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Ok, I’m going to get a little controversial here (and not for the first or last time, I hope). As part of my ‘day-job’, and outside the office, I use a keyboard a lot, and I use a lot of keyboards. I use them for writing long reports, writing the great English novel and best-selling screenplay (that will one day be heralded as…er…ok, I’ll stop there), as well as banging together pieces like this one for the web, and…last but not least, playing games. Nothing has yet come close to the mouse-keyboard combination for first-person shooters, and whilst I wish someone would produce a proper keyboard that is also geared to gaming (rather than geared to web and media) I haven’t got many grumbles about keyboard design in general.
For most people, I reckon choice of keyboard comes down primarily to the simple ‘feel’ of the keys. You can have a really smart looking thing with every web and media button and built-in scroll wheel, and extra large arrow keys, with no wires, and a couple of USB ports thrown in, but if the keys feel like your typing on a block of Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut that’s come either straight from the fridge or, at the other extreme, out of a warm oven, then all those gizmos and gadgets will be of little consolation. Some people like ‘clicky’ keys, and others prefer ‘spongy’ ones. Some like the low-slung close-knit softer keys that you get on laptops and notebooks, whilst others prefer higher well-defined blocks with plenty of space between them.
I have four keyboards at home and one at work. In the office, I have used a Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro for the last couple of years. I was so impressed that I got one for home as well. It’s heavy and therefore doesn’t move around the table. It’s got loads of media and web buttons (and, I do actually use some of them occasionally). It has two USB sockets, and a detachable wrist rest. But, most importantly, it has the most solid keyboard with that perfect mix of ‘sponginess’ and ‘clickyness’ that I could use for hours on end, with no discomfort. Sadly, they don’t make this keyboard now (or it would be in the spec), and newer versions are lighter and have things like scroll bars and various other gimmicks. The keys don’t have the same feel either. Ever get the feeling they stop making a really good piece of kit because the build quality makes it to expensive to produce?.
There’s a tendency towards lighter keyboards nowadays, especially as wireless becomes increasingly common. The idea that the user is more likely to have the keyboard resting on their knees seems to be driving this trend. But I prefer weight and solidity, so my next keyboard is a real gem in that area: the Apple Pro. Mine is black. It’s narrow frame takes up hardly any room on my desk at home, but it still has all the standard ‘Windows’ keys (bar a couple). It has two well-placed USB sockets and the keys match the Microsoft Pro for that tactile feel. It plugs straight in to any PC USB hub and will be detected (I had no problems in Win2K or XP Pro). The only problem is that certain keys (Print Screen, for example) don’t exist and some are in different places (For example, on a Windows keyboard, the @ key is left of the Enter key…but on the Apple to type @ you have to hit the key in the same position, but the ‘@’ is actually printed on a different one! Confused?). However, Apple keyboards are becoming increasingly popular among PC-users for their build quality and ‘feel’ and there are various free downloads you can get to re-set some of the keys to get you back things like ‘Print Screen’ (‘Applekeys’ is one example…search for it in Google). The only reason I haven’t put the Apple keyboard in the spec, is because of this slight lack of PC-compatibility.
My next favourite keyboard is even more of a cheat, as it’s not only another Apple, but it’s on an i-Book. The only reason I mention it is because of the very special feel of these keys and the fact that using my i-Book, made me wish that someone would invent a notebook-type keyboard for the desk PC. Ideally, it would be solid, reasonably heavy so that it sat firmly on the desk, and would have no ‘gimmicks’ (like lighting up, for example!). As a game player who constantly re-configures function keys, I also wanted it to have room along the top edge to accommodate ‘Post-it’ notes to remind me of key-bindings.
I was therefore very happy and surprised to see the new Coolermaster Alloy Keyboards. I’ve had one for a few days and am well impressed. While the keys are not as positive as my old Microsoft or the Apple Pro, they do have a fantastic ‘notebook’ feel to them and make typing far less of a chore. It looks cool too, and goes nicely with my Lian-Li case. The keys seem to float above the desk and the typing angle is just about perfect. No frills, but solid as a rock and fully-PC compatible. And yes, it does have a reasonable broad surface at the top edge providing plenty of room to stick Post-its or removable tape with my key-binding reminders on. As another bonus, while this board's footprint is even smaller than the Apple Pro, its weight (relative to it's small size) and good quality rubber studs ensure that it sits firmly on the desk...a must when in the middle of an energetic flak-fest.8)
One small niggle is that I find it’s a little too easy to lose my finger position on the left and right arrow keys (that I have bound to left/right strafe in UT2003), so now and then my fingers can slide across to another key without me noticing. It only happens occasionally, and the more I use the board the less it happens. Besides which, I have experienced no loss in my online deathmatch scores using this keyboard, compared to other boards.
Overall, then, it may be a little unusual, but the Coolermaster ‘Q’ Alloy is my choice for the ‘Righteous Rig’ keyboard…until the general feeling in the forum indicates that it should be something else!
For most people, I reckon choice of keyboard comes down primarily to the simple ‘feel’ of the keys. You can have a really smart looking thing with every web and media button and built-in scroll wheel, and extra large arrow keys, with no wires, and a couple of USB ports thrown in, but if the keys feel like your typing on a block of Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut that’s come either straight from the fridge or, at the other extreme, out of a warm oven, then all those gizmos and gadgets will be of little consolation. Some people like ‘clicky’ keys, and others prefer ‘spongy’ ones. Some like the low-slung close-knit softer keys that you get on laptops and notebooks, whilst others prefer higher well-defined blocks with plenty of space between them.
I have four keyboards at home and one at work. In the office, I have used a Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro for the last couple of years. I was so impressed that I got one for home as well. It’s heavy and therefore doesn’t move around the table. It’s got loads of media and web buttons (and, I do actually use some of them occasionally). It has two USB sockets, and a detachable wrist rest. But, most importantly, it has the most solid keyboard with that perfect mix of ‘sponginess’ and ‘clickyness’ that I could use for hours on end, with no discomfort. Sadly, they don’t make this keyboard now (or it would be in the spec), and newer versions are lighter and have things like scroll bars and various other gimmicks. The keys don’t have the same feel either. Ever get the feeling they stop making a really good piece of kit because the build quality makes it to expensive to produce?.
There’s a tendency towards lighter keyboards nowadays, especially as wireless becomes increasingly common. The idea that the user is more likely to have the keyboard resting on their knees seems to be driving this trend. But I prefer weight and solidity, so my next keyboard is a real gem in that area: the Apple Pro. Mine is black. It’s narrow frame takes up hardly any room on my desk at home, but it still has all the standard ‘Windows’ keys (bar a couple). It has two well-placed USB sockets and the keys match the Microsoft Pro for that tactile feel. It plugs straight in to any PC USB hub and will be detected (I had no problems in Win2K or XP Pro). The only problem is that certain keys (Print Screen, for example) don’t exist and some are in different places (For example, on a Windows keyboard, the @ key is left of the Enter key…but on the Apple to type @ you have to hit the key in the same position, but the ‘@’ is actually printed on a different one! Confused?). However, Apple keyboards are becoming increasingly popular among PC-users for their build quality and ‘feel’ and there are various free downloads you can get to re-set some of the keys to get you back things like ‘Print Screen’ (‘Applekeys’ is one example…search for it in Google). The only reason I haven’t put the Apple keyboard in the spec, is because of this slight lack of PC-compatibility.
My next favourite keyboard is even more of a cheat, as it’s not only another Apple, but it’s on an i-Book. The only reason I mention it is because of the very special feel of these keys and the fact that using my i-Book, made me wish that someone would invent a notebook-type keyboard for the desk PC. Ideally, it would be solid, reasonably heavy so that it sat firmly on the desk, and would have no ‘gimmicks’ (like lighting up, for example!). As a game player who constantly re-configures function keys, I also wanted it to have room along the top edge to accommodate ‘Post-it’ notes to remind me of key-bindings.
I was therefore very happy and surprised to see the new Coolermaster Alloy Keyboards. I’ve had one for a few days and am well impressed. While the keys are not as positive as my old Microsoft or the Apple Pro, they do have a fantastic ‘notebook’ feel to them and make typing far less of a chore. It looks cool too, and goes nicely with my Lian-Li case. The keys seem to float above the desk and the typing angle is just about perfect. No frills, but solid as a rock and fully-PC compatible. And yes, it does have a reasonable broad surface at the top edge providing plenty of room to stick Post-its or removable tape with my key-binding reminders on. As another bonus, while this board's footprint is even smaller than the Apple Pro, its weight (relative to it's small size) and good quality rubber studs ensure that it sits firmly on the desk...a must when in the middle of an energetic flak-fest.8)
One small niggle is that I find it’s a little too easy to lose my finger position on the left and right arrow keys (that I have bound to left/right strafe in UT2003), so now and then my fingers can slide across to another key without me noticing. It only happens occasionally, and the more I use the board the less it happens. Besides which, I have experienced no loss in my online deathmatch scores using this keyboard, compared to other boards.
Overall, then, it may be a little unusual, but the Coolermaster ‘Q’ Alloy is my choice for the ‘Righteous Rig’ keyboard…until the general feeling in the forum indicates that it should be something else!
