Keyboard Madness: What we need from a Keyboard

I’ve had the same keyboard for a long while now. Not long after Apple released their aluminum keyboards, I went out and bought one. I must say, this is the best keyboard I have ever had. Let me clarify this by breaking it down into a few categories: Ease of Use, Ease of Cleaning, and Functionality.

Ease of Use

I love this keyboard because the distance I have to press down to register a keystroke is very, very short. I don’t have any actual data to prove that I type faster on this keyboard, but I feel much more efficient. My previous white plastic Apple keyboard felt much more mushy. Sometimes the keystrokes didn’t register if I didn’t press hard enough. With this keyboard, I know that I make fewer mistakes.

Ease of Cleaning

The best part of this keyboard is that it doesn’t really have enough space around the keys for things to get stuck. The dirt only really gets on the surface. A quick wipe with a damp rag will clean this keyboard in a snap. This fact alone is worth the premium for this keyboard. I don’t think it is possible to beat this keyboard in the clean-up department.

Functionality

One of my freshest memories from when I used Windows is that my keyboard’s special functions NEVER worked properly. I had volume knobs and do-hickies galore, but they barely worked; if at all. No matter how much I would fiddle with the drivers, my keyboard would never work perfectly. On the Mac with software and hardware harmony, that problem doesn’t exist. I plug in my keyboard and all of the special features work without any fiddling. I very much appreciate that. To be fair, I’m sure things have gotten better on the Windows side as well.

So, what do you require out of your keyboard? Have you found the keyboard for your lockboard? Sound off in the comments or hit me up on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Laineys Repertoire

Grant is a writer from Delaware. In his spare time, Grant maintains a personal blog, hosts The Weekly Roar, hosts Quadcast, and writes for video games.