Microsoft's new foldable keyboard • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#151

Post by frik » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:14 AM UTC

cr3ative wrote: post #147

frik wrote: post #146

It's getting harder and harder to buy traditional high quality mouse and keyboards for PC. Microsoft and Logitech used to produce them. But the look at the current portfolio of Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/mice and http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/keyboards No traditional keyboard with cable and normal key-layout, no normal mouse like the IntelliMouse or Comfort Mouse 6000 (discontinued b…

It's not harder to buy "traditional high quality" in the keyboard sense - to me, that means buckling spring, and there's a huge market for it at the moment. It is expensive though. Have a search for "Cherry MX" keyboards. Big manufacturers like Corsair have recently launched several traditionally shaped keyboards with these switches.

You mean the 70s/80s IBM keyboard typewriter/console/keyboard - very good quality but with a noise factor.

For me the 90s keyboard/mice quality would be enough - as known from the old Microsoft Hardware department, the old Switzerland based Logitech company and IBM Thinkpad keyboards.

The 90s/early 2000s hardware has a MTTF of about 10 years. The current 2010s hardware don't fit my needs at all, are overpriced (gaming devices) and have a very low product quality in general. [Edit: ...product quality of Microsoft/Logitech/Lenovo devices]

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#152

Post by one-more-minute » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:18 AM UTC

This is neat and all, but what would be really nice is if the keyboard actually folded into the tablet in some way. Why has no-one thought of that before?

/s

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#153

Post by eertami » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:22 AM UTC

tombrossman wrote: post #150

cr3ative wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not harder to buy "traditional high quality" in the keyboard sense - to me, that means buckling spring, and there's a huge market for it at the moment. It is expensive though. Have a search for "Cherry MX" keyboards. Big manufacturers like Corsair have recently launched several traditionally shaped keyboards with these switches.

The point about mice is dead on though, I wish I'd bought more of the Intellimouse model as I am on my last one (of probably 3-4 total) and the Comfort Mouse 6000 I bought to replace it is not good enough. The slight lag on middle click is forever annoying. Look for some of the better engineered Microsoft mice (now all discontinued) on Amazon for an idea of what kind of prices these are fetching. Some are crazy expen…

And they are great mice for gaming - I've been using a WMO1.1a for probably a decade, once you stick some custom mousefeet on them they are fantastic.

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#154

Post by blumkvist » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:33 AM UTC

frik wrote: post #146

It's getting harder and harder to buy traditional high quality mouse and keyboards for PC. Microsoft and Logitech used to produce them. But the look at the current portfolio of Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/mice and http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/keyboards No traditional keyboard with cable and normal key-layout, no normal mouse like the IntelliMouse or Comfort Mouse 6000 (discontinued b…

>What traditional cable based keyboards

Das, Corsair.

>What traditional cable based mices

Corsair

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#155

Post by eertami » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:40 AM UTC

frik wrote: post #151

cr3ative wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not harder to buy "traditional high quality" in the keyboard sense - to me, that means buckling spring, and there's a huge market for it at the moment. It is expensive though. Have a search for "Cherry MX" keyboards. Big manufacturers like Corsair have recently launched several traditionally shaped keyboards with these switches.

You mean the 70s/80s IBM keyboard typewriter/console/keyboard - very good quality but with a noise factor. For me the 90s keyboard/mice quality would be enough - as known from the old Microsoft Hardware department, the old Switzerland based Logitech company and IBM Thinkpad keyboards. The 90s/early 2000s hardware has a MTTF of about 10 years. The current 2010s hardware don't fit my needs at all, are overpriced (gamin…

Very low product quality? I have a Filco Majestouch that I'm pretty sure is going to outlast every peripheral and piece of tech at my desk and survive longer than 10 years. The switches are rated for 50m actuation and the body is fantastically sturdy. I'd even say it is of a higher overall quality than the IBM Model M.

Sure, there are lot of shitty overpriced gaming keyboards but if you avoid those brands and get a Filco, Ducky, Das or Leopold for instance, you're getting quality.

And most switches except for Blues will be quieter than the 70s/80s IBM era. I'd hate to have to go back to 90s Microsoft keyboards to be completely honest, long lasting maybe but not a nice experience.

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#156

Post by marban » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:42 AM UTC

msh wrote: post #139

marban wrote: post #138

Currently using an iP6+ with the new Logitech Keys-To-Go which is similar and probably even thinner but not folding. Keyboard's great but every manufacturer seems to be missing the fact that you'll also need a decent stand for the phone and I have yet to find something that's slim, adjustable and not 3$ eBay quality.

I love my Microsoft wedge keyboard,seem to fit your needs also. See http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/p/wedge-mobile-keybo...

Too bulky and the stand isn't great for a phone.

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#157

Post by frik » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:43 AM UTC

blumkvist wrote: post #154

frik wrote: post #146

It's getting harder and harder to buy traditional high quality mouse and keyboards for PC. Microsoft and Logitech used to produce them. But the look at the current portfolio of Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/mice and http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/keyboards No traditional keyboard with cable and normal key-layout, no normal mouse like the IntelliMouse or Comfort Mouse 6000 (discontinued b…

>What traditional cable based keyboards Das, Corsair. >What traditional cable based mices Corsair

I read everywhere that recent Corsair products have reliability problems (incl. RAPTOR M30). Older generations of the same product lines were better manufactured. With a short life-time they would be not better than recent Microsoft or Logitech hardware products. Hopefully Corsair already replaced some thin plastics parts that acted like predetermined breaking point.

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#158

Post by louwrentius » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 9:52 AM UTC

Seems neat.

You people remember this one?

http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/pda/palmvx/palmkey.jpg

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#159

Post by arjn » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 10:07 AM UTC

Meh .... one more thing to carry around.

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#160

Post by walterbell » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 10:12 AM UTC

arvinsim wrote: post #111

dmcginty wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think $100 would be a reasonable price to pay for a keyboard that you use for many hours every day over several decades. The Textblade seems like something that I'd use in short intervals here or there for a year or two.

I don't think I have encountered any keyboard that would last for several decades.

Goldtouch has a good track record and IBM heritage, http://allthingsergo.com/blog/reviews/goldtouch-keyboard-rev...