elite keyboard

[SirPoonga]

http://www.daskeyboard.com/

Ok, can someone explain to me why this is $80?
I can almost do the same thing with a cheap keyboard and a can of that new krylon plastic paint.  Just wouldn't have the weighted key springs.

[JoyMonkey]

Damn! There's a 3 week backorder on them.

It looks like a gag, but the sad thing is I think it's for real.

[Stingray]

Hmm. Not sure what to think about this one. Maybe I'll paint my keyboard black and see if that makes me "elite".

-S

[Shape D.]

Hmm. Not sure what to think about this one. Maybe I'll paint my keyboard black and see if that makes me "elite".

-S

ony if you use it to type

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[Chris]

High-quality keyboards used to routinely cost 80-100.  I haven't seen a "high-quality" keyboard made in ages; most modern keyboards in that range just have more useless rubber-chicklet "multimedia keys" or wireless or something and are still made with lightweight materials and membrane construction.

This particular keyboard is a low-quantity custom keyboard with blank keycaps, so I'm not suprised it costs more.  And if it uses actual keyswitches rather than a membrane, there's your costs right there.

My favorite keyboards are made by NMB, but I don't think they make consumer keyboards anymore.  Really old Compaq, IBM or AT&T keyboards are also highly regarded (modern Compaq keyboards aren't so hot).  I'm using an NMB keyboard right now and it weighs about as much as three or four Belkin, Memorex or Logitech keyboards.

--Chris

[cholin]

Nobody should need a precision keyboard.  Real coders are already used to regular standard keyboards where you press the key and it registers!  I do coding all the time and I went to best buy and bought a wireless media keyboard/mouse for like 40 bucks.  They work amazing!

[Chris]

Nobody should need a precision keyboard.

[cholin]

Thats what surprised me, its not low quality at all.  The buttons are easy to push, and the keyboard itself is very sturdy.  I absolutely love the mouse, and they both respond as if they were high quality wired ones.

[Chris]

Thats what surprised me, its not low quality at all.

[hyiu]

ages ago, I used those old IBM keyboards... they weighted much more than the new flimsy ones...

but they're smooth and good.... have a really nice feel when you press....

the new ones.... well... are cheap... and useable....

that's all....

as for that $80 with no markings and different weight zones...
I don't know.... I guess I'll never care to find out how good they are...
but they don't look too good to me....

[cholin]

Looks can be deceiving.  Mine's a modded microsoft one.  Couldnt complain, on sale :D

[Trenchbroom]

Elite keyboard?  I'll take mine in Thargoid green please...

(sorry) 

 

[Tailgunner]

My first PC keyboard (Northgate Omnikey Ultra) was around $100. I used it for several years till I wore out the shift keys playing Epic Pinball.

This one being completely blank is interesting, but it still has those useless (imho) windows keys. Were they programmable to something else, or at least able to be switched off, I'd probably buy one as I love a good clicky keyboard.

[Tailgunner]

This thread got me interested, and I googled "Northgate Omnikey Ultra". I found a guy who repairs them, and also found a company that makes a modern version. They actually hired the engineer who designed the Omnikey for Northgate back in the day to design their keyboards.

http://www.cvtinc.com/products/keyboards/menu.htm

If you think the ubergeek keyboard is expensive, you'd be mistaken. To their credit the entire keyboard (excepting the right CTRL key) is remappable, and you can program up to 20 key macros into all of the function keys. They also include extra keycaps so you can move some of the buttons around to suit your preference.
 

[crashwg]

This thread got me interested, and I googled "Northgate Omnikey Ultra". I found a guy who repairs them, and also found a company that makes a modern version. They actually hired the engineer who designed the Omnikey for Northgate back in the day to design their keyboards.

http://www.cvtinc.com/products/keyboards/menu.htm

If you think the ubergeek keyboard is expensive, you'd be mistaken. To their credit the entire keyboard (excepting the right CTRL key) is remappable, and you can program up to 20 key macros into all of the function keys. They also include extra keycaps so you can move some of the buttons around to suit your preference.
 

Holy crap, I had one of those!  Got it free with a computer a few years back.  To be honest with you I have no idea what happened to it.  Could have been trashed or given to the salvation army... who knows!

I programed a macro to type in my password for the screensaver.  It was the shyte!    I can't say that I've ever had any preference from one keyboard to the next except for the fact that I HATE those ergonomic split ones because I use my right hand for the letter B and laptop keyboards just don't feel right.

Wish I still had that thing, I probably could get a couple bucks on eBay for it!   

[Tailgunner]

Holy crap, I had one of those!  Got it free with a computer a few years back.  To be honest with you I have no idea what happened to it.  Could have been trashed or given to the salvation army... who knows!

I programed a macro to type in my password for the screensaver.  It was the shyte!    I can't say that I've ever had any preference from one keyboard to the next except for the fact that I HATE those ergonomic split ones because I use my right hand for the letter B and laptop keyboards just don't feel right.

Wish I still had that thing, I probably could get a couple bucks on eBay for it!   

If you can find it, and it still works, you'd get upwards of $100 for it on eBay. If you find it, and it doesn't work, you could get it fixed or the guy that fixes them will buy it outright. 

[Jabba]

"Since there is no key to look at when typing, your brain will quickly adapt and memorize the key positions and you will find yourself typing a lot faster with more accuracy in no time. It is amazing how slow typers almost double their speed and quick typers "


AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!! Where the F%*&#*$% is the tilda key??  (thats what I'd be saying three minutes after using that keyboard...)

But seriously, I code C/C++ all day and if you think you need a keyboard to make you code any better, you have more serious issues than you think 

[shadowdrak]

I own a keyboard be bought with blank caps.  Weighted keys are really nice.  I don't leave out as many letters when i am typing quickly and don't press keys accidentally.

The main reason i got the keyboard i did though was because it is tiny (about the size of half of a sheet of paper) and i wanted more deskspace so that is was more comfortable to eat and drink while i was working.  The other nice things are, it still has full-size keys, and i don't have to reposition my hands to press any key on the thing.

[Quarters]

I have an old IBM ps2 keyboard. It came new with a P75. It has no stupid windows keys between Ctrl & Alt. It has no web or email buttons. It has no sleep or power buttons. Whoever thought a power button on the keyboard was a good idea should be shot.

It has a spiral cord that stretches out to about 15' (no need for cordless). You could use it to pound t-molding into a new 1/16" slot. You may pry it from my cold dead hands.

[JB]

Whoever thought a power button on the keyboard was a good idea should be shot.

Apple did it!


http://www.pckeyboard.com/ sells keyboards built the same as the old IBM ones. Appears that before 1996 Lexmark made keyboards for IBM PCs. And in 1996, Lexmark sold off their keyboard division, and these guys picked it up.

[Quarters]

Hey your right. Thanks!

The back of my keyboard is labled 'made for IBM by Lexmark 1984' it looks almost identical to this one http://store.yahoo.com/pckeyboards/cus101usenon.html

I may have to order a few more for my other comps.

When I saw the subject 'elite keyboard' I thougt it would only have non-alphanumeric chars and extended ascii 

The Ω \√ ε Γ ┬

[JB]

Hey your right. Thanks!

The back of my keyboard is labled 'made for IBM by Lexmark 1984' it looks almost identical to this one http://store.yahoo.com/pckeyboards/cus101usenon.html

I may have to order a few more for my other comps.

Glad to help.

When I saw the subject 'elite keyboard' I thougt it would only have non-alphanumeric chars and extended ascii 

The Ω \√ ε Γ ┬

[Chris]

If it'd been the "31337" keyboard, I'd've expected that. As it was, I just expected something shiny. Gold-plated feet, diamond-studded status LEDs, other stupid things like that.

That would be the Blingboard.

[JB]

If it'd been the "31337" keyboard, I'd've expected that. As it was, I just expected something shiny. Gold-plated feet, diamond-studded status LEDs, other stupid things like that.

That would be the Blingboard.

Oh, right. My mistake.