recommend a nice keyboard for my iMac FP...

[thegelding]

current keyboard is limping along abit from too many family members eating and drinking at the computer...wife is complaining and wants a new keyboard that doesn't get food and stuff down inside it...the clear plastic and white keyboard looks nice new, but when hair and cheetos dust gets down inside it, it ain't that pretty no more...

what keyboard do you like that is simple and has a nice feel and is not cheap looking or cheap feeling and doesn't have a ton of extra buttons that i will never use....

thanks

g


ps...no wireless, no bluetooth and it needs at least one usb port (2 is better) for a wired mouse to plug into...

kensington had a mac keyboard that looked good (the slim keyboard for mac), but it has no usb ports...so i am thinking of this one (though it is expensive for being wired):
here (http://www.macally.com/spec/usb/input_device/icekey.html)

pss...i love my logitech mouse, but their keyboards are just crazy busy looking with senseless curves and buttons...

[Brad]

The Macally IceKey (http://www.macally.com/spec/usb/input_device/icekey.html) is omg teh sexy. The next keyboard I buy will almost certainly be that one.

It's a full size 108-key keyboard that uses the ultra-comfortable scissor-style keys like the PowerBook and iBook. It includes the eject and volume keys as well as proper command keys in the right place. It also has USB ports at the top left and right like the Apple keyboards.

http://www.in-media.de/subdomains/apfelgeruechte/tests_and_reviews/icekey/aufmacher.jpg http://www.in-media.de/subdomains/apfelgeruechte/tests_and_reviews/icekey/detail1.jpg

http://schwarztech.us/reviews/articleimages/icekey.jpg

[r300f28]

The Matias Tactile Pro. I doesn't get any better![B]

[ast3r3x]

I will also say I want to buy an IceKey...but how about you just do the logical thing and say "no eating at the computer."

I think it's pretty disgusting that the solution to having disgusting stuff inside of the keyboard is to not see it. Now I'm a germaphobe so maybe out of site out of mind really works for people other than me.

I have cleaned keyboards before, so a little advice...no eating, no drinking, no cutting finger nails, no combing hair, or handling anything smaller than a paper clip. :D

Of course it would be good to wash your hands before too, but that isn't realistic.

Edit: Now Brad, where does one get the bleech white wrist rests? (that i hope are cleanable, because nothing that white stays that white)

[thegelding]

just ordered the icekey...too sexy to pass up...42 bucks at amazon

as for the eating...will try my best...fingernail clipping was blocking the return key once...that was nasty to find

at work just the other day the IT guy was trying to fix my computer (it was just updated from 2000 to XP and XP just sucked the life out of it...scanner wouldn't work, flash drives not seen, mo drive would play discs but not be able to add data...etc etc....IT guy spent an hour and didn't get anything to work...i got the scanner to work after he left by adding files from Italy of all places---editor note: thegelding has nothing against Italy, just thought it weird that he had to download programs from there to get his epson 1260 scanner working with freakin XP---anyways...the whole time the IT guy is working on the computer he is drinking a damn coke right there at my work computer and keyboard...i even commented to him that i surprised me that IT guys would eat or drink around computers


g

[Luca]

Yeah, just be a Nazi about not eating at the computer. By the way, the current Apple keyboard (not the Pro) is very easy to clean, because the entire lower section is fully sealed off. If you remove all the keys, just dump it out and it's clean. The Pro always had stuff getting in the underside.

[LudwigVan]

The Matias Tactile Pro. I doesn't get any better![B]

True enough, perhaps, but they're a little pricey for most folks at about $100 (though a little cheaper on Amazon, et al.).

[ast3r3x]

I think I'm going to get the IceKey because I love my powerbook keyboard, but I think that the labels for special chars on the Matias Tactile Pro is nice.

[LudwigVan]

I think I'm going to get the IceKey because I love my powerbook keyboard, but I think that the labels for special chars on the Matias Tactile Pro is nice.

FWIW, Matias' less-expensive OS X keyboard (http://matias.ca/osxkeyboard/index.php) (MSRP $39.95) includes the symbols as well.

[Luca]

I believe the Matias Tactile Pro is the same as the Kensington Studio Board, which costs far less.

I'm kind of regretting buying this Apple Keyboard now. It's not bad at all, but the iceKey is cooler. I hesitated because I wanted a new keyboard with USB ports on it right away, and because the iceKey is so expensive.

Eh, I might pick one up sometime down the line. For now my keyboard and mouse are working out great, and I'm saving up for an LCD monitor to replace this huge CRT monstrosity.

[thegelding]

good to see luca is no longer banned....

though i think his user name shouldn't look like

Luca
Snookums!

but instead should read

Luca
he lives on the second floor

anyways, keyboard is on the way, will let you know how i likes it

g

[ast3r3x]

I wish I could try both keyboards out before I buy. The IceKey seems really appealing like I said because it's the same as the powerbook scissor style. But it would also be nice to have the symbols. I guess I have to put typing above the symbols since I don't use them often, but it's a nice idea.

[thegelding]

yes, why all keyboards don't have is this weird...can't cost any more really

g

[kretara]

The IceKey is frigging awsome.
I have 2 of them. Its the only keyboard I will use.

Way more comfortable than the Apple keyboards (esp. the latest white ones, those things make my hands hurt after only a few hours just like the old POS hockey puck mice).