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Comment by bobajeff | Hacker News Reader

I'm interested in the textblade. Was the moment I first heard of it. But I've never spent $100 on a keyboard. I would like at least a good honest review from a programmer I've heard of and respect. I would definitely prefer a hands on at a store before plucking down that kind of cash.

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I think $100 would be a reasonable price to pay for a keyboard that you use for many hours every day over several decades. The Textblade seems like something that I'd use in short intervals here or there for a year or two.

I don't think I have encountered any keyboard that would last for several decades.

Most keyboards from <1990 that have been treated reasonably well are still be in good working order today (or are at least repairable). It’s only really the last 25 or so years that keyboards have been on a downward cost/quality spiral.

IBM's model M keyboard is more than three decades old and built like a tank. Old model M keyboards are still in high demand on places like eBay.

Goldtouch has a good track record and IBM heritage, http://allthingsergo.com/blog/reviews/goldtouch-keyboard-rev...

My favorite freestanding desktop keyboard is still the original Macintosh Extended Keyboard[1] (the 2 is ok, but not as good as the original). I still have one in use on my linux machine. It requires a ADB to USB converter, but it's HID and so it works with anything. That keyboard is from the 1990 timeframe, so it's about 25 years old now and still works wonderfully.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Extended_Keyboard

Keyboards and mices from Microsoft and Logitech used to cost around $20-$30 and were of such a high quality that MTTF was about 10 years. Nowadays their products do not meet my needs (no 1990s/2000s traditional business style, only fancy form factors) and are overpriced with lower quality.

You can return it within 30 days of receiving it for a full refund. This means you can do your own review which is really all that will matter.

I am hoping that it helps greatly with special keys compared with standard keyboards. I am very curious about how it works with keyboard navigating type software such as Vim.

I pre-ordered it.

A Model M can cost you north of $100 these days. Of course, this isn't a model M...

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