View Full Version : new Computer keyboard - recommendations?
I need to get a new keyboard. Looking for something that has keys with the feel and quality of the old IBM or Tandy machines of the 1980s. Don't want wireless and must have numeric keypad.
Budget up to a ton but I'd rather not pay that much.
Had a look on line but the choice is vast and most of them look like tat. Any help gratefully received.
Picked up a Dell keyboard in a boot sale for about a fiver a couple of years ago. It replaced a previous Dell keyboard, where some of the letters had worn from much use.
VillageIdiot
25-09-2020, 12:13
You may want to look at the Cherry mechanical keyboards:
https://www.cherry.co.uk/products/office-and-home-office/keyboards.html?cat=404
My favourite is the G80-3000, reminiscent of the original IBM AT keyboard of yore:
https://www.cherry.co.uk/cherry-g80-3000.html
Available here for £90:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cherry-WHITE-standard-keyboard-tactile/dp/B0031KH4R8/ref=pd_lpo_147_t_0/258-2403174-6778934?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0031KH4R8&pd_rd_r=96de4b82-0d6e-454e-bafc-4a099ab0a124&pd_rd_w=i8APN&pd_rd_wg=b1onh&pf_rd_p=7b8e3b03-1439-4489-abd4-4a138cf4eca6&pf_rd_r=WY24VP10PZMY6M7JH004&psc=1&refRID=WY24VP10PZMY6M7JH004
walpurgis
25-09-2020, 12:17
I'm using an Acer keyboard that came with a new PC. It has proper hard buttons with a good tactile operation and USB lead. Probably loads on ebay.
You may want to look at the Cherry mechanical keyboards:
https://www.cherry.co.uk/products/office-and-home-office/keyboards.html?cat=404
My favourite is the G80-3000, reminiscent of the original IBM AT keyboard of yore:
https://www.cherry.co.uk/cherry-g80-3000.html
Available here for £90:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cherry-WHITE-standard-keyboard-tactile/dp/B0031KH4R8/ref=pd_lpo_147_t_0/258-2403174-6778934?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0031KH4R8&pd_rd_r=96de4b82-0d6e-454e-bafc-4a099ab0a124&pd_rd_w=i8APN&pd_rd_wg=b1onh&pf_rd_p=7b8e3b03-1439-4489-abd4-4a138cf4eca6&pf_rd_r=WY24VP10PZMY6M7JH004&psc=1&refRID=WY24VP10PZMY6M7JH004
I like the look of that - expensive but it will get used 40 hrs a week so maybe worth it.
Looks exactly like my Dell.
Maybe Cherry make keyboards for others on an OEM basis.
I can recommend the Keyboard Company (https://www.keyboardco.com/). They sell top quality keyboards. I've bought couple of great keyboard from them (but they don't have numerical keypads - so no go for you).
Company called Unicomp makes buckling spring mechanical keyboards using the original IBM Model M moulds.
Not QUITE as good as the original, but not a couple of hundred quid for a 30yr old piece of plastic either.
In your budget Martin.
Shovel_Knight
22-12-2020, 11:29
Company called Unicomp makes buckling spring mechanical keyboards using the original IBM Model M moulds.
Not QUITE as good as the original, but not a couple of hundred quid for a 30yr old piece of plastic either.
In your budget Martin.
I don't know about their recent keyboards but my Unicomp M stopped working after ~3 years of service - it turns out there is a design flaw, one part of the plate rubs against the membrane and eventually breaks one of the traces. Also they're non-serviceable (unlike the old IBM Model M) since the controller board is simply pressed onto the membrane, once you disassemble it, good luck aligning the pads properly.
The Keyboard Company sells a lot of great keyboards, I would recommend Filco - it's a high quality Japanese brand of keyboards. They use the same switches as Cherry keyboards but their build quality is 15 times better. I have two Filco keyboards and one Cherry G80-3000, the difference in sturdiness and weight is startling.
Thanks but both keyboards are over my £100 max budget which in any case I've already frittered away on some other tat.
Both the Filco and Unicom look like what I'm after though. Just surprised it is so expensive to buy a decent keyboard.
Shovel_Knight
22-12-2020, 13:13
Just surprised it is so expensive to buy a decent keyboard.
Yes, it is expensive, but very much worth it if you do a lot of typing. I type tens of not hundreds of thousands of symbols every week and my first mechanical keyboard was probably one of my best buys ever - it's still going strong after 12 years and I don't see it wearing out or becoming obsolete anytime soon.
In comparison, I buy a new computer every 3 to 4 years, so I'd rather spend a bit less on non-essential parts and invest in a decent keyboard, mouse and display - the bits I'm actually interacting with...
Why would you need a separate keyboard for a laptop?;)
Get yourself a brand new (and reliable) laptop, from a quality manufacturer, preferably with an extended warranty, bought from a privately owned computer shop (there must be some in Stoke), and not Currys or some other such shite, where you'll get personal service and good aftersales backup, if necessary - and stop penny-pinching when you can afford not to!:ner:;)
Tightwaddery, always looking for the cheap option, is a sure way of suffering regularly from 'computer disasters'... Instead spend £800-£1k and get something new that should provide you with trouble-free service for YEARS, and therefore pay for itself in the long term. Makes sense, trust me!:)
Marco [satisfied owner of a bought-from-new Apple MacBook Pro, which he's had for six years, and NEVER-EVER suffers from 'computer disasters'].
It's for my work computer not my laptop.
No way I would spend a grand on a computer, not in a million years. My laptop was £200, reconditioned from the local computer shop. Had it 4 years now still working perfectly. They cost almost a grand new, why would I pay that when I can have one for a fifth of the price? Nothing depreciates faster than a brand new computer.
Because you're not (potentially) inheriting any underlying/existing problems!;)
Why must the most important consideration always be price, when you can afford to buy what you like? That's a mentality I've never been able to understand. Is that tightwaddery something you've inherited from your dear dad?:ner: And I mean that in the nicest possibly way:)
It's a mentality I've simply never been able to understand. My approach has always been *if* I can easily afford to buy something, then I buy the best I can afford.. Logical, no? Depreciation is irrelevant if you're not intending on selling something on.
Brand new, with an extended warranty, bought from a specialist, 'bricks and mortar' retailer = trouble free service and peace of mind, which for me is priceless! You've been lucky that the used laptop you bought has lasted you so long and been reliable, but it could've easily been very different.
Anyway, we just have totally different mindsets towards these things, which is fine. However, if this new keyboard is for work purposes, then I presume that your company is paying for it?
Marco.
walpurgis
23-12-2020, 21:51
Just pop in Tesco and get two of their 'Trust' USB keyboards for £12 and have one for spare. They'll do the job and will work just fine :).
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/292414248
Shovel_Knight
23-12-2020, 21:51
Why would you need a separate keyboard for a laptop?;)
Because the built-in keyboard is shitty and only good for writing short emails while on business trips :lol: At home my laptop is docked and used with a proper keyboard, ergonomic mouse and two 24-inch 4K displays.
Also: my current laptop is a MacBook Pro with the infamous "Butterfly" keyboard that has already failed 3 times! Mind you, Apple replaces it free of charge every time it breaks down, but since it's defective by design, it inevitably fails again :D
Yes my old man was tight with money too, always bought used cars, clothes from Matalan, wouldn't put the heating on as it was costing him money. Had thousands stashed away though.
The laptop had six months warranty on it, any underlying issues would have shown up in that time. In any case I know the bloke and he wouldn't mess me about.
Work won't pay for a flash keyboard, I use my own keyboard anyway as they only provide the absolute basic thing and the job involves a lot of typing. I had actually convinced them to order us some better keyboards but then right away we had the whole zombie apocalypse thing happen so it got put on hold.
Because the built-in keyboard is shitty and only good for writing short emails while on business trips :lol: At home my laptop is docked and used with a proper keyboard, ergonomic mouse and two 24-inch 4K displays.
Also: my current laptop is a MacBook Pro with the infamous "Butterfly" keyboard that has already failed 3 times! Mind you, Apple replaces it free of charge every time it breaks down, but since it's defective by design, it inevitably fails again :D
That sounds good. I use a proper mouse with the laptop though. Nothing fancy, I think I found it in the street. Can't stand using that tracky thing.
Laptop is a Fujitsu Lifebook A Series. You got your Bluetooth, your spill resistant keyboard with numeric keypad, your DVD drive, your 165 gig hard-drive (which I've used about 10 percent of). You can stream HD film or TV on wireless no problem. And the case and keyboard are top quality. It won't do the latest fancy video game graphics but I don't play those sort of games anyway.
Yes my old man was tight with money too, always bought used cars, clothes from Matalan, wouldn't put the heating on as it was costing him money. Had thousands stashed away though.
You see, whilst meaning no disrespect to your dad, it is *precisely that mentality* I don't get. What drives that type of thinking? For me, it's not healthy.
I mean, what's the point in stashing thousands away if you're not enjoying it - especially when you could pop your clogs at any time? And then where would it all go?:scratch:
For me, life is for enjoying yourself (within reason), and not being a spendthrift, but not being a tightwad either. Happy mediums, remember?;)
The laptop had six months warranty on it, any underlying issues would have shown up in that time. In any case I know the bloke and he wouldn't mess me about.
Fair enough. That makes some sense, but I'd still rather buy things like that new, for the reasons outlined.
Work won't pay for a flash keyboard, I use my own keyboard anyway as they only provide the absolute basic thing and the job involves a lot of typing. I had actually convinced them to order us some better keyboards but then right away we had the whole zombie apocalypse thing happen so it got put on hold.
So a multi-billion pound company like Fed-Ex are also tightwads? :D What's the world coming to!!
Sorry, but my view is that if you want me to work for you, and profit from MY skillsets, then YOU provide *everything* necessary that I need to do the job. No idea why anyone would put up with anything different. When I worked for companies, I never had to buy anything that was needed to allow me to work, except a suit!;)
But I get that you want to buy the keyboard, in order to make your job easier, but that still doesn't make it right. Shit like that, mate, is why I hate the whole corporate thing, where you're treated simply as a disposable pawn.
Marco.
You see, whilst meaning no disrespect to your dad, it is *precisely that mentality* I don't get. What's the point in stashing thousands away if you're not enjoying it - especially when you could pop your clogs at any time? And then where would it all go?:scratch:
For me, life is for enjoying yourself (within reason), and not being a spendthrift, but not being a tightwad either. Happy mediums, remember?;)
Fair enough. That makes some sense, but I'd still rather buy things like that new, for the reasons outlined.
So a multi-billion pound company like Fed-Ex are also tightwads? :D What's the world coming to!!
.
No, in fairness as I said, when I pointed out that due to the nature of the work we did need better quality keyboards they did agree to sort it out. But that was back in March and since then there's been other priorities, which is understandable.
Because the built-in keyboard is shitty and only good for writing short emails while on business trips :lol: At home my laptop is docked and used with a proper keyboard, ergonomic mouse and two 24-inch 4K displays.
Well, I don't doubt what you say, but IME that's not been the case. Pretty much every laptop I've owned has always had a more than adequate keyboard, which has lasted the lifespan of the machine [several years] - and look how many posts I've got on here!:ner:;)
Using an external mouse for me defeats the point of a LAPtop, as I actually use mine on my LAP [often when lying back on the sofa]. Just like I'm doing now!
Therefore I don't want to be 'tethered' to any extraneous 'bits'. It needs to be an 'all in one' solution. And I don't want to be 'propped up' and sat at a table either, when using one, and feeling like I'm in an office. I want to chill and relax!
Also: my current laptop is a MacBook Pro with the infamous "Butterfly" keyboard that has already failed 3 times! Mind you, Apple replaces it free of charge every time it breaks down, but since it's defective by design, it inevitably fails again :D
Well... A) I've never heard of the "infamous 'butterfly' keyboard", so could you explain what that is exactly? And b) despite having had constant use for six years, my Pro still has its original keyboard, and which is still performing faultlessly. So if it's 'defective by design' then mine must've been one of the non-defective ones, produced for 'special people':eyebrows:
;)
Marco.
No, in fairness as I said, when I pointed out that due to the nature of the work we did need better quality keyboards they did agree to sort it out. But that was back in March and since then there's been other priorities, which is understandable.
Well then, if you have to fork out for one, they should reimburse you accordingly. That's certainly what I'd be insisting upon.
Marco.
Shovel_Knight
23-12-2020, 22:39
When Apple completely redesigned their MacBook Pro lineup in 2016, they switched to a new keyboard design using so-called "butterfly switches" (their terminology, not mine). These keyboards can fail when a single dust particle gets under a key. Just Google "butterfly keyboard failure", it is most illuminating.
My MacBook Pro is from 2017 and it's an absolute piece of trash. In addition to the failing keyboard, it was subject to two extended service notices because their batteries are prone to catching fire and their motherboards also tend to cook themselves. As an Apple user since times immemorial, I am utterly disappointed and even a bit apprehensive about buying an Apple laptop ever again.
Well then, if you have to fork out for one, they should reimburse you accordingly. That's certainly what I'd be insisting upon.
Marco.
Yeah but now's not the time to be doing that, remember your Tsun Su. Very useful when applied to the workplace is Tsun Su.
Thanks for the explanation, Pavel, and sorry to hear that, but I've had a totally different experience, and couldn't be more delighted with my purchase. Mine has the 15" retina screen and cost £1500 new, and that was 6 years ago, with ZERO problems since.
We'll see what happens with the next one! But, in general, I've always been lucky with computers:)
Marco.
Thanks for the explanation, Pavel, and sorry to hear that, but I've had a totally different experience, and couldn't be more delighted with my purchase. Mine has the 15" retina screen and cost £1500 new, and that was 6 years ago, with ZERO problems since.
We'll see what happens with the next one! But, in general, I've always been lucky with computers:)
Marco.
So you bought yours before they redesigned it, that's why you've not had those problems.
Thanks for the explanation and sorry to hear that, but I've had a totally different experience, and couldn't be more delighted with my purchase. My Pro has the 15" Retina screen and cost £1500 new, and that was 6 years ago, with ZERO problems since - and it gets used A LOT!
We'll see what happens with the next one! But, in general, I've always been lucky with computers:)
Marco.
Shovel_Knight
23-12-2020, 22:51
Thanks for the explanation, Pavel, and sorry to hear that, but I've had a totally different experience, and couldn't be more delighted with my purchase. Mine has the 15" retina screen and cost £1500 new, and that was 6 years ago, with ZERO problems since.
We'll see what happens with the next one! But, in general, I've always been lucky with computers:)
Marco.
Well, my previous MacBook Pro from 2014 was a beast and completely problem-free. This newer one was considerably more expensive (€2500) and much worse in almost every respect - it's faster and the built-in display is better, but it doesn't have any ports except for USB-C, the keyboard is unusable and it's about as reliable as a Soviet car :lol: I hope the new generation will be better, but this time I will let other people test it before spending a good chunk of cash!
Yeah but now's not the time to be doing that, remember your Tsun Su. Very useful when applied to the workplace is Tsun Su.
Lol - very good. I get what you're saying, but you shouldn't have to play such games. It should simply be a case of sending your employers proof of purchase of your keyboard, and them reimbursing you with a smile on their face, as you're not asking for anything 'special' or that you're not entitled to, so why fanny about?
Sorry, that's just not how things work in my world - or at least the one that I insist on living in!;)
Marco.
Well, my previous MacBook Pro from 2014 was a beast and completely problem-free. This newer one was considerably more expensive (€2500) and much worse in almost every respect - it's faster and the built-in display is better, but it doesn't have any ports except for USB-C, the keyboard is unusable and it's about as reliable as a Soviet car :lol: I hope the new generation will be better, but this time I will let other people test it before spending a good chunk of cash!
Indeed, lol. It's like Macca's said, the new ones are pish (in key areas) compared with the older ones, most likely due to cost cutting, which is often the case with so many new things today. It does my head in...
Anyway, thanks for the 'heads up' - I'll certainly bear that in mind when considering a new MacBook Pro.
Marco.
Lol - very good. I get what you're saying, but you shouldn't have to play such games. It should simply be a case of sending your employers proof of purchase of your keyboard, and them reimbursing you with a smile on their face, as you're not asking for anything 'special' or that you're not entitled to, so why fanny about?
Sorry, that's just not how things work in my world - or at least the one that I insist on living in!;)
Marco.
lol I'd have to be a lot higher up the pay scale before I could get away with doing that.
Lol - you're simply reaffirming why I stopped 'working for the man', early doors, and became my own boss, as I just wouldn't put up with that pish. Tolerating being taken advantage of like that, and effectively allowing employers to walk all over you, is the main reason why in so many areas, workers today are treated like crap and job satisfaction/morale is so low.
Anyway, not long to you retire or get the redundancy package you want:)
Marco.
dave2010
24-12-2020, 08:43
Interesting thread this, particularly about the Apple keyboards since 2016 or so. I have a Macbook Pro from 2013. When the battery failed a few years ago I had it serviced, and the Apple store people noticed that the keboard wasn't working properly either after the new battery install, so they put in a new keyboard. I also have a very cheap plastic wireless keyboard - this one I think - https://smile.amazon.co.uk/OMOTON-Ultra-Slim-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Devices-White/dp/B019O1R4DQ/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=wireless+keyboard+for+Apple&qid=1608797439&sr=8-3 which doesn't satisfy the OPs requirememts (wireless and no numeric pad) but it's good because it's lighweight, and will work with iPads and go in a backpack. Otherwise it's cheap and plasticcy - but cheap is quite good in this case. I had several of the original Apple wireless keyboards, which were good up to a point, but with a blank-blank very stupid design flaw. It wasn't the keys which failed, but rather the AA batteries, which could then get stuck inside and sometimes be impossible to get out, resulting in my having to send what were otherwise perfectly good keyboards - and quite expensive ones too - to the dump. Apart from that issue, the original Apple wireless keyboards can be picked up on eBay for maybe not too much - and currently one seller claims to have new and unused ones - but they become useless as soon as dodgy batteries are put in which corrode and get stuck inside. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-Apple-Magic-Wireless-Keyboard-A1644-MLA22B-A-UK-British-English-NEW/402273540972?epid=1950143905&hash=item5da95f1b6c:g:obMAAOSwkIJfb3oi
Re Apple generally - some of their kit is really good, and simlarly some of the software, but I have been right peed off by the Catalina update which I did earlier this year, which efffectively trashed some of the software I was using on my Macbook Pro. However, we recently bought a "cheap" 27 inch iMac -2019 model from John Lewis, and apart from the fusion drive which is noisier than I'd like, it's really good. However, it did cost around £1300 even at the sale price, so not fitting in the cheaper class of machines mentioned up thread. It's way faster than my i7 based laptop on anything based on video - such as video editing, though benchmark testing suggests that the i7 is still very fast for raw processing tasks.
Allegedly the very latest Mac mini with the M1 chip is supposed to be very fast and affordable, but I probably don't need one!
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