Amazon Has The Best Low-Cost Keyboard In A While

[tomato]

This is a keyboard that schools and workplaces can buy by the hundreds for cheap.

However, this is not a keyboard that a professional computer user wants to use.

You should get a keyboard with mechanical switches.
Filco and Cherry supposedly have some good keyboards I've heard.

Cherry have the MX series of switches, Blue, Red, Black, Brown, Clear, White - each with different properties (clicky, tacile, actuation force).

RTFA, BlackWidow has Blue switches

[GreatEmerald]

Meh, would rather have a Tux key https://zareason.com/shop/Lighted-Tux-Keyboard.html

To be honest, I'd rather have a COMPOSE key. I always bind my Win keys to it, anyway, and "Tux" is not exactly a valid X key.

[YoungManKlaus]

lame ...

... get a good old mechanical keyboard like a Cherry G80-3000. It looks like shit but it is way awesome to write with (not to mention it costs about half to a quarter of what "gamer" keyboards with mechanical keys cost)

[dee.]

I don't like Amazon because they promote DRM and because they're the Walmart of the internet.

I got this cheap keyboard from a nearby store and it's worked fine so far, seems ok quality as well. It even has extra keys for suspend/wake/power, which comes in handy (or would, if suspend still worked on my computer).

[89c51]

Don't even bother with stuff like that. Mechanical keyboards FTW. My filco was the best computer related purchase i made.

[oliver]

Numpad ftw

Kids these days ...

Gamers don't even use numpad that much, it's people that actually work, that use the numpad. To, you know, enter numbers. It's very very convenient if you have to enter numbers. There's a good and healthy reason its there.

As for those 'oh i use the computer to browse the web a bit, check e-mail, chat to some friends' and oh lets not forget 'facebook', yeah, I can understand you don't use the numpad, but the gross of the population with those tasks, uses a tablet, phone or laptop. And laptops generally don't have numpads anyhow (not speaking of desktop replacements).

The biggest flaw with this keyboard is the height of the rear, bad for your wrists (yet everybody always tilts it upwards go figure).

[Calinou]

This is a keyboard that schools and workplaces can buy by the hundreds for cheap.

However, this is not a keyboard that a professional computer user wants to use.

You should get a keyboard with mechanical switches.
Filco and Cherry supposedly have some good keyboards I've heard.

Cherry have the MX series of switches, Blue, Red, Black, Brown, Clear, White - each with different properties (clicky, tacile, actuation force).

What? Not only mechanical keyboards are quite noisy, it's perfectly possible to use non-mechanical keyboards just fine.

[GreatEmerald]

Kids these days ...

Gamers don't even use numpad that much, it's people that actually work, that use the numpad. To, you know, enter numbers. It's very very convenient if you have to enter numbers. There's a good and healthy reason its there.

As for those 'oh i use the computer to browse the web a bit, check e-mail, chat to some friends' and oh lets not forget 'facebook', yeah, I can understand you don't use the numpad, but the gross of the population with those tasks, uses a tablet, phone or laptop. And laptops generally don't have numpads anyhow (not speaking of desktop replacements).

The biggest flaw with this keyboard is the height of the rear, bad for your wrists (yet everybody always tilts it upwards go figure).

Well yes, the numpad iis also very useful for those who are not native English speakers and have accented symbols. They usually replace the number row, so you can enter numbers with the numpad, and accented characters with the number row. Though it's also not an ideal solution, because if you, say, need to write an exclamation mark, you have to switch to the US layout again (or use Alt Gr + Shift + 1). You could also just use the COMPOSE key for that, but it requires quite a few key presses.

But the problem is that finding a keyboard without the numpad, when you do need that extra space, is very difficult.

As for tilting, it's the same reason why you can tilt your monitor: so you'd have the best viewing angles.

What? Not only mechanical keyboards are quite noisy, it's perfectly possible to use non-mechanical keyboards just fine.

Indeed. I always prefer chiclet keyboards. Their keys are less wobbly, takes less finger movement to type things with them, and are quiet. My personal favourite so far is the keyboard that is integrated into EeePCs. Those things don't wobble at all, they always stay at the same angle, and are always very firm to the touch. Working with those is a joy.

[Vadi]

I want a good quality keyboard, but I don't want a mechanical monster that is very loud when I'm typing.

There was a really good Toshiba keyboard that I found, but unfortunately it was designed specially for a TV and did not come without it

[YoungManKlaus]

Mechanical keyboards ...
... being noisy: that only applies if you buy the clicky version, there are also tactile versions without click sound
... having wobbly keys: get a good quality keyboard, cheap rubber domes, yes, but my cherry has rock solid keys (and esp chiclets wobble around quite a bit in my experience)