Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard • Hacker News Board

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#241

Post by zzo38computer » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:20 PM UTC

reaperducer wrote: post #236

zzo38computer wrote: post #232

I would want more key rollover. I like the Model F keyboard, with full n-key rollover; just, it doesn't have lights. Also, I would like to have a Fn key which can be used to send arbitrary scancodes and possibly other options (such as key repeat). If a key with Windows logo is added, I think that it should be changed so that it has text (perhaps "Super") instead of a logo.

I think that it should be changed so that it has text (perhaps "Super") instead of a logo. The Windows logo is on the Meta key. Super (and Hyper) are other keys.

OK, although someone told me that it would be "Super"; maybe they were wrong.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#242

Post by ltbarcly3 » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:23 PM UTC

They gave me one of these at work and I gave it back. One of the worst keyboards I have ever used. Awful mushy chicklet keys, short key throw, the whole thing flexes with finger pressure. Its cheap rebranded junk.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#243

Post by nickjj » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:25 PM UTC

corobo wrote: post #88

GarrisonPrime wrote: post #22

Earlier 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…

I don't think you can make that assessment just by looking for affiliate links or notices.

What if you found a 2k to 5k word article on something you really wanted to know about and maybe buy.

Also what if that person spent 5,000 hours over 5 years building up their site and only 5% of the posts on their site has an affiliate link for something.

Would you discard that post as trash / scammy because they happened to drop an affiliate link into it because they personally used that product for years before writing about it?

IMO you can't really gauge any of that just by looking for an affiliate notice or not.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#244

Post by kristianp » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:25 PM UTC

It looks like the tops of the keys are completely flat. As someone who did a lot of typing on XT clone keyboards when they where common, this wouldn't be comfortable to me. I like some curve to the tops of the keys. Thinkpads have that feature for me.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#245

Post by sleepybrett » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

nickjj wrote: post #221

Excel_Wizard wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this article is written from the perspective of a satisficer- it sufficiently meets the requirements he cares about. This is the perspective of most consumers for most of the goods we purchase. It's good to get a well-considered perspective from somebody that isn't deep into the "enthusiast" category of keyboard purchasers.

Author here, I would partially agree with that. I'm not going to mechanical keyboard conferences, lubing my key switches and I had no idea what a sound dampening o-ring was until I read the parent comment. I haven't gotten super into keyboards because I haven't been negatively effected enough for me to go down that rabbit hole of finding something top tier that covers everything I want to do in a better way with 0 co…

I see the keyboard as my primary tool for my job. I researched that tool and found the optimal one for me. In no universe is a keyboard with that little keytravel optimal for anyone.

I'm not even getting into mechanical/non-mechanical, ergonomic (in all the flavors) and typical staggered layout. That little keytravel leads to either 1) over-bottoming out, which over time is bad for your joints or 2) tons of missed keypresses.

Also even better than those o-rings (which reduce keytravel) there are switches with built in dampeners in the sliders (one expensive example https://zealpc.net/products/zilents but really https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0490/7329/products/Zilent_... you can see the little sliver of white at the top and bottom of the slider thats a little 'rubber' bumper that dampens the bottom-out and snap back ('top-out') sound.)

I didn't really fall down the hole until about 10 years into my career when I had my first brush with RSI, but that landed me into a Kinesis Advantage which took awhile to get up to speed on, but now I don't see myself going back for longer sessions.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#246

Post by kazinator » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:28 PM UTC

PascLeRasc wrote: post #227

kazinator wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great; I'm in Vancouver, Canada; where can I walk into a brick-and-mortar store to try one?

Memory Express has a pretty good selection, I'd try there.

I was at a ME not long ago; I tried my hands on everything on display; they all make a sound. Some are good about not making a sound when the switch goes down, but the key makes a sound when bouncing back up, if your finger is completely off it. Space bar keys are particularly bad. A keyboard isn't silent if the space bar isn't.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#247

Post by parliament32 » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:30 PM UTC

nickjj wrote: post #209

Author here. A lot of people commented here saying it's questionable not to mention I happened to use an affiliate link. I want to thank those people for bringing that up. My intent wasn't to deceive anyone and I hope my HN comment history (98% of what I post here are comments on other people's stuff) separate me from yet another affiliate blog spammer. I just pushed an update to my site that now includes a little sn…

I'd be curious to hear how many hits you're getting on the affiliate links, compared to view counts. Is it even worth it?

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#248

Post by 01100011 » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:31 PM UTC

hollerith wrote: post #145

maxaf wrote: post #83

I’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…

Wrists aren't the only issue. I think split keyboards allow the hands to rest further apart which assists the shoulders and prevents too much internal rotation.

FWIW, I'm a big fan of membrane keyboards now. The MS Sculpt is my current favorite, but mainly because I can't see spending hundreds more on a fancier keyboard that I can't try in person. It's not perfect, but it's a good value for me. IMHO, I think minimizing key travel is a good thing. Take a hint from musicians - unnecessary movement is generally bad.

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#249

Post by rainhacker » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:36 PM UTC

maxaf wrote: post #83

I’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…

Which type of switches do you use in ErgoDox?

Re: Why the Amazon Basics Keyboard Is My Favorite Keyboard

#250

Post by 01100011 » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:37 PM UTC

smacktoward wrote: post #183

lcall wrote: post #147

For 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…

The Microsoft ergonomic keyboards have been on a long, slow decline since they first came out in the mid-'90s. The original Natural/Natural Elite/Natural Pro keyboards were fantastic, real tanks. Those eventually devolved into the Natural 4000/7000, which had the same good layout as the originals but soft, mushy keyswitches that would fail if you looked at them funny. And those eventually devolved into the modern Scu…

I eWasted all my old MS Naturals in favor of the Sculpt. Yeah, the function key switch sucks, but other than that I prefer the sculpt. I see the reduced key travel as a benefit. Extra travel does nothing but slow me down and require me to move my joints more. Sure, I like the satisfying feel of mechanical switches, but not when I'm pushing them thousands of times an hour.