Getting a Feel for Right Keyboard
I’m a fanatic when it comes to keyboards. I’m just not happy unless my keyboard has the right feel and layout. Trouble is, what’s right for me may not be right for someone else. Choosing a keyboard is a very subjective process.
It’s also an important decision. It’s common for users to enter several thousand keystrokes per hour. A poorly designed keyboard can slow you down, increase your mistakes and tire you out.
So, the next time you buy or upgrade your PC, don’t just take whichever keyboard the system comes with. Try out several keyboards before you buy and, if you don’t like the one that comes with the machine, ask the salesperson to substitute one you do like. Most PCs come with standard jacks that will accommodate any of the after-market keyboards. Most important: Don’t buy a keyboard strictly on my or anyone else’s recommendation. Try before you buy.
When it comes to feel, IBM keyboards are my favorite. Every time you press a key on a genuine IBM keyboard, you hear a “click” and get some reassuring “tactile feedback” from the switch underneath the key cap. Other firms have come close to duplicating that feel, but no one does it like IBM.
Despite the great feel, I don’t use an IBM keyboard because I don’t like the layout. Once again, it’s a subjective opinion, but I’m not fond of where IBM put the Control key.
Fortunately, there are some good after-market keyboards. DataDesk International of Chatsworth and Northgate Computer Systems of Plymouth, Minn., make excellent keyboards. Neither has quite the same feel and sound as IBM keyboards, but they’re pretty close. Both companies give the user some control over the key layout.
The Northgate OmniKey Ultra comes with two sets of function keys. One set is on the left just as it was on the early IBM PC. Another set is above the number keys, where IBM and most other companies now place them. The keys on the left work like regular function keys. The ones on top normally perform a Shift/function key. They can be reprogrammed to perform like regular function keys, a Control/function key or Alt/function key.
I like the Northgate keyboard, but my favorite is the SwitchBoard from DataDesk International. I have one SwitchBoard connected to my IBM compatible and another on my Apple Macintosh. That makes it a lot easier to switch back and forth between the machines.
Like the Northgate board, the SwitchBoard makes it possible to switch the Caps Lock and Control keys and to make the comma and period keys active even when the shift key is pressed. But that’s just the beginning of the board’s ability to accommodate user preferences. The SwitchBoard is designed so that you can add, remove or move modules to suit your individual needs.
The basic keyboard, which looks pretty much like the standard IBM keyboard, comes with three sections, or modules. Standard letter and number keys are on the left, the cursor controls are in the middle and the numeric keypad on the far right. But these modules can be repositioned, or you can add or substitute sections.
The company offers an optional track ball for $149.95. A set of 15 vertical function keys ($49.95) will be out soon, and a module with 24 programmable function keys will be out by year-end.
The SwitchBoard has a suggested retail price of $249 but can be purchased for $159 from PC Connection (800) 243-8088 and other discount outlets. Northgate’s OmniKey Ultra has a suggested price of $149 but is available for $99 from Access Computer Technologies (800) 359-6800.
Northgate can be reached at (800) 548-1993. DataDesk can be reached at (800) DATADES or (818) 998-4200.
