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Most & least favorite keyboards?

J

JeffMeunier

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Joined
Jan 12, 2007
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Location
usually Connecticut, occasionally Taiwan and Thail
In a different thread someone mentioned that they thought the Atari 800 XL keyboard was one of their favorites. Someone also provided a link to the worst 10 keyboards of all time (great read!). As a long-time programmer (my coding binge started when I was 12, and it's still going strong at age 40), the keyboard has always been my first consideration in a computer.

So I thought it would be interesting to talk about keyboards. My own keyboard ratings consider only the feel of the keyboard, not necessarily the layout. I can get used to a new layout after a short time.

My ratings in chronological order:
  • Apple II+: excellent (wish I knew what model/year/whatever, because later II+ models were much worse, really mushy)
  • Sinclair ZX 80: utterly abysmal
  • OSI C1P: acceptable, and if played loud music I couldn't hear the terrible hollow clunky sound (those were my Van Halen days)
  • VIC-20: excellent tactile feel; C64 pretty much identical
And in my recent years as a collector:
  • Amstrad NC100/200: mediocre
  • Tandy 102/Tandy 200: excellent; wish I could retrofit a PC mobo ;)

So what are your own opinions of keyboards? Do you prefer quiet? Loud? Stiff? Soft? (yes, still talking about keyboards) Do you care about the feel? The layout? I wonder if people's preferences are nearly universal.
 
The VIC and C64 keyboards mechanically and electrically are identical (interchangable!), only the print and possibly colour on the keycaps differ them. However there are a few different types of mechanisms on those as well so you can't say all are equal.

The best tacticle response yet I've witnessed from a vintage computer was one out of five BBC Micros that I've tried. The other four have more worn keyboards, thus not as immediate response as the fifth one, possibly less used. Of course you can feel how the keys respond on every different computer and grade them but it may depend a lot of their condition.

Some are easier to clean and restore than others. Those using graphite plungers onto a loose circuit board (e.g. Commodore) are rather easy to refurbish, while those using micro switches soldered to the board (e.g. Acorn BBC, Microbee etc) are beyond my abilities and determination to desolder, pull apart and clean. I'm unsure how e.g. Atari 800/XL, various MSXs, Apple IIs, TRS-80, IBM PC/XT etc are assembled.
 
I'd have to say the the keyboard on my Apple IIC is my favorite, it very reponcive, well spaced and it clicks (witch is the best part), and the NEC PC-8201A is my next favorite. The both handle quite well I find.

My least favorite is the one on my TRS-80 Model 4, I don't know if it's dirty, but the keys are too quiet, there slow to respond, it's easy to miss keys, and the overall key placment I find isn't great (eg. the arrows's, the clear key, etc.).


I generaly like any keyboard that is loud, and it's a great bonus if a keyboard clicks when you type (like the early IBM ones)
 
I can't be very helpful in this... but I have to say my least favorite was the wireless keyboard. My mouse was also wireless and it would keep dying on me. For some reason the keyboard stayed alive and kicking, but I still didn't like having a wireless system.
 
I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the Tandy Coco1 keyboard. I was expecting it to be much worse.

My favorite - The IBM Selectric Typewriter (interfaced to a computer). There is nothing like an electric typewriter. I wish all modern keyboards were electric.

The Apple II has a nice keyboard, but you need to load a de-bounce routine to help avoid duplicated keystrokes, same goes for early ascii keyboards.

bill
 
It's interesting how people have different preferences...

It's not just the feel of the keys, but also the placement and how well they conform to a standard layout which determines my like or dislike. For example, I find the Vic and C64 dreadful to use. Too high, mushy and some of the non-alphanumeric keys are not where I expect them to be from prior experience with minicomputer terminals and other micros.

Other keyboard cludges include anything with membrane and chiclet keys. The membrane ZX-80/81 keyboard combines the worst of everything in that even the keypresses don't give you a standard single character, but rather a keyword depending on the key combination. Not far behind is the original ZX-Spectrum for the same reason (chiclet rather than membrane though).

The colour genie also has a keyboard that's too high and too springy, but I suspect not many of you would have used those.

I'm also non-plussed about my Apple IIe keyboard.

Favorites of mine include the Atari 800XL, the TRS-80 Model 100 (beautiful feel) and the original "clicky" IBM-PC although I can get tripped up with the small shift keys on that one.

Tez
 
I agree with compaqxp, the best keyboards are the early IBMs. Its too bad about the small enter key and the obsolete interface. I would like to use one of those all the time, but the best I can do is the model M. I've got a stack of those and it's been my favourite for years. My girlfriend does a lot of typing and I recently put a model M in front of her. She's hooked now.

The thing I like is the positive feel. When I type I leave my fingers on the keyboard and that makes for a lot of extra letters on some superlight boards. Lighter ones also make me miss a lot of letters because I find it hard to judge the exact amount of pressure. That, despite the fact that I'm a professional woodwind player. If there's no click or something I don't know that I missed something. I typically don't look at the screen unless there's a reason to (and typing isn't one of them) so missing letters is really irritating.

My current setup is not at a desk. I have the screen on a swing arm off the wall with the keyboard resting in front of it. If I need to type more than a single command, I take the keyboard in my lap which (with a small pillow) gives a comfortable arrangement. Unfortunately the model M is a bit clumsy for that setup so I've been using a BENQ x800. That has an interesting feel. There is a distinct snap to the keys - although much lighter than the IBM. I've found it OK to type on for the last two years but I think it's time to redo my setup. Although the BENQ is cheap ($20) it's also cheap (grin) - the letters are wearing off now. Another problem is that it has extra little keys which require some serious configuration with scancodes if you want to use them. It also has a couple of keys with the logo of some American software company on them. That, I find highly ofensive. Apart from that, it is probably one of the best cheapies I've come across.
 
I loved the keyboard on my TRS-80 Model IV. The Model 4P wasn't as good, but it was still quite usable.

I've given serious thought to doing a case mod on a dead Model IV, and putting a mini-ATX mobo in it. I'd probably set it up to run MS-DOS, and run the David Keil TRS-80 Model III/IV/4P emulator on it though ;-)

I have to agree with JeffMeunier on one thing: The keyboard on my TRS-80 Model 100's and the 102 are outstanding. I like the Model 200 keyboard, but I prefer the form-factor of the 100/102.
 
From the computers I own and right off my shelf, I'd personally rate mine in the following order from good on down.
Remember I'm rating these only because I have, and use them, not because they are the best keyboards - just rating the ones of 'my' collection.

#1. Apple IIC
#2. Radio Shack Model 100
#3. Commodore 128
#4. Tandy CoCo 2
#5. TI994A *but the non-alpha key layout is atrocious, and the keys are a little steep, similar to my VIC-20. But on both the VIC and the TI you can type fairly quickly the alphabet characters.
#6. Atari 800XL & Atari 600XL
#7. VIC-20
#8. Apple IIe

#0. (not yet vintage), but one I just received today, and although not old enough to be vintage yet, is my Toshiba T1960 laptop. A 486 DX50 machine with a very nice keyboard. I usually frown at laptop keyboards but this 'old school' one is quite nice - and slid to the front which I much prefer. In about 6 more years this T1960 should go vintage and it will then fit right in with my other machines. Combined with my little Toshiba Libretto CT50, I'm starting to like old Toshiba machines.

picture.php
 
Vint, I used to have a work machine very similar to that. Not quite the same...but one of the Toshiba 1900 series.

Seeing it again makes me quite nostalgic.

I certainly remember that clip-on ball mouse. Very functional and it worked well.

Tez
 
Keyboards [on topic], PCMCIA/CF adapter [off topic]

Keyboards [on topic], PCMCIA/CF adapter [off topic]

So I see that preferences in keyboards are not at all universal. Those old IBM clicky keyboards are admittedly easy to type on, but I don't like that click. Others prefer the click. Interesting.

As far as layout goes, on modern systems (Win/Lin) I absolutely *require* that the Control key be placed to the left of the A key (I use Emacs more than I use my web browser), which means I always reconfigure the keyboard. Thankfully most vintage systems already have the control key in the 'correct' position ;), even though they couldn't dream of loading Emacs. Although I did once connect my NC100 to a Linux machine as a dumb terminal... just have to figure out termcap for that thing.

\begin{offtopic}
FYI Vint (and anyone else): if you pry the top metal cover off that SanDisk PCMCIA/CF adapter and cut out some of the black plastic underneath it, it'll accept a MicroDrive, and it still fits into a Type II PCMCIA slot, and it still works fine. The PCMCIA adapter has slotted rails that accept the CF or MicroDrive, holding it snugly in place even without the cover.
\end{offtopic}
 

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Heh. I'm also a daily Emacs user, but never had a problem with CTRL being positioned on the bottom row on the keyboard. Actually I disliked the old Sun 4 keyboards for having more "inlined" control key(s).
 
carlsson said:
never had a problem with CTRL being positioned on the bottom row on the keyboard.
Click to expand...

Do you use your thumb or your pinky? Left hand? How the heck do you do it? My control keys are under the palms of both of my hands, so they're really awkward to reach. Oh, wait, are you using a full-size keyboard? I'm using a ThinkPad X31: it has a rather reduced-size keyboard. That may make the difference. Ah, yes, the real control key is much more reachable on my desktop PC. On the X31 it's directly below the A key, 2 rows down.

Furthermore, for 'meta' in Emacs I usually hit Esc because, even though it's farther away, it's quicker than twisting around for the Alt key (still talking about the X31). Haven't written code on my desktop PC in a while.

Perhaps PC makers moved Ctrl to be near Alt because Ctrl-Alt-Del is such a common key combination. Just a thought.
 
The C-64 keyboard (1st gen) is where I feel at home, probably because I used it for so long. Second runner up is probably my IBM Model M which I have attached to my PC.

The worst one I've used is the Timex Sinclair / ZX81. I *REALLY* tried to work with it. I even had the rubber keyboard that went over top of it. I just couldn't do it.

The second worst was the TRS-80 Model I keyboard. But that was probably due to the space bar not working very well.
 
well, i can tell you now that i HATE the keyboard on the tandy 1000 hx i just got.. ugh so mushy. and bad placement as well.
 
Yeah, the keyboard I got for the TX I have is nothing to write home about either, but, it works and the whole system will be sold soon.

I had actually considered keeping it since it has a 42MB hard card, a Dallas SmartWatch module and, when I dropped a Lava 8-bit VGA card into it today, it worked perfectly and looks great on the Sun 20".

The 720K a: drive and 360K b: drive makes it still quite usuable and, for a 8MHz (semi) 286, it's quite peppie.

Helps that the hard card has a 20mS WD344R drive.
 
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I don't think I ever had a favorite. My ergonomnic MICROSOFT keyboard is interesting. I like all the keyboard functions for sound, email etc. BUT the layout is difficult to get used to.

My LEAST FAVORITE of all time was the IBM 83/84 key clicky keyboard with the "pinky" finger keys in awkward positions. I sure was happy to get my clone keyboard and get away from IBM.

VINT:D Glad you posted that picture. I saw one of those trackballs kicking around here a couple weeks ago and wondered what it came off of. I also have or had a Satellite laptop. Too much junque and don't know where anything is.
 
My Top 5
#1.) Northgate Omnikey 102 - Best layout, best feel, clicks greatly, my #1. I two prefer CTRL next to the "A" key, and my function keys down the side, which only my Omnikey has (well, unless you count the IBM Model "F" XT Keyboard, but that does not adapt well)

#2.) Platinum Sound CC-104 - I love the feel of this keyboard, kind of a halfway between a Model "M" and the Omnikey, and the clock/calc is a neat feature, though I wish it was backlit

#3) IBM Model "M" - This is the keyboard I learned to type on, and I have forever been comfortable with this one ever since. It's also one of the few keyboards I don't feel cramped typing on.

#4) IBM Model "F" 83 key PC/XT Keyboard - I like this one's feel better than the Model "M", but like someone said, the "pinky buttons" can be a pain when you get going typing and finger accuracy is lacking.

#5) Focus 2000 101 Key - This one is cool in that it has a cover over the top of the keys, which is useful when cluttering your desk like I do. It also feels much like the Omni Key, though it suffers from the lack of a good layout.


By Bottom 5

#1 - BTC Keyboards - Every one I have owned has been the worst, mushy feeling piece of junk I've ever had. The older they are, the worse they feel, the oldest ones almost feel like you are trying to type on a chicklet keyboard covered in mashed potatoes.

#2 - Microsoft Natural Keyboards - I really can't stand any ergonomic keyboards because my typing style is very weird, but the Microsoft Natural takes the cake as the most uncomfortable. I have to bugger with these at work, and I always find myself having to re-correct to the less comfortable classic typing method so I can use these keyboards, most of the time I readjust a little because I have huge hands.

#3 - TurboJet keyboard - I had one of these toys for a keyboard once, felt much like the BTC keyboard above, only thing worse was it had an extended spacebar, and really convex windows logo keys, so I was always hitting those when I did not mean to, very poor layout and bad feel on top of it.

#4 - Most 1996-1999 era. HP Keyboards - Rubber dome pieces of junk, they feel like a BTC with some auto springs under the keys, half the time I find myself making typos, however, they kind of make up for it by having a decent Volume knob on their keyboards.

#5 - 1992-1994 Nan Tan (Ergo, Sager, Prostar, Duracom) 486 laptop keyboards - Really good value laptops, really crappy keyboards. These have a good bit of resistance to the keys with no real tactile feedback to tell you it's clicked, so it feels a little too mushy for my taste.

My favorite laptop keyboards are the ones on my IBM 755CD Thinkpad, and my Everex StepNote NC-1500, AT&T Safari 3500 (RIP) and NanTan Notebook 3500. The 3500 had the best feel being as it was a clicky keyboard on a smaller scale, but the AT&T and my current Everex both have the best feeling in a rubber dome, and the Thinkpad feels just like the AT&T.
 
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