The best keyboard to develop with

AcidRaZor said:
I love a keyboard that can do what and when I press the button. Not this dell crap where I press ' and I have to push space or a different key before it appears
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This was also driving me mad on a laptop I got recently.

Go to Control Panel > Clock, Language and Region > Change keyboards or other input methods > Keyboards and Languages > Change Keyboards > Language Bar > Docked in taskbar > Apply

A little keyboard should now be in the task bar, click on it and select "US" instead of "US - International"

Go back to the "Text Services and Input Languages" window and select "hidden" to remove it.

For some reason only changing the region with the keyboard icon worked for me, trying the way under the "General" tab of the "Text Services and Input Languages" had no effect.
 
You using it for dev? What else?

For general typing non linear is better IMO. Would suggest Browns. With linear you are more tempted to depress fully as you can't determine actuation point as with a bump/bump-click of the Browns and Blues respectively. This means fingers work more. Reds for gaming IMO, better for constant double tapping and what not.
 
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I must be old...

Customised keyboards and mice? This tech' over that tech'? R800+? FOR A KEYBOARD?!

Maybe I'm not using my computer correctly, but my ancient 'stock' 'boards all seem to work just dandy.

You kids of today. ;)
 
Damn, got the BlackWiddow, very happy the the feel, but its seriously loud. Didn't mind in for the first few days but now it's getting to me. Argh!
 
Merlin said:
I must be old...

Customised keyboards and mice? This tech' over that tech'? R800+? FOR A KEYBOARD?!

Maybe I'm not using my computer correctly, but my ancient 'stock' 'boards all seem to work just dandy.

You kids of today. ;)
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I'm 41. Hardly a kid :)

I spend around 14 hours a day at my PC coding. The tools must be right for the job and dropping some decent cash on the tools ups the productivity.
 
@Shred. BW is the loudest of them all IIRC. Perhaps try the O ring trick? (Never heard of it until now).
 
cerebus said:
You could be right about that.

I see esquire has a special on bw and bw ultimate.
http://www.esquire.co.za/specials/2012_08_27RAZKEY.html
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Yeah, would say Das and Rosewill are a touch overrated then.

Razer BW's are good, but they're the loudest and choice is limited to Blue switches in SA. There is the BW Stealth available on the Razer Store using Brown switches, which are what I recommend for most people, especially those unsure.

The CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is simply epic, and only around R700, but only in Blue and Black:

thumb.php


Tenkeyless design. Made in the same factory as Filco, in Taiwan. Superb quality. I just love banging away on my Quickfire Rapid Blue. :D

So in SA, I can wholeheartedly recommend these two, because they're available with Brown switches, which give the same feeling as Blues without the clicky sound:

Quickfire Pro (partially backlit):

image_219.jpg


And Trigger (fully backlit):

CMStormTrigger.jpg
 
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No doubt the quickfire is stunning. That is what sold me on mech :D. But those who know have told me the Das beats anything else they have used. Me, I have a 80-90wpm typing speed so I can feel the difference in any keyboard and I have yet to be happy with a single one.
 
cerebus said:
No doubt the quickfire is stunning. That is what sold me on mech :D. But those who know have told me the Das beats anything else they have used. Me, I have a 80-90wpm typing speed so I can feel the difference in any keyboard and I have yet to be happy with a single one.
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Sure, I've read it too, but it's most likely to do with higher build quality and better-moulded keys.

Better-moulded keys can be added to any mech keyboard, since all the switches are the same. So I don't entirely buy the necessity of the most expensive mech kb's. The most critical component is the same throughout, the switches.

My Quickfire Rapid must weigh 1.5kg? Epic build quality, for a 3rd of the price...
 
Like you I type with all fingers. I would keep the ergonomic keyboard despite the stretching with age that is becoming difficult.
Something else to consider and I would put this down in my Christmas project list would be to use the Dvorak layout. I tried it for a while and was getting very used to it but the other people at home who use the keyboard hated it. You definitely type faster on it once you have mastered the layout.
 
In all of my career in IT, keyboard choice has never been a consideration.

I always put the choice of coffee cup way ahead of the keyboard.
 
For years I pretty much typed on whatever I had in front of me, although I have to agree the mechanical
boards are just all round better.

Then in 2008 I switched from Qwerty to Dvorak, and in 2009 I ordered a Typematrix keyboard.
The board is blank, with a black dvorak layout skin. You can easily switch from Dvorak to Qwerty
if someone else needs to use your keyboard for a bit.

These things are uber personal I find, but I have been very happy with my 2030, it's small,light
very compact and portable, and it's been great for dev work and writing. Gaming, probably not so much...
Of note is that it's not an orthodox layout (keys are not staggered, but in vertical columns, and the backspace
and space keys are in the centre, which took some getting used to)
And it's CostaPlenty ($120.00 +shipping)

Other than that, I love it.
 
zippy said:
In all of my career in IT, keyboard choice has never been a consideration.

I always put the choice of coffee cup way ahead of the keyboard.
Click to expand...

+1 Myself as well once you start worrying about keyboards then you know you are running out of work to do
 
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It seems some folk need a lesson on keyboard history. When the industry moved to Chinese rubber dome from the original IBM type clicky spring keyboards, there was a major downgrade in quality and typing experience.

Mechanical keyboards seek to bring back the quality and superior typing experience we once had. I strongly suggest testing them out before suggesting they're unnecessary.
 
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