I thought it already was a retrocomputing thread.
Well, this thread is technically themed "what is your first computer?", not "isn't this vintage computer awesome?", and I think there's at least one other general retrocomputing thread here on GH. (To explain my logic.)
I liked the look of the Z88 and always wondered how good the keyboard was. I suspected it was nice and quiet, but crap to type on - and it's good to hear from somebody who actually tried it and find out I was right.
To elaborate, I wouldn't say it was "crap to type on". I've typed on much, much worse. The Z88 is "interesting" in a way that isn't necessarily positive (and difficult to get used to, at least in my case), and like I said, you need to hit the large keys in the right place, or else you won't hit the key actuator.
For anyone who's interested: the Z88 keyboard is the ultimate "rubber dome" keyboard. A "key" is itself an extruded (square-shaped) rubber dome, with a stem within that is aligned to the key actuator. When you press the key, the molded rubber buckles, and the stem presses the actuator. So the outer layer of the keyboard is a solid sheet of rubber, pimpled with extruded, deformable rubber "keys". (Now imagine the Shift keys, Enter key, or worse the space bar, working this way. You can't trigger the actuator from just anywhere on that key. You need to hit it in the sweet spot, ideally right over the stem. Also imagine the rubber breaking down over time.)
This "rubber sheet design" makes the keyboard quite water-resistant, but it also collects dust like nothing else. The question remains: does this rubber keyboard also use rubber dome switches? I don't know for certain, but probably.
Well, okay ... upon reminiscence, it
is crap to type on.