Good keyboards now days?

[+Biscuits Brown MVC]

I've got one Ducky and two WASD's that I customized. Don't remember what the Ducky cost but the WASD's were close to 200 each. I'll never willingly go back to a non-mechanical keyboard again.  

[adrynalyne]

10 minutes ago, Biscuits Brown said:

I've got one Ducky and two WASD's that I customized. Don't remember what the Ducky cost but the WASD's were close to 200 each. I'll never willingly go back to a non-mechanical keyboard again.  

I kinda want to do one of those build your own.  I’ve just not found a reason to justify the cost yet. 

[ThaCrip]

On 13/07/2021 at 04:06, adrynalyne said:

Tl;dr: you tend to project your own feelings into what you think others feel and then get upset when you find out you are wrong. 

 

But I am not wrong when you read what I said... but in short, I basically said there not enough of a difference to justify a roughly $80+ price difference for most people. you honestly going to disagree with this? ; because it simply comes back to 'bang-for-the-buck' and in this regard I think it's going to be difficult for you to disagree with me...

 

...$10-20 keyboard vs $100+ keyboard. I think most people would default to the $10-20 range keyboards as they offer you more for your $ and that extra $80+ can be put towards other computer hardware like a SSD/hard drive etc.

 

21 hours ago, ZakO said:

I too used to think there wasn't enough to justify the price difference... then I tried some of the better keyboards. In my opinion there is a night and day difference between rubber dome keyboards and ones with the mechanical switch of your choice.

 

Sure, there are probably 'some' people who think it's worth it, but I basically said I suspect 'most people' would agree with me in saying that while the $100+ keyboards are probably 'better', there is probably not a significant enough of a difference to justify the price difference of roughly $80+ and anything around $100 is not exactly pocket change for most people either as it becomes a fairly decent investment and in this regard, like I said before, one could put the $80+ saved towards other computer hardware etc.

 

but lets just say I buy into what your saying a bit, rubber dome vs mechanical... if the mechanical keys are noticeably louder when typing that would definitely be a bad thing overall even if I liked the feel of it. because from a gut feeling based on what your saying, I suspect the mechanical keys might feel good, but if they are too loud that might end up making them worse then rubber dome stuff overall, especially given the roughly $80 price difference.

 

so obviously, I am not arguing against the quality of mechanical keyboards, just price difference/bang-for-the-buck (and possibly noise levels(?)) is where they tend to ultimately fail compared to a cheaper keyboard most people probably have.

 

but thanks for the info

 

21 hours ago, cork1958 said:

Yep, simple, basic keyboards are right up my alley. Have 8 of those Logitech K120's in use here and love them.  Keys are soft enough that you don't feel like you have to hammer them but firm enough that just bumping a key doesn't enter that key stroke. Quite quiet when typing on them also. I think I purchased most of the one's I have for under $10 from Walmart even!

 

Exactly. while they might not be 'perfect' they are definitely good enough overall.

 

In fact, Walmart was where I got my Logitech K120 for I think it was right in the $10-12 range back in 2011   ; that keyboard is a solid keyboard, especially for the price range.

 

who knows, maybe another one would last longer than my particular case (8 years and 10 months). but then again I used mine quite a bit over the years as you could really see the shine on the keys from wear-and-tear. hell, my current Microsoft one I mentioned, which I had roughly a year now you can already see the 'spacebar' is getting a bit of a shine to it from the area where my right hands thumb presses. it's just not full-on shine level yet like that K120 was with many keys on it.

 

===============================================================================

 

it seems @Sikh removed his 'face palm', so I thank him for listening to reason, but now @cacoe is acting up. o well, some people you can't reason with and they always got to act up. because even if someone disagrees with me, my comments in here are clearly not 'face palm' worthy and I never did that stuff to others in here either as even though I disagree about buying the expensive keyboards, it's not like buying one warrants me giving those users a 'face palm' or anything of the sort as at least I can understand them from a basic quality standpoint (it's just the price where they ultimately fail), as like I already mentioned, 'you get what you pay for', but at the same time I do believe in bang-for-the-buck as a big factor in general as I think one can usually strike a good balance between quality but at a decent price to. but I guess sometimes one might shell out a bit extra $ for something nice (like might be less bang-for-the-buck and be more on the slightly pricier side of things, as I get doing this here and there), but for me a keyboard is definitely not one of those things since I would rather put that $80+ towards other stuff. but it probably all comes back to ones $ situation as if $100 is barely anything for them, then even a modest improvement in quality might be worth it for these people (still, even considering this, I would have to draw the line at some point though as maybe $100 but definitely not $250 etc).

Edited July 14, 2021 by ThaCrip

[Skyfrog]

I've been using the same keyboard for almost 25 years and it still looks and works like new. I think it will probably outlive me.

[ThaCrip]

2 minutes ago, Skyfrog said:

I've been using the same keyboard for almost 25 years and it still looks and works like new. I think it will probably outlive me.

 

May I ask what brand/model you got?

[Fezmid Reviews]

I use an old IBM Model M keyboard - best keyboard ever made. They're apparently in high demand too - fetch over $120 on eBay. I've been using the same one since my wife bought me 3 of them at a garage sale for $3 each back in the mid-90s. I should sell the other two....  Only downside is that since it only has a PS/2 connector,  I now have to buy a PS/2 to USB converter, but it's a small price to pay for the best.

[adrynalyne]

2 hours ago, ThaCrip said:

But I am not wrong when you read what I said

Like I said, projecting. You are not wrong for, YOU. The problem is, all you can see is your side and you are blinded to everything else. I sometimes spend 14 hours a day at a keyboard. Do you really think that my own comfort, enjoyment, and use case are not worth what I deem a worthy price tag just because you don’t think it is? 
 

You earned a facepalm because you think you know what’s better for other people. You simply don’t. Then getting upset about it, that’s just silly. For one, you are upset simply because someone disagrees with you, and two, people reading your responses now know it doesn’t take much to get under your skin; it’s an easy click away. 

Edited July 14, 2021 by adrynalyne

[adrynalyne]

55 minutes ago, Fezmid said:

I use an old IBM Model M keyboard - best keyboard ever made. They're apparently in high demand too - fetch over $120 on eBay. I've been using the same one since my wife bought me 3 of them at a garage sale for $3 each back in the mid-90s. I should sell the other two....  Only downside is that since it only has a PS/2 connector,  I now have to buy a PS/2 to USB converter, but it's a small price to pay for the best.

Keep them! They also make modern recreations, but if memory serves, they are not cheap. 
 

Edit: Actually, they aren’t bad. 
 

https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/NEW_M

[Skyfrog]

2 hours ago, ThaCrip said:

 

May I ask what brand/model you got?

It's a Dell branded IBM Modem M, made by Lexmark. It looks like this one, it's the same as any other Model M except it has the old Dell logo. A few years ago I bought an SDL to USB cable to replace the PS/2 cable so I can use it with modern computers. I think if it ever did wear out I would just get another model M to replace it but I think it is going to last forever. 😁

 

 

[ThaCrip]

1 hour ago, adrynalyne said:

Like I said, projecting. You are not wrong for, YOU. The problem is, all you can see is your side and you are blinded to everything else. I sometimes spend 14 hours a day at a keyboard. Do you really think that my own comfort, enjoyment, and use case are not worth what I deem a worthy price tag just because you don’t think it is? 
 

You earned a facepalm because you think you know what’s better for other people. You simply don’t. Then getting upset about it, that’s just silly. For one, you are upset simply because someone disagrees with you, and two, people reading your responses now know it doesn’t take much to get under your skin; it’s an easy click away.

I am not blinded to everything else. I was just speaking for 'most people' that's the two key words there

 

Sure, in the example you gave I can 'possibly' see spending a bit more (maybe a $100 but damn sure not $250). still, it's not like a $100+ keyboard is going to be significantly ahead of a decent brand cheaper keyboard in general overall feel etc. that's my core point, especially not some $250 range keyboard which is insane (no offense to you personally but I am sure you can see where more of a average person would think that way in regards to a $250 keyboard, since it's just overkill luxury(hell, one could probably get a decent motherboard/CPU/RAM for that price). because at least a $100 still sounds within reason).

 

so your argument against me on the 'face palm' is a bit of a stretch there as it's not about "me saying what's best for other people", it's simply that most people would find it to be a waste of money. hence, my general point/reasoning here. I was getting a little upset because people just give me the 'face palm' and not even bother to give their reasoning as to why. so it's not that someone disagrees with me that's upsetting me, it's because people just want to act up and give 'face palms' for basically little to no real reason. but like I say, whether I am upset or not, some people just can't be reasoned with (like some around here for sure).

Edited July 14, 2021 by ThaCrip

[ThaCrip]

@Skyfrog

 

Yeah, that keyboard does look like it's got some age on it just from looking at it's design ; my old IBM (Model: KB-9930) keyboard, which as I mentioned in my first post, is probably around 1998-2000 (I would probably say not newer than 2000) and even that still looks a bit more modern (besides the PS/2 connection) where as the one you got is starting to look more old school.

 

but yeah, if it's not dead by now and it's 25 years later, it does seem like it will probably last a lifetime. can't fault longevity (assuming price is reasonable) as not many products are built to last nowadays

[ThaCrip]

2 hours ago, Fezmid said:

I use an old IBM Model M keyboard - best keyboard ever made. They're apparently in high demand too - fetch over $120 on eBay. I've been using the same one since my wife bought me 3 of them at a garage sale for $3 each back in the mid-90s. I should sell the other two....  Only downside is that since it only has a PS/2 connector,  I now have to buy a PS/2 to USB converter, but it's a small price to pay for the best.

 

Yeah, I definitely would if I was getting $120 a pop and you got two of them you could sell

 

especially given the main one you use is probably not going to die anytime soon. but at the same time, if you really like that keyboard, it might not be a bad idea to hang onto one more as a 'just in case' sort of thing. still, getting them for $3 each and selling it for $120, you made out quite well.

[Good Bot, Bad Bot]

WTF? Ergonomic keyboards, $10 keyboards, and the Apple Magic keyboard are majority of the suggestions here? Wow!

 

A good mechanical keyboard is the way to go for something that one uses all the time.  To me it's night and day between a good mechanical and a cheap keyboard.  I even bought one to replace my keyboard use at work (and the mouse). I work in IT and hate to even get on someone's machine and use their crap keyboard. I am not going to recommend one because a mechanical keyboard is something one has to try themselves as the switches that are available for them are so different.

 

TBH I just can't imagine someone who is into tech/computers and is a regular on a site like this is sitting at home typing on a $10 keyboard. LOL

Edited July 14, 2021 by Good Bot, Bad Bot

[SecretAgentMan]

On 11/07/2021 at 16:13, adrynalyne said:

I don't know about ergonomic keyboards, but you can't really go wrong with a Das Keyboard 4 Pro.

 

https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4-professional/

That is the keyboard I am currently using and I love it.

[adrynalyne]

2 hours ago, Skyfrog said:

It's a Dell branded IBM Modem M, made by Lexmark. It looks like this one, it's the same as any other Model M except it has the old Dell logo. A few years ago I bought an SDL to USB cable to replace the PS/2 cable so I can use it with modern computers. I think if it ever did wear out I would just get another model M to replace it but I think it is going to last forever. 😁

 

 

I am jealous. 

2 hours ago, ThaCrip said:

I am not blinded to everything else. I was just speaking for 'most people' that's the two key words there

 

Sure, in the example you gave I can 'possibly' see spending a bit more (maybe a $100 but damn sure not $250). still, it's not like a $100+ keyboard is going to be significantly ahead of a decent brand cheaper keyboard in general overall feel etc. that's my core point, especially not some $250 range keyboard which is insane (no offense to you personally but I am sure you can see where more of a average person would think that way in regards to a $250 keyboard, since it's just overkill luxury(hell, one could probably get a decent motherboard/CPU/RAM for that price). because at least a $100 still sounds within reason).

 

so your argument against me on the 'face palm' is a bit of a stretch there as it's not about "me saying what's best for other people", it's simply that most people would find it to be a waste of money. hence, my general point/reasoning here. I was getting a little upset because people just give me the 'face palm' and not even bother to give their reasoning as to why. so it's not that someone disagrees with me that's upsetting me, it's because people just want to act up and give 'face palms' for basically little to no real reason. but like I say, whether I am upset or not, some people just can't be reasoned with (like some around here for sure).

 Bro…you don’t speak for most people. You speak for yourself. 

[+Biscuits Brown MVC]

2 hours ago, adrynalyne said:

Like I said, projecting. You are not wrong for, YOU. The problem is, all you can see is your side and you are blinded to everything else. I sometimes spend 14 hours a day at a keyboard. Do you really think that my own comfort, enjoyment, and use case are not worth what I deem a worthy price tag just because you don’t think it is? 

n

As adrynalyne points out, if your career is based on using a keyboard, then its a tool of your trade. He is a developer, I am as well, and can tell you a keyboard, a chair, a monitor and a mouse that makes my day easier are like a good hammer to a carpenter. Right now, in front of me (or under me) those four things totaled about $1800. I'll spend AT LEAST 2100 hours a year using them. That means my comfort costs me 85 cents an hour assuming I replace them all once a year. However, I don't have to replace them because they aren't junk thus I've gotten several years with the current items and expect many more. Assuming I get a total of 8 years of use from those four items takes that hourly cost down below 11 cents/hour. If it were just the keyboard then it would work out to about 10 cents a day.  

[Lee G. Veteran]

8 hours ago, Fezmid said:

I use an old IBM Model M keyboard - best keyboard ever made. They're apparently in high demand too - fetch over $120 on eBay. I've been using the same one since my wife bought me 3 of them at a garage sale for $3 each back in the mid-90s. I should sell the other two....  Only downside is that since it only has a PS/2 connector,  I now have to buy a PS/2 to USB converter, but it's a small price to pay for the best.

I use a Model M as well. A company called Unicomp still makes them: https://www.pckeyboard.com/

[domboy]

21 minutes ago, Lee G. said:

I use a Model M as well. A company called Unicomp still makes them: https://www.pckeyboard.com/

That's awesome, thanks for the tip! I've come to really love mechanical keyboards since I finally tried one a few years back; to me they are well worth the money. I'm tempted to get one of Unicomp keyboards sometime. I actually had one of the old IBM Model M keyboards at work some years back but in a office move it disappeared. I never did figure out what happened to it, but I assume somebody must have thrown it away 😢

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

On 12/07/2021 at 02:15, ThaCrip said:

I always just use standard/basic cheap range keyboards (I don't see the point in paying higher prices for keyboards since you can get a cheap one (maybe $10-20) and it feels good enough and should last several years at least) as the two most recent I owned (which are on my primary computer) are...

 

the keyboard Goretsky linked to, I have no doubts I would probably like it, but it's price is just too much for a keyboard (like I am confident it's better than mine but not enough to justify roughly a $85-90 price difference) as I would not even want to spend that on a mouse either which one typically pays a bit more for a mouse than a keyboard I would think.

Oh my god, i HATE MOST CHEAP KEYBOARDS, I had to use one at work, then i spend my own money just so I don't have to.

Das keyboard  is very good, and I love my razer blackwidow lite (without the stupid RGB, and without numpad which i only need at work)

 

 

I really do think that the reason YOU don't see the value in $150 keyboard is because you just never gave it a go.  I FINALLY DID a few years ago... and I would NEVER go back to the $10 keyboards.  NEVER.

 

but a lot of people in my office all use cheap ass keyboards and spend all day on them, because they just don't understand the difference it makes.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

Keyboards, like pointing devices, are highly-subjective in terms of what works best.  There's no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" type keyboard.  I will note that the keyboard I mentioned earlier had gone up in price $10 (about 10%) since I last purchased mine a couple of years ago.  Also, it is an OEM of the Ducky ONE with a few small differences, e.g., the color of the LEDs and the use of a USB Type-C connector instead of the Mini-B connectors many mechanical keyboards seem to have these days.  As a matter of fact, it replaced a nearly-identical Ducky ONE keyboard, except that one had blue LEDs, which I did not like at all, especially at night.

At work (er, at the office) I've used the default Dell, HP and Lenovo keyboards and mouses provided with the respective Dell, HP and Lenovo desktops, workstations, servers and those have been perfectly adequate (er, except for one which had a sleep button located amidst the cursor navigation and meta keys—that keyboard was icky).  I have also used plenty of keyboards in the $10-30 range that allowed me to do my job just fine.  Currently, in my home office, I have the option to accessorize things a little since it is, after all, my home, so I got something that I liked.

 

There really is no right or wrong type of keyboard.

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

[ThaCrip]

16 hours ago, adrynalyne said:

Bro…you don’t speak for most people. You speak for yourself

 

But my opinion is almost certainly inline with most people in regards to this topic. you seriously going to question that? ; if so, I think your denying reality because...

 

it's obvious I am not wrong simply because it's pretty safe for me to say that most people (as in the majority) are probably using a $10-20 range keyboard (or so) and NOT a $100-ish (or more) keyboard. hence, they think it's NOT worth the premium price for the more expensive keyboards.

 

so in the end... I do speak for most people (in regards to this keyboard topic), not just myself.

[ThaCrip]

11 hours ago, E.Worm Jimmy said:

but a lot of people in my office all use cheap ass keyboards and spend all day on them, because they just don't understand the difference it makes.

 

I think it's more likely due to a massive price difference is where the show stopper issue is for the common person. because to overlook a large price difference is just too hard for most people to do when a cheap/basic keyboard functions well enough and feels good enough.

 

but like I mentioned earlier... I think it would be MUCH easier to justify a better keyboard if the prices where in the $50 range (assuming there is a noticeable difference in feel etc vs $10-20 keyboards). but at $100 or so is REALLY pushing it, but at $150 that's just too much.

 

but speaking of this stuff... are there any $50 (although the cheaper the better) range mechanical keyboards that would feel close enough to the $100-150 range keyboards, or not? ; basically I imagine you can see what I am doing here in that I am trying to find a keyboard that gives you a close enough feel to the higher priced ones, without the higher price (if that's even possible(?))

[ThaCrip]

17 hours ago, Biscuits Brown said:

As adrynalyne points out, if your career is based on using a keyboard, then its a tool of your trade. He is a developer, I am as well, and can tell you a keyboard, a chair, a monitor and a mouse that makes my day easier are like a good hammer to a carpenter. Right now, in front of me (or under me) those four things totaled about $1800. I'll spend AT LEAST 2100 hours a year using them. That means my comfort costs me 85 cents an hour assuming I replace them all once a year. However, I don't have to replace them because they aren't junk thus I've gotten several years with the current items and expect many more. Assuming I get a total of 8 years of use from those four items takes that hourly cost down below 11 cents/hour. If it were just the keyboard then it would work out to about 10 cents a day. 

 

Yes, but these situations are not more of the norm that I was talking about since I was referring to 'most people' not specialist situations where I can understand your general point here a bit more.

 

still, I don't know if I would equate it to a carpenter+hammer since unless a keyboard can cut back on wear/tear to a noticeable degree on your hands/wrists/fingers etc with a expensive keyboard vs a cheaper one, I don't quite think it would compare to a carpenter/hammer situation since I imagine a quality hammer can help a carpenter a bit more in the health dept than a keyboard would in the long term(?). just off the top of my head, I would imagine keys that are easier to press might help a bit. but even assuming that's true, would there be a real world difference between a expensive keyboard and a cheap one in this regard(?) etc.

 

even with a cheaper keyboard one can probably get a lot of hours on it before it's pretty much shot as I spent quite a bit of time on my Logitech K120 and it lasted 8 years and 10 months as like I said you could see the shine on the keyboard since it worn down that sandy look on the keys it has when it's new. so that had to see AT LEAST moderate use over that nearly 9 year time frame.

 

but since you mentioned other things... I would be more concerned with monitor/chair than I would be with a keyboard in terms of ones overall comfort at a computer for hours at a time. if one uses a mouse alot, I could possibly see spending a bit more here to, as it seems like a mouse would be a better investment than a keyboard assuming one uses a keyboard alot and a mouse alot, the mouse would seem like a better choice overall.

 

but thanks for your explanation

[+Biscuits Brown MVC]

2 hours ago, ThaCrip said:

 

But my opinion is almost certainly inline with most people in regards to this topic. you seriously going to question that? ; if so, I think your denying reality because...

 

it's obvious I am not wrong simply because it's pretty safe for me to say that most people (as in the majority) are probably using a $10-20 range keyboard (or so) and NOT a $100-ish (or more) keyboard. hence, they think it's NOT worth the premium price for the more expensive keyboards.

 

so in the end... I do speak for most people (in regards to this keyboard topic), not just myself.

So I consider my wife to be a normal person. She doesn't use a computer for work at all. She does what normal people do, surf a bit, read/send a few emails and watch streaming content. After trying my first mechanical keyboard, she immediately wanted me to get her an 87 key version.  She moved from a $20 keyboard to a $125 one and never wants to move back.  What I'd say is that the normal person compromises with the cheap keyboards because they simply have never used a good one and they just don't know the difference.

 

That's not to say they can all afford a top quality keyboard, they can be expensive and as a value proposition, most people will say, "I really like that new one but mine is good enough." That's a fair observation however it is vastly different than your 'I speak for the normal user' attitude that proclaims top tier keyboards aren't worth it.  

 

Look, its like a car. Most people are completely satisfied with their car however that doesn't mean they wouldn't enjoy driving a better car if given the opportunity. Same applies here.  

[adrynalyne]

4 hours ago, ThaCrip said:

 

But my opinion is almost certainly inline with most people in regards to this topic. you seriously going to question that? ; if so, I think your denying reality because...

 

it's obvious I am not wrong simply because it's pretty safe for me to say that most people (as in the majority) are probably using a $10-20 range keyboard (or so) and NOT a $100-ish (or more) keyboard. hence, they think it's NOT worth the premium price for the more expensive keyboards.

 

so in the end... I do speak for most people (in regards to this keyboard topic), not just myself.

LOL, it’s like talking to a brick wall with you.