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Gene
Gene

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What is your preferred keyboard for programming?

I've been using a cheap mechanical (gaming) keyboard for more than 2 years now. It is just really recent that I use it more for programming and it feels uncomfortable.

I will buy a new one. What do you recommend?

Top comments (53)

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inozex profile image
Tiago Marques • Edited


Dell SK-8135
It's an old keyboard, I think from 2005-2007, but it's one of the best keyboards I've used, some function and multimedia keys.
It's the keyboard where I can type the fastest way possible :)

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sinewalker profile image
Mike Lockhart • Edited

That's my old reliable standby which I let the kids use on the home PC. (I use a re-arranged Sun Type 6 myself, for it's Unix nostalgia).

The Dell takes a beating well, keys aren't too bad for a rubber-dome, media keys are handy. I leave this one in QWERTY too.

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Thomas H Jones II

Euw... Type 6.

The Sun4 keyboard (the one that shipped with the SPARCStation 2) was the best keyboard Sun ever put out. Throughout the 90s, I dragged one with me from job to job.

SGI's US-101 that came with the Indigo22 Impact series was pretty decent too.

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sinewalker profile image
Mike Lockhart

I agree, the Type 4 was a pretty nice keyboard. I can't find one that's also USB though, and my Type 6 was a dumpster refugee.

I'd chose an IBM Model M remake over the SGI.

The new Kinesis Freestyle would be a good, ergo facsimile of the Sun layout, if you add a number pad.

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Brent Nicholas

I bought an expensive mechanical keyboard myself from Razer I hate it because the key width is so small so I naturally hit the wrong keys and it's too dang loud. Now I'm trying to find old membrane keyboards. I think keyboards have gone down in general they're no longer practical and I'm 27 yrs old so it's not like I'm not with the times.

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ferricoxide profile image
Thomas H Jones II

You want expensive mechanical, try one of these beasties!

steampunk

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Jason Charney

I want Dell to bring back the SK-8135 and either make it wireless and/or have that LED backlighting.

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Michael Lawler

They had one 99go.com/item/20018236460 "Dell DELL SK-8135 Bluetooth wireless keyboard" ... I had one, the only difference was that it didn't have the two USBs...makes sense because of the power draw...but you got the same size/design/clickity-clack etc. FYI.

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gene profile image
Gene

Now this is unique!

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Kieran Bowler • Edited

Anne Pro 2. I have 2 that I use. One with Kailh Box White switches (in white) and this one with Gateron Red. Love them both. I've remapped the keys on the bottom right to arrows and everything else is on function layers (caps lock is mapped to function)

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Ben Halpern

I have one of these and I like it...

daskeyboard.com/

I've never been super picky about keyboards, but I've been satisfied with this one and that might make me more picky if I ever needed to switch 😄

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Gustavo Castro

I own a Das for a while now. I have the ultimate version with blank keys and karabiner for some customizations like ctrl instead of caps lock and some other actions for useless keys.

I love it and wouldn’t change for now.
The only thing is that I don’t use the num keys in the right. I’d enjoy more if it was a TKL.

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Thorsten Hirsch

Hey, I also have one of their keyboards. Unfortunately they messed up the UK layout and don't want to fix it. :-( But besides that, the keyboard is really good.

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gene profile image
Gene

Gonna love this for sure! I’ve heard so much about this but sadly it’s not available here yet.

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Jorge Pablo Solis

I'm using a Logitech G910. It's mechanical, although not a high end model among the mechanical keyboards world, but it has 6 keys you can attatch commands to, or simply remap.
For my job, I use Screenshot, Undo, Cut, Copy and Paste, so I still have some spare customizable kyes.
Also, the keyboard support 3 profiles. They're not on-board profiles (so you have to set them up via the Logitech Gaming Software), but you can switch between them with physical keys.

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gene profile image
Gene

Having spare customizable keys are nice. Although I never really used any of that before. Could help me become more productive.

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gene profile image
Gene

Ughhh I can't find any of this here too :(

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Jorge Pablo Solis

Any of what? mechanical keyboard insight?
If nice backlight colors or programmable keys aren't your thing, then have a look at wasdkeyboards.com they're rather expensive, but given the fact that you basically get to decide the color of every single keycap and the keyboard distribution, then it's probably worth it.
You also have several mechanical switch options and keyboard sizes.

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Barend Bootha • Edited

My customised Ergo 4000...

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Mike Lockhart

Interesting! How have you customised it?

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Barend Bootha

Was a glitch uploading original image. I reupholstered the pads with some pimping felt...

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sinewalker profile image
Mike Lockhart

I like it! I wanna touch it!

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Florian H.

Still loving the Microsoft Ergo 4000.

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Mike Lockhart

My Ergo 4K space-bar cracked, and before that it developed a rather pronounced squeak. It's still usable, but not my fave anymore. It's a good, cheap keyboard to try if you're thinking about getting a "fancy ergonomic" keyboard but don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for something you're unsure about. When I've been asked about the TEK I used to use, I would give people the MS4K to try.

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Justin Cook

wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/produc...

I’ve been loving my customised 87 key from wasd

The new online customiser is a bit of fun too

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gene profile image
Gene

seems like this is the most recommended here

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Mitch Pomery (he/him)

Microsoft Wired 600. I've been using this as my main keyboard since around the time if my first PC. At the start of this year I replaced the keyboard (which was built in 2010) with a new one. I really like how flat it is and it looks so nice sitting on my yellow keyboard pad.

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Gene

Can you share a photo? I’d like to see it

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Vincent Grovestine

Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop: Love the keyboard, hate the mouse (prefer a Logitech m570 trackball instead).

Before I switched to the MS Sculpt, it was an early-2000s vintage Cirque Smooth Cat mechanical ergonomic keyboard. It served me well for a good 10+ years; and remains tucked in the closet waiting to be used again if the MS keyboard should ever fail.

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Gene

Aside from its benefits, and out of all the ergo keyboards I’ve seen so far this one looks sleek

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Andrew Cato

I’ve used HHKBs for years and can’t ever see myself using something else.

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Gene

What HHKB are using now? Professional 2?

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Andrew Cato

I’ve got a Professional 1 and Professional 2 Type-S, both are white with blanks.

Functionally they’re the same, but the Pro 1 is a little stiffer because it’s ten years older than my Pro 2.