Looking for the Best Keyboard

[Malek Nyghtson]

I had a Logitech G15 v1 which I used for many years it finally died on me last yr since then I have been using this cheap Microsoft keyboard my nephew loaned me I am looking to buy a good keyboard that will last as well as the G15 did for me. found a keyboard i really like but it will not be available til later in the year which is the Steel Series Apex.

I am not really wanting to wait to get a new keyboard I am an avid gamer and a writer so I need a keyboard that will perform quite well for both I really do not care if it is mechanical or not as long as it responds quick enough. I was originally considering the Logitech G19 mostly due to the luck I had with the G15 lasting as long as it did but a lot of the reviews I read are saying cheaply made and not lasting long at all.

I will take any suggestions into consideration the planks I am currently considering are these

Mad Catz Cyborg V7

Steel Series Merc Stealth

Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth 2013

GX Imperator Pro

the list was quite a bit longer than that I have narrowed it down to these few planks I use macros quite often in my games and a bit of key remapping is nice but not a requirement, mostly I need a quiet responsive board my wife is a light sleeper and I have woken her several times just by typing on one of my novels i am working on. I have seen a few "Modular" boards and sure they looked like a possible good idea I ultimately decided against them as my rather large desk does tend to get a bit cluttered at times .

any other boards that will handle as I want that I may not have considered please feel free to suggest them at this point I will consider everything

Thanks in advance to everyone for their time

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

I keep wearing the letters off of the Keys. I can only get the MS Wireles to last one year. Some of the other ones I have tried only lasted a couple months. I am a key pounder. :)

[ajcdotme]

Recently switched to daskeyboard model s. http://www.daskeyboard.com/model-s-professional-for-mac/

I still can't believe I invested that much in a keyboard, but I type 10-12 hours daily and the build quality is exceptional. I'm really very happy with it.

[threetonesun]

I keep wearing the letters off of the Keys. I can only get the MS Wireles to last one year. Some of the other ones I have tried only lasted a couple months. I am a key pounder. :)

You could go mechanical and then only have to replace the key caps as the blow off....

[+Warwagon MVC]

Recently switched to daskeyboard model s. http://www.daskeyboa...sional-for-mac/

I still can't believe I invested that much in a keyboard, but I type 10-12 hours daily and the build quality is exceptional. I'm really very happy with it.

I have that keyboard too... it's AMAZING!., sure you pay a lot ($130) but it will probably be the last keyboard you will ever have to buy.

[remixedcat]

I would get a Logitech. Stick with em you'll be glad you did. They're awesome.

[Boz]

Malek, you won't be dissapointed with that Razer one you listed.. it's using different switches (to avoid the clicky sound - i have the 2 Black Widow Ultimate 2012 and 2013) and it's one of the finest keyboards you can imagine.

You want to go with a mechanical keyboard with laser etched keys (those don't wear off). Most of the keyboards including ones from Logitech feel like toys and a joke when you use these next gen mechanical keyboards.

DasKeyboards are great too but they don't offer back lighting and they are mostly for coders and similar without any thrills.

Plus, as people have said you can replace keys super easy with mechanical keyboards.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Cherry

Those mechanical switches DasKeyboard is famous for are actually made by Cherry.

p.s. I hear that SteelSeries too uses Cherry swtiches.

[threetonesun]

Pretty much everyone uses Cherry switches now.

[BrainDedd]

Logitech has the G710+ now which is mechanical, backlit and supports macros?

http://www.logitech.com/en-za/product/g710plus-mechanical-gaming-keyboard?crid=26

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

I actually have an Apple aluminium keyboard both at home and work, on my Windows PC's.. I absolutely love them for various reasons.

* Look nice

* Very quiet when typing (more appropriate for the office)

* Nice even key layout - none of this ergo crap

* USB ports on the keyboard so ideal for a wireless mouse receiver to plug into one, out of sight

* Really easy to clean - disconnect from the PC, put some cleaning spray onto a cloth and wipe vigorously - key travel is quite short and the keys go level / flush with the base. The surround of the key in the frame is quite narrow meaning not too much debris gets in there.

Definitely my favourite keyboard by a long way - and pretty reasonably priced too (around ?30). I game on this keyboard too (on my home PC) and have no problems with it.

[Wakers]

Apple keyboards are absolutely horrible for gaming and typing for long periods of time.

Mechanical is the way to go. For gaming and extensive typing, blue or brown switches would be the best idea. Black and red switches, typically found in gaming keyboards are not good for typing.

Das certainly make good keyboards. WASD make custom keyboards, I have one of those with blue switches, and I'd definitely recommend the service.

[Jan Veteran]

http://www.corsair.com/k95/

Get a Corsair K95. (When it's available).

Fully mechanical, backlighting, macros and media keys.

[Ezaura]

Just avoid blue all together. Unless you want your keyboard to emulate the sound and volume of a typewriter.

[Wakers]

Just avoid blue all together. Unless you want your keyboard to emulate the sound and volume of a typewriter.

I have blue, it's nowhere near that loud. There's a definite tick, but as loud as a typewriter? No.

http://www.corsair.com/k95/

Get a Corsair K95. (When it's available).

Fully mechanical, backlighting, macros and media keys.

Again, it uses red switches which are really bad for typing over long periods.

[threetonesun]

Just avoid blue all together. Unless you want your keyboard to emulate the sound and volume of a typewriter.

If you bottom them out, yes, if you stop when they click, no.

And anyone who likes the Apple keyboard must be some kind of crazy.

[Shaun N.]

I've been using the apple keyboard with numpad for a few years now with my PC - nothing has rubbed off and cleans easily.

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MB110DK/B/apple-keyboard-with-numeric-keypad

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

Apple keyboards are absolutely horrible for gaming and typing for long periods of time.

Really? I use mine the entire day in the office, and then (if I'm not out for the evening) go home and continue to use the same keyboard the whole evening for a mixture of typing or gaming.. I simply do not get any discomfort at all.

I'll stand by it - I think it's one of the best keyboards I've ever owned. The only one which comes close is my old Silicon Graphics PS/2 keyboard. Totally different kind of animal but you can just type SO quickly on them.

And anyone who likes the Apple keyboard must be some kind of crazy.

Not a fan then? I've honestly not met anyone who uses these keyboards for extended periods of time, who doesn't like them. What do you dislike about them specifically?

[Arceles]

I have blue, it's nowhere near that loud. There's a definite tick, but as loud as a typewriter? No.

Again, it uses red switches which are really bad for typing over long periods.

That's not true, red switches actually require less actuating force, the only thing they don't have is a tactile or sound feedback, that's the very reason for the blue and black switches are preferred for writing, it's very easy to know when to stop applying force to the key. If anything, because red switches require less force, you can hover more easily while writing on the keyboard.

[threetonesun]

Not a fan then? I've honestly not met anyone who uses these keyboards for extended periods of time, who doesn't like them. What do you dislike about them specifically?

Like most membrane keyboards you can't tell when you've actually pressed the keys. The Apple keyboard has the extra great distinction of being the only one where if you want to make sure you've pressed it, you'll just jam your finger into the housing of the keyboard.

I also just happen to hate chicklet style keyboards for programming, because every time I go to use my right pinky I feel like my hand is just floating over a vast nothingness. I suppose it would bother me less if it was the only type of keyboard I used, but I have IBM keyboards at work, and a mechanical on my desktop, and it makes me realize just how horrid the Apple keyboard is.

[Wakers]

That's not true, red switches actually require less actuating force, the only thing they don't have is a tactile or sound feedback, that's the very reason for the blue and black switches are preferred for writing, it's very easy to know when to stop applying force to the key. If anything, because red switches require less force, you can hover more easily while writing on the keyboard.

Yea, they require less force and have no tactile feeling when the key actuates, which results in a lot of double-types and requires you to learn how to type again to get your speed and accuracy back up to where it was before. They're not as bad as blacks, granted, and I think they were designed to be a middle ground between blue and blacks for people who didn't just need gaming-optimised keys.

[AJerman]

I actually have an Apple aluminium keyboard both at home and work, on my Windows PC's.. I absolutely love them for various reasons.

* Look nice

* Very quiet when typing (more appropriate for the office)

* Nice even key layout - none of this ergo crap

* USB ports on the keyboard so ideal for a wireless mouse receiver to plug into one, out of sight

* Really easy to clean - disconnect from the PC, put some cleaning spray onto a cloth and wipe vigorously - key travel is quite short and the keys go level / flush with the base. The surround of the key in the frame is quite narrow meaning not too much debris gets in there.

Definitely my favourite keyboard by a long way - and pretty reasonably priced too (around ?30). I game on this keyboard too (on my home PC) and have no problems with it.

I've always been a fan of the minimalism and feel of the Apple keyboards as well. I type very fast and I can't imagine having long throw keys. I'm sure that the feel would be very nice and classic, but I like the incredibly short laptop style keyboards now, I type much faster on them. I'd love to give one of the nice mechanical keyboards a try, but the number one most important thing in a home keyboard for me is wireless, and I don't see many of those in wireless options because most of them are considered "optimized for gaming" and so they stick to wired.

I'm actually looking for a new keyboard myself. My diNovo Edge has just about had it after years of abuse, and I do mean abuse, haha. I've slammed it on the table so many times I can't even believe it's still working. At this point it's just getting a little worn out, having trouble charging and keeping a charge, etc. Being that I sit on my couch to use my computer, I was considering an Apple wireless as well since they feel so well built and compact in size. They are just a little more expensive than I'd like to see.

[Aergan]

I have had both the full Apple USB and Apple Wireless keyboards and they are very, very nice keyboards for both typing and gaming.

I have just switched to a Microsoft Wedge Mobile keyboard (Neowin did a review) and it too is a pleasure to type on (as I prefer laptop style scissor switches to anything else) and I now prefer it to my previous Apple keyboards for both gaming and coding.

For anyone looking for drawbacks:

Apple Wireless: No delete key, FN key and Command (Windows) key positions are inverted, key map for Grave and backslash is inverted, eject does nothing and can't be mapped.

Microsoft Wedge Keyboard: Media and function keys are inverted e.g. F1 = Play, FN + F1 = F1, cover is ****.

On the plus side, you can type ludicrously damn fast on them!

[Malek Nyghtson]

I thank everyone for their replies

I do not really know any thing about mechanical keyboards in fact til I just recently started looking for a new board I did not even know they still made them.

at the risk of sounding like an idiot what are the benefits of using a mechanical board over non- mechanical boards?

I keep finding boards that I like but are not released yet such as the ROCCAT Ryos MK Pro or the steel series Apex I do like the K95 that was mentioned but again another board I will have to wait for

with the razer boards I have seen a few designs I like but with past experience with their mice I am not sure if I wanna risk it with both the black widow and the deathstalker series I have seen stuff I like I am still researching the differences between mechanical and other boards to see if it would be beneficial to me to switch to a mech board.

Wakers, everything I have been reading says to go with red switches why do you say they are bad for typing over long periods?

when I find something like this that I know very little about I tend to research the hell out of it before making a decision am going to be getting the steel series Merc Stealth for my wife (its the one she wants) but I am still torn atm

[xendrome]

I just use this one, I don't use macro/programmable keys, - http://amzn.com/B000H6AY6M