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Input Device Extravaganza
Ethelred
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I recently looked down at my keyboard, and realized that it's a bit busted. One of the rubber feet has smeared glue on the bottom, the little plastic thingies that prop up the keyboard have lost their spring, and there's that dirty color that comes from prolonged use that no amount of scrubbing can get off.
This got me thinking about buying a new keyboard, and since there wasn't really a thread here about the various input devices available, I thought we could have a little chat about them.
Now, in March I bought the Logitech G5 Laser Mouse for $70.
This was the first mouse I had bought that was greater than $15, and after the inner pain of having paid such a cost for something so simple subsided, I was pretty pleased with my purchase. The feel of the mouse is great-- it moves smoothly, the texture grips your hand without being rough or unpleasant, and it's well-shaped for my big-ass hands. Now, the other features were unnecessary, like the fact that you can change the mouse sensitivity to six different settings on the fly by pressing the + and - buttons, and that it included a weight set that was designed to "customize your mouse with a heft and balance that’s just right for your game." These features don't really detract from the mouse, but at the same time, I got the feeling that they could have shaved a few dollars off the price if they had removed it. Still, my only major complaints with the mouse is that it's wired, and the software kinda sucks.
Meanwhile, keyboards.
This is the keyboard I'm using now, the BenQ X120 Internet Keyboard Pro, because it was $10. It's a good little keyboard, but it's cheap and feels a bit odd, like the keys are made of balloons or something.
Here are some of the keyboards I've been looking at:
This is the Warrior by Wolf King, which just fascinates me. It looks like a comfortable FPS-focused gaming keyboard that could really be used for most games. This looks far more appealing to me than some of the other gaming-focused keyboards, such as the Ideazon Fang Gamepad or any ZBoard. At $35-40, they aren't too expensive, which makes them tempting, but is it truly better than gaming with a standard keyboard? I just don't know. Wolf King also makes a keyboard that combines this pad with a standard QWERTY board, called the Timberwolf.
I've read that some people that swear by the Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard, but to me it looks like way more keyboard than is necessary. At $90, I'd have to have a serious recommendation to go for it. But at the same time, it looks sleek (though it sort of looks like it escaped from a Quake game), exhibits a proven style (i.e., it is a keyboard), has backlighting, is wireless, and has some other little goodies.
Then there are novelty keyboards.
This probably doesn't need the introduction, but the Optimus Maximus keyboard is available. Each key has a small LCD display on it, which means you can map out each key to a different image. There are limitless possibilities, from mapping vital keys that you use in WoW to drawing a huge penis across the entire keyboard. Now, actually purchasing this thing is another story. At a staggering $1,800, I'd be afraid to touch the damn thing for fear of having to replace it. I've also never seen a story of someone actually using the keyboard. Despite its huge flaws, the entire concept of the keyboard is cool enough that it bears mentioning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBBfmb6Dsh8&eurl=http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/a85c/
In a similar strain, there's the Luxeed Dynamic Pixel LED Keyboard. Each key can be turned a different color, again creating some awesome possibilities. Be sure to see the video for full effect. While the price tag isn't Optimus bad, it's still pretty high at $200.
So, what do we think of keyboards and mice? Which are good, and which are God-awful? Are keyboards like the Optimus the future, or are we headed in a multi-touch direction? Mice or track balls? Touchpads or those little laptop nubbins? Let's talk input.
This got me thinking about buying a new keyboard, and since there wasn't really a thread here about the various input devices available, I thought we could have a little chat about them.
Now, in March I bought the Logitech G5 Laser Mouse for $70.
This was the first mouse I had bought that was greater than $15, and after the inner pain of having paid such a cost for something so simple subsided, I was pretty pleased with my purchase. The feel of the mouse is great-- it moves smoothly, the texture grips your hand without being rough or unpleasant, and it's well-shaped for my big-ass hands. Now, the other features were unnecessary, like the fact that you can change the mouse sensitivity to six different settings on the fly by pressing the + and - buttons, and that it included a weight set that was designed to "customize your mouse with a heft and balance that’s just right for your game." These features don't really detract from the mouse, but at the same time, I got the feeling that they could have shaved a few dollars off the price if they had removed it. Still, my only major complaints with the mouse is that it's wired, and the software kinda sucks.
Meanwhile, keyboards.
This is the keyboard I'm using now, the BenQ X120 Internet Keyboard Pro, because it was $10. It's a good little keyboard, but it's cheap and feels a bit odd, like the keys are made of balloons or something.
Here are some of the keyboards I've been looking at:
This is the Warrior by Wolf King, which just fascinates me. It looks like a comfortable FPS-focused gaming keyboard that could really be used for most games. This looks far more appealing to me than some of the other gaming-focused keyboards, such as the Ideazon Fang Gamepad or any ZBoard. At $35-40, they aren't too expensive, which makes them tempting, but is it truly better than gaming with a standard keyboard? I just don't know. Wolf King also makes a keyboard that combines this pad with a standard QWERTY board, called the Timberwolf.
I've read that some people that swear by the Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard, but to me it looks like way more keyboard than is necessary. At $90, I'd have to have a serious recommendation to go for it. But at the same time, it looks sleek (though it sort of looks like it escaped from a Quake game), exhibits a proven style (i.e., it is a keyboard), has backlighting, is wireless, and has some other little goodies.
Then there are novelty keyboards.
This probably doesn't need the introduction, but the Optimus Maximus keyboard is available. Each key has a small LCD display on it, which means you can map out each key to a different image. There are limitless possibilities, from mapping vital keys that you use in WoW to drawing a huge penis across the entire keyboard. Now, actually purchasing this thing is another story. At a staggering $1,800, I'd be afraid to touch the damn thing for fear of having to replace it. I've also never seen a story of someone actually using the keyboard. Despite its huge flaws, the entire concept of the keyboard is cool enough that it bears mentioning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBBfmb6Dsh8&eurl=http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/a85c/
In a similar strain, there's the Luxeed Dynamic Pixel LED Keyboard. Each key can be turned a different color, again creating some awesome possibilities. Be sure to see the video for full effect. While the price tag isn't Optimus bad, it's still pretty high at $200.
So, what do we think of keyboards and mice? Which are good, and which are God-awful? Are keyboards like the Optimus the future, or are we headed in a multi-touch direction? Mice or track balls? Touchpads or those little laptop nubbins? Let's talk input.
Ethelred on
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Each key is backlit, and this can be turned off for totally blank keyboarding (think Das). This was lampooned in a review I read, but I actually like being able to do that. Plus, every key can be mapped, similar to the Optimus Maximus. No fancy LEDs, but it's nice being able to take those unused F keys and make them shortcuts to documents/music/picture folders, etc.
Had it, hated it, sold it, and moved on to a cheaper Dell keyboard with a volume control, and I don't regret it. It's horribly oversized and has terrible key feedback.
Plus, it has a volume control, and I like the key feedback almost as much as the Microsoft board. The only downside to it that I can see is that it uses two USB inputs and gives only one output. But nowadays we have so many USB ports that it doesn't even matter.
razer mouse though. I think it's the Adder.
The best mouse I've had so far is the DeathAdder. It has a much more comfortable form factor, feels great moving it around on the pad, the side buttons are superior, and it looks cool.
I currently use a Saitek Eclipse keyboard. The keys are too large and far apart for my taste, and I've never been able to type quite as fast or as comfortably on it as on some other keyboards--but it's the sturdiest keyboard I've ever used, which is why I bought it. And it glows blue, which matches my mouse and my PC's fans.
Do not neglect the mousepad. $8 pads from Wal-mart are not good for gaming and are not even comfortable for everyday internet use. I use a nice, gigantic cloth gaming pad, which is incredibly smooth moving the mouse across (seriously, it feels smoother than a hard pad with my Deathadder) and much more comfortable to rest your arm on. Plus, you don't have to wipe it down every few days.
For a keyboard I have this:
Yeah it's way way too expensive for what it does, but I really really like it.
Need to invest in a better mouse pad soon as I have a shitty one with advertising on it. Also I looked into dedicated WASD pads... It still looks pretty tempting...
Edit: Also does this count as an input device:
Console controller flamewar thread time? More seriously, how well do these play with Windows?
I came into this thread to recommend this very thing, but you beat me to it.
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/keyboards.html (yes the website is very low quality, but it is legit)
This company basically bought the rights to the IBM buckling spring keyboard technology when IBM stopped making the model M back in the 90s. These aren't just cheap replicas, they are built like tanks just like the old model Ms and will pretty much last forever. If your interested in a top quality keyboard and don't want/need all the crazy bells and whistles they slap on "modern" keyboards (lcd screens? comeon...) you might consider one. In my (and many others) opinion there is no better typing experience than keyboards made with buckling spring technology.
The only con worth mentioning is that they are LOUD. If you plan on using your keyboard where someone you live with will frequently be in the same room while you are using it, you may annoy them (or drive them crazy).
Personally I went with the black 104 key version since the windows button is handy in linux.
I'm curious though, what do you use the Windows key for in linux? My first though was remapping emacs' Meta key to it, but that doesn't really make sense (since everyone knows you should remap it to Caps Lock :-p).
I mainly use it as an extra function key for shortcuts (it is the default key for a lot of the combo shortcuts in compiz for one). Really though it isn't that important at all and most of the shortcuts could be replaced by ctrl key combos, but it can be nice to have an extra key.
I suppose I shouldn't have said it's helpful for Linux specifically since it can probably be used similarly in windows. I absolutely hate the default functionality of the key in windows, especially when playing games that use the ctrl key a lot.
This reminds me of a keyboard I saw a while back: http://www.deckkeyboards.com/. I like how they sell alternative key cap sets to replace some of the default ones (a tux key for linux users to replace the windows key, wasd keys with little arrows, things like that) If I had the money to spend $150 on a keyboard and didn't enjoy the feel of my unicomp so much I would be tempted to try one of those.
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/en104wh.html
I always wanted a keyboard that had that. I think I am in the minority of people who prefer the little mouse stick instead of the track pad on laptops.
They also have a wireless one, which if you can handle the size of it would work well for a media PC.
I could see myself using it if I'm doing a lot of typing and need to use the mouse for a second to click something without taking my hand away from the keyboard.
I'm not 100% on this, but I don't think their wireless keyboards use the buckling springs (can someone confirm?). I thought I read that some of their keyboards are outsourced and not built in the same factory as their retro IBM-esque tanks, which are all build in the good 'ol USA.
I know that it works perfectly through the mini-usb cable if you install the drivers that are floating around for them. Unfortunately, I don't have a bluetooth receiver to try using them wirelessly. Without getting into controller wars though, I'd suggest the 360 controller if you're just looking for a PC controller: not only are the drivers built into windows, but a lot of new games automatically recognize it and have the console version's controls already programed in
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So, in summation, get!
Set a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
- Terry Pratchett
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Article_Ergodex.html
Well, sounds good. It still kind of bothers me that the pad has two Control keys on the left-- is that weird in practice? Can they be mapped separately?
Wow, I haven't seen those before. Nifty.
While that mousepad looks awesome, it also looks oppresively big. I'm not even sure my desk would fit a mousepad that size.
Yeah, they're seperately mappable. However, oddly enough the one directly below the shift key operates as the left-Ctrl, rather than the one that's actually on the left. I think its because on a normal keyboard, the Ctrl for that side is right under the shift key. It doesn't make any sense when actually making the mappings, but you don't think about it when actually playing something.
Its also ergonomic as all hell. Your fingers just naturally fall into all the perfect places. The big space bar for your thumb is something I just can't live without any more.
Set a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
- Terry Pratchett
I'm not sure how big the desks are in my dorm yet, but you're right, a good mouse pad can be key. I'm just going to get that one, and see what happens.
I think I'm going to give this a shot, then. I like the design, and have heard mostly good things. This is exciting. I'm excited. Right now.
That's funny, I have a friend that has that exact same setup for those exact same reasons and has been using it for the exact same amount of time. Wait... your name isn't Chris is it?
I've been using a Saitek Eclipse with a Logitech G5 mouse for 2-3 years now. This past week I somehow got it in my head that I need a new keyboard. I don't know why, since I never use macros and see no reason to start, and that's the only reason to "upgrade" a gaming keyboard in my opinion. I picked up a Razer Lycosa from Best Buy. After a night of WoW raiding, I ended up returning it yesterday. I guess I just didn't like the feel compared to my old Eclipse -- it felt too small and constricted, like a laptop keybaord. That, and since I'll probably never use the macro functions, I had major "buyer's remorse" about it.
I thought of returning it for the Eclipse II, thinking "hey, an update on a keyboard that has served me well is good, right?" But then I couldn't justify it since the only update they made between the original and the Eclipse II was additional lighting options. If they had put a few USB ports on the back I would have probably bought it.
Does anyone have any experience with Saitek's new Cyborg keyboard? I know it's the latest version of the Eclipse but Best Buy doesn't carry it.
"Uh, I have never said that you are not good at what you do. It's just that what you do is not worth doing." -S.C.
The keyboard is pretty nice. Nice and comfortable. Range is pretty good, but could be better.
The mouse, unfortunately, has one of those mousewheels that doesn't click, making it somewhat useless for gaming. Fuck.
I second this. Just one exception: the Dell bluetooth travel mouse that sometimes comes with their laptops work pretty well, and for added amazement they are 5-button devices.
Still, I wouldn't play a FPS with it -- I stick to C&C or Sins of the Solar Empire, maybe Warcraft if I'm just solo and not responsible to anyone else for my possible sluggishness.
"Uh, I have never said that you are not good at what you do. It's just that what you do is not worth doing." -S.C.
For a mouse i have the razr lachesis.
Probably the best mouse i've ever had for gaming.
Both of these cost me around $60 each (I think the keyboard was 60, i honestly cant totally remember, i have a feeling it may have been less.). I dont know if thats normal cuz i kind of pulled some strings to get them at those prices im not sure what they normally are.
The surprising thing is that the above mentioned dell keyboard is actually pretty good.
My work machine uses that keyboard (I nabbed it from a server I'd purchased for work, server is connected to a kvm with a bunch of other servers so it wasn't needed). Whilst it looks like dell cut back on the plastic to save costs or something the spring action on the keys is very good.
As to my home machine, i'm a Logitech G15 and G5 user here. No real complaints, i've never used the weights on the G5 and when playing certain games I use the dpi buttons quite frequently.
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
dammit we have them in my store and I'm fucking buying one because I enjoy being poor and having useless gadgets
That's the weird thing: as far as precision goes, it's almost always just fine. It's almost (but not quite!) as good as my old Logitech MX510. It's just the damn no-click mousewheel that bugs me.
and what the hell is that?
The OCZ Neural Interface Actuator
Pretty much you put on the headband and it will read from your facial, eye and brain impulses.
Here's a reviewer resting it out:
So serious.
Alas I do not believe such a thing exists.
mx1000 bluetooth?