PC keyboards

[Harrison]

I'm thinking of getting a new keyboard for my main PC. Everything else is all new in the new system, so a nice new keyboard would be the final thing to make it feel completely new. I've been using standard Microsoft's "Internet Keyboard" model for some time now and would like a change. Something black or dark grey, and ideally with some useful additional keys for volume and mute. It would be cool to also have back lit keys, but with blue light if possible.

I quite like the Logitech G15, but not the orange glow of the keys so much.

So what keyboard do you use and would you recommend it?

[Demon Cleaner]

I only use Cherry keyboards, like the G83-6104 Business Keyboard seen here (http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/Desktop/Business_Keyboard/index.htm). I prefer the very simple keyboards.

[Harrison]

Aww! Have you seen the up coming Logitech G19?

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/4956&cl=us,en

It is an evolution of the original G15 version 1 (not the newer G15 version 2 which is smaller, has less custom function keys and orange backlit keys).

The G19 has a full colour 320x240 screen to display vaious multimedia and system information, as well as in-game information in supporting games. And another cool new feature is the ability to change the backlit colour of individual keys if needed.

There is a downside though. It's going to cost about £150 when it is launched next month. :o Probably too expansive for most to consider. There is also the question of how much software will actually support the display. Not that much supported the original G15's LCD display, but if the G19 is compatible with the G15 display then at least you would get some support from the start.

It is tempting, but for that price you could buy lots of other things. For example, it is the same price as the Xbox 360 elite is currently going for in the UK!

[Demon Cleaner]

There is a XBox360 price drop announced for Easter, about 40€ less :)

[Harrison]

That would mean in the UK they will be under £100? I wonder if they really will mirror the price drop in the UK? They don't normally until abut 6 months after the rest of the world!

[Demon Cleaner]

If it will drop to 100£ in the UK, I will buy a second one, because you don't get them that cheap here, if the price drops by 40€, it still will be at 199€. Is the UK version also 220V?

[Harrison]

Yes, 220-240V. I didn't know that also used the same voltage in Luxembourg.

The price I was referring to was for the standard 60GB Xbox. Currently about £124.99 in quite a few places, and the Elite is currently about £149 in most places.

[Demon Cleaner]

I mean the standard 60GB one.

[Teho]

£150 is what I paid for my current keyboard/mouse combination, the Logitech MX 5000. It's some years old now but works fine for me, so I'm not intending to swap them anytime soon. Has the functions I need, isn't backlit though. And even though they're bluetooth they're responsive enough for gaming. For me in any case. If you look for it there is an ever so slight delay, but I never notice it when playing games. Not even in reaction games like Audiosurf.

[Stephen Coates]

I still recomend the Unicomp keyboards. They are excellent to type on and very well made, regardless of how old fashioned they look.

[woody.cool]

I've always preffered Microsoft or Cherry keybords.
I don't like all these flashy ones, they annoy me .... I like something simple.

At the moment though, I have a Compaq keyboard (it came with my last PC, which was a Compaq)

[Harrison]

You purchased a pre-built PC woody? I am surprised. I thought you would be someone who would build their PCs?

And Compaq too? Basically HP these days and not as well built or as good as they once were. Not sure how their case designs are these days, but a few years ago I had to upgrade some Compaq and HP machines and they were a nightmare. Hard to access anything in the cases, and to just access the ram slots I had to remove the CD drive and PSU. Mad.