This summer I developed tendonitis. Now, because I've been typing thousands of words a day, my index finger is stiff and store. I suspect it's due to unresponsive keys. My Mouse 1 button is also broken.
Now that I need to replace both these, I'd like to replace them with something better. I never used and of their extra buttons or features, they just collected dust. All I need is the standard. Quietness might be nice, but above all I want them to be comfortable and (relatively) healthy. Is there anything available? Everyone talks about the IBM springboard, but that sounds like it would kill my fingertips.
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Anonymous2006-10-21 14:23
Get a decent, oldschool IBM (or IBM-like, as in, massive, sturdy, resists a nuclear meltdown) buckling spring keyboard. It's the best keyboard ever, anything multimedia is shit, anything with power keys is shit, anything with alternate layouts is shit, anything with shitty shaped keys is shit, anything with missing keys is shit, anything split is shit, anything that is not IBM-like is shit.
>>2
>>everyone talks about the IBM springboard, but that sounds like it would kill my fingertips.
Newer keyboards don't use springboard. The older keyboards I remember using were impact-resistant and as you say - "sturdy." I don't want a powertool, I want a delicate utencil that won't deform my bone structure. Is that what the IBM is?
Name:
Anonymous2006-10-21 16:36
You deforming your bone structure is because you're hammering away too hard at keys that don't have a very positive tactile feedback - i.e. those sorry rubber nipple keyboards - meaning you're jarring your joints at every stroke. Buckling spring type keyboards may seem heavy and industrial, but what they do is allow you to moderate your keystrokes to a more gentler press by letting you *know* when you've completed a stroke (it will take a conscious effort on your part to get out of the "key mashing" habit and into using a gentler stroke, but it's worth it). The keys are also balanced to require a lighter touch on the outer keys that tend to fall under your pinky and ring fingers. The only disadvantage of buckling spring keyboards is the noise.
I guess I'm sold. I have a trackball on my other machine but I find it sloppy and inaccurate. I might check out some research to see the health reasons. I think I switched to standard for gaming, which I stopped.
Anyway, is a Unicomp Value Plus just as good? I understand it shouldn't be because it's 45 dollars less, but it's still a buckling-spring, isn't it? I can't find any information on it other than it being manufactured outside the US by LiteOn sweatshops in Asia, but I imagine that they retained their trademark design - otherwise why would they even bother with a regular shitty model?