[GTALUG] Keyboards WAS Re: Thinkpad T420 as a VM host

[Giles Orr]

On 5 August 2015 at 23:20, D. Hugh Redelmeier <hugh at mimosa.com> wrote:
> Many people love ThinkPad keyboards, especially the ones on older
> ThinkPads.  One of the main complaints about newer ThinkPad keyboards is
> "they aren't as good as the old ones".
>
> How can this square with your observations?
>
> - keyboards are at least partially a matter of personal taste
>
> - your T43 might have a dud keyboard.
>
> In any case, the only way you'll really know if you'll like a keyboard is
> to try it.
>
> Me? Lots of keyboards seem bad, some seem elegant but not to my taste,
> many seem fine / good enough.  None has captured me.
>
> |     - it's stiff, so you need to "push" rather than "tap",
> |     - it doesn't spring back, fast enough or "crispy" enough, so you
> |       actually notice and become aware of the keypresses.  And, that
> |       interferes with my typing.
>
> Many typists like being sure when they press a key.
>
> Significant key travel is considered desirable by many (but not all).
> And rare in modern notebooks because of the quest for thin.
>
> A tactile signal of a keypress registering is considered a Good Thing
> (except by many gamers).  Something sort of lost with most modern
> key structures.
>
> There has been a renaissance of mechanical keyboards.  They cost
> several times as much as regular keyboards.  And a great deal has been
> written about the characteristics of each.  I thought that I'd like
> Cherry blue, brown, or clear keys.
> <http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-introduction-to-cherry-mx-mechanical-switches/>
>
> I'm using a mechanical keyboard to type this (Rosewill RK-6000;
> imitation Alps keys, somewhat like Cherry Blue).  It is fine, but not
> a revelation.  I have the same reaction to my wife's keyboard with
> Cherry brown switches.  I find it especially disappointing that a key
> can register on my keyboard without a click and a click can happen
> without a registration (these problems don't seem to happen with the
> way I type).
>
> In ThinkPads, I like my x61's keyboard better than my T530's.

I have a rather depressing variety of mechanical keyboards, including
a couple IBM Model Ms.  To clarify my biases, I LOVE the feel of the
IBM Model M keys.  My keyboard at work is a Kinesis Advantage with
their standard Cherry Brown switches.  I think the Advantage's
physical layout is about the best that's available in any keyboard
right now: vertical columns (rather than slanted columns we still
persist in copying from typewriters: not only is it no longer
necessary, it's actually ergonomically bad), dished hand areas to
match differences in finger length, and a split between the hands.

I have three Kinesis Advantages.  As mentioned, one has the original
Cherry Browns.  They're okay.  I have a second that I refitted with
Cherry Blues: that's the one I use at home.  That's my idea of a great
keyboard.  The Cherry Blues are about as close as you'll get to the
behaviour of the IBM Model M buckling spring keys (short of buying one
of the Unicomp keyboards that actually have buckling springs).  They
have a strong tactile click when the key activates.  It's also
audible: it's just as well I live alone, as the Blues are notoriously
loud and irritate the crap out of people nearby (just like the Model
M).  I refitted the third Kinesis Advantage with Cherry Clears.
Initially they feel quite similar to the Browns, but they're stiffer:
you don't notice it immediately, but after a couple hours of typing, I
found it genuinely tiring to use.  I don't use it much.

I highly recommend the Cherry Blues to non-gamers.  Just be prepared
for the noise.  The bigger Canada Computers stores usually have
several keyboards with different Cherry switches out for testing.

If anyone has questions about any of this, feel free to contact me
off-list: I've been a bit of a keyboard wonk for a couple decades.

-- 
Giles
http://www.gilesorr.com/
gilesorr at gmail.com