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Rank the best keyboard to the worst
- Thread starter punchy71
- Start date
Ole Juul
Veteran Member
I think this is an old discussion. 
The worst are perhaps not as important, but from an historical perspective I suppose there were some notable ones. I don't have experience with them but the chicklets are reported to be near the bottom for useability. Then from a practical point of view, all the ones with foam, which disintegrates, and which often don't work at all after 10 or 20 years, are off the scale at the bottom. The model F would be right in the middle and represents a virtual average as far as I'm concerned, because it has the best feel of any keyboard, is very durable, but has the keys in the wrong place so you can't type on it and is missing F11 and F12 so it's crippled, at least for modern (1987) DOS.
As for the top position there seems to be little disagreement among typists - the model M, of course. However for those that use a mouse, or don't type so well, perhaps it actually doesn't matter. It's really only when you don't look at the keyboard or screen and go like stink that the quality of the keyboard becomes really important.
The worst are perhaps not as important, but from an historical perspective I suppose there were some notable ones. I don't have experience with them but the chicklets are reported to be near the bottom for useability. Then from a practical point of view, all the ones with foam, which disintegrates, and which often don't work at all after 10 or 20 years, are off the scale at the bottom. The model F would be right in the middle and represents a virtual average as far as I'm concerned, because it has the best feel of any keyboard, is very durable, but has the keys in the wrong place so you can't type on it and is missing F11 and F12 so it's crippled, at least for modern (1987) DOS.
As for the top position there seems to be little disagreement among typists - the model M, of course. However for those that use a mouse, or don't type so well, perhaps it actually doesn't matter. It's really only when you don't look at the keyboard or screen and go like stink that the quality of the keyboard becomes really important.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
The best--TRS-80 Model II
The worst--TRS-80 Model 16
The worst--TRS-80 Model 16
kb2syd
Veteran Member
Best: Model II/16a
Worst: Mc-10 - yuck
Worst: Mc-10 - yuck
Ole Juul
Veteran Member
Well this is embarrassing. I completely missed the Tandy/RS subject. My apologies punchy. /blush
eeguru
Veteran Member
Best: IBM Model M
...what is in the middle doesn't matter ...
2nd Worst: I'm sure it's very horrible
... a long way down ...
... no really ...
... keep going ...
... a very long way down ...
Worst: PCjr Chicklet
...what is in the middle doesn't matter ...
2nd Worst: I'm sure it's very horrible
... a long way down ...
... no really ...
... keep going ...
... a very long way down ...
Worst: PCjr Chicklet
tingo
Veteran Member
@punchy71: why do you start all these "which is the best..." threads? Is that all you can do here? Surely not.
Brendan
Experienced Member
I have a soft spot in my heart for the CoCo2 "melted" style keyboard feel, so it's probably my favorite. After that, a close 2nd are the Model III/4/4p keyboards. The chicklet MC-10 and CoCo1 are near the bottom, although I don't really like the feel of the CoCo3 keyboard that much, either.
Ole Juul
Veteran Member
I assume that the OP is not familiar with Tandy/Radio Shack keyboards and wishes to find which is the best one before buying. No?
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Judging on how only Kelly picked up on my joke, I suspect that you're right, at least in the first part.
TRS-Ian
Veteran Member
Best keyboards: ALPS keyboard as fitted to late Model 1s, all Model IIIs, early Model 4s, and most model 4Ds. Great to type on and put up with the rigors of game playing, and now 30 years after the fact, easy to repair. I wrote many university papers on these keyboards and they never missed a beat. In fact if you keep using these keyboards they seem to live forever. Its only when the computer it put into storage for years or decades that when you re-start the computer some of the keys don't work.
Good keyboards: Tandy 1000 series (early), Tandy 2000 and Model 4P all seem to use the same key switches and last pretty well. The action on these keys changes over time they have a nice light feel when new but as they age they seem to get a bit harder to press. Don't know if they are repairable, never had to repair one.
Model II/12/16/B/6000 keyboards: never owned one long enough to comment but I thought the Model II keyboard felt pretty good but anecdotal evidence seems to imply that all the keys foam rubbers wear out and are an arduous job to replace.
Crappy-but-usable keyboards: Coco 2, Coco 3, TRS-80 Model 1 (early), Model 4 (gate array), some 4Ds. These (except the M1 early kb) are all shallow membrane action keyboards, virtually impossible to repair - and again are not very forgiving when put into storage. The early M1 keyboard is usually OK but exhibits kkeybouncce.
Completely useless keyboards: Coco 1, MC-10, all pocket computers.
Computers I haven't mentioned because I have no real world experience with: Model 100-102-200, Tandy 1000s after the original series, 2500s, 600s, 1400s.
Hope this helps,
Ian.
Good keyboards: Tandy 1000 series (early), Tandy 2000 and Model 4P all seem to use the same key switches and last pretty well. The action on these keys changes over time they have a nice light feel when new but as they age they seem to get a bit harder to press. Don't know if they are repairable, never had to repair one.
Model II/12/16/B/6000 keyboards: never owned one long enough to comment but I thought the Model II keyboard felt pretty good but anecdotal evidence seems to imply that all the keys foam rubbers wear out and are an arduous job to replace.
Crappy-but-usable keyboards: Coco 2, Coco 3, TRS-80 Model 1 (early), Model 4 (gate array), some 4Ds. These (except the M1 early kb) are all shallow membrane action keyboards, virtually impossible to repair - and again are not very forgiving when put into storage. The early M1 keyboard is usually OK but exhibits kkeybouncce.
Completely useless keyboards: Coco 1, MC-10, all pocket computers.
Computers I haven't mentioned because I have no real world experience with: Model 100-102-200, Tandy 1000s after the original series, 2500s, 600s, 1400s.
Hope this helps,
Ian.
EverythingIBM
Experienced Member
A lot of early computer keyboards use ALPs switches (and there are different ALPs switch flavours, the most sought after, and best feeling being the ALPs blue switches). Comparable to cherry blues and buckling springs.
Of course the best switches would be hall-effects or beam springs.
Standard rubber membrane keyboards are just trash. But some of the low-end consumer computers had awful keyboards, ZX Spectrum and C64 comes to mind.
Of course the best switches would be hall-effects or beam springs.
Standard rubber membrane keyboards are just trash. But some of the low-end consumer computers had awful keyboards, ZX Spectrum and C64 comes to mind.
TRS-Ian
Veteran Member
Thanks E-IBM
Er lets see... the Model 1 ALPS keyboard has blue-ish-grey switches held on with two solder-on tabs, and all the others have black switches held on with 4 solder-on tabs.
To my touch they all feel the same.
Cheers,
Ian.
Er lets see... the Model 1 ALPS keyboard has blue-ish-grey switches held on with two solder-on tabs, and all the others have black switches held on with 4 solder-on tabs.
To my touch they all feel the same.
Cheers,
Ian.