Console-style keyboards for your PC

[roswell1329]

I'm sure that many of you out there have already seen them before, but I've seen a few posts lately about people getting or building their own machines. For those of us that are used to a smaller footprint keyboard, you may be discouraged by the overwhelming size of the keyboards they're selling today with name-brand systems. With all the extra buttons like "Email!" and "WWW!". Most of these are useless for those of us who run *nix. However, I found this link in my favorites for console-style keyboards for anyone who's looking for one:

http://www.pfuca.com/products/hhkb/hhkbindex.html

It's called the Happy Hacker keyboard. Ironic, eh?

[Joey_Batch_File]

at the affordable price off $139.00 everyone should have one. Umm, I think I'll pass... lol. Hey, The happy hacker lite is only $49.00 and for half the price you can pick up a nifty keyboard and just ignore a couple extra keys. I don't know if it just me, but I'm a tad bit thrifty on certain items of my PC...

[JCHostingAdmin]

Heh, intresting keyboard you got there. I'm not a happy man right now so it wouldn't matter . Anyways, kool keyboard. I've built two keyboards in my life so far and have made custom designs for people.

[debwalin]

I would LOVE a smaller keyboard, this one is so big it takes up the whole keyboard tray, leaving little room for the mouse. But I have to have my number pad...I spent too many years working on a calculator, and the numbers at the top of the keyboard take me forever to use, and I can use my number pad really quickly without looking at it like the keyboard...I don't think I could live with out the number pad....

Deb

[Joey_Batch_File]

Originally posted here by debwalin
I would LOVE a smaller keyboard, But I have to have my number pad...

Deb,

What if you picked up a smaller keyboard, and one of those USB Number Pads? It would still save you a great deal of space....

[the_JinX]

I just like my old IBM keyboard..

no M$ button no www and email crap..

just pure plain old technology..

and will last u a lifetime

secondhand for € 10.00

[[FB-Army] User]

Jinx, you would have died if you had seen the stuff we unloaded at the surplus store a couple months ago. We got rid of over 2000 of those tiny IBM keyboards, that made the original clicking sound when you typed. We donated most to the salvation army, and the others went to our surplus center.

[zaddikim]

It would be kinda nifty to have a keyboard that has the same footprint as a laptop set, but how does it feel?
If you're not comfortable with the action, it won't matter how cool it looks. A Fujitsu works just fine, and the
jazzy little Compaq k/b's at school have a sweet, smooth action. Like Joey_Batch_File said, ignore the keys you
don't need. Me, I'm saving up for an ergo-keyboard (preferably non-M$) so I can force myself to touch-type
instead of the rapid hunt-and-peck style...

zaddikim

[The_Magistrate]

The idea of a smaller keyboard is in the best intentions, but unless you stricktly use *nix you would be loosing half the functionality of a normal (not gigantic) keyboard.

When i bought my Dell, it came with a keyboard that worked fine, but had the extra buttons. I never figured out how to program the buttons after I switched to Windows XP, so I got an old keyboard that my school was going to throw away. I had been using a similar keyboard for about 2 years, and I liked the layout, and the size of the keys. The keys are only about 3/4 the depth of any other keyboard I've seen.

I agree that a smaller foot-print keyboard is a great idea, but eliminating several essential keys and loosing functioality isn't worth it. I do however like the fact that the "Happy Hacking" keyboards do not have large useless plastic frames. Many keyboards have 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of plastic around the outside of the keyboard that is totally useless, and wastes space.

Good find roswell1329, and it's a step in the right direction in terms of the perfect keyboard, but far from a happy median.

[Terr]

Personally I think that 'serious' computer user keyboards won't focus on tiny footprints, but on the easy spacing of keys. After all, ease of use is paramount if you use it a lot, not footprint. I'm not ashamed to say that I love my (original version) Microsoft Natural keyboard. I really dislike keyboards which bunch together the arrow keys and the Ins/Del/Home/etc. keys along with the printscreen/scroll-lock/etc. block in order to fit in the frivolous sleep/wake buttons.

I'd agree with Deb. When I first started my ickle widdle footsies on the path to typing, I thought the number pad was a frivolous addition to a keyboard, but since then I've found it invaluable for entering numeric strings of all types, to say nothing of using it with Calculator-like programs. My keyboard qualitfies as a big-clunker, but the extra space really helps me navigate it blindly, rather than hampering me by requiring extra movement.