Why so many gimmicky keyboards?

SantaHoe

I've been on the lookout for a new keyboard lately, but all I keep finding are these stupid looking multimedia keyboards with a plethora of useless buttons that I don't want, and really feel screwed having to pay extra for.
The only standard keyboards I can find are ultra-budget-low-end and the keys feel all crappy. (not to mention looking crappy)

Take a look here, that's exactly what I'm talking about... it's the same story in maplin, PC World... just about any retail outlet you care to visit.

What ever happened to walking into a shop and buying a good quality standard keyboard?

</rant>

hostyle

I agree completely. If I wanted a huge weird looking contraption with extra buttons all over the place as an input device I'd go buy an Xbox controller. Dell used make nice keyboards, so you might be able to pick up one second hand somewhere. I got myself a Logitech diNovo, but thats mostly for bragging rights. But most shops online and in real life do sell normal keyboards, they just seem to hide them well.

fragile

Some nice ones here for about €15 including delivery & vat

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Keyboards_2.html

I know its hard to tell how good the quality is from the screenshots, but I would be inclined to trust the Logitech brand name..

swiss

I agree completely. My requirements for a keyboard are pretty minimal. I want something on which I can type comfortably and that has all of the requisite keys (including a windows key - to my shame I would be lost without it).

I got one of those PC Line keyboards in PC World a few weeks ago and for €11 it did everything I wanted a keyboard to do. The keyboard I had before that was cheap at around €5. It had a very useful* 'power' button that was placed just underneath 'Delete'. About 50% of the time when I wanted to do 'Ctrl + Alt + Del' I managed to shut down my computer. It also felt like a typewriter to type with. So be warned. Sometimes you do have to pay a little more for quality even when buying something simple like a keyboard.

Also I would recommend logitech products. They are one of my favourite perhiperal manufacturers.

* Sarcasm level red reached.

SheroN

I have a microsoft multimedia keyboard and it's pretty sweet TBH.

SantaHoe

Originally posted by swiss
I got one of those PC Line keyboards in PC World a few weeks ago

Are they the blue ones?
I didn't like the blue translucent ones I saw in PC world, they felt cheap and rattly.
I'd be prepared to spend more on a good keyboard if I knew I wasn't paying for crappy gimmicky extras.

It had a very useful* 'power' button that was placed just underneath 'Delete'. About 50% of the time when I wanted to do 'Ctrl + Alt + Del' I managed to shut down my computer.

Yeah my current keyboard has power/sleep/wake keys, or should I say - holes where they used to be... I popped them out with a screwdriver and threw them in the bin.

I'm getting tired of being told what I want by manufacturers... I want a standard keyboard, a ball mouse, and wires connecting everything.
Stick your expensive gimmicks up your arse please.

Adeptus Titanicus

I used to think the same. Never liked these clunky button-laden behemoths sitting on my desk. But... I caved in and got an MS one as I was desperate for a keyboard, and I find I actually use these buttons now, especially the media player bits. My main dislike of the KB I have now is the "smart" F keys. I have to press a Fn Lock to make them act like ordinary F keys! Pain!!!

The logitech ones got excellent reviews, esp. the bluetooth one... pricy though.

moridin

I'm getting tired of being told what I want by manufacturers... I want a standard keyboard, a ball mouse, and wires connecting everything.

Ok, I'm with you on the standard keyboard bit, but optical mice are much nicer than ball mice overall. No need to clean the buggers of crap accumulating inside is a major plus.

Giblet

Microsoft mulitmedia keyboard here, class. Nice being able to change the volume on the keyboard, and launch programs easy, not to mention skip tracks on winamp.

swiss

Originally posted by SantaHoe:

I didn't like the blue translucent ones I saw in PC world, they felt cheap and rattly.
I'd be prepared to spend more on a good keyboard if I knew I wasn't paying for crappy gimmicky extras.

Fair enough. I have to say I disagree with you though. I didn't find them rattly and for €11 I don't need something that can stand nuclear attack. They do look pretty gimmicky, but didn't you want a keyboard that did the bare essentials and that was cheap?

Giblet, I'm sure those extra keys are useful for winamp controls etc, but can't you create your own keyboard shortcuts for those? I don't know, for me it's a price/performance thing. I just don't see the need to spend an extra €50 or whatever on a keyboard just so I can shave a few seconds off launching a particular program.

As for the mouse though I have gone optical and won't look back. It saves a lot of hassle trying to clean the mouse, and for games my logitech mx500 is the best mouse I've ever used. I'm tempted to try the mx510 next.

moridin

Fair enough. I have to say I disagree with you though. I didn't find them rattly and for €11 I don't need something that can stand nuclear attack. They do look pretty gimmicky, but didn't you want a keyboard that did the bare essentials and that was cheap?

Since the keyboard is easily the part of the computer that I use most (bar the monitor) I figure it's better to get something that's decent and suits your tastes. If an €11 keyboard suits you then cool, but to be honest I'd rather pay a bit more and get something that's not made out of twine.

Civilian_Target

I have a MS Office Pro keyboard and its great. Brick solid with clicky keys, a USB hub and shortcut buttons. What you really want is an IBM Stealth Black, brick shaped, mechanical action, with removable buttons.

po0k

Spend the cash on a Cherry and you'll have it for life.

El_MUERkO

I wouldnt mind a nice glowy keyboard like the sharktoon ones

po0k

Originally posted by Giblet
Microsoft mulitmedia keyboard here, class. Nice being able to change the volume on the keyboard, and launch programs easy, not to mention skip tracks on winamp.

zxcvb, cursor up, cursor down

Good Night San Diego!!

BigEejit

good god ....clicky keyboards are the most annoying thing you can get ... I have a Trust keyboard for the last 4 years, works a treat and has all the multimedia buttons above the numpad ... nothing fiddly at all about it

Giblet

Originally posted by SyxPak
zxcvb, cursor up, cursor down

Good Night San Diego!!

I don't see that working in quake to be honest

Cake Fiend

Originally posted by SyxPak
Spend the cash on a Cherry and you'll have it for life.

I heartily endorse this product or service.
I bought a Cherry in 1996, and it's still working perfectly. Filthy though. It even has a cracked Windows button from when I used to take it out when I was playing Quake and kept hitting the Windows key instead of Alt for strafe, pitching me back into Windows 95. Them were the days.

Otherwise, Dawn computers in Goatstown used to have cheap Dell keyboards. They feel a bit light and cheap, but they seem to be going solidly so far (baptism by fire in Net House). Check IT Direct as well, they tend to be more of a no-nonsense crowd than the PC World/Peats muppets.

Col_Loki

I have a Microsoft wireless natural keyboard and i have to say i love it to bits.
I hate clicky keyboards.
Love the extra keys - which arent as stupid as some keyboards have,
Like the wireless part as im always moving it,
Optical mouse is fantastic - went through 3 ball mice in a year, i hate em.
I also love the way it looks, and i type faster with the natural layout.

Spending extra on a decent keyb & mouse combo, with features you use and apreciate is money well spent IMO. Also its a part of a computer that you keep from upgrade to upgrade.........

[edit] I have one of the black keyboards that Dawn computers sell, total and utter crap. The enter key is smaller than normal so you press shift (i think) instead, the keys arent nice at all, and its just bad!!

SantaHoe

Originally posted by swiss
but didn't you want a keyboard that did the bare essentials and that was cheap?

Close, but not exactly...
I remember back a few years ago you could get a nice Microsoft keyboard with keys that had a nice smooth sinky bounce feeling when you pressed them, just the right amount of resistance... the keys themselves had a nice, almost rubbery, finish to them.
Now that's build quality.
The only way to get keyboards of a nice quality these days is to get some stupidly gimmicky multimedia, wireless, back-lit, mouse-included, chrome-plated, speaker-embeded keyboard.
... or buy some manky cheap one where the keys feel squashy, like typing on a fat-mans belly... while the keys scrape off eachother as you depress them.

What's next? You'll only be able to buy a wireless mouse?
Or you can buy a wired mouse but it's crap?
:rolleyes:

SantaHoe

Originally posted by Sico
I heartily endorse this product or service.
I bought a Cherry in 1996, and it's still working perfectly. Filthy though.

I've never heard of Cherry, got any links?
I've kept my current keyboard for a few years aswell, it's survived its fair share of coffee/coke spills and cigarette ashes, although it involves taking the keybo to bits once or twice a year.

fragile

How about these then:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004XPKH/spatialgraphics/103-6860832-4315008

http://www.elara.ie/products/detailsfull.asp?productcode=KEY00012&productID=41447

or the Coolermaster Q Aluminium Keyboard on the following page...

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Keyboards_2.html

http://komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=121557&cks=PRL

All reasonably priced

Inspector Gadget

I have the Logitech Deluxe Access keyboard at the other end of that Komplett and Elara links just above - while it's a nice keyboard with a nice feel, be warned, the suspend button is where a touch typist would expect to find Escape (if a touch typist were looking for the Escape key). This also means that the Function keys are slightly narrower (and on slightly different centres) than you might expect... For a while, I kept putting my computer in suspend mode when I'd aim for the Escape key (and miss)...

Perhaps more seriously, the Function keys default to their "media settings" on startup - you have to press the "F Lock" button to get them to act normally every time you boot - great if you're playing MP3s while writing something in Word, a pain in the behind in almost every other scenario (I tend to use keyboard shortcuts a lot). This may, however, have been fixed in updates to the associated driver software (iTouch) - it has probably come on a bit since I last updated, which was a while ago.

Oh yeah, this keyboard is also quite bulky compared to a "standard" board.

HTH,
Gadget

morgana

Originally posted by El_MUERkO
I wouldnt mind a nice glowy keyboard like the sharktoon ones

Yeah I got one of those a few months ago and it is pretty cool and I love the key action - until I noticed that the print on the keys is crap - my e, y, u, and p are gone. I now shakily redraw said letters with permanent marker - lasts for approx. one week. Pretty sad for an expensive (and yeah I know gimmicky) keyboard - with no extra MM keys though :-))

neokenzo

I've had the Microsoft wireless natural keyboard for about a year now. I dont find it gimmicky at all. The keys are just soft enough to type without making a racket I used the extra keys as well. I must say its pretty handy. The only thing I dislike about it is the F lock. Other than that its grand.

Inspector Gadget

I would have thought that the only time that an illuminated keyboard would be useful would be, well, when you're in the dark?

My understanding is that using a computer in the dark is a recipe for serious eyestrain anyway (considering the huge differences in brightnesses between the screen and everything else)?

Gadget

Col_Loki

I would have thought that the only time that an illuminated keyboard would be useful would be, well, when you're in the dark?

I think its more for a coolness factor than the fact that they type in the dark . Especially if your case has neons etc, your keyb will blend in nicely. I must admit i thought about getting one for a while there.

Dr. Dre

Have one of these and I flippin' love it.

unkel

Originally posted by COL_LOKI
The enter key is smaller than normal so you press shift (i think) instead

I hate that and also strongly dislike wired ball mice - the most likely thing to give you RSI

Have had the MS Optical Wireless since the day it hit the shops and love it although it uses (rechargeable) batteries like there's no tomorrow. I believe the Logitec MX-700 and MX-900 are very good also, never tried them

tman

if you want a quality keyboard without any bells and whistles, go into your nearest apple store (or check their website)

Dun

Got an MS Multimedia Natural keyboard - just for the natural part, as my left hand would get sore after I'd been typing for a while. It's a great keyboard, though I have to agree about the F Lock - tis a pain. I'm constantly hitting F2 to rename something, only to discover that the Undo function mapped to it has deleted the last thing I copied, or moved the last thing I moved in the computer back to where it was. The multimedia buttons are great, though I thought when I got it first that it probably would only work with WMP, but it works great with Winamp.

As good as it is, I think it's hard to beat the build of a Dell keyboard.

Stark

What I hate most are those stupid mice with about 10 buttons on them, and you keeping hitting the wrong button and going back/forward in your browser. Give me a nice optical wheel mouse any day (I don't particularly care for cordless either).

Dr. Dre

Originally posted by Dun
though I have to agree about the F Lock - tis a pain.

Registry patch available here

Col_Loki

What I hate most are those stupid mice with about 10 buttons on them, and you keeping hitting the wrong button and going back/forward in your browser

Ive used the Mx700 series, and the mouse has these buttons. I found them excellent, and im always tapping the side of my MS mouse when i try to back a page (no buttons on the MS :rolleyes: ). Ive used a few that were just bad'ly placed and i was pressing it by accident......... thats very annoyin.

The Mx700 is pure class IMO, especially because of the mouse. Its far heavier on batteries than the basic logitech version or the MS ones.

SantaHoe

Originally posted by Inspector Gadget
I would have thought that the only time that an illuminated keyboard would be useful would be, well, when you're in the dark?

Pfff shouldn't have to look at the keys!!!
What would Mavis Beacon say?

Big Chief

Originally posted by SantaHoe
Close, but not exactly...
I remember back a few years ago you could get a nice Microsoft keyboard with keys that had a nice smooth sinky bounce feeling when you pressed them, just the right amount of resistance... the keys themselves had a nice, almost rubbery, finish to them.
Now that's build quality.
The only way to get keyboards of a nice quality these days is to get some stupidly gimmicky multimedia, wireless, back-lit, mouse-included, chrome-plated, speaker-embeded keyboard.
... or buy some manky cheap one where the keys feel squashy, like typing on a fat-mans belly... while the keys scrape off eachother as you depress them.

What's next? You'll only be able to buy a wireless mouse?
Or you can buy a wired mouse but it's crap?
:rolleyes:

that smooth rubbery fell with smooth finish etc that you speak of, well i can heartily endorse the genius comfy keyboard.. nothing fancy at all and it feels great, i had one a year or 2 back but i spilt coke on it and was gutted, after someone pasted this link i had to order it again immediately..

would go for that santy

Stephen

£10.85 to have a cheapo keyboard delivered? poo.

Inspector Gadget

Originally posted by tman
if you want a quality keyboard without any bells and whistles, go into your nearest apple store (or check their website)

Eh, the new "Pro" keyboard is nice, no question, but 55 euro for the wired (and 79 for the wireless) is a little steep?

(Also, I find the key action a little dead for my liking)

Gadget

SantaHoe

Originally posted by Big Chief
well i can heartily endorse the genius comfy keyboard

tbh I think that's the one I have right now!
(Stupid power keys)
The keys do sort of scrape off eachother unless you press them dead-center.
And I took that gimmicky wrist rest crap off mine and broke it

Actually I saw a nice gel wrist rest in Maplin last week, mmm squidgy.

Stephen

*strokes ageing black IBM keyboard with no fancy extra keys*
has a plastic wrist rest thing that's gone all shiny from lots of use. The keyboard itself is filthy though. I had to remove all the keys and clean the gunk out of it, but its still a bit mingin.

Civilian_Target

That would be the stealth black then. Comes in USB flavour these days. Any owner of this keyboard swears by them

Stephen

This?



Filthy!

BrianD3

Most of the keyboards mentioned in this thread so far are rubbish. What you want is an IBM Model M buckling spring keyboard like the one reviewed here: http://www.dansdata.com/ibmkeyboard.htm

These boards are heavy, rock solid, have a springy, clickety key action and have no finnicky multimedia or windows keys. The downside is they're quite noisy which seems to annoy some people.

These are available secondhand on ebay cheaply enough but once you get 'em shipped from the UK or wherever they work out expensive.

IBM no longer make them but www.pckeyboard.com bought the technology and makes exact copies of the IBM boards and also makes some variations (k'boards with the same buckling spring feel but with a smaller footprint and with windows keys etc.) These brand new keyboards are not cheap - once you buy it and get it shipped from the states you'd be looking at over 100 euros.

BTW if you can't lay your hands on a model M type keyboard, those black IBMs mentioned already are probably the next best bet. Much less clicky and lighter but not too bad, better than most of the mushy sh1te that passes for keyboards nowadays.

BrianD3

CyberGhost

Originally posted by SyxPak
Spend the cash on a Cherry and you'll have it for life.

I second that!

Cherry = Quality!

I have their mini keyboard, and it is AWESOME!

Cake Fiend

Originally posted by COL_LOKI
I have one of the black keyboards that Dawn computers sell, total and utter crap. The enter key is smaller than normal so you press shift (i think) instead, the keys arent nice at all, and its just bad!!

You obviously don't have one of the Dells I was talking about, I'm typing on one right now and it's as sweet as you'll get for €10 or whatever it was. The Enter key is normal sized, there are no silly extra buttons and it's quite nice to type with (not as nice as my Cherry though...) I don't know if Dawn still stock the Dells though, AFAIK we got a load of extra stock they had.

fragile

Originally posted by CyberGhost
I second that!

Cherry = Quality!

I have their mini keyboard, and it is AWESOME!

Do you know of any Irish/EU online resellers of these keyboards?

CyberGhost

Originally posted by fragile
Do you know of any Irish/EU online resellers of these keyboards?

ah there are many! google is your friend

www.scancomputers.co.uk , is the one I bought it from! but it costs a LOT to ship it here

CyberGhost

but there are namy types of it! black/white usb/ps2 windows keys/no windows keys

Woden

Originally posted by morgana
Yeah I got one of those a few months ago and it is pretty cool and I love the key action - until I noticed that the print on the keys is crap - my e, y, u, and p are gone. I now shakily redraw said letters with permanent marker - lasts for approx. one week. Pretty sad for an expensive (and yeah I know gimmicky) keyboard - with no extra MM keys though :-))

yeah i got one as well and they quite nice but expensive and i have the same issue n and l are on there way out but because i'm so sup3r l33t and i know where the keys are i dont mind, god bless anyone else going to use it. the keyboard itself took a while to get used to from my other keyboard though but now its all good

i got the matching mouse mat recently and its a nice set to have and goes with my blue led psu.

the mouse is wireless optical trust one and i really like it the thoughts of going back to a wired ball mouse make me loss sleep at night

data

aaf

I have this: Logitech Cordless Desktop MX

It's a brill combo and I saw it on Ed's desk in Las Vegas on SkyOne last night. Well chuffed:cool:

hostyle

Originally posted by aaf
I have this: Logitech Cordless Desktop MX
It's a brill combo and I saw it on Ed's desk in Las Vegas on SkyOne last night. Well chuffed:cool:

Well done. You just recommended to him the exact type of keyboard he explicitly stated that he didn't want. *Clap* *clap*.

Besides, the diNovo is a far superior product to the one you recommended and more in line with what the original poster requested. Oh did I recommend it already Well heres a pic then: