wp@iddth.id.dk (Wiesiek Pawlowski (900415#GUEST)) (04/09/91)
Hello, I would like to get some input on the quality of keyboards for PC's. Which are the best? What does a *good* keyboard mean? Should I buy one of the Northgate keyboards? I've seen many Northgate's ads saying that "... you can't find a better quality anywhere else ...". Is it true? Thank you very much in advance. Wiesiek Pawlowski my email: wp@id.dth.dk I will post a summary if the subject is of any interest.
id8rld06@serss0.fiu.edu (Michael N Johnston) (04/13/91)
This is a touchy question because every has their own opinions as to what
make a good keyboard. Many people love the keytronics. For MY money there
is only ONE keyboard company to consider. That is Northgate. I have two
of their keyboards on my computers and would not consider buying anything
else. Northgate keyboards are twice (or more) the cost of some other
companies but they are worth the cost.
No. I am not affiliated with Northgate in any way.
Mike
--
====================================================================
Michael Johnston
id8rld06@serss0.fiu.edu or
26793271x@servax.fiu.edudjewhurs@vega.acs.calpoly.edu (Derek Jewhurst) (04/16/91)
In article <3294@kluge.fiu.edu> id8rld06@serss0.fiu.edu (Michael N Johnston) writes: >This is a touchy question because every has their own opinions as to what >make a good keyboard. Many people love the keytronics. For MY money there >is only ONE keyboard company to consider. That is Northgate. I have two >of their keyboards on my computers and would not consider buying anything >else. Northgate keyboards are twice (or more) the cost of some other >companies but they are worth the cost. > No. I am not affiliated with Northgate in any way. > I would also highly recommend the Northgate keyboard. The feel to them just cannot be beaten. After using a Northgate, everything else just doesn't seem worth it. This could have a bad affect, since most of my time is spent on a terminal doing work for classes. Even a terminal with a new keyboard just doesn't cut it anymore. They are wonderful, and coming down in price. You can probably pick one up for under $80 now. -- _ /| *** Derek Jewhurst -- djewhurs@Cosmos.CalPoly.EDU *** _ /| \'o.O' STRESS: the confusion created when the mind must override the \'o.O' =(___)= body's basic desire to choke the living crap out of some =(___)= U idiot who desperately deserves it! U
cs352a41@cs.iastate.edu (Adam Goldberg) (04/17/91)
djewhurs@vega.acs.calpoly.edu (Derek Jewhurst) writes: >In article <3294@kluge.fiu.edu> id8rld06@serss0.fiu.edu (Michael N Johnston) writes: >>make a good keyboard. Many people love the keytronics. For MY money there >>is only ONE keyboard company to consider. That is Northgate. I have two >> >I would also highly recommend the Northgate keyboard. The feel to them just I don't like KeyTronics especially, and I can't say if I've tried the Northgate keyboard, but I have a keyboard made by 'Focus Easytronic, Ltd' in Taiwan, model 2001. It's got those fancy switch-the-left-ctrl-key-and-the shift-lock-key option & all that other fancy stuff--BUT it's got to be the best keyboard I've ever used. Tactile response, beeps if you want'em, just the right amount of key travel, etc. Highly Recommended. -- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ! Adam Goldberg ! * ! "It's simple! Even a PASCAL ! ! cs352a41@cs.iastate.edu ! * ! programmer could do it!" ! +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
calloway@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Frank Calloway) (04/18/91)
Ditto on the Northgate. They're a nice product. Frank Calloway
jamison@hobbes.Corp.Sun.COM (& Gray) (04/19/91)
>djewhurs@vega.acs.calpoly.edu (Derek Jewhurst) writes: >>In article <3294@kluge.fiu.edu> id8rld06@serss0.fiu.edu (Michael N Johnston) writes: >>>make a good keyboard. Many people love the keytronics. For MY money there >>>is only ONE keyboard company to consider. That is Northgate. I have two >>> >>I would also highly recommend the Northgate keyboard. The feel to them just > >I don't like KeyTronics especially, and I can't say if I've tried the >Northgate keyboard, but I have a keyboard made by 'Focus Easytronic, Ltd' >in Taiwan, model 2001. It's got those fancy switch-the-left-ctrl-key-and-the >shift-lock-key option & all that other fancy stuff--BUT it's got to be the >best keyboard I've ever used. Tactile response, beeps if you want'em, >just the right amount of key travel, etc. Highly Recommended. Hey, I've got the same keyboard, and feel the same way! When I bought my PC Clone recently, I tried all the keyboards in the shop; I could upgrade from the basic to the Northgate for $60, or to the 2001 for $15. My fingers couldn't tell the difference, and I've been very happy with the 2001. Mine even came with a removable translucent flip-down cover, which is very handy when the cat gets interested in my Wing Commander game and jumps up on the desk :-). -- Jamie Gray -- Jamison Gray, jamison@Eng.Sun.COM "Football is a mistake. It combines Sun Microsystems, M.S. 21-04 the two worst elements of American Life: Mountain View, CA 94043 violence and committee meetings" -George Will
jim@newmedia.UUCP (Jim Beveridge) (04/22/91)
In article <3294@kluge.fiu.edu>, id8rld06@serss0.fiu.edu (Michael N Johnston) writes: > This is a touchy question because every has their own opinions as to what > make a good keyboard. Many people love the keytronics. For MY money there > is only ONE keyboard company to consider. That is Northgate. I have two > of their keyboards on my computers and would not consider buying anything > else. Northgate keyboards are twice (or more) the cost of some other > companies but they are worth the cost. > > Mike > Warning to touch typists!!!! Northgate keyboards fall apart miserably after 50 or 60 WPM. A good typist relies on key rollover, where you can have more than one key held down at the same time. The Northgate keyboards will generate bogus keystrokes if you try and rely on three key rollover. The good news is that Northgate is very reasonable with their return policy and will refund your money if you have a problem. I *do* like their keyboards, I just type too fast. I have been delighted with the ALR keyboards. They are very solid, so won't slide around the desk on you. The key action is quite nice. Finally, the keyboard can keep up with me. You just have to find someone who will sell you one. Just my 2 cents. Jim
ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) (04/24/91)
>>This is a touchy question because every has their own opinions as to what >>make a good keyboard. Many people love the keytronics. For MY money there >>is only ONE keyboard company to consider. That is Northgate. I have two >>of their keyboards on my computers and would not consider buying anything >>else. Northgate keyboards are twice (or more) the cost of some other >>companies but they are worth the cost. 'Sfunny... I hear all kinds of testimonials as to the good quality of Northgate's keyboards on the net, but a couple of local people here ended up sending theirs back due to malfunctions. I heard from one of them that some time ago the Chemistry department had to ship back a whole bunch of defective keyboards and ended up pur- chasing another brand keyboard. Did Northgate once have a quality control problem? -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iskandar Taib | The only thing worse than Peach ala Internet: NTAIB@AQUA.UCS.INDIANA.EDU | Frog is Frog ala Peach Bitnet: NTAIB@IUBACS ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
chao@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Chia-Chi Chao) (04/24/91)
In article <452@newmedia.UUCP> jim@newmedia.UUCP (Jim Beveridge) writes: >Warning to touch typists!!!! Northgate keyboards fall apart miserably >after 50 or 60 WPM. A good typist relies on key rollover, where you >can have more than one key held down at the same time. The Northgate >keyboards will generate bogus keystrokes if you try and rely on >three key rollover. The good news is that Northgate is very reasonable >with their return policy and will refund your money if you have a problem. This is definitely a problem with their _CURRENT_ model(s). My older OmniKey 102, with only two instead of three keys on either side of the space bar, works fine. For some reason (cost reduction?), they seem to have taken out the N-key rollover feature in their current ones. If you encounter this problem, write or call Northgate to complain. I did (for my cousin's OmniKey 102 problem), but I think we need more people to bring this problem to their attention, hopefully enough to have them re-engineer the keyboards. -- Chia-Chi Chao chao@cs.ucla.edu ..!ucbvax!cs.ucla.edu!chao
James_O'Flynn@mindlink.bc.ca (James O'Flynn) (04/24/91)
> jim@newmedia.UUCP writes: > > Msg-ID: <452@newmedia.UUCP> > Posted: 22 Apr 91 16:01:11 GMT > > Org. : New Media Graphics, Billerica, MA > Person: Jim Beveridge > > In article <3294@kluge.fiu.edu>, id8rld06@serss0.fiu.edu (Michael N Johnston) > writes: > > This is a touchy question because every has their own opinions as to what > > make a good keyboard. Many people love the keytronics. For MY money there > > is only ONE keyboard company to consider. That is Northgate. I have two > > of their keyboards on my computers and would not consider buying anything > > else. Northgate keyboards are twice (or more) the cost of some other > > companies but they are worth the cost. > > > > Mike > > > > Warning to touch typists!!!! Northgate keyboards fall apart miserably > after 50 or 60 WPM. A good typist relies on key rollover, where you > can have more than one key held down at the same time. The Northgate > keyboards will generate bogus keystrokes if you try and rely on > three key rollover. The good news is that Northgate is very reasonable > with their return policy and will refund your money if you have a problem. > > I *do* like their keyboards, I just type too fast. > > I have been delighted with the ALR keyboards. They are very solid, > so won't slide around the desk on you. The key action is quite nice. > Finally, the keyboard can keep up with me. You just have to find > someone who will sell you one. > > Just my 2 cents. > > Jim This three key rollover problem is a recognized manufacturing defect and steps have been taken to correct this. I had a Northgate Omnikey Plus and it had this problem, I returned it to my wholesaler and they shipped it back to Northgate. Northgate sent it back with the new corrected ROM versions and now I don't have that ANNOYING problem anymore. -- +-------------------------------------------------------------+ + James O'Flynn@mindlink.UUCP Vancouver, B.C. Canada + + !uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a939 Voice: (604) 879-3485 + + a939@mindlink.UUCP Fax: (604) 876-8779 + + __ Blitzkrieg! + + /..\ -The Underestimated + +-mm--mm------------------------------------------------------+ DISCLAIMER: The views expressed herein are STRICTLY my own, you can't have them.
vancleef@iastate.edu (Van Cleef Henry H) (04/25/91)
In article <452@newmedia.UUCP> jim@newmedia.UUCP (Jim Beveridge) writes: > >Warning to touch typists!!!! Northgate keyboards fall apart miserably >after 50 or 60 WPM. A good typist relies on key rollover, where you >can have more than one key held down at the same time. The Northgate >keyboards will generate bogus keystrokes if you try and rely on >three key rollover. The good news is that Northgate is very reasonable >with their return policy and will refund your money if you have a problem. > >I *do* like their keyboards, I just type too fast. > >I have been delighted with the ALR keyboards. They are very solid, >so won't slide around the desk on you. The key action is quite nice. >Finally, the keyboard can keep up with me. You just have to find >someone who will sell you one. > >Just my 2 cents. > >Jim I type at these speeds and have never had a bit of trouble with the Northgate keyboard. Most program-writing and us is not at this speed; it is when I am writing articles/papers/etc. that I touch-type quickly. I find it almost impossible to type at over about 25WPM on Keytronic and DEC LK2xx keyboards, and put the screws to my friendly DEC workstation rep the other day to get me a Northgate-type keyboard for my DECstation 3100. --
jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook) (04/27/91)
I would like to point out one thing about Northgate keyboards lately. Their quality has been SLACKING big time. From using about 200 of them (I work as a technician at a big energy company) I can say that the models with F-keys on the left are VERY good. This is the one I have at home (an OmniKeyh/102). The model with F-keys on top only (OmniKey/101?) is a little bit flimsy. You can twist sort of like a cheap Chicony keyboard. The model that is for XTs only (the 84 key model, I think) that looks like a regular XT keyboard or 84-key AT keyboard SUCKS. I had one and promptly returned it. It was no better than a cheap Chicony or Mtec. Brian
robinson@knuth.MTSU.EDU (Mr. David Robinson) (05/01/91)
In re: the Northgate Omnikey 102. We have about 8 of them and were experiencing a problem with extra keystrokes appearing on the display when striking a key once. Some times it even seemed like the key activator was stuck. You could strike a key and release it normally, and the key would repeat itself on screen over and over. The only way to stop it was to bang on the key repeatedly until it quit. I called Northgate's tech support line and explained the problem. They allowed as to how it was a known problem and had new controller cards sent to us via the dealer we bought the keyboards from. The install was easily done (especially with an electric screwdriver :-) and the new controller card seemed to solve the problem. One thing I did discover when opening up the Omnikey 102. They're built like a tank. . . good solid metal construction. If anybody else is experiencing a problem with excessive keystroke runon with an Omnikey 102, give Northgate a call. They were quick and courteous. I for one 'preciated it! -David robinson@knuth.mtsu.edu