Need advice on hardware? Ask questions and share your opinions here.
#64046 by Ted B
Thu May 15, 2014 3:27 pm
I've been looking at getting a backlit keyboard for my Datacad PC work-station, and I've noticed that the gaming-class keyboards tend to be both backlit and have lots of extra preset and combination keys. As long as It's from one of the major manufacturer's and Windows-8 compatible, anyone have any experience or opinions versus a std. office-type backlit keyboard?
#64054 by Neil Blanchard
Fri May 16, 2014 8:22 am
Gaming keyboards often have mechanical switches, which are very robust, but they are 'clicky'. My son uses a Corsair K70.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816010

The chassis is aluminum, it is backlit. There are other models with extended programmable keys on the left side.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816013
#67628 by Neil Blanchard
Mon Nov 30, 2015 12:32 pm
I wore out a couple of keys on my keyboard, and I bit the bullet and got a Corsair K70, like my son has. I got a factory reconditioned unit, so it was ~$78, rather than the ~$150 for a new one. I will be adding the dampening O-rings to quiet the bottoming part of the key stroke. The Cherry MX Red switches on this keyboard are light touch and linear with no change in resistance. They are rated for 60 Million strokes, which is awesome.

I like the open face design, as this will make it easier to clean. The back lighting on low makes it very readable. The wrist rest is comfortable, and I like the thumb dial volume control, and the mute button.

I was tempted by this keyboard:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1ST2KM6047

Image
Having the number pad on the left would be useful, I think.
#67793 by Ted B
Mon Dec 14, 2015 2:24 pm
I recently bought a compact wireless Logitech keyboard that was supposed to have three-year battery-life. They didn't make it 3-months. I thought it would be more convenient to use since the Num-Keys and directly adjacent to the Enter-Shift keys, and the feel is decent. Plus I now have the mouse 5-inches closer to my workstation's center-line, but... The USB dongle is barely three-feet away on the front of the PC tower, and it already has latency-delays and sometimes misses characters until I shake it... **grrrrrrr** I used to think Logitech made decent peripherals, now I'm disappointed.

I live out in the country and away from power-lines, so you would think it would be an electromagnetically-clean and EM-quiet environment. But I've had all-sorts-of problems with indeterminacy and latency with wireless mice, keyboards and my cellphones.
#67816 by Neil Blanchard
Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:56 am
An update on my Corsair K70: I bought a set of O-rings for the keys that slightly dampen the down stroke of the keys (keeps them from bottoming with a click) and this quiets it somewhat. They cost under $7 for the set of 120 O-rings - the wider keys have three posts.

This keyboard has a direct USB extension and has a USB port on the back edge of the keyboard. Cleaning this keyboard will be easier than most - the keys a free standing, and the keys are removable with the supplied puller tool. I also like the illumination, and the thumb roller volume control.
#70488 by Neil Blanchard
Wed Dec 21, 2016 5:01 pm
I got a new gaming mouse and it is excellent - a Logitech G403 Prodigy Wireless / Wired. The sensor is the best one they make, the buttons are rated for 20 Million clicks, the tracking is very smooth and can be tuned for your mouse pad for even better accuracy. Battery life is ~30-32 hours, and it recharges on a cord while you continue to use it.

$80 at NewEgg.

Image
Image

The wired only version is $66.
#70489 by David A. Giesselman
Wed Dec 21, 2016 5:06 pm
Looks nice, but I'll stick with my MX Master. I charge it once every 2 weeks or so.
mx.jpg
mx.jpg (51.29 KiB) Viewed 28116 times

Dave
#70491 by Neil Blanchard
Thu Dec 22, 2016 9:58 am
I have the MX Master at home - the buttons are not nearly as robust, and the tracking is not nearly as good as the G403. I like the scroll wheel on the MX Master, but I like the large thumb buttons on the G403.

Some additional points: the G403 is lighter weight, even with its optional weight installed. The G403 has 16.8M colors which is the only concession to gamers - and the light can be set up as a battery level indicator; which the MX Master has already.

The G403 has the same look as my G810 mechanical keyboard, and both have switches that are rated in the tens of millions.
#70495 by David A. Giesselman
Thu Dec 22, 2016 11:06 am
Too bad it doesn't have a sleep mode (automatic on the MX Master) as I'd never remember to turn it off.

Dave
#70496 by jimgoodman
Thu Dec 22, 2016 11:30 am
I'm a big MX Master fan as well.

For my mobile office nothing beats the MX Anywhere 2 which has either USB receiver or Bluetooth connectivity. The Bluetooth response on the MX Anywhere is as good as the USB receiver. For a small mouse, I find the ergonomics to be excellent as well.

Being a collector of mice and keyboards, I may have to give G403 a spin.
#70504 by Neil Blanchard
Thu Dec 22, 2016 4:35 pm
David A. Giesselman wrote:Too bad it doesn't have a sleep mode (automatic on the MX Master) as I'd never remember to turn it off.

Dave


I think it does sleep - I turned off my computer last night, and left the mouse on - and this morning it still was at ~30 hours of battery life this morning. And now, near the end of a 8+ hour day, it is at 25 hours. So, I think it is sleeping pretty promptly when it is not in use.
#70516 by Neil Blanchard
Wed Dec 28, 2016 3:13 pm
The G403 wireless definitely has automatic sleep - I have been using it for almost a week and I only charged it before bringing it to the off last Thursday, and it still has an estimated 11 hours of charge left. I have used it about 3 days here at work.

The feel is really light and positive. I have been using it with the optional 10g weight - and now I will go for a while without that. The scroll wheel has worked perfectly, and I like the large thumb buttons, too.

Here's my G810 keyboard (with custom colors) and the G403:
Attachments
Logitech G810 + G403.jpg
#70518 by Ted B
Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:01 am
Alas, no-one has solved the insolvable ergonomic dilemma of typing over the cat sleeping between you and the keyboard...
Or, the cat attempting to sleep on top of your right arm as your reach for your mouse.

Go away.
But it's more comfortable here.
Get off...
No, ...stroke me, love me.
But I trying to work here...
**purr, purr**

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