Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

Looking for a good non-Logitech keyboard

(1/7) > >>

Deozaan:
I'm in the market for a new keyboard. I was using the K800 which I really, really liked. But every single Logitech device I've purchased in the past decade or so has had significant issues crop up after only 2-3 years of use so I'm done with them as a company. Every single mouse has had issues with double clicking or "letting go" when I was trying to click and drag. And this past weekend one of the keys on my keyboard has suddenly stopped working. A $100 keyboard should last longer than that. And no, I didn't spill anything on it. I'm sick and tired of my Logitech devices failing after only a couple of years (if that long). Grr!

If that's not planned obsolescence then it's sheer incompetence, and I'm not going to support either of them with more money.

So anyway, does anyone have suggestions for a nice keyboard that will last? Some of the things I really liked about the K800 and would like to have again (but are not requirements) are:

1. Quiet keys.
2. Slim (not tall) keys that are easy to press. I can't believe how hard it is to type on a regular keyboard with such tall keys now that my fingers have gotten used to not having to move so much!
3. Backlight.
4. The key labels couldn't rub off because as best as I can tell the key itself is black and the label is laser etched through it or something. Very nice.
5. Wireless. I left my keyboard plugged in 98% of the time, but it was nice to be able to disconnect it occasionally to take to the couch or hand over to someone else near my computer.
6. Full size keyboard with numpad and Function keys.

Some things I didn't like about it:

1. Really the only thing I can think of is that I ran into conflicts when trying to press many keys at once. I'm not a competitive gamer, so it's not super important to me, but there were a few games where I noticed I couldn't use the key combinations I wanted to.

But honestly at this point I'm open to any suggestions.

Please, DC, share your wisdom with me and help me find a good Logitech replacement.

Stoic Joker:
I'm still using the same Saitek keyboard I bought at CircuitCity - Yeah it's that old - over 10 years ago. it's been sloshed with beer and coffee at various points, and probably still has a good bit of cigarette ash in it ... But it also still works perfectly.

...I figure I got my $60 out of it years ago.

These aren't in stock at Newegg, but it's the closest thing I could find to what I actually have http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175104

eleman:
I use an Apple keyboard with my PC.

On the plus side:
1. Compact design. It covers a minimal desk space.
2. Slim and easy to press keys are very nice.
3. Home-end-pgup-pgdn are not at eccentric locations.
4. There are 7 extra F keys you can use to assign functions.

Cons:
1. F keys are not in groups of four. I didn't realize this would be an issue, but apparently muscle memory gets some help from the small space left between F4 and F5 to discern the key when pressing Alt-F4.
2. Price is higher than it needs to be. I figure it's Apple tax. To boot, I don't get the opportunity to show-off at a chic bar to impress ladies.
3. No scroll lock key. Ergo no scroll lock led. You probably don't need it, but I do for some reason.
4. No num-lock led.
5. No windows key and the context menu key. Instead you get useless cmd keys. (There's a marvelous utility called sharpkeys to remap keys for good though. Use it. Use it. Really.)
6. No printscreen key (see sharpkeys).
7. No insert key (sharpkeys again).
8. There is a freaking "=" key on the numpad, claiming the space where "/" should be. Do I look like an idiot? Who the hell needs an "=" key on the numpad? The idiot key replaces "/" and subsequently causes a chain reaction with "*" as well. And the "+" key is a single row key, not a two-row one. (thankfully, there's sharpkeys).

Well, to sum it up, you get quiet and slim keys, and some issues most of which you can eliminate with sharpkeys. I do recommend it.

Deozaan:
Wow. I didn't know that Amazon made hardware (other than Kindle). Looking for keyboards I found there's an AmazonBasics line of products. Including a keyboard for $11.50.

Innuendo:
I love, love, love my Logitech K800 keyboard. Yes, the keys are laser-etched. This is a requirement for all keyboards I buy as I type a lot. Normal keys will start showing wear a few months in with the way I type. This K800 looks as good as the day I bought it two years ago. One of its fatal flaws, one you did not mention, is that it is impossible to take apart to clean.

Wireless, rechargeable, back-lit laser-etched keys, low profile, short key travel, etc.  Sadly, when last I checked there was nothing else like it on the market. A unique product for a unique niche. Just requiring laser-etched keys alone really cuts down the field of choices to a small handful. If you want wireless *and* back-lit keys? Practically unheard of. There doesn't seem to be nearly as many companies making keyboards as there used to be. Even Microsoft comes out with a new model once every few years these days. There was a time there'd be a completely new line of keyboards every year.

You paid $100 for it? That's MSRP. No one should ever have to pay MSRP for anything. :)    I picked mine up for about half that on sale somewhere so i guess I'm not going to be too upset when this one dies. I've gotten my money's worth out of it.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page