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keyboards: it's the little things
When I started using computers, keyboards were practically immortal. I stopped using my first keyboard when a couple keys physically broke such that I couldn't get the caps to stay on. My last couple keyboards have not fared so well.
I have an inxpensive Logitech keyboard. "Inexpensive" wasn't actually one of the governing criteria when shopping; I'm willing to pay for a keyboard that delivers higher quality. But what's locally available in stores tends to not be high-end, and I'm not going to spend real money on a keyboard I can't touch first.
The failure mode is irritating, though. My keyboard works fine in most respects, but... well, let me show you a picture:
I can actually live with the worn-off letters because I mostly touch-type. (I'm mystified by what's special about 'L' and 'O'. No, not gaming hotkeys.) But, as a touch-typist, I rely on those little ridges on the 'F' and 'J' keys to tell me that I'm oriented correctly. In the days of typewriters that didn't matter much as you almost never took your hands off the keys, but with a mouse on one side and sometimes a drink on the other, plus things like arrow keys and paging keys, it's pretty essential to the way I use a computer.
My 'J' ridge is gone. And 'F' isn't doing so well either. WTF? That's supposed to be molded plastic!
(I'm open to suggestions, though keyboards are a matter of personal taste so I don't expect them. I require keys that actually have some depth to them; I hate the Mac flat keyboards, which is why I'm using a generic keyboard with my Mac. I also require "not clicky"; typing on anything makes some noise, but I want a quiet one as much as is feasible and definitely not one of the old-style extra-loud ones. I don't care about special keys or even, most of the time, function keys; you'll notice the pristine state of those keys in the photo, cat hair aside. I would prefer that Escape be full-sized. I need the little legs that raise the back of the keyboard.)
I have an inxpensive Logitech keyboard. "Inexpensive" wasn't actually one of the governing criteria when shopping; I'm willing to pay for a keyboard that delivers higher quality. But what's locally available in stores tends to not be high-end, and I'm not going to spend real money on a keyboard I can't touch first.
The failure mode is irritating, though. My keyboard works fine in most respects, but... well, let me show you a picture:
I can actually live with the worn-off letters because I mostly touch-type. (I'm mystified by what's special about 'L' and 'O'. No, not gaming hotkeys.) But, as a touch-typist, I rely on those little ridges on the 'F' and 'J' keys to tell me that I'm oriented correctly. In the days of typewriters that didn't matter much as you almost never took your hands off the keys, but with a mouse on one side and sometimes a drink on the other, plus things like arrow keys and paging keys, it's pretty essential to the way I use a computer.
My 'J' ridge is gone. And 'F' isn't doing so well either. WTF? That's supposed to be molded plastic!
(I'm open to suggestions, though keyboards are a matter of personal taste so I don't expect them. I require keys that actually have some depth to them; I hate the Mac flat keyboards, which is why I'm using a generic keyboard with my Mac. I also require "not clicky"; typing on anything makes some noise, but I want a quiet one as much as is feasible and definitely not one of the old-style extra-loud ones. I don't care about special keys or even, most of the time, function keys; you'll notice the pristine state of those keys in the photo, cat hair aside. I would prefer that Escape be full-sized. I need the little legs that raise the back of the keyboard.)
no subject
My pet peeve on PC laptops is the double mouse button, which usually lacks any way to distinguish the left button from the right by touch, and now they're often joined together in a single piece.
I have not been a fan of the newer, thinner Mac keyboards, and I find it takes more effort to keep my fingers poised over the keys than to rest them on the keys.
no subject
I often find mice too tall. So while the Apple keyboard is the epitome of what I don't want, the Apple "magic mouse", which is very short, works well for me. It's a little weird in not having buttons per se; you just press anywhere along the surface, so you can aim for edges to be super-unambiguous if you want. (Yes, the entire length of the mouse, not just the top region.) The surface is a touch/swipe interface for scrolling in both directions. I didn't expect to like it when I first tried it (trackpad? where are my buttons???), but it's pretty nice, and a lot easier on my hand.