What keyboard do you use?

Just a fun discussion about keyboards! What keyboard do you guys use? Are you a user/contributor/committer?
 
A QPAD MK-50 with blue Cherry switches. I'm (currently) only a user, not much time for contributing or maintaining ports, but I plan to change that again.
 
I'm a FreeBSD 10.2-RELEASE user, and I use a Das Model S Professional with the clicky "blue" Cherry switches; its built-in USB ports work fine.

Code:
ukbd1: <vendor 0x04d9 daskeyboard, class 0/0, rev 1.10/3.90, addr 4> on usbus2
ums1: <vendor 0x04d9 daskeyboard, class 0/0, rev 1.10/3.90, addr 4> on usbus2
 
Well, my keyboard is less than impressive. I use a PS/2 Gateway keyboard complete with Windows Media keys that don't do anything on FreeBSD.
 
WASD V2 tenkeyless with Cherry greens and custom colours on the keycaps.
 
Ancient Compaq PS/2 rubber dome keyboards with a big metal plate inside them to give them some weight.
 
FreeBSD user. IBM KB-9910 :)
SZw6Pgc.jpg
 
Presently using a Corsair K70 mechanical keyboard with Cherry blue switches. Lights work and all media keys are fully functional on FreeBSD with the sysutils/uhidd port.

I also have an original IBM Model M that's not being used as I don't have an adapter for it. The keyboard is a tank and should probably be registered with the local authorities as a dual use weapon. I'm sorry Oko, you can't have it. ;)
 
A Sun MicroSystems Type 7 'PC' Keyboard - It feels and looks like the Amiga keyboard I used throughout my teenage years. As a plus side it can be configured easily when using Mate to include all the 'extra' function buttons.
As a bonus, and this stems from my liking of British keyboards from the '80s and '90s, the Enter key is called the Return key, and the numberpad has the Enter key.
 
SIGINT Why did you sign up to this board to ask that as your first and only question?

Haha! I don't know, why not? I don't have any nefarious intentions, I promise. I'm just a little weird :). Keyboards are a sort of personal hobby for me, and I was just curious as to what some of you guys are using. I signed up to this forum just to get involved in the community. I hope to one day be a contributor. Anyway, I use a Ducky One with MX browns.
 
I also have an original IBM Model M that's not being used as I don't have an adapter for it. The keyboard is a tank and should probably be registered with the local authorities as a dual use weapon. I'm sorry Oko, you can't have it. ;)
IBM PC (Model 5150), IBM XT (Model 5160) or PC-AT (Model 5170) are actually even better than Model M first batch series produced by IBM. I had privilege using one of those back in Belgrade 35 years ago. As of your unused IBM Model M, I use the following adopter Perixx PS2 to USB Adapter for Keyboard & Mouse with PS2 Interface (PERIPRO-401)

https://www.amazon.com/Perixx-Adapt...eywords=PS2+Keyboard/Mouse+to+USB+Port+perixx

Unlike some adapters that have a USB plug and PS-2 connector but no active interface, this adapter is capable of adapting old PS-2 devices to a USB port and does perfect mapping.
 
A Sun MicroSystems Type 7 'PC' Keyboard - It feels and looks like the Amiga keyboard I used throughout my teenage years. As a plus side it can be configured easily when using Mate to include all the 'extra' function buttons.
As a bonus, and this stems from my liking of British keyboards from the '80s and '90s, the Enter key is called the Return key, and the numberpad has the Enter key.

If I was not addicted to IBM Model M keyboard that would be my second choice. It is still needed for playing with PROM on old Blades (I had 2500 until recently) as the voltage of newer USB keyboards doesn't meet SUN specifications. I have few of those as well as Type 6 and even Type 5 with integrated 3 keys mouse and SUN interface which is much more elegant than PS-2

https://sparc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/KBD.pdf.gz
 
I've come to greatly like the ⅛" slab of Al Apple USB keyboards (the full size one with numeric pad). The laptop style short travel keys make switching between laptop and desktop easier in terms of muscle memory, but they still have a nice positive feel to them. The Al slab gives a good weight to it, stopping it moving about or bouncing.

Prior to that, probably Sun type 5/6/7. Old IBM keyboards were generally somewhere between legendary and excellent, with the side benefit of being capable of bludgeoning intruders. Old HP keyboards mostly good.

A mandatory feature for me is that it must always have a non-linear resistance, resulting in a positive tactile feedback so that my fingers actively sense that the electrical connection has been made. I believe that is also beneficial in terms of reducing RSI, as you can (by instinct / reflex) moderate the muscle pressure so that you are not pushing hard against the limit of travel, once you are used to the particular model of keyboard. The peak physical pressure is somewhere in the middle of the travel of the key, with a positive drop in resistance just after (or simultaneous to) electrical contact.

As for what I am, veteran coder/sysadmin/engineer, occasional contributor, with Unix experience back to relatively early days (8086 era, IBM PC-RT 6150, Sun 3 / SunOS 4, etc). I remember K&R C being the standard, and ANSI C being the new thing.
 
Cherry Cyboa@rd Combo RS13000, white with light blue panel of small multimedia round keys and blue wrist rest.
But I hope one day keyboards will break free from the legacy of qwerty staggered layout and software keymapping (don't you hate when you type a key and you see another on the screen ?) and useless numlock (don't you hate when a stupid console driver turns it off without your consent ?). My perfect keyboard would have matrix keys, but unlike TypeMatrix for two-handed typing it should be usable from either single hand (because the other hand is always holding a mouse or a stylus on a tablet), have programmable firmware keymap, send unicode keys (directly usable by OS without keymapping, instead of raw keycodes and many languages of keymaps that cannot satisfy everybody).
 
For a while I used a Ducky Premier DK9008P (Cherry Browns) with my FreeBSD laptop, however after changing jobs and getting my own desk with an abominable keyboard, my Ducky is now at work.

My FreeBSD laptop is a Lenovo T440, so I just use the keyboard on that, mostly...
 
As of your unused IBM Model M, I use the following adopter Perixx PS2 to USB Adapter for Keyboard & Mouse with PS2 Interface (PERIPRO-401)

https://www.amazon.com/Perixx-Adapter-Keyboard-Interface-PERIPRO-401/dp/B008DFVQFW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1469469361&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=PS2+Keyboard/Mouse+to+USB+Port+perixx

Unlike some adapters that have a USB plug and PS-2 connector but no active interface, this adapter is capable of adapting old PS-2 devices to a USB port and does perfect mapping.

Thanks for the info and link Oko. Unfortunately, my keyboard doesn't have a PS2 connector. It has what looks to be something similar to an RJ45 connector though more flat. My first guess is it's maybe a terminal keyboard, though I'm not sure as I haven't really looked into it yet. It's been sitting in the closet for a few years. :)
 
Thanks for the info and link Oko. Unfortunately, my keyboard doesn't have a PS2 connector. It has what looks to be something similar to an RJ45 connector though more flat. My first guess is it's maybe a terminal keyboard, though I'm not sure as I haven't really looked into it yet. It's been sitting in the closet for a few years. :)

That's the standard model M connector. It's called a shielded data link connector. The cables supplied with them have that on one end and give you a choice of long, short, coiled, and various connectors. If you're talking about the other end, then yes, perhaps it is for a terminal but I seem to recall RJ type connectors used on some computers as well.
 
That's the standard model M connector. It's called a shielded data link connector. The cables supplied with them have that on one end and give you choice of long, short, coiled, and various connectors.
Yep, that is it. :)

Edit: I did not get the keyboard with a cord so I'll look into finding one somewhere. I was unaware different cable types were available for it.
 
Cherry G-80 keyboard with blue (click) switches - I wish there were "Beastie" key caps available to replace those ugly Windows key caps...

FreeBSD 10-Stable User - I am not a coder but more an IT security and IT management guy.
 
Back
Top