Comments on: 10 Reasons Modern Keyboards are Shit

By: Sacramento

Sacramento — Thu, 19 May 2011 09:13:33 +0000

I agree with you all the way. And yet two years since the last post, things have gotten even worse.

My most favorite keyboard is (was) the BTC 6300 CL. They have 13 extra function switches which I don’t use, although when I first got mine I had My Documents re-routed to start ztree. The Home re-routed to firefox. It has the volume up/down and mute but I use the vb6 program “clockster xp” and so those additional function switches are fucking pointless, and for the last four..who still plays CD’s in their DVD burner?

They have a few long term problems where the letters can be rubbed off the keys. I bought two and would buy another one, but there’s no more, one now serves as parts for the other. The answer to the letter problem (if you have a steady hand) is to carefully pry the scissor switch apart (if your going to do this CLEAN them for fuck sake) and using a sharpie CAREFULLY draw backwards the letter, now it can never be rubbed off. The sad part is the keyboard is plastic with some sprayed on silver as they get old the silver turns to white plastic, why they didn’t make it brushed metal I dunno, it makes me want to hit a custom motorcycle chrome shop and deal with it that way, but the keyboard in the long run isn’t worth it.

It’s too bad there isn’t a thin/slim, brushed “REAL (TM)” metal, illuminated, scissor switch version of this keyboard minus the extra fucktion switches. Every keyboard I have seen now, has some stupid fucking thing that instantly makes me want to vomit.

Spending hours searching all over the damn place and I see nothing to scratch that fucking itch. I hate it. The market is flood with these crappy keyboards now, even IF there was another btc, I probably couldn’t find it with all the noise from all the other shit.

The other thing about keyboard layouts is the Insert, Delete Home End, Page Up Page Down Horizontal layout = awesome, Vertical layout equals fucked productivity.

Finally KVM support. Jesus tits, we’re talking Software blames hardware, blames software games.

There ought to be a law where shitty keyboards have to go into the tree chipper.

By: UndularBore

UndularBore — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:13:22 +0000

First off, if I have repeated what someone else has said, sorry.

For those of us who make a living on a keyboard, it’s integrity is of the utmost importance. I find this integrity dissolving away every year. The keyboards that are being sold now are not for professionals, they are for the home user…and people who don’t know any better. I found some article on “Everything D” (I believe) about how touch screens are the keyboards of the future? Really? I’m gonna type a book on a touchscreen? We all get used to things, good and bad, but I can’t see how a touchscreen has ergonomics for lengthy typing, coding, etc. Also found another page and this person is talking about how great the IBM Selectric keyboard was, well it was! It was a great responsive keyboard, made with keys and components that won’t wear out in 3 years.

And as far as I can tell with what’s offered these days, you’ll have to drop $100+ for a good keyboard. What’s wrong with these companies?

Thanks for your post!

By: Eloi

Eloi — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:24:34 +0000

You get +600 points for this post. So true.

By: johnw

johnw — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:15:37 +0000

My HP wireless keyboard is shiny black- I cannot see the keys clearly in anything but broad daylight (not that common in England at this time of the year). Also the white lettering is fading on the most used keys.
I will soon revert to a white, wired keyboard – why keep battery makers in work? Don’t mind the visible dirt as I have a supply of those wet wipes in the little room and a Dyson that could suck the the keys off an old Microsoft keyboard. (I do not have a trailer hitch…)
I agree about the nice UK enter key- we get a second one at bottom right too!
I suspect the big one, which has a back arrow, not “enter”, was lifted from the electric successor to the carriage return lever on Hemingway’s typewriter.
HP have rather spoilt this by putting the delete key between the big enter and page up/down keys. Good for a laugh, as Jonathan Ross would say.
Oh ****, it seems my mouse batteries are running out.

By: gryff

gryff — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:45:49 +0000

What about a Kinesis keyboard? I think it’s better than a usual desk with keys mapping as on fossilized type writers.

By: Neil

Neil — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:43:24 +0000

There is much to be said about shite keyboards. Err, modern keyboards.

I just purchased a £30 ms ergonomic keyboard and yes, I will stand by the crack-pipe toss pots and say it is a better experience, it is.. honest!. However, why have a zoom button? Furthermore, PrtScn doesn’t work for love nor money.

I think some serious neglect in which much innovation is needed is in the hair magnetism department. What or what causes hair to miraculously appear under your keys? It is horrifying!

Good points made mate, I can’t agree with your more.

By: muppet man

muppet man — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:08:46 +0000

It’s a shame that manufacturers insist on fixing something that isn’t broken, insist on re-inventing the keyboard, adding shit that I don’t want and moving keys who’s location is already hard-wired in my brain.
As a result, I’m forced to purchase crappy cheapo keyboards (made by a company who I assume don’t have the budget for pointless re-designs) who’s keys you have to batter the shit out of in order to type.
GG solving problems that don’t exist.

And wireless keyboards? I mean come on… are people tripping over this cable as it lies on their desk or something?
Give me a fucking break.

All I want is a good quality keyboard using the same layout that has been standard for years.
It just goes to show… the undiscerning consumer zombie sheep will buy whatever shit you put in front of them… just take away all the normal keyboards and people will HAVE to buy our shitty new designs.

By: David F

David F — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 21:33:12 +0000

Dear Rob Manuel,
Having just moved to the US, getting to grips with different keyboard layouts, I totally understand what your on about. Its so refreshing to here a Brit with a potty mouth! Your anger is my frustration too! I feel somehow vindicated, consoled almost in the knowledge that there are others out there with the same frustration. It grates me that I had to buy a US apple keyboard after I spilt the slightest bit of water on my UK version I brought with me, while cleaning the fucking piece of shit. If I had known my actions of care would lead to complete malfunction I would have rather taken it out the back and smashed it repeatedly on a kerb so I at least get some satisfaction. I hate this wank US keyboard, I might return it just for being a twat, that’s what I’ll say, most people don’t know what that is here, see if I get away with it? Anyone considered having a festival, bit like the burning man except we just all bring a keyboard and destroy it in an entertaining way, you know a family thing ;) Keep the anger alive.

By: nCipher

nCipher — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 03:37:49 +0000

You can disable any key you want if you dissassemble your keyboard and put a sticker on the circuit board, under the rubber part, at the key’s position. I did that with both windows keys. Now they physically don’t work anymore because the sticker prevents the conductive layer under the rubber from touching the circuit board terminals.

I also replaced little green LEDs for lock keys with super-bright 5 mm LEDs of 3 different colors. Now i don’t have to look directly on them to know which are on and which are off – i can tell by color!

I’m a programmer but i still like the enter key to be L-shaped. On my keyboard the button for \ and | is between left shift and Z. Entering | is easy because shift is right next to it. It’s logic because backslash is to the left of the lower row, and forward slash is to the right.

By: Aalaap

Aalaap — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:44:36 +0000

I used to review keyboards for Techtree.com where I had written a similar rant about the new Microsoft keyboards complete with the insert key size, F-lock, function key blocks and other problems. It's interesting to note that almost all the expensive, branded keyboards mess around with the standard layout and promise you something new and innovative, but the cheaper US$3 (yeah, Rs. 130) keyboards are actually perfectly standards compliant and work like a charm.