Gaming keyboards for professional writing?

Remove all ads!

Doods, I've recently taken a look at keyboards because I just can't keep using a normal keyboard any more - years of abuse of digital joints are kicking in. Between flat notebook-style keyboards and other choices, I've cast my eyes on err... other choices, looking at gaming keyboards. After all, if it's good for not failing the 10-key sequence after 8 hours of gaming at 200 actions-per-minute speed without taking your eyes off the monitor (supposing you don't actually play by ear ), it must be good for professional writing.

So, gaming keyboards survive chords. They have the lowest reaction times around. Sounds like they can take 400 chars per second. Plus, they have some rubber membrane surfaces and whatnot to avoid sliding. And the tops of the keys are profiled so that fingers would fall in and you wouldn't miss. Shouldn't this kinda help when you're typing page after page?

Sure, at first glance they don't seem capable of the ease of notebook-style keyboards, but they can't be fingerkillers if Starcraft kids use them, nope?

Or am I getting something wrong?

 

Bought this one:

http://www.natec-europe.com/index.php?mod=products&id=61&pid=8436&lang=en

Not sure what to think about it, really. It's probably a great keyboard and definitely great for its price, though I really don't know after all this crap with thinking and choosing. It seems I might just have got myself some wrist supporters instead. With the Logitech EX 110, I feel I'm in control, more or less, and I know what's going on. With the other one not so much. The X-Scissors bearing on the keys is great but not so great when it's keys that you would normally stroke with e.g. some odd part of your thumb when using a normal keyboard. There's definitely much less fingerwork involved and my fingers don't seem to complain so much, but I'd expected more of a difference. Besides, it feels like swapping a Logitech for a Natec.

A reviewer, however, said that this Medusa keyboard was even better than UltraX Flat from Logitech (not by a far margin, but apparently to an extent you could notice).

I'm getting a nagging feeling that the best for me might be an old soft keyboard with tall keys, like stuff that isn't even made any more. I suppose the cheapest of the cheap keyboards around (talking about 2.5 euro keyboards) might actually still use that old technology.

 

The best typing keyboard I had was the one from Microsoft with the ergonomic layout. http://www.alternate.nl/html/produc...=HARDWARE&l1=Invoerapparaten&l2=Toetsenborden

Is was a dream for typing and gaming was ok.

Now I have a Lycosa gamingkeyboard from razer. For gaming it is fantastic, for typing it is not good enough.

 

The best keyboard I've found is the Logitech Office Comfort. It's basically a wired, ergonomic PS/2 media keyboard.

It's very hard to get, however.

The Natural Ergonomic Keyboard is a good second, but decidedly a second.

 

Thanks, guys. Merlanni, I've considered that one too. Don't know why I didn't go for it in the end. Might even have been dislike of Microsoft on my part.

Taza, can it be this one or similar? http://www.ceneo.pl/2065376

BTW, got an A4-Tech X-748K mouse.

 

The best keyboards I know are from Cherry. My mother has my old comp, and still uses the old keyboard, the trusty Cherry G83, that I used before I got my Logitec G15. The keys on the old Cherry are still more responsive than on my 9 month old G15. I used the old Cherry when I posted yesterday, and it is still good, after a couple years of intense typing and gaming (and I am mocked about for really hitting the keys hard - blessings of having learned to type on a mechanical typewriter ). Besides, the Raptor K1 and K2 gaming keyboards are made by Cherry. The only reason why I didn't buy Cherry again was that I specifically wanted a backlit keyboard for gaming and they didn't have a decent backlit keyboard on offer, and that also ruled out the Raptors.

So if you want a durable keyboard that will last and is great for typing and gaming, get a Cherry keyboard. They're great, and iirc most of them are cheaper than the average Logitec. I say that being somewhat of a Logitec fan boy - I like my Logitec G15 keyboard, my trackball is from Logitec and, my set of boxes is from Logitec.

That said, I can't quite confirm Tal's somewhat bad experiences with the G15. Actually I'm a rather happy user, and particularly like the backlit keys as I can't really write blind, and occasionally have to reorient myself. It is also nice when gaming in semi darkness. The only thing I really dislike is the position of the macro keys. G5 in particular is easy to hit accidentally because it is so close to <shift>. When Firefox is on, the G5 key does trigger 'reload page' by default. I lost a couple of more or less elaborated posts through that That said, except for that there is little else to complain about. I'd wished more games would make use of the display. Amusingly, NWN2 char stats are display in the display, which is nice, but sort of useless for playing the game. You can set it to report if you got mail and so forth. The LCD isn't exactly useless - rather it is underutilised.

 

In reality, you know, I just have the same problem as you - I'm a child of the mechanical typewriter era and while I could learn to type on a touchscreen even, as a rule I'd prefer something you can pound on hard and squeeze 400 chars per minute out of, without having to worry about typos occurring as a result of malorientation, and without being slowed down.

The stuff I now have, the Medusa, apparently counts as a hard one, but there's less fingerwork to be done. Still, I can very much tell that fingers will be hurting at the end of the day... And I can't quite unwind the same speed as on a cheap keyboard they use e.g. at internet cafes (woe be to one that gets under my fingers). The way I type when I can isn't even hammering, it's mashing. And I can't mash this one. Well, we'll see in a couple of months. The keyboard's going to start giving in a bit and I'm going to have more experience with it.

What's great is I don't have to learn the layout. Stuff works normally even though it's flat and actually my first flat keyobard ever.

Oh, and the mouse works great too. Perhaps I'll be able to do some of the GOSU micromanaging in Warcraft III.

 

Logitech and Microsoft business keyboards are designed to last. I have been using a Microsoft USB keyboard and mouse setup at work now for over 5 years. They are fantastic and are durable, etc... I am actually considering buying the updated package which uses a laser 800dpi mouse instead of the optical mouse I use now at work for my home PC.

 

we had an old white ergonomic keyboard that was split down the middle and the back wass lifted and it was good for typing long reports and stuff. dont remember what happened to it. the one im currently using is a logitech office pro keyboard thats starting to break down after about 3 years. wish i has something else sence its a pain to type on. Im trying to work on a novel so if the keyboard doesnt work to well then i cant do much with my novel cuase my hands start hurtign after a while. the 2 clips on the bottom thats sopose tyo lift it are both broken and the wristguard is breaking apart as well oneside is completly broken si it slides on me at times

 

If you're dealing with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (RSI), it might be a good idea to have two or more keyboards to switch among from time to time, just to allow some muscles to take rest and others to take over. Some guy somewhere said that's what a therapist told him. It kinda worked for me the last week or so.

 

latelyt ive been keeping my hands off the keyboard when im playing games on an emulator sence i use a game pad foir that and when im browsing the web one hand is n the mouse and the other ohne is just idle like in my lap or playing with something lol not that something perverts.

 

Those stands to lift the keyboard break pretty fast with me too. I tried to find one once which had stronger studs but for some reason even expensive boards have weak studs.

 

Speaking of, it seems I type faster when it's lying flat, but more comfortably when the back is lifted.

 

i honestly think i need a new keyboard myself. i just dont have the money to go out and try to find one that would suite me.

edit: ok im hanging up the towel for now onj my novel but i will come back to it after i do a few short fanfics first about harry potter of all things. its one of the closest types of world thats clostest to what im going for in my novel but some major differences but it will allow me to flush out some of my character ideas and flaws. i just wihs i had abetter keyboard to type it up on as this one is starting to hurt my wrists.