In search of a keyboard
I was in the shops the other day looking for a new keyboard and was impressed by the lack of quality of keyboards made by major manufacturers. I am talking about quality of the raw plastic material, the feel of pressing a button, the actual key feedback etc. :-) They all looked and felt like my server's £5 keyboard which is never used. On my normal desktop I am still using my Microsoft Natural Keyboard that I bought possibly in 1995 or 1994; it's so long ago I don't even remember... and the only reason I am looking for a replacement is that I opened it a couple of months ago to clean it and I broke a little piece of chassis that now makes the whole left hand group of keys slide forwards and backwards. Which as a matter of fact does make it a little bit annoying but not unworkable if you know what I mean.
Anyway, the other annoying fact is that the new Microsoft keyboards have this elongated Delete button on top of the cursor keys and the Insert button somehow made it into the PrintScreen-ScrollLock-Pause group (didn't they know where to put it?). I still don't understand why the Microsoft guys have made that design decision. Maybe they want us to use Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V for copying and pasting... What happens if I want to use Shift-Ins and Shift-Del, which in fact I use very often? The funny thing is that the Logitech designers followed suit and they did exactly the same imho design mistake!
Perhaps it is the result of a new ergonomic study that made them decide in the exile of the Insert key. Didn't you guys include some real programmers or coders in your study? Or to be more specific did you include any people that actually use the keyboard or you just got internet browsing fans?
I am not therefore buying a new Microsoft or a new Logitech keyboard just because of the annoying design. I just hope that they realise their mistake and fix it in their next generation of keyboards. Exactly as Microsoft realised the mistake of re-arranging the cursor keys in that dreadful diamond-like combination in some of the previous models. Guys if you want to sell more keyboards please try not to be "inventive" and patronising in how keys are arranged and try to focus in build quality and nice little features like a solar panel for example.
Which brings me to my next point. Before my Microsoft Natural Keyboard I used to have a Cherry one. A keyboard that was stylish, had a fantastic feel and was bloody expensive if I remember well :-) Quite probably it still works, well in fact it never failed. The reason for its replacement was that it didn't have a PS/2 interface!
To cut the story short I visited cherry's website and had a look at their latest models. They do have a wireless keyboard with a solar panel. Now, that is not clever but it is useful I think. Not before long I placed my order for one of their corded keyboards which at least in the picture looks nice and well-built. I didn't opt for the wireless as it doesn't really make a big difference, there is still a wire. Besides, I am not going to put the keyboard in my lap sit on the sofa and type...
Anyway. I hope that it lives up to my expectation and that is a cracking keyboard! Watch this space for my review when it arrives later this week...
Anyway, the other annoying fact is that the new Microsoft keyboards have this elongated Delete button on top of the cursor keys and the Insert button somehow made it into the PrintScreen-ScrollLock-Pause group (didn't they know where to put it?). I still don't understand why the Microsoft guys have made that design decision. Maybe they want us to use Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V for copying and pasting... What happens if I want to use Shift-Ins and Shift-Del, which in fact I use very often? The funny thing is that the Logitech designers followed suit and they did exactly the same imho design mistake!
Perhaps it is the result of a new ergonomic study that made them decide in the exile of the Insert key. Didn't you guys include some real programmers or coders in your study? Or to be more specific did you include any people that actually use the keyboard or you just got internet browsing fans?
I am not therefore buying a new Microsoft or a new Logitech keyboard just because of the annoying design. I just hope that they realise their mistake and fix it in their next generation of keyboards. Exactly as Microsoft realised the mistake of re-arranging the cursor keys in that dreadful diamond-like combination in some of the previous models. Guys if you want to sell more keyboards please try not to be "inventive" and patronising in how keys are arranged and try to focus in build quality and nice little features like a solar panel for example.
Which brings me to my next point. Before my Microsoft Natural Keyboard I used to have a Cherry one. A keyboard that was stylish, had a fantastic feel and was bloody expensive if I remember well :-) Quite probably it still works, well in fact it never failed. The reason for its replacement was that it didn't have a PS/2 interface!
To cut the story short I visited cherry's website and had a look at their latest models. They do have a wireless keyboard with a solar panel. Now, that is not clever but it is useful I think. Not before long I placed my order for one of their corded keyboards which at least in the picture looks nice and well-built. I didn't opt for the wireless as it doesn't really make a big difference, there is still a wire. Besides, I am not going to put the keyboard in my lap sit on the sofa and type...
Anyway. I hope that it lives up to my expectation and that is a cracking keyboard! Watch this space for my review when it arrives later this week...
Comments
I will stay with my natural keyboard though for as long as it lives :)