So, among mechanical keyboards, years ago Corsair used to make almost hands down the best one for the average consumer looking for a solid Cherry MX Blue option some time ago called the K70 Vengeance, which sat alongside their other Vengeance products in their gaming product lineup.
As time went on, Corsair decided it would be a great idea to fuck up everything that they did that made their gaming product lineup perfect. This directly impacted the K70 Vengeance, and made them utterly worthless. So much to the point that you paid a premium for older versions of the K70.
Then, a couple years later, they dropped the Vengeance moniker and called the new K70 the K70 LUX. Which was absolutely no improvement on an otherwise already, in my opinion, terrible game. In this revision, they replaced the keycaps with some godawful font chosen by the 12-year-old child of one of the product designers, further cementing the former K70 into irrelevance in an attempt to "differentiate" which in this context means "look like everyone else."
Keyboard: Advantage2 QD from Kinesis. Nicely curved, very ergonomic keyboard with all the bells and whistles; it has both Qwerty and Dvorak layouts at the start, and every key can be remapped, including to macros.
I had one at work and it's an extremely great keyboard. I combined it with a Logitech Expert Mouse (actually a trackball) and my shoulder/arm pain was better within a week.
I have an Ergodox EZ at my new job and it's good but I'd recommend the Kinesis Advantage 2 over it if someone asked. Same price.
I hated it very much at the beginning. But now I'm so used to it, I'm the most productive when using it. I worry that one day this keyboard is discontinued, I can't find it anymore.
Custom mechanical keyboard from WASD Keyboards with the Neo2 keyboard layout printed on it and a Zowie FK1 mouse. The former because I love that it's unique to me and the latter because it's an excellent mouse that doesn't require drivers but still has a hardware DPI changer.
My WASD keyboard with brown cherry keys is the best. Satisfying action and extremely durable--no issues at all after 4 years of daily use. The only problem is that when I'm working it sounds like an ongoing stream of machine-gun fire from my workstation.
Same here. I have seen some nice mods with embedded trackpoint, touchpads and trackballs - check google images. But at this moment I am not ready to drill any holes in the thing. Possibly will go with Logitech T650 or Magic Trackpad on velcro. However first I am going to check smartphone remote touchpad app I have just found.
I travel a lot, so my selections are made with this in mind.
Kebyoard: Logitech K380. Perfect travel size, excellent keys, lovely stylings and — from what I can tell — infinite battery life. (Mine has been running for a year on the same batteries with no complaints.) It also doesn't bend like the expensive Apple wireless keyboard if you chuck it in your backpack.
Mouse: Logitech G403 Wireless. (I think the G703 might be an updated model.) It's the perfect middle ground between an office and gaming mouse: G903 guts, IntelliMouse feel. (It even has the clicky side buttons!) I was worried that charging every 2-3 days would be annoying, but it just hasn't been a problem so far: the mouse charges in half an hour and you can use it with the cable in wired mode.
I also spent a lot of time with the Logitech MX Master[2], but the Bluetooth worked awfully on my Mac, and the latency while using the USB receiver (however small) was unsuitable for my FPS gaming needs. Boy, that scroll wheel was nice, though!
I have not the K380, but a K480. Its bluetooth implementation interferes with Wi-Fi at home. Periodically, once every few minutes, the device with which the keyboard is being used experiences a stall in its Wi-Fi connection. While I don't see this behavior in various hotspots around town, I also haven't seen the behavior from other bluetooth gear, including other keyboards. Changing the Wi-Fi channel doesn't fix the issue. Aside from that, the keyboard has a poor feel for typing, and feels cheaply made. E.g if you grasp it in both hands and give it a squeeze, the poorly fitted plastic case squeaks. I think the keys are the same as in the K380 [evidently not]. The only selling feature of the 480 is that you can switch the BT connection among three devices with a physical three-way switch. And you can stick a tablet and one, perhaps two phones into it at the same time, having them all stand up.
I have tried the K480 in store. Weirdly enough, it feels very different from the K380. Neither the keys nor the construction are the same. (The Wirecutter makes this observation in their BT keyboard article[1]. I didn't believe them, so I had to check it out for myself. Turns out: true!)
I don't like mechanical keyboards. I think the Apple Magic keyboard 2 has some of the best chiclet keys ever made. I also really liked the keyboard on the Surface Book 1.
As for the mouse I really like the Logitech G Pro. It's precise, lightweight, and the shape is great for fingertip grip.
As far as keyboards go, I don't have a current favorite but I only use keyboards with an 84 key layout [1].
The 84 key layout keeps all of the important keys from the standard 10-keyless layout (home, page up, page down, arrows, etc) but it puts them in a single row on the right side of the keyboard.
I find that a 10-keyless keyboard is too wide, which requires me to put my mouse farther to my right than I like it. The 84 key lets me keep my mouse where I want it without losing important keys.
These are still being produced. Reviewers seems to agree that production process hasn't changed, but quality control has fallen drastically since the unicomp stopped supplying IBM and started selling on their own.
Same here, I'm typing this on a Model M, and have 4 in storage. That said, Everex keyboards from the early- to mid-90s had a really good feel to them, too.
I'm using a Dell mouse (can't tell what model) right now that has a relatively solid, weighty feel to it that I like. Just 2 buttons and a middle button/wheel.
So best keyboard I've ever used is on the IBM Selectric typewriter. In terms of visceral feedback the IBM Model M is closest to the Selectric which it apes; classic Selectrics had very positive aural and mechanical feedback but not quite as much key force or travel as the Type M if I recall correctly.
But honestly "best" keyboard is a minefield fraught with fond memories of computing. Getting to spend hours standing in a Radio Shack clacking away on a Model II or Model III writing basic? Great keyboard. Getting to play Star Trek on an ASR-33 dialed into a CDC mainframe? GREAT keyboard. Getting to the computer lab first before anyone else and getting the TEK-4104? Oh man I can still feel those squishy keys and remember the screen flare from pressing clear. Great flipping keyboard.
Getting to the VT-52 with its buzzy relay buzz with every pressed key or the glorious quacking clack of the VT-100? GREAT KEYBOARDS. And of course getting my very own ADM 3 A terminal when I was learning UNIX? Ermagerd. I'll be alone in my bunk... with my keyboard.
Still love the Model M of course but with the rise of the cube farm they're no longer viable. I miss everyone having an office and quiet space to work far more than I miss any particular keyboard and as you can tell I really like my keyboards.
I'm using a Filco Tenkeyless (FKBN87ML/EB) for about 8 years now. The mouse I'm using is the Microsoft WMO which I purchased in 2003 or 4.. cant remember.
I just built one of these about a month ago: https://keeb.io/collections/frontpage/products/levinson-lets...
With 78g Zealios and DSA keycaps. I have shoulder issues and this board really seems to help with ergonomics in that way. Pretty much my favorite board right now.
I bought it for gaming as I was using a 400DPI free Dell mouse I had, I didn't realise what a difference it could make. They sadly stopped making it, I emailed Logitech pretending mine had broken to see if they had any internal stock but I got nowhere. I bought a Logitech G400S for work which is pretty close, but it's not the same.
I really liked my wired USB Mac keyboard with numpad. Put after a meeting with coffee it stopped working, and a replacement (magic bluetooth keyboard) is almost 4x the price, which have led me on a hunt for so,thing else. Also, I am thinking a windows layout would work better with windows, which is what my work computer is.
Right now I am looking at:
Havoc low profile[1], because it is mechanical and low
Surface Ergonomic Keyboard[2], because it is basically an ergonomic windows version of what I had.
I like those little Logitech m187 mice. Very handy in cramped spaces. Their bigger cousins too, like the M325. The IR technology allows the battery life to be very long. In my 187, I use batteries that were discarded from other devices; I can get weeks to months out of "dead" batteries in this mouse. From time to time, quite rarely, the m187 locks up requiring the battery to be pulled and re-inserted to resume operation.
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[ 4.7 ms ] story [ 128 ms ] threadHaving tried neither, I cannot tell you if either lives up to their hype, but thought you should know :)
http://matias.ca/tactilepro/index.php
As time went on, Corsair decided it would be a great idea to fuck up everything that they did that made their gaming product lineup perfect. This directly impacted the K70 Vengeance, and made them utterly worthless. So much to the point that you paid a premium for older versions of the K70.
Back in 2014, Corsair changed their Corsair Gaming logo to what was unaffectionately called the tramp stamp logo. https://kotaku.com/gaming-company-changes-logo-to-tramp-stam...
Then, a couple years later, they dropped the Vengeance moniker and called the new K70 the K70 LUX. Which was absolutely no improvement on an otherwise already, in my opinion, terrible game. In this revision, they replaced the keycaps with some godawful font chosen by the 12-year-old child of one of the product designers, further cementing the former K70 into irrelevance in an attempt to "differentiate" which in this context means "look like everyone else."
http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=163538
To restore the keyboard to its former glory, you'd have to purchase the classic K70 keyset for another $30. Fuck 'em. https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Accessorie...
To this day, I've not found a suitable replacement for the K70 Vengeance which my wife spilt coke all over.
As for a mouse, I just bought the same best-selling Razer DeathAdder many other purchase. It was nice to not have to think so much about the latter.
I have an Ergodox EZ at my new job and it's good but I'd recommend the Kinesis Advantage 2 over it if someone asked. Same price.
I hated it very much at the beginning. But now I'm so used to it, I'm the most productive when using it. I worry that one day this keyboard is discontinued, I can't find it anymore.
Yeah, I work from home.
Mouse: Still searching...
Kebyoard: Logitech K380. Perfect travel size, excellent keys, lovely stylings and — from what I can tell — infinite battery life. (Mine has been running for a year on the same batteries with no complaints.) It also doesn't bend like the expensive Apple wireless keyboard if you chuck it in your backpack.
Mouse: Logitech G403 Wireless. (I think the G703 might be an updated model.) It's the perfect middle ground between an office and gaming mouse: G903 guts, IntelliMouse feel. (It even has the clicky side buttons!) I was worried that charging every 2-3 days would be annoying, but it just hasn't been a problem so far: the mouse charges in half an hour and you can use it with the cable in wired mode.
I also spent a lot of time with the Logitech MX Master[2], but the Bluetooth worked awfully on my Mac, and the latency while using the USB receiver (however small) was unsuitable for my FPS gaming needs. Boy, that scroll wheel was nice, though!
[2]: http://archagon.net/blog/2017/05/22/almost-winning-the-wirel...
It's a great little keyboard. I was skeptical at first but it grew on me.
[1]: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-bluetooth-keyboar...
It's heavier, uglier, and the keys on the K380 are so much nicer.
As for the mouse I really like the Logitech G Pro. It's precise, lightweight, and the shape is great for fingertip grip.
Logitech also makes the g203 prodigy [1] which is identical to the G Pro except for two things:
1) the G Pro has a sensor with a higher DPI (6,000 vs 12,000)
2) the G Pro has a braided cable, while the g203 has a normal cable
Unless someone actually plans on using their mouse above 6,000 DPI, the g203 is probably a better choice because it's cheaper than the G Pro.
I've got one of each, with the G Pro at home for gaming and g203 at work so that I more-or-less use the same mouse all the time.
[1] https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/product/g203-prodigy-gaming-...
It's a reasonably-priced mechanical keyboard, but not too loud for an office environment.
I also have a DAS, but prefer the CM
The 84 key layout keeps all of the important keys from the standard 10-keyless layout (home, page up, page down, arrows, etc) but it puts them in a single row on the right side of the keyboard.
I find that a 10-keyless keyboard is too wide, which requires me to put my mouse farther to my right than I like it. The 84 key lets me keep my mouse where I want it without losing important keys.
[1] https://i.imgur.com/0TEi1.jpg?1
But nobody seems to complain about the switches.
https://www.pckeyboard.com
I'm using a Dell mouse (can't tell what model) right now that has a relatively solid, weighty feel to it that I like. Just 2 buttons and a middle button/wheel.
But honestly "best" keyboard is a minefield fraught with fond memories of computing. Getting to spend hours standing in a Radio Shack clacking away on a Model II or Model III writing basic? Great keyboard. Getting to play Star Trek on an ASR-33 dialed into a CDC mainframe? GREAT keyboard. Getting to the computer lab first before anyone else and getting the TEK-4104? Oh man I can still feel those squishy keys and remember the screen flare from pressing clear. Great flipping keyboard.
Getting to the VT-52 with its buzzy relay buzz with every pressed key or the glorious quacking clack of the VT-100? GREAT KEYBOARDS. And of course getting my very own ADM 3 A terminal when I was learning UNIX? Ermagerd. I'll be alone in my bunk... with my keyboard.
Still love the Model M of course but with the rise of the cube farm they're no longer viable. I miss everyone having an office and quiet space to work far more than I miss any particular keyboard and as you can tell I really like my keyboards.
And because of this thread, I learned they are currently being sold though Unicomp! Now considering buying one.
My go-to mouse for many years has been the Kensington Orbital trackball.
https://www.google.com/search?q=logitech+mx518&num=100&clien...
I bought it for gaming as I was using a 400DPI free Dell mouse I had, I didn't realise what a difference it could make. They sadly stopped making it, I emailed Logitech pretending mine had broken to see if they had any internal stock but I got nowhere. I bought a Logitech G400S for work which is pretty close, but it's not the same.
I absolutely love the Topre switches on HHKB Type S because of the silence it provides and the how it feels to your fingers.
Logitech MX Master
Keyboard: anything ducky. Currently using a tenkeyless ducky one 2, enjoying it quite a bit.
I bought it 10+ years ago for 30€ because he got a Deathader. Still works perfectly
Right now I am looking at:
Havoc low profile[1], because it is mechanical and low
Surface Ergonomic Keyboard[2], because it is basically an ergonomic windows version of what I had.
Can anybody weigh in on these?
[1] https://www.prohavit.com/products/hv-kb390l-low-profile-mech...
[2] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/accessories/surface-...
Mouse: Logitech G9x for feel, but the cable and rubber feet are garbage. Microsoft IntelliMouse (Optical) as a close second.