Keyboard Fanaticism Lives!

I got more mail than I expected to my last column. Less than 1.7% being about how I quaff. I slurp, too, but no one ever mentions that. So, with my thanks to you carpel tunnel syndrome enthusiasts, I should mention some of your ergonomic keyboard favorites, and there are heck of a lot more of you willing to fork out money for ergonomic keyboards than I could have predicted.

You can actually buy a Dvorak keyboard and start afresh, although you'll find that proponents and opponents of the QWERTY versus Dvorak debate tend to hark back to the 3dfx versus Nvidia school of dialogue, but with research notes. Hmmm. Ergointerfaces.com has some interesting products, and some nice background information. I particularly like the keyboard and chair combos, which if they can come in recliner format, and with a 40 inch display, I'm there. Kinesis-ergo.com is the home of Kinesis Corporation; another source of ergonomic keyboards and devices. I've put in a request to these companies and Datahand for review products so, I'll give them a try and let you know. However, with the exception of Datahand, they have been slow to reply which leads me to think that keyboard vendors just aren't aggressive enough. If I was a keyboard vendor I'd be just as aggressive as the graphics guys. Every computer needs a keyboard, a display, hence graphics, and a mouse. Gauranteed. Think of the opportunities, keyboard dudes.

One of my favorite responses was this one from someone who shall remain anonymous because, well, it's about Vaseline, and any discussion of said unguent should remain private and between consenting adults:

"Just wanted to let you know about a little trick I found out. I've had my Microsoft Natural Pro keyboard for 19 months now. And I was getting annoyed by the feeling of my keys, so I took it apart and put some Vasoline (not my first choice, but the only thing in the house, and don't get any bad ideas here...) on all the key shafts by taking them off and well, you know the drill. "

"You wouldn't believe the difference that this made. It took me about the same time it takes me to put a PC system together... and it's well worth it. The keys even feel better than my buddies keyboard which he bought a few weeks ago (same keyboard of course). "

Vaseline sales have had a slump in recent years, and keeping a jar on your desk at work will keep away any pesky Suits who try and buddy up to you.

I got a surprising amount of mail from fans of the original IBM keyboard, which takes you back to a time when Flock of Seagulls wasn't just a bad day at the beach, but a statement in bad synthesizer music:

"For the majority of my work I will only use one keyboard: an authentic IBM 101 key "clicky" keyboard. You know the one, based on the original IBM Selectric typewriter, springs so strong they'll launch spitballs, makes a clatter which drives your cube-mates around the bend. I have three of these. "

And along the same lines:

"Nothing will ever really beat the feel of a real buckling spring mechanical keyboard. Yes, that's the kind IBM used to supply with their original PC's XT's AT's... Use a microswitch for each key with a real steel spring and a nice click. After ten years, it will still feel almost brand new! "