Are you geek enough for it?

[Cheddar]

But you just posted again Stray.  Ahhh I get it, mental warfare.   

[Sairon]

Since we're talking keyboards http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/

[stray]

But you just posted again Stray.  Ahhh I get it, mental warfare.   

Don't tempt me to do it again. I'm warning ya 

[Signe]

It's a dumbass keyboard and the guy who thought it up is a dumbass.

[Strazos]

Which one?

The blank-buttoned one, or the pretty LCD-buttoned one?

[Signe]

The blank one.  The other one is kind of cool because it has a DonKey but it's too thin for me.  I accidentally break thin things a lot.

[Big Gulp]

The blank one.  The other one is kind of cool because it has a DonKey but it's too thin for me.  I accidentally break thin things a lot.

That and it's not ergonomic.  My dream keyboard would be an ergonomic MS Natural style keyboard, but with the old IBM style clickity keys.

I doubt such a thing will ever come to pass, though.

[schild]

The blank one.  The other one is kind of cool because it has a DonKey but it's too thin for me.  I accidentally break thin things a lot.

That and it's not ergonomic.  My dream keyboard would be an ergonomic MS Natural style keyboard, but with the old IBM style clickity keys.

I doubt such a thing will ever come to pass, though.

Came out in 1995. I've seen a couple. They can be found on Ebay every now and then. It's fully ergonomic and adjustable. I do believe a small pressing was made in black, unless my eyes deceived me once, which isn't all that likely. I like the duotone grey stuff though.

By the way - the arrow keys on both the left and right are LUV.

[Big Gulp]

Came out in 1995. I've seen a couple.

Sweet fancy Moses!  Must own!  I checked all over that site that that jpeg came from but can't find that model listed anywhere there.  Any idea of the model nomenclature so I can either order it there or look on eBay?

ETA:  Besides M15, I mean.  Not sure if that would be the whole product number.  Just seems too simplistic a model number to me.

[schild]

Model M15 indeed.

If I come across one, and I'm always on the lookout for Model Ms, I'll put it aside for you. Right now I only have the silver, blue and black label ones. I need a white label, an ergonomic, and the monster of them all - the airline reservation one. Which I think they still make because our airline companies are prehi-fucking-storic.

[schild]

Bad news:

Lexmark Select-ease (1428401) / IBM Options (13H6689) Model M15 split ergonomic keyboard. (Pictures). This is the best keyboard ever made. No other ergonomic keyboard approaches it in feel or quality. Despite overwhelming praise from owners and reviewers, the M15 keyboard was discontinued in about 1998. If you have one, it should be folded down the middle at a 90-degree angle or smaller, elevating the center, so that the palms of your hands rotate toward each other with thumbs up. Rotating the hands unnaturally with thumbs down to type on a flat keyboard leads to repetitive stress problems. The M15 is ultra-reliable. I have one that has been in regular use since 1995, and it still is in perfect condition. A possible source for a used M15 is Clicky Keyboards. I bought a second M15 from them in July 2005 for $450. They also sell a PS/2 to USB converter for IBM/Lexmark M keyboards for $15. Key Ovation's Goldtouch Ergonomic Keyboard looks like the M15 but uses the same, inferior, rubber dome keyswitches found on cheap keyboards instead of the M15's superior, buckling spring switches.

[Typhon]

M15 is what it's called?  I used one 10 years ago (someone with carpal tunnel apparently worked there before me, and left the keyboard).  It is, indeed, the shit... not $450 worth of shit, mind you, but damn good nonetheless.

I'm getting the other companies keyboard, I'll let you know if it's any good. (https://www.keyovation.com/buyonline/purchase/pc-36-1-gtu0077-goldtouch-ergonomic-keyboard-black-usb.aspx <-- too stoopid to know how to make a clicky)

[stray]

I had no idea that people cared about keyboards so much.

[Merusk]

I had no idea that people cared about keyboards so much.

You obviously never used a 'clicky' keyboard.  I do miss them terribly, even though my office is a much quieter place now.

[WayAbvPar]

I started out as a hunt and peck typist, and just eventually reached the point where I rarely had to look at the keyboard (while typing at around 60-80 WPM).  But I still type with just my index and middle fingers (ring finger of my left hand for the 'a' key and shift, ring finger of the right for enter and backspace).  Big hands, especially on this laptop keyboard trying to touch-type properly would be an excercise in frustration, I can't keep all the fingers over the "home" keys without them being so jammed together so tight I can't move them independantly.

--Dave (typed this post while deliberately not looking, just to make sure I could)

Same boat. Started as a hunt and pecker (heh), but I can now type at a reasonable pace without looking at the keyboard. I use about 3 fingers per hand, and my left thumb for the space bar. My hands aren't giant, but I have all kinds of trouble typing on a flat keyboard- I was forced to use an ergo board at work 5 years ago, and now can't live without it. Bought one for home use too. Typing on a laptop is even worse...ugh.

[Sky]

That Optimus is the keyboard I was referring to, it rocks (I mistakenly said LCD, it's OLED). How cool would it be to have no spell/skill hotbars onscreen, but have the icons on the keyboard itself, backlit?

[Furiously]

I just miss my IBM PC keyboard. That thing was a tank.

[Sky]

I had only used a single Tandy keyboard, based on the old IBM board, from 1993 until last year when I needed a wireless keyboard, on my main pc. They are the best keyboards made thus far, imo. If I were a /real/ geek, I'd find a way to put the wireless circuitry from my wireless keyboard into the old warhorse...

[Morfiend]

I have this and I love it. Took a little getting used to with the non-raised keys, but it really does make a difference over long hours of gaming. Now if I could just learn to spell...


*edit* oh yeah, the LED on it blows. But I just turn it off.

[Shockeye]

Yes, please.

[Murgos]

Can I just get the left hand pad as a seperate item?  Wireless would be appreciated.

[Pococurante]

Yes, please.

The first thing we ever did with this keyboard was type on it. And at that very instant, we liked it much better than our standard keyboard we use every day. The most noticeable difference is the keys. They are soft, quiet, and have the feel of a high-end keyboard. Have you ever heard of anything more annoying than someone typing away on a keyboard so loud that it may as well be a typewriter? Well, compared with the Wolf Claw, our old keyboards sound like typewriters.

Some people do prefer more audible keys over soft and quiet keys, however. For those hacker types out there where the rhythm of their keystrokes are music to their ears, simply hit the keys harder and sing some backing vocals.

Smart asses. :P  Rats I was all gungho until I read the above paragraph,  I need that aural/tactile feedback, and humming Oh Canada on team chat ain't gonna cut it.

[Typhon]

I'm getting the other companies keyboard, I'll let you know if it's any good. (https://www.keyovation.com/buyonline/purchase/pc-36-1-gtu0077-goldtouch-ergonomic-keyboard-black-usb.aspx <-- too stoopid to know how to make a clicky)

I like it, mostly for the form factor (I play with a n52 and have a seperate keypad that I used to play with before the n50/n52, so I don't need an attached keypad), it allows mouse and n52 to be closer together. 

key action is decent, although the press distance is a bit deep.  Spacebars action is very good (was an issue with the m15).  no, it's not clickly. 
keyboard split angle is limited to about 30 degrees. 
center elevation has greater range.

[Miasma]

Ergodex DX1

It is reviewed in October's Maximum PC, you can put the keys wherever you like and program them however you like.  They even used it with World of Warcraft.

And if you don't glue on the labels, it is also as geeky as the Das Keyboard.

[Surlyboi]

I picked this one up the other day. My girlfriend keeps asking me when I'm gonna get ground effects on my case now...

[schild]

I hate the shape of most of the Saitek stuff. It's good hardware, but what's with those corners? There's nothing clean about the lines on it. It's trying to be all industrial looking and fails.

[Surlyboi]

True on the industrial design. If I thought it wouldn't potentially fuck up my precious, precious backlighting, I'd saw the fucking knobby corners off, sand 'em down and cover the ends with duct tape.

[Sky]

I hate the shape of most of the Saitek stuff. It's good hardware, but what's with those corners? There's nothing clean about the lines on it. It's trying to be all industrial looking and fails.

This is the fun part about opinions. I'd love to have those knobby corners, I drop my logitech board all the time (grabbing it off the coffee table or putting it back) because it's too smooth. I need more to grab onto.

With LED, the battery life for a wireless version shouldn't be half bad, especially if you split the circuits so you had a seperate battery set for the LEDs and wireless keyboard.

[Shockeye]

I love the <Montalban> Real Corinthian Leather</Montalban> wrist rest built into my Microsoft keyboard. I wish they newfangled keyboards had something as comfortable.

[Viin]

Just got an email about the Optimus keyboard. They now have a 3 key pad with LCD buttons for sale for $100:

http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus-mini/

Not suppose to get prototypes for the full version until end of the year and production next year.

[schild]

If the 3 button one is $100, logic would point to the 104 key one costing roughly $3200. Cell phones are expensive in Russia.

[SurfD]

Logitech has a pretty sweet Gameing Keyboard out now:

[HaemishM]

Poptart uses that one and loves it.

[Viin]

$80 for that keyboard isn't too bad. I like the backlit keys. I'll have to check it out at Best Buy or somethin' and see if it's be worthwhile or not. I really just need a dedicated PANIC button for EVE when I need to get away from a pirate in a hurry.

[MisterNoisy]

$80 for that keyboard isn't too bad. I like the backlit keys. I'll have to check it out at Best Buy or somethin' and see if it's be worthwhile or not. I really just need a dedicated PANIC button for EVE when I need to get away from a pirate in a hurry.

Macro keys to the rescue!  I've only just started fiddling around with it, but the LCD display is fairly customizable too, via LCD Studio or the SDK.  More info here.