Originally posted by csa I don't need a gaming keyboard. The lighted keyboards I'm looking at are around $30.
Those gaming keyboards can also be really nice for typing. While I usually prefer shallow, laptop style keyboards, the mechanical gaming ones that click are really nice too. They'd annoy the hell of anyone around, but the way they feel? Yup. Sign me up. Think original IBM PC... that kind of keyboard, beloved by programmers all around the world.
I wouldn't bother with those keyboards linked to. It's either Microsoft, Logitech or Cherry for regular keyboards (rubber dome), they usually do good ones. If possible one of those Microsoft ergonomic ones, I hear they have a model now that has laptop style keys AND a curved layout. Nice! (The curved layout reduces wrist strain.) Or a proper mechanical gaming keyboard. Preferably the loud ones, though perhaps if I had one hooked up to a PC and could see the point where the press is registered, I'd be fine with the quiet ones too. The beauty of these keyboards is that you don't have to bottom out for the press to register. That should be rather neat. (The loud ones click audibly when that point is reached).
Currently my keyboard. I'm quite happy with it, though the Apple Keyboard I have at work is better.
I also have a Cherry SX compact.
The keyboard part is good, it is compact and light weight (easy to carry around), connects via Bluetooth, and the typing feel and spacing between the keys is just right, considering how small it is. Unfortunately the Bluetooth part is quite terrible. It lags sometimes, and I mean serious lag, and sometimes it keeps sending the same letter forever.
The next one I'll buy might be the Logitech K480, but that's for tablet use. The beautiful thing about that one is that you can change between devices. It can pair with 3 devices, and there's a dial at the side that lets you change the device. Also there is something you can put in your smartphone/tablet, so it doubles as a stand. So you can control the PC/laptop/HTPC, the smartphone and the tablet through one keyboard. How convenient is that?