Hello, --- On Tue, 9/15/09, Susan Platter <[email protected]> wrote:
> At least it is full size with a proper number pad, though, and > probably nicer than the very flat keyboards I have only tried out in > showrooms. D'you mean the new Apple aluminum keyboards? With their baffling lack of sculpted keys? Pleasing to the eyes, yes. To the hands? Maybe not so much... > This is not at all a bad keyboard and I mainly keep it for use with > Quicken and Access Payroll, as it has more keys than my much more > compact, illuminated Deck keyboard, which is used for gaming but has no > numpad and just manages to squeeze in a set of arrow keys. Well, the Deck 82 is a respectable keyboard. The lack of a numpad is aimed at folks for whom desk space is at a premium, to say nothing of the fact that quite a few end users rarely, if ever, have occasion to use the numpad. It's really a holdover from the days of the original IBM PC, when computers were primarily business machines rather than gaming/surfing ones. IBM's SpaceSaver was a variation on the same "no keypad" theme, with the keyboard having the number pad lopped off after the cursor control cluster: http://www.dansdata.com/images/clicky2/spacesaver1280.jpg (large picture) >This is a very clicky keyboard Yes, the Deck keyboards use Cherry MX series keyswitches, which are excellent mechanical keyswitches. From what I can make out, they have a lot in common with the Alps switches Apple once used in their keyboards, but are rated for a much higher service life (~50 million cycles). > and I'm currently trying out a large table mat under it because it sounds > > noisy via the desking shelf on which it rests and my husband can hear > it downstairs. Ah, I see you've discovered the Dark Side of Really Good Keyboards: they all tend to be on the noisy side. Although luckily enough in your case, the Cherry keyswitches are not as loud as those of a buckling-spring keyboard. :D >If I try hard, I can type much more quietly on it but that does slow me >down. And, let's face it, it's not as much fun, either. It sounds like, with the Deck, you achieve much the same effect you get with a Model M: like you're machine-gunning (or at least beating on) something. :) >I love the illuminated keys! It's the letters that are lit up, rather than >>the whole keyboard. I'll be honest: that's the one thing that makes me (almost) jealous of Deck 82 owners: the backlit keys. http://www.deckkeyboards.com/userfiles/deck82_ice_lightsout.jpg No one, NO ONE, can look at that picture and say that backlighting isn't cool: it is. And the Deck gives the end user the choice of selecting between seven (count 'em!) brightness levels. > I am no keyboard guru and have no knowledge of the IBM Model M. As a Deck owner, I wouldn't sell yourself short. :) Deck is one of a handful of companies that still build keyboards like they mean it (Unicomp and the Das Keyboard folks also come to mind). However, Deck, from what I can tell, is second to none when it comes to finish, quality control, and attention to detail. Seriously, if I had to buy another keyboard, I would give the Deck 82 a long, hard look. Apart from the impressive backlit keys, (something that even the updated Unicomp Model Ms don't have) the Deck 82 also features a polycarbonate body and a Diamond Plate back: http://www.deckkeyboards.com/userfiles/deck82_bottom.jpg ...although what you're seeing there is aluminum rather than steel. Still, it makes for an impressive keyboard, and one that meets my own personal criteria for a Really Good Keyboard: 1) It's fun to type on. 2) You can type on it really fast (with no "phantom key" problems like on the Matias Tactile Pro). 3) You can smite things with it (the Model M has a steel backplate that accounts for its substantial heft). >I have used ADB keyboards and have one at present with my SE/30 but the >space >bar is faulty and needs a sledgehammer to make it function properly. :D I don't know how much typing you do on your SE/30, but if you like using it, and you prefer (or at least would like to experiment with) ergonomic keyboards, you may want to take a look at the Apple Adjustable Keyboard: http://myoldmac.net/SELL/AdjustableKeyboard-M1242.htm (scroll down) Yes, Apple *did* attempt to make an ergonomic keyboard at one time and the Apple Adjustable was the result. Why have you (probably) not heard of this keyboard before? Two reasons: 1) It was a desk space hog. Between the keyboard itself, the detachable wrist rests, and the completely separate number pad with its *own* wrist rest, the thing ate up a ton of desktop real estate. 2) Even worse, despite it's ahead-of-its-time styling, the AAK had a pretty dismal service life. Apparently, designing a keyboard that the user could move apart: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Adjustable_Keyboard.jpg ...or leave in a "normal" configuration was difficult enough (this was 1993). Manufacturing it in such a way that it would last as long as a typical ADB keyboard of the period was quite another thing. Most people only seemed to get a year or two's worth of use out of them before a letter key gave out on them and they had to consign the thing to the hall closet (or the trash can, if they could bring themselves to chuck out a $219 keyboard). That said, it was an interesting keyboard and they do crop up on eBay from time to time. So while it may or may not last long as a serviceable keyboard, (I never had any problems with mine) it *does* make for an interesting conversation piece, as they appeared and then disappeared pretty quickly. In purely practical terms, though, you may want to look at an old Apple Extended Keyboard or, if desk space is at a premium, an old Apple IIGS keyboard: http://apple2history.org/museum/computers/a2gskbd.html ...which, as the decription says, will work with a Macintosh even though it's an Apple II product. The M0116 keyboard that shipped with the SE/30: http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/vine/annex/m0116/index.htm ...is also a possibility, but they seem to be harder to find as a rule. For reasons I don't understand, there always seem to be more of the IIGS keyboards floating around (though I can't speak for the availability of either in the UK). I guess it's a matter of whether you want to keep your SE/30 close to a stock configuration or not. Or if you're even interested in replacing the keyboard at all. :) Unless you do a lot of typing on it, looking for a replacement keyboard might be more trouble than it's worth. [shrugs] Best, James Fraser --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
