Did Sir Clive Have The Right Idea All Along?

[Green7]

My first computer was the Commodore VIC-20. It's competitors at the time were, amongst others, the ZX81, the Tandy TRS-80, the Atari 800 and the Apple 2 ( or ][ for Apple fans)


All those machines had a 'proper' keyboards - except the ZX81, which was at least a quarter of the price of the nearest competition.


The reasons I chose the VIC were threefold: it didn't cost £1000 (I used to buy the magazine 'Byte' and drool over the advertised kit that, seemingly, only the Yanks could afford/get); it had colour through yer TV and it had a proper keyboard.


Now I think 'Swype' is brilliant.


My point is this - keyboards have been getting steadily worse since around 1984. For me the highpoint of keyboards was the IBM Model M.


Now, it seems, feedback-less, keyless, over and under responsive keyboards are the way it is.


I'm typing this on my band new i7 laptop with, instead of actual keys, has 'chicklets'. Pieces of plastic over a membrane. Like the Sinclair QL had.


Progress?


/kids today know nothing rant

 

[vic20ian]

Excellent.


My first computer was a Vic20 too, still using one and on the old version of Vice on the Pandora ;-)


However, in the keyboard stakes Sir Clive was very wrong IMNSHO.

 

[pmprog]

Of the last 4 computers I bought (2 Revos and an Asus EEE netbook, and a HP laptop) 3 have "calculator key" keyboard layouts, and I really REALLY hate them. The HP laptop doesn't exactly have a great keyboard either. TBH, I'm not a massive fan of the Pandora keyboard either (calculator style, and some weird combos for what I'd consider "common" keys).


To be fair, I'm extreamly picky about my keyboard, especially the size and position of the Return key, and the hash (#) and backslash (\) keys.

 

[Green7]

The Pandora isn't the worst offender - it's got a much better keyboard than almost all modern phones.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

The keys on my new laptop are quite unresponsive and prone to making more typos.guys on the amiga forums were favouring the c64 style mechanical keyboard.

 

[Naynay]

You can still get decent keyboard from clicky keyboards (who seem to find and refurbish old and new model Ms)


http://www.clickykeyboards.com/


....or Unicomp, who have the patents and licence for the model M and who make brand new keyboards with the technology.


http://www.pckeyboard.com/


Another good keyboard is the FILCO majestouch, which is a mechanical clone of the original clicky keyboards. It is a good clone though.


Don't expect any of these keyboards to come cheap, however.

 

[TrashyMG]

My first computer was the ZX81.. I used that computer for several years starting when I was 4 years old.. I hated that keyboard.


I'm a big Model M fan myself.. Since I work for IBM, I tend to collect them when people get rid of them, many just leave them in the Hallway.. perfectly working,most likely because all the new computers that are issued are USB only.


I've heard rumors that these Rosewill keyboards are pretty good for response and nice and clicky.

 

[kojack]

Sorry, I can't hear you over the noise of my razer black widow mechanical keyboard.


While there's a lot of crap keyboards these days, there's also a growing popularity in decent mechanical keyboards (either clicky ones like the black widow or silent ones like the corsair k90).


Most of the imacs at my work have pc keyboards (cheap crappy ones but still usable), but the graphic design teachers insisted on a classroom with those laptop style default imac keyboards and I'm stuck in there for some of my classes.

 

[2bit]

Dang , I had no idea there were such nice key boards out there and to think I thought keyboards were just poorly designed pieces of poo that are annoying when having to work on them all day long eight days a week .

 

[elwing]

I'm so sad... I had a model M long ago and I was loving it... but I can't find it again... I'm afraid someone might have put it in a wastebin...


I used to play SiN with a friend on that model M keyboard... it was so noisy that you could easily tell if someone was camping a spot, playing normally or playing with the U4 mutator on...

 

[Fzero]

Talking of k/boards I just see this

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3AbwJON7ECk?feature=oembed

 

[Caine]

My point is this - keyboards have been getting steadily worse since around 1984. For me the highpoint of keyboards was the IBM Model M.


Now, it seems, feedback-less, keyless, over and under responsive keyboards are the way it is.

This is exactly why I still type on a Model M.

 

[TrashyMG]

And why I'm collecting them when I can find them..

 

[milkshake]

this is the keyboard I use (DELL SK-8115) I love it, its perfect and sexy in one go!

Mine is the UK version however not the US one which this one is I think.

 

[TrashyMG]

^^ so Light...


The IBM Model M can double as a home protection bludgeoning device.

 

[Caine]

^^ so Light...


The IBM Model M can double as a home protection bludgeoning device.

Especially when dual wielded

 

[elwing]

^^ so Light...


The IBM Model M can double as a home protection bludgeoning device.

definately a good device to use for lan parties... I used to carry it when I was still doing lan's...

 

[TrashyMG]

Bah lifting heavy computer equipment used to be the thing to do at LAN parties.. I used to lug around a huge full tower with a ton of hard-drives, Model M keyboard, a Flight Stick, Steering Wheel with pedals and of course a 21" CRT monitor that weighs 100 pounds.


It was how I got exercise from 1998-2004 when I was actively going to LAN parties.

 

[Binky]

when I was actively going to LAN parties.

As distinct from passively going to a lan party?

 

[TrashyMG]

when I was actively going to LAN parties.

As distinct from passively going to a lan party?

Adv. 1. actively - in an active manneractively - in an active manner; "he participated actively in the war"

I used the correct term, I had a group that met two times a month for several years.. Now I'm lucky to go to one every other year.