das keyboard

I'm kind of picky about keyboards.

Most of the time when I'm looking for a keyboard, I have a hard time finding something I like. Most newer keyboards that cost more than about $15 are loaded down with extra crap I don't need, usually in lieu of keys that actually type well, or are located in a sensible place. Out of all of the keyboards I see on the shelves of my local MicroCenter, 90% are something I would be totally useless on. I really just want a keyboard with the basic keys (home/end/delete/etc.) in their normal places, so I don't have to re-learn their locations and slow my typing down. Most of the keyboards I see in stores have those keys in some kind of weird backwards jumble, usually to make room for a big volume knob or a "bass boost" button. Lame.

To get around that problem, I've tried a lot of the $15 keyboards I mentioned. Those are so cheap, their makers apparently see no point in trying to pimp them out. But they're also junk, so I'm basically buying a keyboard I'll end up replacing in 3 months with another junker.

So today, I broke the cycle and got a das keyboard. I should have done that a long time ago. This thing is cool. It's shiny black, and heavy enough to feel like it's worth actual money. Each key makes a satisfying "click" when I press it. I like using it. It's nice to type on. Really nice. In fact, the only reason I'm putting something on my blog about it is so I'll have an excuse to type on it.