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I'm still using an old IBM keyboard with a PS2/USB adapter. It still works great and the key labels are still crisp and it looks like new, except that the "D" and "K" key labels have slightly faded.
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Yup, I’ve had a Das keyboard, cherry brown switches for more than a decade. No frills: not backlit, not programmable. It just works.
Time is the differentiation of eternity devised by man to measure the passage of human events.
- Manly P. Hall
Mark
Just another cog in the wheel
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They still work - you just need a USB to PS/2 adapter - and be able to live without a Windows Key. I'm using one at work at the moment.
The only other thing is that not all USB adapters or PC USB ports are made to the same standards. I have heard of problems with cheaper USB adapters.
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Das.
Every time you use it you will know where the money went. I have a 5QS and I adore it.
To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.
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Are they quiet ?
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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They're about middling noisy as mechanical keyboards go.
I find the click satisfying, but if you're used to membrane keyboards these are significantly noisier.
To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.
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Thanks good info - it's quite difficult buying one with a UK layout over here but I found one here UK layout keyboard
In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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It's all about the switches, really. Das Keyboard uses Cherry MX switches, of which there are different levels of clicky-ness. Das support a couple of varieties:
- Blue: very clicky
- Brown: less clicky (but still quite clicky)
I have a Das Keybaord with brown Cherrys, and I love it. It does make a fair bit of noise though, so if you really want quiet, you might be better with different switches, e.g. Cherry red. This would mean a different keyboard to Das.
Here's a good comparison of Cherry switches:
Cherry MX Switches: A Complete Color Guide and Chart[^]
There are other switch manufacturers of course, and some are just as good, or better in some cases - I've only really looked a Cherry.
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When my various Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse sets became unreliable, I tried a Logitech G413 (clicky gaming keyboard) but it has a wired connector with a cable thick and stiff enough to tow a truck with which meant things falling off the desk every time you moved it etc.
I've now switched to a G613 (also clicky) which has some programmable function keys on the left (like the original IBM function keys back before most PC users today were born, and which I much prefer to having them out of reach on the top of the keyboard).
So far it has been extremely reliable and batteries last for ages. YMMV of course!
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Slightly OT, but as a general question:
I really like the clicky-part of mechanical keyboards, but they don't come in ergonomic styles, do they? If yes, please recommend!
Even the DAS keyboards are just rectangle planks with keys - which are a pain for my wrists if I use them over 4hrs/day.
I now use the Microsoft Natural Ergo 4000, but don't particularly like the switches.
any ideas?
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Start another thread to garner attention to this request. I'll bet others are also on the lookout for such a keyboard.
Good luck in your search!
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The Unicomp Model M doesn't have USB ports but the one I'm using now is 14 years old and still going strong. I have six in total (two still boxed) and expect to be buried with one.
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I have been using mine for about 8 years now. I love it.
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I get a no frills HP business line model.
For that nice clickity clack, I use Opera GX. It has motivated me to put my entire work flow in a VM with a Guacamole RDP server, so I get those nice sounds in all my work flows.
Also comes with dynamic altering background music, to complement my flow.
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I have a Das Keyboard with brown Cherry MX switches. I love it. Really nice tactile feel to the switches - clicky, a bit on the noisy side, but not offensively so. The construction of the keyboard is just lovely.
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G.SKILL KM 570 MX with cherry MX Blue (sound hard) or Cherry MX Brown (soft) switches. Includes 6 macro keys with 3 modes (18 different macros), All multimedia buttons, USB port and audio IN and OUT ports.
I have had mine for 6 years and it works the same as new. The best keyboard I've everr had.
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I highly recommend the Kinesis Advantage 2. It is a bit pricey (about $360 or maybe more now) and takes about a month to get used to but it is by far the best keyboard I have used. They have a newer model but it doesn't have functions keys so I recommend the Kinesis. It does not have USB ports though.
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My most recent is the DAS 5QS keyboard, and I love it. It's durable and comfortable to use, and since I probably don't have 10 million keystrokes left to me, it will probably be my last keyboard. They don't use Cherry switches any more, but Omron makes an excellent switch, too. As for USB ports, I have a 16-port USB 3.0 switch sitting on the edge of the desk that does everything I need.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I got my boss to purchase a DAS for me a little over 3 years ago. I really like it! I'm an old IBM guy so I really like to know when I've pressed a key. The DAS makes me feel like I'm on an IBM keyboard again!
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I bought the Das Pro 4 and Das Pro 6, and I'm very happy with them. On the 6, the keys lights up, but the special symbols we use to code with don't, and the lighted part of the key sort of blocks out the symbol part of the key. I have no preference over the switches, brown vs blue. Das makes good keyboards and I have no regrets over my purchases. I never use the builtin USB ports, but I do use the volume button quite often.
I have the Logitech Business wireless as well, but I never really use it anymore. Guess I leaned towards mechanical without really thinking about it.
I'm glad I went back to a wired keyboard, no more batteries to deal with and it just works every morning when my rig is powered up.
You can get a discount on the Das on EBay, where Das sells refurbished keyboards, that are really just retail returns from Micro Center.
If it ain't broke don't fix it
Discover my world at jkirkerx.com
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My two favourites are my Unicomp Model M and my Matias PC TactilePro. Once you use buckling spring or ALPS switches, you realise that Cherry MX & their clones really aren't the peak of keyboard switches...
Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p
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I've had a number of different keyboards over the years. I like the IBM Model M I have in the office, but at home I have a Keychron K8 which I'm very happy with. You can get Keychron keyboards at Scorptec in a variety of configurations and switch types. Wired and wireless. From about $100 and up.
If you like clicky keys - go with Blue keyswitches. If you like clicky but hate the noise, go with Brown keyswitches, and if you like silent with no tactile feedback - Go Red keyswitches. Personally I can't stand Red Keyswitches - but I can understand why some other people might like them - particularly for gaming.
If gaming is super important, and you are still partial to Logitech - the tactile feedback romer-g keyboards are all pretty good, but take getting used to. You barely need to breath on the keys for them to register.
Hope that helps.
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