Earlier quoted context omitted.
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,…
I have the wasd keyboard with red switches and thin o-rings and it is quiet, quieter than my mouse buttons.
Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
181–190 of 315 posts
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#182Earlier quoted context omitted.
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 yo…
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#183For what it may be worth to anyone, as someone who prefers an "ergonomic" split keyboard with a softer touch (so my hands and wrists don't get stiff; I also use a brace on the right hand just when typing), I have used several keyboards, and strongly disliking the Microsoft one (my hands hurt worse: some keys I use heavily like Alt and/or Space felt stiff), I tried a probably inexpensive one I really liked (but left t…
If Microsoft were to bring back the original Natural keyboard today and just replace the PS/2 connector with a USB one, it'd single-handedly improve the line more than 20 years of redesigns have managed to.
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#184Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have no problems with affiliate links not being disclosed. Why does it matter? If they're providing a useful link to someone, I don't care if Amazon gives them a few pennies as a reward. If their link is not useful, no one is harmed.
Because it may just be that the article is written around the links, rather than the links inserted into the article. Sure you might not bother buying the keyboard after clicking through but the affiliate link is tied to you for x days, so they'll get a bit of cash of anything you buy in that time. Why is it a problem if it doesn't cost you? It costs you the time to read it. Disclosing acknowledges this potential and…
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#185I’ve used many different keyboards. I can’t say I’m a keyboard connoisseur, but I’ve probably used every possible combination of “keys” arranged on a “board”. My takeaway from all this is that the switches matter a lot less than how keys are arranged. You see, human hands will become injured over a prolonged period of contortion into the shape needed to operate standard keyboards. For this reason I prefer ErgoDox. ht…
>You see, human hands will become injured over a prolonged period of contortion into the shape needed to operate standard keyboards. There is no significant contortion needed to operate a standard keyboard. Sadly, the standard keyboard does encourage a regrettable bending of the wrist, but I have found it straightforward to learn not to yield to that encouragement. (Boards such as the Amazon Basics or Apple's keyboar…
It's not like such a keyboard is life-changing, but it's a significant improvement in comfort. For a tool that I use every single day that was worth it for me, if others are satisfied with an Amazon Basics model that's fine too; I haven't tried it myself, but I do know that some non-mechanical keyboards offer a great tactile feedback for much lower prices.
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#186I've tried many mechanical and on-mechanical keyboards, but always come back to Apple's magic keyboard, simply because it's the thinnest of all. It's virtually flush with the desk, and I can't for the love of god get used to anything else. Mechanical keyboards are often quite thick. Palm pads don't help, I'd still feel my hands are uncomfortably elevated.
If you are bending your wrists to type, then you need to reposition or re-orient the keyboard, and/or change your posture or arm position, or you are setting yourself up for RSI.
For most comfortable typing, neither arms, wrists, nor palms should rest on any surface. But the palms should definitely not be resting directly on the table, even with a low-profile keyboard.
Generally it’s a good idea to have the keyboard close to the edge of the table, and oriented so that its surface is parallel to your forearms while typing. With the keyboard relatively close, the upper arms can remain close to the body with the shoulders relaxed, and the torso and head upright.
Most office workers use a desk which is uncomfortably high for typing when sitting on their chair. So the most obvious first thing to try is lowering the desk, installing an under-desk keyboard tray, raising the chair, adding a booster seat above the existing chair, switching to a standing desk, or similar.
If the furniture can’t be changed, then the keyboard must be tilted up at the back so that when the upper arms are kept close to the body, the keyboard surface sits parallel to the forearms. For many office furniture setups this tilt must be very aggressive (think mid-20th-century typewriter).
Office workers often instead compensate for the high desk by pushing their keyboard far in on the desk, with their elbows either extending out to the side or far in front of the body, and either slouching or hunching their backs, and uncomfortably bending their necks. To take strain off their shoulders they rest elbows, forearms, or palms on the table or an armrest or palmrest. All of these workarounds are causing static muscle load and non-neutral joint positions for the back, neck, shoulders, etc. That’s fine for very short bursts for someone who frequently changes position (and better than having bent wrists), but pretty bad for long stretches for someone who sits in more or less the same position throughout the workday.
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#187Earlier quoted context omitted.
>You see, human hands will become injured over a prolonged period of contortion into the shape needed to operate standard keyboards. There is no significant contortion needed to operate a standard keyboard. Sadly, the standard keyboard does encourage a regrettable bending of the wrist, but I have found it straightforward to learn not to yield to that encouragement. (Boards such as the Amazon Basics or Apple's keyboar…
The cost of the ErgoDox is why I bought a kit instead. It's more effort to solder the switches, flash the board etc., but I saved a chunk of the price. It can also be repaired more easily, although contrary to your experience I don't have the impression that would be required for a long time. It's not like such a keyboard is life-changing, but it's a significant improvement in comfort. For a tool that I use every sin…
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#188Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're right. I bought a $250 Leopold FC660C to combat repetitive strain injury, because my doctor said to minimize the distance between the home row and my mouse pad. But most less-expensive 60% ("ten key-less") boards either lack arrow keys or have obnoxious, loud switches. These weren't feasible because I use arrow keys all the time for Visual Studio and I work in open-office hell. The Leopold has quiet Topre swit…
Have you looked into the VSVim extension? It's a bit of extra effort to learn vim, but you'll never have to reach for the arrow keys again. You'll also need to map your escape key to Caps Lock. You can use AutoHotkey for this with this script: https://www.dropbox.com/s/c6t9sj3fygtre6h/AutoHotKey.ahk Vim basically allows you to trade mental effort for hand movement. Over time, the mental effort goes away, but the save…
But VS has so many shortcut "chords" that depend on HJKL that I can't juggle both paradigms at once. When my brain is in "vim-mode", I'm constant hitting ESC -> ':' to trigger commands.
I had the same issue with Atom, Sublime, and VSCode extensions that mimic vim too.
Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard
#189> 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…