ergonomic keyboards

[tipc]

What are your thoughts? Is one vendor's any better then another's? Enlighten me. I've used this original off white Microsoft wir3d unit for a long time. And bought a black M$ wired unit recently. But who uses wired keyboards these days except throwbacks. M$'s wireless units are pricey, Logitech's are cheaper, but don't seem to go the 2nd mile. That is they don't look as ergonomic, curved rows, but no sit in between and such.

[Stone]

But who uses wired keyboards these days...

I use Model Ms (original IBM , not Lexmark, Unicomp, etc.) on all my systems. There's three in front of me right now.

[Chuck(G)]

Same here, except for one rack-mounted system that I've rigged up with an IR IBM wireless keyboard. More convenient that way. But then, I still use the old-style workstation desks, complete with chain-drive elevation too. The trick to getting interesting old stuff is to buy when nobody wants the stuff.

[VERAULT]

I have a couple of the offwhite 1994/5 Microsoft versions. Id say for rigid construction they are the best. The new black variety ( the 4000 series I think) by Microsoft is a membrane keyboard that is super delicate. I have had 5 ( a couple at work which is where I first used them) The problem is the keys can come off pretty easily on the specialty keys. And God forbid you get a drop of water on the keyboard, it will fuse/burn the plastic sheet traces. I usually have a cool drink near by when doing any extensive work, on 3 total occasions a few drops of condensate water stopped a bunch of keys from working. I have tried repairing it, but its so cheaply made. I will buy one if I find it on eBay cheap. I just bought another for $14.00. They are much easier and comfortable to type on.
But again the "95" version by Microsoft still is king in my book.

And I use wired keyboards almost exclusively; wireless keyboards are the pitts! The only two machines we have with wireless are the one which drives are entertainment center in the living room and the small retractable arm computer in the kitchen. Wires forever!

[KC9UDX]

I think he's talking about those silly keyboards with the large gap between T and Y, G and H, and V and B. I tried them when they first came out and just couldn't handle it. I can play a piano keyboard in a straight line all day long, as every other organist, harpsichordist, pianist, and accordionist since antiquity. That curved profile just isn't for me.

I use wired keyboards too. There's nothing like the battery going dead whilst you're in the middle of a three-piped Unix command. I have some wireless keyboards, but they are all plugged in.

Now wireless mouses are nice because they're even easier to lose than matching socks!

[Chuck(G)]

The wireless IBM IR keyboards are pretty good; my only gripe is the low repeat rate when you hold down a key (they transmit at 1200 bps, which accounts for that).

[Eudimorphodon]

What are your thoughts? Is one vendor's any better then another's? Enlighten me. I've used this original off white Microsoft wir3d unit for a long time.

I've used the same white MS Natural since 2000. I wish it had a USB hub built into it, but other than that I plan to use it until it disintegrates into dust.

[tipc]

That's what I have, I'm not familiar with any earlier models. I have 2 actually, one has a few funky keys but maybe that's just graham crackers.

What relation a computer keyboard and an accordion have in common is lost on me. Last I checked your arms move back and forth along the row of keys. And there's only 1 row. And accordions also don't have function keys last time I checked. Maybe on harpsichords. Do pianists often suffer from carpal tunnel? Ones that haven't held onto their C64s that is.

[tipc]

And no one likes these:

https://www.newegg.com/p/0GA-0001-00...9SIA10V9BS3812

[KC9UDX]

Accordions technically do have a row of function keys: registers. Also there are at least two rows of keys and as many as seven!

My point is that those silly spilt keyboards are intended to prevent lateral movement for the sake of ergonomics. But this movement is natural on keyboard instruments.