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Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

nickjanetakis.com

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Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#131

Post by pxtail »

meddlepal wrote: post #12

My favorite keyboards is the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort. I can type for hours without any wrist pain compared to all my other keyboards.

I own this keyboard as well and it is very well designed and very convenient to use, when I'm working outside of home office I'm taking it with me even if there are other keyboards available at the office.

It hits sweet spot - it is slightly curved but not to the extreme where one would have to re-learn how to type, battery also lasts extremely long. Only issue I have with it is that additional functional keys switch is literally a switch, one needs to change its position to be able to use alternate keys function - for me it would be more convenient to have "Fn" key just like in notebooks keyboards.

Edit: oh and maybe another one - missing physical switch on the back to disable keyboard, now one needs to remove battery or put some scrap of paper/plastic between contacts to completely "power off" device.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#133

Post by test1235 »

war1025 wrote: post #123

My favorite keyboard is a silicone roll-up keyboard. I first got one probably fifteen years ago as a result of my brother getting in a fight with me and pulling the cord out of the keyboard we had. The Radio Shack in town only had this odd blue silicone roll up keyboard, so we bought it. Turns out it's basically silent to type on, which was very nice at the time because my dad would always wake up from the keyboard n…

I vaguely recall using one once, ages ago, but don't the keys take quite a bit of force to press? Maybe it was just a cheap one I was on ...

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#134

Post by test1235 »

CoolGuySteve wrote: post #69

The responses from the keyboard enthusiasts here are a real life example of this phenomenon: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZK8Z8hulFg The guy just likes this cheap keyboard. I use those aluminum Mac keyboards for most of the same reasons: I like (somewhat) low key travel, they’re cheap and easy to find, and last reasonably well. Edit: Actually it looks like the $50 keyboard I’m talking about got replaced by the “Mag…

It's just bloody obnoxious. I've always used crappy keyboards for work and they're all fine - my work isn't affected and I don't get RSI.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#135

Post by larrik »

I really want a keyboard that is:

1) Backlit (soo addicted to this) 2) Quiet 3) Has media keys (volume/mute/play/pause/etc, and ideally calculator)

There's not a ton of options out there. My Corsair K55 is good but flawed (stupid useless "programmable" macro keys that can't be rebound, wonky electronics don't let the computer boot properly the first time, doesn't actually store the config onboard). It's not all that quiet, either.

I'd pay more for a better one, but I can't tell if they meet my needs since the descriptions are rarely aiming for what I'm looking for.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#136

Post by kazinator »

notus wrote: post #42
simonsarris wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which decent mechanical keyboard has the feature of being $14.50?

Most engineers with jobs aren't making compromises on the price when their goal is comfort and usability.

Speaking of engineers and jobs, it's part of an engineer's job description to make compromises on cost.

I've never seen a mechanical keyboard that wasn't loud; let alone silent. (The thread topic is noise, not comfort or usability.)

That doesn't mean they don't exist. Maybe if I rubbed shoulders more with the high society, I might get access to some invitation-only showroom for exotic keyboards where $14K will get you a whisper-silent unit.

I do have one almost absolutely silent keyboard. It's quite awful to type on. Basically it's one of those flexible rubber keyboards for industrial environments, where there are spill and dust hazards. I use it at night, not to disturb anyone. I optimized for sound at the cost of comfort.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#137

Post by PascLeRasc »

sli wrote: post #68
vladharbuz wrote: post #3

> Jokes aside, I totally understand the appeal of mechanical keyboards. I’ve used them and it is satisfying to hear that clickity-click sound and the keys do feel amazing but that just doesn’t work for me due to being on so many pair programming calls and recording video courses. I don't like it when people equate mechanical keyboards to loudness. They don't have to be loud! My keyboard has MX Clear switches which ar…

Yeah, no offense to the author, but this article read like one written by someone who really doesn't know much about keyboards. There is a whole slew of different silent, non-clicky, tactile and linear switches to choose from, as well as sound dampening o-rings.

I can't really blame him though, if you assume Amazon is the standard marketplace for everything all you'll find is Cherry blue and red switches, and Razer/Logitech's versions of those. It wasn't until I attended a mechanical keyboard conference that I found out about Zealios, by far my favorite switch but near-impossible to find in pre-built boards. Even Clears, which are really great and my favorite Cherry switch, are somewhat hard to find if you don't know specific keyboard sites.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#139

Post by stronglikedan »

pmiller2 wrote: post #126
stronglikedan wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> bonus points for a standard layout...The Ergo Sculpt met all of those well My main problem with it is that it isn't a standard layout. For that reason, I went with the Surface Ergonomic instead, which, while still not standard, is more standard than the Sculpt.

What do you find nonstandard about it? I was able to start writing code on mine right away, and I’m a touch typist.

The nav keys, right control key, and function keys are all in the wrong place, and IIRC, all the keys are a bit too small, so I was hitting two at a time sometimes. I also prefer a right hand super key so I can lock my workstation with one hand.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#140

Post by pmiller2 »

stronglikedan wrote: post #139
pmiller2 wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you find nonstandard about it? I was able to start writing code on mine right away, and I’m a touch typist.

The nav keys, right control key, and function keys are all in the wrong place, and IIRC, all the keys are a bit too small, so I was hitting two at a time sometimes. I also prefer a right hand super key so I can lock my workstation with one hand.

I guess I never really noticed about the nav keys and function keys because I don't use them much. I would like to have slightly bigger keys, but it's not enough of a downside to me to use a different keyboard. (Side note: why don't keyboards come in different sizes by default? Hands come in different sizes, so should keyboards.)
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