wouldn't be using it if it weren't for its optimizer features. I'm very fond of the optimizer key combos and I've been eagerly awaiting to replace it with a Matias Tactile Pro 3.0, but that device is starting to look like vaporware with the number of times they keep pushing back the release date and the disaster that was the Tactile Pro 2.0.

[hyperlinked]

I used a Logitech rubber dome keyboard at work the other day, and the whole experience was very unenjoyable. Absolutely no response from pressing the keys and the lettering on the key caps was rough and raised around the edges (from where it's been stuck on). I'll not even mention the bastardized layout.

I was a fan of the Logitech Internet Navigator Keyboard that came out in the late 90's. I've found that a lot of the Logitech keyboards have a similar feel to that one keyboard, but my issue with the Logitechs is that they don't seem to suffer grime very well. I'm one of those people who [strike]eats[/strike] lives at his desk and it's never long before my keyboards look like a toaster oven tray. In about half a year, I found select keys becoming unnaturally stiff and sluggish.

I've owned two Microsoft membrane switch keyboards as well. I liked the feel of their ergonomic keyboard, but hated the ergonomic split keyboard design. It seemed to age ok for the short time that I had it. The Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard I had ended up like my Logitech Internet Navigator in only two months. That one did not age well at all.

[ch_123]

Japanese ads are crazy.  There is so much crap going on, I have no idea what the're trying to sell me.  Is it for a keyboard or kitty litter.
 
Seriously, WTF, why is there a cat in the ad?

The cat in that ad looks quite like my kitten, who likes to jump onto my Thinkpad's keyboard and try attack and the mouse pointer...

[JBert]

Well, this is my first post. I'm glad I found this place. You guys are going to save me a lot of cash from all the keyboards I've been buying and stashing away in search of that one perfect interface.

No...

We don't help you save money, we just make you feel less bad about it.

[itlnstln]

You guys are going to save me a lot of cash from all the keyboards I've been buying and stashing away in search of that one perfect interface.

Hah!  Good luck with that.
 
BTW, welcome to GeekHack!

[hyperlinked]

Hah!  Good luck with that.

Hey, break me in slowly. I gotta sustain the illusion to myself (and my wife) that I'm about to start spending hours that I don't have on this site doing research for productivity reasons.