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Luxury keyboards

B

barb0115

n00b
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Messages
18
I'm looking for the best, top-of-the-line keyboard out there. I've made a killer rig but want to finish it off with a luxury keyboard. It can be cordless or with a cord. Logitech doesn't seem to have anything great looking besides the Novo. I'm NOT looking for a keyboard with gaming or multimedia functions - just a great-looking keyboard. Thanks!
 
I like my Saitek Eclipse.

Quiet keys, simple layout, adjustable wristrest and it glows blue.....

 
I've got what I think of as a killer rig. At least, it sure as hell will be when my Opteron 170 gets shoehorned into it. But keyboards are grimy, dirty affairs that get broken no matter how nice they are.

You want a [H]ard keyboard, buy a Das Keyboard. They're expensive, great looking and feel perfect, just about no matter how you use it. But if you want something that you don't mind throwing away because the D key gets sticky, hang onto some cash and buy a Kensington SlimType. Not only does the full-size keyboard look nice, but it has a sturdy laptop feel to it that lets you fly when you type and the short travel distance of the keys makes you move just that much faster in an FPS. Plus, at thirty bucks, you break it (I've had mine for a year without it dying, which isn't too long for a peripheral but realistically, lifespans of input devices just aren't predictable) it's not a horrible sinking cost to replace it.

And damn does it look cool. Plus, the few multimedia keys it employs are surprisingly (to me) useful. I don't usually go in for that stuff, but it just works out as a slick-looking bonus.

If that's not endorsement enough, Mac, and fucking Mac knows quality styling and construction, uses Kensington to make their input devices.
 
Thanks for help. I like the look of the Saitek Eclipse but is it a quality made board? I really like the feel of laptop keyboards that have a short travel distance.

Does anyone else have any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
 
barb0115 said:
Thanks for help. I like the look of the Saitek Eclipse but is it a quality made board? I really like the feel of laptop keyboards that have a short travel distance.

Does anyone else have any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Saitek eclipse seems to be made of a cheap plasticy material... I'd just get the logitech DiNovo if I were you, very nice keyboard, IMHO.
 
If you like ThinkPad keyboards (some people love them, including myself), take a look at the External Keyboard with UltraNav.

It's an _exact_ duplicate of the IBM ThinkPad Keyboard, in an external case. Has the same trackpoint (which some love and some hate - more love it after they get used to it but it's useless for gaming) and trackpad.

I actually don't like the trackpad and disable it. I always manage to move the cursor around with my palm by accident.

It comes in two flavors. The 'travel' version, which is identical to the ThinkPad, and a version with the numeric keypad. I had the latter.

Great for servers. No mouse to deal with. Only one USB cord, and it's quite compact.

-Larry
 
Microsoft natural keyboard, I can't go back to regular layout now. I love it. If you want to wait a bit that keyboard with the programmable keys is on the horizon.

Optimus Keyboard
 
Hell, that UltraNav would be nice for the servers at work. . .nice call.
 
elite.mafia said:
Saitek eclipse seems to be made of a cheap plasticy material... I'd just get the logitech DiNovo if I were you, very nice keyboard, IMHO.
Click to expand...


I really like the feel of the Saitek Eclipse, had it about 4 months with zero issues. Some of the others listed look nice, but would pass on the IBM one.
 
Yeah, and though it's harder to find (I think amazon has it), the "Travel" version without the keypad is even more compact.

-Larry

Axman said:
Hell, that UltraNav would be nice for the servers at work. . .nice call.
Click to expand...
 
I can't use Natural keyboards. I keep knocking my coffee over with my elbows and look like a chicken trying to fly LOL

-Larry

Corporal79 said:
Microsoft natural keyboard, I can't go back to regular layout now. I love it. If you want to wait a bit that keyboard with the programmable keys is on the horizon.

Optimus Keyboard
Click to expand...
 
TechLarry said:
I can't use Natural keyboards. I keep knocking my coffee over with my elbows and look like a chicken trying to fly LOL

-Larry
Click to expand...


Hahahahaha


I have the Di Novo at the apartment and I can tell you that one of the pains is that every time I've had to change the batteries in both keyboard and numeric keypad, I didn't have the AA batteries to hand and all the Ni-Mh batteries I had available had discharged. I also like keyboards with more feel of travel. However it does seem to be the most tastefully designed keyboard out there.
 
It is technically a gaming keyboard but the Logitech G15 does look very very nice.

High quality plastic, even rubberised in places. The backlighting is restrained and just useful instead of blindingly bright and the typing action is very nice. Cherry Quality. I love mine. I've got one at work too and all my work collegues are jealous.
 
drdeutsch said:
I like my Saitek Eclipse.

Quiet keys, simple layout, adjustable wristrest and it glows blue.....

Click to expand...

I love mine too, comfortable to game, type, or whatever you do! :D
 
There are only two keyboards that I can stand to use for more than a few minutes at a time.

The first would be the aforementioned MS Natural keyboard. This is my main keyboard. I use one at work and on my main home system.

The second would be an IBM Model M keyboard. Sure, they don't look sleek and most don't have the Windows keys but they work well. I have one on my second system. It's big, it's heavy, it's old and it makes a hell of a lot of noise once I get to typing. But it can be a keyboard, a lethal weapon and a bumper for your car/truck. That's more than any other keyboard out right now can do. Plus, if not even properly taken care of, it will last 20 years.

I really need a MS Natural keyboard with IBM Model M technology. I would be in heaven.

 
I know I won't part with my DIN PS/2 ergonomic keyboard with independantly steel-sprung keys. I've dissasembled and cleaned the keys individually several times with that one (which is what has led me to favor the "disposable keyboard" price bracket) and re-soldered the sensor on the G when it started to get weird. It has a coiling cable which has been chewed up by rabbits, which makes me want to re-wire the thing with a more modern PS/2 connection. And paint it black, because the beige, which was ugly to begin with, has some light-sensitive coloring agent which has partially yellowed. And it sucks for gaming, but it's great for typing, not the least part because of the massive backspace key. What the fuck was with the impetus to make it smaller than the tilde, anyway? I hope that design genius has been flogged. It doesn't, however, have Windows keys, which I used to think were annoying but now savor their mousless capacities.
 
drdeutsch said:
I like my Saitek Eclipse.

Quiet keys, simple layout, adjustable wristrest and it glows blue.....

Click to expand...

How much quieter would you say than a standard keyboard? I've been wanting to buy a quieter keyboard.
 
elite.mafia said:
Saitek eclipse seems to be made of a cheap plasticy material... I'd just get the logitech DiNovo if I were you, very nice keyboard, IMHO.
Click to expand...

I've got both of these keyboards.

The saitek feels cheap, and has issues with some software that haven't been resolved.

The DiNovo feels like a tank, but since they decided to go looks over performance, the key throw is extremely short. It is like typing on an ultralight notebook keyboard that is somehow fullsize, but still the typical extemely short-throw notebook keyboard. If you're used to using a regular keyboard and banging out 70+ wpm, the DiNovo will turn your fingers into bloody stumps if used fulltime.

I wish I had a closet full of the old IBM keyboards with the metal shell and click keys. I found a few of the spacesaver version of that keyboard at a computer fair and bought all of them, but I've worn them out. That keyboard is noisy, weighs a ton, and isn't going to look pretty, but if you type fast, and type alot, it is the most comfortable standard keyboard I've ever used.
 
I have a DiNovo around here somewhere too. I got it early when they were $250.

I love the keyboard. I HATE the bluetooth software. That's a TON of system resources just to connect a damned keyboard, and it adds like 20 seconds to the boot time.

I haven't used it in a while, and when I do I use it as a "nekid" keyboard, no software.

However, keeping it connected channel wise has proven challenging in that configuration.

-Larryt

Ronco said:
Hahahahaha


I have the Di Novo at the apartment and I can tell you that one of the pains is that every time I've had to change the batteries in both keyboard and numeric keypad, I didn't have the AA batteries to hand and all the Ni-Mh batteries I had available had discharged. I also like keyboards with more feel of travel. However it does seem to be the most tastefully designed keyboard out there.
Click to expand...
 
I have the G15 too and like it a lot, but like a lot of other people my key letters are turning into big blue blobs because the paint is wearing off.

And it's only 2 weeks old :(

-Larry

Iratus said:
It is technically a gaming keyboard but the Logitech G15 does look very very nice.

High quality plastic, even rubberised in places. The backlighting is restrained and just useful instead of blindingly bright and the typing action is very nice. Cherry Quality. I love mine. I've got one at work too and all my work collegues are jealous.
Click to expand...
 
I have one of the old Zenith 101 keyboards from the 80's. Brand new, only used 1 day :)

It's one of the old tanks. It weighs about 8 pounds, is made out of metal, has real keyswitches, and you could probably use it as a deadly weapon.

BUT!

It has that god-forsaken electronic 'beep' built into it that Zenith thought was so cool back then. I can't stand to use it :(

-Larry
 
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