Ask HN: What keyboard do you use?

Ergodox. I had an issue in one hand from an injury that caused chronic discomfort, and though I don't care for ortholinear keys, it eliminated the pain I experienced on conventional keyboard layouts. I would go for ergodox again, but this time I want to put a small crystal display and a trackball in the thumb cluster.

Before that, I was using the Backwards-L East Asian enter key layout on an iHome 8 dollar keyboard from walmart with all of the extra keys popped off. (replace space bar with small key, then remove home, end, super, menu, numpad operators, etc.)

Amazon Basics (wired).

I have owned a Kinesis and other expensive boards (Logitech K750, non-ergo board with mechanical Cherry MX keys) but prefer this $13 board -- partly because its low profile (height) and light weight makes it easier to put on and take off my lap when (as usual) I am not sitting at a desk.

A Das Keyboard, unmarked. Expensive and heavy. It's hard to tell which model, but probably a Model S Professional. They don't seem to sell them unmarked any more, but there's still the model 4.

Filco Majestouch Convertible 2 TKL Mechanical Keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches (Japanese layout) on my everyday system and a real IBM Model M (date code is 1984) on another system.

Keychron K3 and a logitech MX palm rest for support. Palm/wrist rests are underrated. If you buy the K3, don’t get the brown switches, way too sensitive. You get used to it but still.

Unicomp new Model M.

I have psoriasis on my hands; so i constantly shed skin and blood on my keyboard. I smoke a lot too (pipe) which adds more grunge. Plus pets and out int he country which means we have more than the usual amount of dust.

I killed real model M's in ~3yr on average. This one is going into 2 years now and still good.

"normal" keyboards last months under my hands, tops. Tried one of the fancy logitech "mechanicals" with the lights and it held up for 9 months.

I've been using speech to text for a few months, no more keyboard needed. I even used it to post this comment, using only accessibility and audio input.

A Raspberry pi 400 with https://github.com/Gadgetoid/pi400kb which allows it to function as a USB hid keyboard. Definitely not the best in terms of switches or keycaps, but pretty nifty.

Apple Magic 1st Generation model A1843 black.

I've used IBM Model M's, Sun Type 3, Sun Type 5, DEC LK201, DEC LK401, the horrible HP 700-series stepped keycap things, NeXT non-ADB, many generations of Apple mechanicals, Honeywells, Cherrys, Das Keyboard, and a bunch of random $5 rubber dome rubbish.

I've come to like the minimal travel, soft but audible noise, and break in the resistance partway down the stroke.

And a Logitech MX Master 2S mouse.

USB connected back-lit mechanical gaming keyboard from KMart. Nice and clicky but as a bit quieter than the IBM and Lexmark AT keyboards that I used for many years. Yes, PS/2 connectors in the era of USB were a bit of a pain - but with an adapter it was feasible.

HHKB Pro Classic and HHKB Pro Hybrid Type-S.

Prefer the feel and sound of the wired Classic. The wireless on the Hybrid makes it better for travel (in addition to the quieter keys).

Otherwise use a wired Razer Huntsman with optical mechanical switches for gaming.

I use a non-backlit Keychron K8 TKL during the day, and a simple white backlit Keychron K2 at night (or on really cloudy days). Once I started using wireless keyboards, I couldn't go back to wired.

A split board, the Kinesis Freestyle Edge.

I find the split board really helps with my posture, plus it looks cool. The RGB effects are fun, and the brown switches are clicky but not too loud during video calls.

Apple magic keyboard w/ touch ID. The touch ID is seriously useful for use with 1Password at work, and a mechanical is not compatible with pairing / collaborating over zoom.

I use a Redox keyboard with Cherry Brown switches. It was a bit expensive, but it cured the occasional wrist pain that I had while using a Microsoft Sculpt.

I use the ZSA Moonlander and Planck EZ mostly for Colemak-DH layout. For workplace, I basically use Royal Kludge RK71. All with blue switches. :D

Apple wired keyboard. It even has two USB ports where I put one of those mini USB flash drives for casual storage.

MX Keys and very happy. Tempted to purchase their mech release.