Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sample.eng.ohio-state.edu!purdue!haven.umd.edu!mimsy!dftsrv!oneel From: oneel@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Bruce Oneel ) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: PC/AT Aftermarket Keyboards Message-ID: Date: 16 May 91 17:03:53 GMT References: <1991May14.162020.28897@bdt.com> Sender: news@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov Organization: STX/GSFC Nasa Lines: 36 In article jamaass@bluemoon.uucp (Jeffrey A. Maass) writes: david@bdt.com (David Beckemeyer) writes: > I'm in the market for a new keyboard for my AT clone. I want one > with the separate cursor keys and maybe even the extra bank of > function keys. > > The prices seem to vary a great deal. I've seen some as low as > $30 and others as high as $150. Are they really that different? YES! YES! YES! The $30 keyboards are best used to beat vicious dogs over the head when walking in poor neighborhoods: certainly not for data entry! Better to be forced to use a mouse... Go to your local store and pound on few different keyboards. I "grew up" on true-blue IBM AT keyboard, and I'm fairly hard to please. I find that I generally like the Northgate OmniKey 102: it has a positive "Click" feedback and not the typical "mushy" feel of most of the keyboards on the market. Put your fingers on every keyboard you see for a week or so, and find the feel you like. Don't scrimp: you'll regret it dearly! Well, with 10**1000 people reading this, you knew there was going to be one who disagreed. I type all day on an assortment of keyboards and am happiest typing on the home system with it's $34.95 keyboard. Mine came from the local Compu-USA, but I bet if I went back now (a month later) it would be a different mfg, but same price. It may not hold up, time will tell on that. I do agree that one should go and bang on as many as the computer store has. bruce -- Bruce O'Neel oneel@heasfs.gsfc.nasa.gov NASA/GSFC/STX/Code 664