Desktops of arstechnica staff

[Madhias]

arstechnica.com is on my daily reading list, here they posted recently some desktops of arstechnica contributors (but with mostly bad keyboards).

[JBert]

Only the last one seems to admit that he has a mechanical keyboard?

[Nuum]

Yeah, and the others don't mention their keyboard at all, even when they make a list of stuff they have laying around. You'd think input devices are important for journalists. One even has a Unicomp Model M.

[Madhias]

My father is journalist and always denies my offers to give him a Model M, Model F AT, or a Cherry MX Greens board for work. Maybe one will be my Christmas present... He even started to work without computers decades ago, and typing with a two finger system (like many others very fast on typewriters). But mechanical keyboards: no way. Uses instead an Apple aluminum keyboard or the IBM thinkpad built-in board.

[Muirium]

Your old man's in good company, alas. Apple's modern desktop keyboard is pretty much ubiquitous gear nowadays. I got one for its Bluetooth convenience, but ever since I got into mechanicals it's had next to no use. The feel is just too laptoppy. Nothing but bottoming out.

I'm currently trying to get my brother into mechs. He's the one storing my haul from Cindy for me, so there's some good stuff there (once I've cleaned it up). He likes the look of the SGI board, which is promising. But when I had him over here on holiday, the only thing he liked about my SSK (besides the fact he was typing much faster than usual on it) was the absent numpad. Still likes his MacBook keyboard "best of all". Ach. Doesn't help he's a 100% laptop man.

My other brother, meanwhile, took a shine to a NovaTouch when I showed him both of mine. Even keyboard newbs feel the draw of SPH! I'll likely let him have the board when I'm done taking Round 5 pictures, once that finally shows up. But he's not getting the caps!

[Muirium]

For instance, Jason Snell:

My keyboard is the Logitech Bluetooth Easy Switch K811. I’m not a clicky keyboard person, really. I mean, I like the clicky keyboards fine, but I have gotten used to the feel of laptop keyboards over the years and can still type 110 words per minute on one. This particular keyboard has almost exactly the feel of Apple’s laptop keyboards. It’s backlit and lays almost flat, which puts it two up on Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard in my book.

He has a pretty good setup otherwise (how I envy the 5K iMac…) as befits the host of many a fine podcast. And I can't criticise 110 WPM. But my fingers wince at his keyboard. Guess it's just a taste thing. Something so thin when there's space for so much better. A lot of people just don't want tactility any more.

[Compgeke]

A lot of people would be happy if you just made a piece of sheet metal with thermal sensors for ultimate finger hurting from there being no travel. I don't get some people...

[davkol]

derp

[Madhias]

That's true, a little bit exaggerated to say bad keyboards... but a high density of Apple aluminum boards (which i have to admit do not find that bad).

[Muirium]

For an ultra short throw, laptop style, thumper of a flat keyboard, they're not at all bad. But that is what they are, of course. They just don't compare to a good mech at all. I'd rather type on my light little Monterey Minitouch anyday. (And drive Mr. Beardsmore batty by coining new names along the way!)

[bhtooefr]

A lot of people really do prefer short travel keyboards. I know on a longer travel keyboard, especially one with late actuation (I'm looking at you, buckling spring, at about 2.4 mm actuation), I can be a bit slower in normal typing because of having to move my finger further to actuate a key.

Now, the lack of high-quality short-travel keyboards is a bit of a problem, but there is always Matias - their switches have the tactile event at 1.8-2.0 mm, and bottom out at 3.5 mm.