Also, I really like the one I have now

[xenith]

I have been looking at keyboards in shops, however, as I told a salesman today, I am not omptimistic about finding one I like.

Firstly, I do not like small keys. It's not that I have big hands but it means the keys aren't where my fingers are expecting to find them. This is worse when they keys are "flat" or those stupid soft touch(?) things.

I could possibly adapt to this, if it wasn't for problem 2: the insert/home/page up etc keys runnig vertically rather than horizontally. How am I supposed to hit the right key when it's not even in the right place.

Also...

They are mostly black. This make them harder to use in poor light, especially when the keys aren't where they should be.

Most, as in more than half, come with mice. This, I found out today, is because they are wireless. I have two perfectly good optical mice now. I don't want or need a third one.

Most, as in more than half, are wireless. Batteries?

USB connections are more common. I have too many USB devices now, and a keyboard can't really be swapped out for a few minutes while I download photos. Plus, USB thingy isn't working on this computer at the moment.

They are weird shapes and have all sorts of functions added to them. Some of these I might actually come to like, but a keyboard's primary function should be typing

Comments

[halspacejock.livejournal.com]

I refuse to buy the 'stylish' black keyboards for the same low-light reason. On my desk at the moment I have a German-made Cherry keyboard without any volume control knobs, media player buttons or doodads of any kind. It wasn't expensive, and it's survived two cups of coffee tipped into the innards. (I took it apart and washed everything.)

I bought mine from Trinix (http://trinix.com.au/) Unfortunately their website has gone from not bad to completely sucks, presumably after they hired an 'expert' to 'web 2.0' enable it. (The 'consumer experience' has been improved, but now I can't find a damn thing.)

[monissaw.livejournal.com]

I don't seem to be able to find their keyboards, yeah :\

This is what I'm using now http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/valueplus.html (+$40 postage on it, and that was when the exchange rate was good). It might not look like much but it has old fashioned big well-spaced keys (and everything else I wanted).

Their more expensive keyboards have the old-type buckling spring keys. It'll have to wait until I'm richer to get one of those though.

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

I, alas, have come to the conclusion that as someone who learned to type on manuals and still pounds keys, I will never get used to a flat keyboard. I tend to avoid them as much as possible, even after having them here in the campus library for months.

[monissaw.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

There must be a considerably-sized group of computer users who are not happy with what they are offered to type on.