Skip to main content

microsoft keyboard style

Like Scott Hanselman, I view the mouse as an optional computer accessory*. Manly coders love the smell of compilation in the morning and we know that speed = keyboard. A mouse? C'mon. That's so teenage girls can pick emoticons in AOL Instant Messenger. And for flash "developers". Us tough guy software developers know that if it doesn't have a keyboard shortcut, it's not worth doing.

I <3 you too

All kidding aside, there's a disappointing lack of keyboard choice for software developers. Here's a typical example:

mangled keyboard layout

We make heavy use of the PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, Ins, Del key cluster, and that's the one area of the keyboard that is almost always mangled beyond recognition on today's "cool" keyboards. And what marketing weasel decided it was a good idea to default map the F1-F12 keys to hip new internet functions? I cry for a world where F5 is "open email" instead of refresh/run. On some keyboards, the mangling is so profound that the arrow keys are no longer arranged in an inverted T. Sacrilege!

I'm actually doubly-screwed, because I prefer ergonomic "split" designs. Once I narrow down the list of choices to ergonomic keyboards that also have standard arrow and PgUp/PgDn layouts, I have a whopping total of maybe two keyboards to choose from. And they're both ugly taiwanese knockoffs.

Here are a few keyboards I've considered, and rejected:

  • Logitech DiNovo (way pricey, mangled)
  • Microsoft Digital Media Pro (not ergo)
  • Logitech Elite (not ergo)
  • Logitech Ultra X (laptop style keyfeel)
  • Belkin ErgoBoard (uglytastic)

Some people swear by certain "classic" soviet-era 10-pound keyboards, but for now, I'm sticking with my discontinued Microsoft Natural Keyboard Protm. No mangling, ergonomic split design, and even two built in USB ports. Which reminds me: why has USB hub functionality fallen so far out of favor on today's keyboards? It's incredibly handy for memory sticks or quickly hooking up a camera to download a quick photo or two.

I'm curious what everyone else's feelings are on this topic:

  • What keyboard areas are "sacred" to you, as a developer?
  • How important are the extra multimedia functions such as sleep, calculator, scrollwheel, volume control, etc? Do you use this stuff frequently? Rarely? Never?
  • Does it really matter if your keyboard is wireless?
  • Does an ergonomic layout help?
  • What keyboard(s) do you recommend, and why?

* Not a complete exaggeration. For example, when setting up the MAME Cocktail system, I had no mouse for a solid week, and I was surprised how little difference there is between keyboard (assuming you know all the magic hotkeys, like SHIFT+F10, and how to tab through to the desktop) and mouse usage in Windows XP. What is aggravating is running into non-Microsoft designed dialogs that have screwed up tab order, or worse yet, areas that are physically impossible to navigate to without the mouse.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LG KS360

The LG KS360 is a slide opening mobile phone which comes with a convenient slide out QWERTY keyboard for all you text & messaging users on the move. The slide out QWERTY keyboard provides an accurate & quick method when writing messages & also has a numeric keypad which is highlighted by a coloured section in the full QWERTY keyboard for when the user wishes to use enter numbers at high speed. The KS360 comes with a touch screen dialling which allows the user to make calls easily with minimal effort. The phone is available in a selection of colours which include black & silver, black & red, white & soft pink or titanium & bright blue. The colour options available are fun & fashionable which will suit all users of this stunning handset but the colour option is your choice. The casing weighs 108 grams & is 16.8mm deep by 101.5mm tall by 51mm wide which allows the user to slip this phone into their pocket or bag when not in use. The screen is 2.4 Inches...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Use of Generator

As the name suggests generators are for generating electricity, thereby ensuring that all your electricity requirements are met. There are several types of generators available in the market differing in their wattage capacity. These generators differ in their price, portability, fuel efficiency, voltage ratings as well as fuel type. Standby generators are a common type of generators that are used to provide backup in offices as well as home. Their wiring is inculcated along with the house wiring. When electrify goes off, the generator unit turns itself on and provide uninterrupted power supply. Go for the one that uses natural gas or propane as it offers you clean, safe and long lasting supply of power. Like other electrical units, generator creates a lot of heat and requires a cooling system so as to main the temperature. These generators can be either liquid cooled or air cooled. Liquid cooled systems are much more dependable as well as quite than the air cooled system. However, the...
Post a Comment
Read more

HTC Sensation- A Multimedia Super phone

HTC has officially come out with Sensation 4G available at T-Mobile stores across the nation. HTC Sensation is being touted as a never before entertainment phone. The HTC Sensation includes an immersive HTC Sense experience making it easy-to-use and a top entertainer. The unique design, combined with contoured glass edging, The HTC Sensation is indeed a multimedia super phone. Some of the most captivating features of HTC Sensation are instant camera capture, richer internet experience, active lockscreen and a lot more with immersive experience. It has Qualcomm’s 1.2GHz dual-core processor that debuts in the phone. The users of the phone feel it’s a thicker, heavier device, but the rounded-off corners and subtle curve to the edges of the display make it somehow organic. If the closest competitor Samsung feels like a small tablet, the Sensation 4G feels like a phone, even though the display is the same size and, most importantly, can fit more on-screen thanks to the higher resoluti...
Post a Comment
Read more