Keyboards - what do you use? +suggestions

[opa]

I'm looking for a new keyboard. I've used this for two years and have enjoyed it (however there are some nitpicks).

I want a new ten-keyless keyboard (small desk). My current keyboard has this weird thing where you can't tell if the num pad is on or off so I just quit using it for the most part. I think I'd rather have dedicated Home, Page Up/Down, and Delete buttons at this point. I don't do a whole heck of a lot of number work so the top row is fine for occasional number input. One problem I've seen is that a lot of TKL keyboards seem to forego the function keys. I need those things. I'm kind of rambling now...

What keyboards do y'all use? What brands have you had success with?

[Ziggy]

Personally, I really only like a very traditional keyboard. That's including the number pad, which I definitely use frequently. I've been rocking the Corsair K70 for some years now and I love it. I pound away on the keys daily (I type somewhat hard) and it's held up great. It still feels great. I believe they make 10 keyless versions now, too.

For sheer price to performance, nothing beats this one (from the keyboards I've experienced):

That was my daily driver at work for years, it took a lot of abuse and held up well. Including the time I spilled a coffee on it LOL. My testimonials prompted a few people I know to get one, and they all loved it. I got one for myself at home, for my secondary desktop. It's a little on the loud side, but again I tend to type really heard. You could put O rings on each key and that would probably quiet them a lot. I haven't bothered to do that to mine. But I put O rings on my K70, so I can tell you that it DOES in fact quiet up the keys. Anyways, for the price I couldn't recommend this keyboard enough. And I don't mean that in a way such as, "It's cheap, so you're sacrificing something, but it's still OK." This is a great keyboard, period.

Here's my own keyboard thread from some years back. Maybe there's something in there that might help you.

www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=46651

[marurun]

I don’t have any suggestions for a compact mechanical, but I switched to a Microsoft Sculpt to help deal with some wrist issues and it helped a lot.

[opa]

Ziggy, since you mentioned Corsair I gave them a look. Their ten keyless model looks nice. At the price range it is a bit perplexing that the RGB is literally only... well... red. haha. I guess it matches the red switches (which is nice because I'm used to red). I'll have to look at reviews.


I was actually hoping to find a keyboard with brown switches. I'd like more of a bump when I type to know when I've hit a key. My wife has a keyboard with blue switches. Those are too darn loud for my liking.

I don’t have any suggestions for a compact mechanical, but I switched to a Microsoft Sculpt to help deal with some wrist issues and it helped a lot.

I have seen those but never used one.

[Ziggy]

Ziggy, since you mentioned Corsair I gave them a look. Their ten keyless model looks nice. At the price range it is a bit perplexing that the RGB is literally only... well... red. haha. I guess it matches the red switches (which is nice because I'm used to red). I'll have to look at reviews.


I was actually hoping to find a keyboard with brown switches. I'd like more of a bump when I type to know when I've hit a key. My wife has a keyboard with blue switches. Those are too darn loud for my liking.

My K70 has Cherry brown switches and I love them, FWIW.

I don’t have any suggestions for a compact mechanical, but I switched to a Microsoft Sculpt to help deal with some wrist issues and it helped a lot.

I've tried one once or twice. I've always wanted to get one to "learn" it, but I'm afraid if it would be a waste of money or not.

[marurun]

I don’t have any suggestions for a compact mechanical, but I switched to a Microsoft Sculpt to help deal with some wrist issues and it helped a lot.

I've tried one once or twice. I've always wanted to get one to "learn" it, but I'm afraid if it would be a waste of money or not.

It's very hard to use for a few days and then for me it just clicked and was great (with only a couple exceptions, like occasionally dropping the first key press after being allowed to sit long enough and go into device "sleep". I do like the detached numpad, as well. It can be tough to go back and forth a lot between this and a standard keyboard, though. It's best if you can have a uniform keyboard environment most of the time.

[Anapan]

I always try for a full keyboard unless wireless, but the companies who made my full keyboards also make various smaller ones.
Newest keyboard is Das Keyboard 4.
Clicky - Cherry MX Blue Switch | Style: Professional - Standard Key Caps
Just getting used to it, so I miss my last one, but it's just over there and the upgrade was expensive so I won't switch back until I'm sure this isn't better.
The Cherry Blue are definitely quieter and the action is very similar, but I miss the tactile from the buckling spring. I love the two USB3 ports and volume knob.

My previous is a Unicomp Classic Trackball UB404L6 with only grey keys, optional trackball mouse and only PS\2 interface. They discontinued it recently, tho the "New Model M" is very similar.

I purchased a Fujitsu FKB4725 with peerless switches on ebay NOS for like $20 and I don't really understand the mechanism, but it's nice and mechanical tho a little soft on the landing and quiet. I use this on my DOS computer build. It's PS\2.

Gotta say I miss the Unicomp buckling spring, tho this MX Blue is the first Cherry keyboard that I've owned and I haven't really used it much yet.

Before that, it was all mush membrane and 2.4ghz wireless. Not much to say because I was fine with them and they were all Logitech, or as they prefer to be called now "Logi". Still mostly only use their mice. Can't say I'm too impressed with this Razer Viper Ultimate mouse I'm using now. The MX Anywhere 2S felt more solid and never failed.

I do use wireless keyboards a lot and I'm typing this now on a older model Ipazzport without the backlight from before they made them "go to sleep" after 10 seconds and then they are unresponsive for 4 seconds while they wake up as you try to type again. This is also mechanical.

[o.pwuaioc]

Along the same lines, what laptop brand has the best keyboard? I found HP's to be nice, but cleaning and replacing keys to be awful. Now the 0 on the number pad won't go back on properly.

[marurun]

Along the same lines, what laptop brand has the best keyboard? I found HP's to be nice, but cleaning and replacing keys to be awful. Now the 0 on the number pad won't go back on properly.

My work HP has a fine keyboard, but I haven't tried messing with the keys beyond using them. Most trackpads stink to high heaven, though. Is Apple the only company that knows how to make a trackpad?

[opa]

Do any of those laptops marketed as "gamer" models have actual keys? Or are they membrane too?