Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: LCAMerciful on February 23, 2012, 04:40:45 PM
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Remember the old PC Keyboards? I didn't know it but there is a company still making them... you know the old clicky (or "Buckling Spring") type. I think I read somewhere that HiTech himself won't use anything else.
Anyway here's their website. Enjoy!
http://www.pckeyboard.com (http://www.pckeyboard.com)
They'll even custom make them for you!
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Im still using an IBM classic myself.
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$79+ for one of those!!
I bet there are still quite a few of these floating around people's closets and garages.
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$79+ for one of those!!
I bet there are still quite a few of these floating around people's closets and garages.
Seems like a lot but if it holds up for years it's well worth it.
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Seems like a lot but if it holds up for years it's well worth it.
I understand some people like the older keyboards, but I still find it hard to justify an $80+ keyboard.
What makes them that much tougher, I've never had a keyboard fail on me.
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I understand some people like the older keyboards, but I still find it hard to justify an $80+ keyboard.
What makes them that much tougher, I've never had a keyboard fail on me.
I guess it all depends. I'm typing on mine several hours a day.. a cheapy $10-20 keyboard lasts me about 5-6 months tops.
It's also important to remember that those mechanical keyboards are a lot more "Accurate" than the cheap ones you buy in the store today because you can actually feel when a key registers instead of having to pound it all the way down every time. Completely different kind of feel to it and lets you type faster, although to be fair you have to be at 75+ WPM speeds for it to really stand out.
I'll probably fork out the money when it's time for a new one.
They also repair old IBM keyboards too.
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I guess it all depends. I'm typing on mine several hours a day.. a cheapy $10-20 keyboard lasts me about 5-6 months tops.
It's also important to remember that those mechanical keyboards are a lot more "Accurate" than the cheap ones you buy in the store today because you can actually feel when a key registers instead of having to pound it all the way down every time. Completely different kind of feel to it and lets you type faster, although to be fair you have to be at 75+ WPM speeds for it to really stand out.
I'll probably fork out the money when it's time for a new one.
They also repair old IBM keyboards too.
Well, to each his own, I've had a different experience than you, but I can't blame anyone for wanting one that fits their needs.
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At about $1800 this keyboard makes those look cheap!
(http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/frontsquare/optimus_maximus.jpg) (http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/9836/)
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you can still buy mechanical keyboards, I know "cherry" still sells them, or Rockwell like linked below
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5457/capsule-review-rosewills-rk9000
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I posted a few months ago about the Razer Mechanical Keyboard I started using, the Black Widow.
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,325223.0.html
It's still working the same as out of the box, next to the Saitek Combat Pro pedals and Warthog, it's the best thing new thing I've tried for PC gaming.
I also went on a hunt in a few of the mom and pop computer shops in the small town where my folks like, and found a few of the old IBM PC clicky keyboards in varying condition, and selected the best 2 for a cost of 5$ to keep for a rainy day. I'd say the keys on these oldies actually are just slightly more "clicky" than the new Razer keyboard I'm using, but without all the functionality and USB options.
As I said before, IMO in the next 5 years everyone will be using mechanical keyboards, and they will be ''old" news. Once the price comes down to say 30 instead of 80 dollars, the bang for the buck will make them commonplace. In the meantime, next time you are in a future shop or best buy/what have you, get them to demo you one of the mechanicals....they make such a difference for typing and accuracy.
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I posted a few months ago about the Razer Mechanical Keyboard I started using, the Black Widow.
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,325223.0.html
It's still working the same as out of the box, next to the Saitek Combat Pro pedals and Warthog, it's the best thing new thing I've tried for PC gaming.
I also went on a hunt in a few of the mom and pop computer shops in the small town where my folks like, and found a few of the old IBM PC clicky keyboards in varying condition, and selected the best 2 for a cost of 5$ to keep for a rainy day. I'd say the keys on these oldies actually are just slightly more "clicky" than the new Razer keyboard I'm using, but without all the functionality and USB options.
As I said before, IMO in the next 5 years everyone will be using mechanical keyboards, and they will be ''old" news. Once the price comes down to say 30 instead of 80 dollars, the bang for the buck will make them commonplace. In the meantime, next time you are in a future shop or best buy/what have you, get them to demo you one of the mechanicals....they make such a difference for typing and accuracy.
I highly doubt it. The amount of typists is not going to explode in the next 5 years and for the hunt&peck type guys it's totally the same if the keyboard is made from rubber or not.
Add that to the ever growing trend of laptops and mobile devices... the future is plastic. Even now I'm typing this on a 17" Macbook with a stupid black rubbery keyboard. I hate it (the keyboard).
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I think the younger generation is pretty adaptable to any keyboard. Over the course of a few years they've probably used dozens of different keyboards at home, school, friend's houses, in stores, etc. So although I find those older keyboards fun to type on, I can type 85+ wpm on this $15 Logitech.
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At about $1800 this keyboard makes those look cheap!
(http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/frontsquare/optimus_maximus.jpg) (http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/keyboards-mice/9836/)
WOW ! what in the world makes it so high dollar ?
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WOW ! what in the world makes it so high dollar ?
Every key is a screen.
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Every key is a screen.
It would have to be solid gold before I would spend that kind of money even if I had plenty .
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It would have to be solid gold before I would spend that kind of money even if I had plenty .
Even then I'd consider it as an investment and sell it when the profit is high enough.
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Even then I'd consider it as an investment and sell it when the profit is high enough.
Got that right ...:)
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I guess it all depends. I'm typing on mine several hours a day.. a cheapy $10-20 keyboard lasts me about 5-6 months tops.
It's also important to remember that those mechanical keyboards are a lot more "Accurate" than the cheap ones you buy in the store today because you can actually feel when a key registers instead of having to pound it all the way down every time. Completely different kind of feel to it and lets you type faster, although to be fair you have to be at 75+ WPM speeds for it to really stand out.
I'll probably fork out the money when it's time for a new one.
They also repair old IBM keyboards too.
Dragon naturally speaking... 200 words a minute (slight exaggeration lol)
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Razer Gaming makes a mechanical gaming keyboard for around $120 USD.
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Yes there are three main types of keyboards commonly used today. Actually there are dozens but three that are the most common.
1> Dome Switch keyboards utilize a metal contact that is suspended by a rubber "spring". When pressed down the contact is pressed down on to two contacts on the circuitboard to register the keypress. Most cheap keyboards use this technology. The biggest drawback to this is that the key must be (almost) fully depressed to register the keypress.
2> "Mechanical" keyboards use an actual switch under each key. In the old days these were not the best option as they tended to be clunky, imprecise, and unreliable but technology today has overcome all of those setbacks. Depending on the manufacturer and the design of the switches these can have very stiff keys, very soft keys or any variance in between. The "cherry" keyboards are probably the most famous right now. Many mechanical keyboards use "Cherry" switches and the feel of the keyboard varies greatly depending on which model of Cherry switches are used.
3> The "Buckling Spring" design is a mechanical design that uses a coil spring under each key. As the key is depressed the spring bends and once it presses against the wall in the cavity this causes a hammer (or lever) under the spring to move and register the keypress. The Old IBM Keyboards (and many models made by Unicomp - the people who have the patent) use this setup. Its advantage is that it provides an audible and mechanical "click" to let you know the keypress has been registered long before the key reaches the bottom of it's travel. This translates into faster typing and less wear and tear on the keyboard itself.
Many people debate over whether #2 or #3 is better and to be honest today both options provide a very similar experience, but nearly everyone (who touch types) can agree that both #2 and #3 are vastly superior to #1. The only advantage #1 has is price... and flexibility. You obviously can't have roll-up silicon keyboards that use #2 or #3, and many laptops simply don't have the space for anything but the #1 method.
Now I find it kind of amusing that people are bringing up $100+ mechanical keyboards when Jayhawk's main point is that the $80 for a Unicomp keyboard is way too expensive. The Optimus Maximum keyboard I posted a pic and link to was just me pointing out that the term "expensive" is a relative one. Personally I feel that $80 for a keyboard that works great and last for years is an excellent bargain. Others may argue that that are willing to spend $150+ (or even thousands) and still consider it to be a bargain. And then there are those who are perfectly happy with a $10 keyboard and see no reason to spend any more.
And I can't argue with that logic. Until my last three keyboards I was using second hand keyboards from my stash in the basement. Old HP, eMachines, or Dell computers that I had saved from computers that I had worked on that were worth fixing. When all of them finally failed (got only knows what abuse they endured before I got my hands on them) I found a fantastic sale at Target for a basic wireless keyboard and mouse (for $14). Those worked great for almost a year but I got tired of messing around with the whole battery deal. Seemed like I was having to change and recharge batteries every couple of weeks on my mouse and my keyboard would last a couple of months but then randomly miss keystrokes and the like. New batteries seemed to help but I got tired of messing with it.
Then I bought a "decent" wired Logitech setup.. a keyboard and mouse for $50. I used the mouse for only a couple of months but I never could get used to it. It was a "palm" type of mouse where you put your whole hand over it and I was used to "fingertip" mice where only my fingertips would touch it. I got a refurbished RAZOR Salmosa mouse from Woot.com for $13.37 and I love it! Been using it for well over a year now! The Logitech Keyboard on the other hand gave up on me after only about six months. The paint had rubbed off of many keys already. Many other keys would intermittently not register keystrokes. Whatever. I bought a cheap Microsoft keyboard for under $10 at a local "Office" store and it's been going well for several months but I catch myself making typos frequently. I don't know if it's me or the keyboard.
I do know that I used to type 100wpm years ago on the old IBM keyboards in high school and today, even with many years of typing experience under my belt, I still struggle to hit 80wpm... honestly it's usually closer to 60-70. A big part of me has to wonder how much that has to do with the keyboard itself. I would have no issues spending $80 on a quality keyboard if it was more comfortable, allowed me to type faster, and lasted for a long time. Heck I've already spent almost that much as it is on replacing inferior products!
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An excellent post!
On a side note, this is the mouse I have been using for 3 years: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006B7HB/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details. Simple, smooth, and accurate.
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I have that wireless Logitech setup and I like it but I got boat load's of batteries from my RC stuff .
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I have a mechanical that I use primarily for my computer builds, the rest of the time it sits in an old filing cabinet in the basement. I like it, but it is loud and bothers others in the room so it's frowned upon by others in the house.
:cry