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Qiuet Keyboards with Tactile Feedback? 103

Posted by Cliff from the keyclicking-without-the-clicks dept.
zerOnIne asks: "Like many geeks I know, I love good old clicky mechanical tactile-feedback keyboards. I've got an IBM Model M (101 key) on the server, and a Linux CoolKeyboard on my desktop, and I wouldn't want to part with them. The problem is, though, that my wife and I live in a studio apartment, and my desk is necessarily right next to the bed alcove. This poses a problem on nights, like tonight, when I want to get some late-night hacking in, and she needs to get some sleep: my typing can rather loud if I get going. Is there a keyboard out there that can give me the mechanical feel of an IBM-101, but without the noise? As an aside note, whatever happened to the Linux CoolKeyboards company?"
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Qiuet Keyboards with Tactile Feedback? More

Qiuet Keyboards with Tactile Feedback?

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  • If you find one with tactile feedback.. (Score:5, Funny)

    by sporty ( 27564 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @11:46AM (#4706664) Homepage
    If you ever find one.. let me know if it has the ability to give more violent feedback. Lord knows I'd like to shock people behind their keyboards for the silly or bad questions I get.

    "I put a floppy in the front loading cdrom drive... and I can't get it out."

    *zot*

  • Editing (Score:1, Flamebait)

    by Watcher ( 15643 )
    Yet again, Slashdot proves that it doesn't need something so lame as a spell checker. Its spelled quiet folks, not qiuet.
  • I know that when I'm at home, my dad can hear my hacking all through the night. He says that I've occasionally woken him up, from down the hall, with the typing. He doesn't hear the soda cans, waterbottle, or sweetbread runs, or the oft curse when something goes "HAHAHA Screw you!" and dies, but that typing. It's maddening.

    Then I get yelled at. (*thud*)

    Hooray for stealth, yet firm keyboards!

    For a while, I had one of those flexi things. Y'know, the rubber ones, with the little like upright foodpad dealies. Worst. Keyboard. Ever. Silent, albeit, but if you pressed the little pad thing that was supposed to resemble a key on a keyboard, the rubber junction just sortof toppled over rather than actually pushing the actuator on the keypad. Freaking annoying.
    • That advertised as silent keyboard I was referring to: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fna me=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F003%5F010%5F002%5F0 00&product%5Fid=26%2D494 [radioshack.com]. Yeah, it _WAS_ silent... but you couldn't type with it worth a damn!
      • If you have ever walked into a radio shack to touch on of these things, they are NOT a suitable replacement. The keys "squash" in unpredictable directions. The travel on the keys is more than the 101's 33mm. Plus the fact that the keyboard has no natural role (the upper part of the board is vertically higher than the lower), and one of the worst things, is there is no option of stands that allow you to raise the keyboard from the back. And one more thing... every time I see one now in a store, they are broke.
        • I totally agree with you - the majority of the flexible keyboards do exhibit the odd behavior you mention.

          There is, however, a small flexible keyboard - sold at CompUSA and maybe other places - black, round keys, that doesn't.

          UNFORTUNATELY it has 5 keys that send a space character (all various sizes), two delete keys, one backspace key, and none of them in pleasant places or sizes. [all the deletes are normal small sized in slightly-odd locations, the return is the old style L flipped, except it's only half as wide as you'd expect]

          damned thing. I bought it hoping that the keys sent different keycodes and I could tweak something out of it - no dice. Still good in a pinch - if you suddenly need a usb keyboard - which rarely is of any use in the server room without forethought.

  • Dude! (Score:3, Funny)

    by tswinzig ( 210999 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @11:58AM (#4706807) Journal
    You're getting a Tablet PC!

  • Dell Quiet Key (Score:4, Informative)

    by MImeKillEr ( 445828 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @12:00PM (#4706822) Homepage Journal
    Specifically, the newer black ones that come with the desktop systems.

    The only keyboard that I've tried in the last 4 months that doesn't stick when I'm typing like mad (and doesn't cause any double-types). Quiet, yet responsive.

    Alternately, you can try this [thinkgeek.com] puppy.
    • That keyboard is EVIL. EVIL I TELL YOU. My thoughts about it and such are in the response above.

      *glares at MImeKillEr*
      *glares at link*
      EVIL...

      *wanders off, looking totally lost*
    • Agreed.

      I'm typing on a QuietKey now and it's one of the better keyboards I've had. An alternative may be one of the Microsoft Natural Keyboards. I remember that one having pretty good (if not IBM-esque) feedback.

      Oh, and ebay is probably the right place to find it. Count of 20-30 bucks or so.
      ___________

      Another route you can go (and I mention this even knowing you're in a studio apartment) is to get a chording keyboard. Many are designed to prevent noise, but do the research first (of course).
      • Actually, you can get them directly from Dell for less than $20. See here [dell.com].
      • a chording keyboard would be interesting, though it would require that i re-learn typing ... i've heard from those who have used them that they're actually not that hard to get used to ... just a matter of cracking down and doing it ...

        hm, the twiddler does look nice, though ...
    • Though I haven't used the thinkgeek model before, I've used such rollup keyboards in the past...and they don't give tactile feedback, so I type slower on them. Could be just a problem with my typing style though.
      • Feedback is key (if you'll forgive the pun). That's why clicky-keyboards are so good. It is also why "roll up" keyboards will only ever catch on for special applications, where portablity or durablity are far more important than useablity.

        The same goes for any "virtual" keyboard that senses keystrokes in the air. The only workable solution might be force-feedback gloves.

        -Peter
    • Dude, Dell Quiet key keyboards SUCK. (At least when compared to a good clicky-keyboard.) Now, the old Dell "full size footprint" keyboards are pretty darn good.

      -Peter
      • Well, it all boils down to personal preference.

        Personally, I like the old HP clacky keyboards. However, mine simply couldn't keep up with my typing anymore. I've tried SEVERAL other keyboards and found that the Dells were the only ones with the right amount of 'action' in the keys and are able to keep up with my typing speed.

        • Well, it all boils down to personal preference.

          Okay, but QuietKey keyboards have objectively have poor feedback (i.e. they are about as mushy as any keyboard I have used), and the statement was in made in the context of how good the feedback is.

          So, I guess that in some cosmic sense "it all boils down to personal preference," but in the context of the actuall conversation, or the context of your original post, or the story, personal preference isn't really relevant.

          -Peter
          • So, I guess that in some cosmic sense "it all boils down to personal preference," but in the context of the actuall conversation, or the context of your original post, or the story, personal preference isn't really relevant.

            No, not really. The level of feedback and what I consider good vs. what you or anyone else considers good is also a matter of preference. Some people might argue that the MS Natural Keyboards are the best, whereas I'd prefer to shove pencils in my nose and type with those rather than use the MS Natural kb. Personally, I think they have shitty feedback and are generally awkward to use.
    • my cubemate has one of those Dells, it's a good keyboard. The roll-up ones are also uber-cool, but I think insufficient for fast typers. However, when my kids successfully kill the current $5 PoS unit, a roll-up is gonna be their next keyboard.

  • The first story I've seen.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by GusherJizmac ( 80976 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @12:02PM (#4706847) Homepage
    where the title is misspelled! Will slashcode v 8.9 come with spellcheck?
  • So, in short, you want a keyboard that works like a clicky keyboard, feels like a keyboard, but does not sound like a keyboard...

  • Buy from the original IBM/Lexmark keyboard guys! (Score:5, Informative)

    by g_adams27 ( 581237 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @12:14PM (#4706961)
    One day when I feel right about spending $50-$60 on a keyboard, this is going to be the one I get:

    The Customizer [pckeyboard.com]

    It's made by the same guys who made those lovely clicking IBM keybords, and one of their models is (apparently) designed to give you a similar tactile feel but with less noise. (IIRC from my e-mails to/from one of their sales guys a few years back, they accomplished it by putting a noise-dampening shim into the spring).

    • Re:Buy from the original IBM/Lexmark keyboard guys (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Zapman ( 2662 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @01:37PM (#4707784)

      One day when I feel right about spending $50-$60 on a keyboard

      I used to feel the same way, then someone asked me a profound question: What parts of the computer do you interact with the most?

      the answer is the keyboard, the mouse and the monitor.

      I contend that someone should spend a larger percentage of the computer cost on the keyboard and monitor. I love my logitec trackman wheel, and I love my old, IBM full clicky keyboard.

      If I had to do it now, I'd spend money on one of those 'happy hacker' keyboards or something similar.

    • Re:Buy from the original IBM/Lexmark keyboard guys (Score:4, Interesting)

      by peeping_Thomist ( 66678 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @01:37PM (#4707790)
      I bought two keyboards from pckeyboard.com this past summer, and both of them failed within a month. One of them has several keys that don't register at all, the other has one key that doesn't click any more but still registers if you press it hard enough.

      I sent back the one with many non-registering keys, and when it came back, none of them were fixed.

      Given how much it costs to keep shipping keyboards back to the company, I've given up on it. It was a great idea, but the two keyboards I got don't work, and the company didn't fix them.
      • I'm so disappointed to hear this. As an incurable Model M bigot (indeed, typing at one right now), I've been recommending pckeyboard.com to people without having actually purchased any from them myself.

        Now I'll just tell people to do what I do... buy the original IBM-branded ones used at computer shows. There are always some for sale cheap, and since they're damn near indestructable, they're a safe buy.
        • buy the original IBM-branded ones used at computer shows


          What kind of computer shows do you mean? I've been looking for IBM model M's whenever I see used computers, and haven't been able to find one.

      • I've been using one of the buckeling spring versions for the last year and a half and it is still working very well.
    • My favorite keyboad is the the BTC 8110M, it's a compact "ergo" keyboard kinda like the MS wave keyboard. It has a nice feel with a really good tactile feedback, had cursor keys on both sides of the keyboard snuggled in below the shift keys, and the left split spacebar is a backspace key.

      Shame they are not made any more ... at least I was able to a buy a couple surplus before they became unobtainium. Check out here [btceurope.cz] for the specs.

  • Wouldn't it be great if the spellchecker interfaced with your keyboard to produce a shock whenever you misspelled a word?

  • In marketing speak (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Chilles ( 79797 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @12:29PM (#4707094)
    True Click without the *Clack*

    seems quite difficult to give the actual feedback without the sound. moreover, wouldn't the sound be an important factor in the feedback you speak about?

    • Re:In marketing speak (Score:3, Informative)

      by dmarcov ( 461598 )
      Actually, it's not as true as you think. I've always loved the clicky-clack of keyboards like the one of the original PC, except of course it being a bit loud.

      I stumbled across a keyboard at work (scavanging is what everyone does after the 4th round of layoffs, right?) that is actually pretty quiet, but gives the fully clicky feel without so much clack (just ask my co-workers).

      I don't think Dell even offers it anymore, but it's the Dell AT101W keyboard. Full-size, good feel -- less noise.

      I personally find the QuietKey keyboards "ok". Better than probably some 75% of what's on the market, but still mushy. I just don't touch-type properly with a mushy keyboard.
    • seems quite difficult to give the actual feedback without the sound. moreover, wouldn't the sound be an important factor in the feedback you speak about?

      The feedback he speaks about is tactile [reference.com]. And no, sound is not a factor at all.
  • found here [pfuca.com]

    one at home, one at work. great feel, proper ctrl placement, and no useless number pad to move your hand over every time you go to use your mouse

  • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re:Sun Type 6 keyboard (Score:3, Informative)

      by benwb ( 96829 )
      I'm using a usb type 6 on my pc right now. It's definitely my favorite keyboard.The only downside was having to patch XFree86 for it to understand the extra keys.
  • My Pismo, iBook2, and TiBook all have keyboards with excellent feedback and very little noise. I can't type well on anything else anymore, but that's OK, because everything else made my wrists hurt.

  • The keyboard can be modelled as a soundboard. (Score:5, Informative)

    by stienman ( 51024 ) <adavis&ubasics,com> on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @01:03PM (#4707388) Homepage Journal
    It's difficult to get a 'click' feel without an associated 'click' sound. Sure, you could put rubber underneath so the plastic hits it instead of another piece of plastic, but then you don't get the nice satisfying click you're looking for.

    However, the sound created is rather tiny. The reason it sounds so loud is that the keyboard, especially the underside, acts as a soundboard. Lucky for your marital peace, you can deaden this effect to some degree.
    • Place the keyboard onto some sort of mat, so the sound doesn't travel to the table.
    • Attach foam or some other sound absorbing material to the back of the keyboard.
    • Place sound absorbing materials around (and above) the computer area. Couch pillows are good for this sort of thing.
    All of these things will affect the feedback you get from the keyboard. What I really suggest is that you spend time getting used to a different feeling keyboard, preferably USB so you can connect both at the same time.

    -Adam
  • Makes you think.. if an old ibm keyboard's key was depressed by a machine, and no one was there to hear it, would it make a sound? :)

  • New IBMs (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Eagle7 ( 111475 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @01:07PM (#4707426) Homepage
    The IBM KB-9910 provides nice feel, but is pretty quiet. It's the keyboard that came with Netfinities/Aptivas in '99, '00, etc.

  • Apple Pro Key USB (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Craig Maloney ( 1104 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @01:28PM (#4707680) Homepage
    I use an Apple Pro Keyboard USB (the clear graphite one) on my Linux machine. My BIOS detects it, so I can use it to do BIOS setup as well. It's a great keyboard, and quiet as heck. The only issue I've had is X will map the Apple keys to the Windows keys, which is where my fingers expect to find the ALT keys. I did a quick re-map on them, though so all is well.

    Hope this helps!
    • I use the same keyboard on my windows XP machine (Yes I know I know, but you have to go with what works) :)

      I had problems with the apple/window keys being where ALT is expected as well, as well as the problem of F13-F15 not functioning as printscreen, scrolllock, and pause/break as expected.
      The help button is read as insert as expected, but something about those F keys must make them show up different.

      The apple USB keyboard took a little getting used to because it has different feeling feedback, its definatly not clicky, but its totally quiet as well.

      If you are looking for the click feel, i dont think the apple keyboard will give you what you want.

      Personally I find its feedback feeling much better.. but to each their own!
      • There is way to re-map those keys under windows 2k/xp. It took me some time to create this, but it works great. Just put the lines below in a .reg file, import into registry, reboot. Make sure you READ WHAT EACH CODE DOES and delete those you do not want, since I've done some strange remapping (no windows key on the right, caps lock is TAB, re-arranged the numpad keys to standard layout). Also, slashcode breaks the name of the registry key, so you'll have to change "CurrentControlS et" to "CurrentControlSet".

        Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

        [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlS et\Control\Keyboard Layout]
        "Scancode Map"=hex: \
        00,00,00,00, \ ; header: version (always 0)
        00,00,00,00, \ ; header: flags (always 0)
        12,00,00,00, \ ; number of remapped keys (just count the number of lines below this one)
        5b,e0,38,00, \ ; left alt -> left win
        38,00,5b,e0, \ ; left win -> left alt
        38,e0,5c,e0, \ ; right win -> right alt
        35,e0,59,00, \ ; numpad = -> numpad /
        37,00,35,e0, \ ; numpad / -> numpad *
        4a,00,37,00, \ ; numpad * -> numpad -
        4e,00,4a,00, \ ; numpad - -> numpad +
        37,e0,5d,00, \ ; f13 -> printscreen
        46,e0,5e,00, \ ; f14 -> break
        3a,00,5f,00, \ ; f15 -> caps lock
        0f,00,3a,00, \ ; caps lock -> tab
        00,00,00,00 ; final, null byte. leave it here.
    • The Pro Keyboard has about 0 tactile feedback. the keys just mash straight down with no resistance. It's pretty or whatever, but I find it really hard to type with.
  • The Keytronic 3601 series.... I LOVE mine.

    http://www.keytronic.com/home/keyboards/keyboard s/ keyboards.html

  • BTC 9110 == best keyboard ever (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Wonko42 ( 29194 ) <ryan+slashdot@[ ]ko.com ['won' in gap]> on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @03:14PM (#4708965) Homepage
    I spent years looking for a keyboard with the qualities you mention. Good tactile feedback, yet quiet. I code pretty much nonstop 12 to 16 hours a day (sadly), so my hands and wrists complain quite loudly when I use a bad keyboard. Luckily, I stumbled across this goofy little BTC 9110 [yahoo.com], which turned out to be the best keyboard I've ever used.

    It's a smaller-than-normal keyboard, but the key layout is actually very sensible. I find that for programming, the keys I need most (shift, ctrl, alt, home, end, insert, delete and of course, return) are in the perfect positions. I also do a lot of gaming, and despite the smaller keyboard size it works great for that too. In addition, the tactile feedback is excellent. There's no annoying clicking sound, but there's just enough of a noise to let you (and only you) know that you've successfully hit a key. The keys also have a very light keypress so you don't strain your fingers, and yet at the same time the feedback is just right. It's actually kinda similar to a laptop keyboard in many respects.

    Give it a shot. It's only $30 or so, and I think you'll really like it if you can get past the silly silver design.

  • I feel your pain (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ctr2sprt ( 574731 ) on Tuesday November 19, 2002 @04:29PM (#4709702)
    A few things to consider if you decide to look for a new keyboard. First, I advise against mail order. I know it's tough to find quality keyboards in a local store, but it's really important to try out a keyboard to see if you like it. Trust me, you'd be amazed at the difference in quality even from one model to the next from the same manufacturer. I extend this to opening the box of the keyboard you might buy, taking it out, and typing a paragraph or two before buying it.

    Second, it doesn't have to be loud to have positive feedback. My Logitech keyboard has the exact same feedback as the old IBMs - that's why I bought it - but with less resistance and less key travel. This means I don't have to bang the keys as hard to register a press, so there's less noise.

    Third, when you're looking at a keyboard, wiggle the keys around from side to side. Not only does this help select the keyboards that are probably poorly built, a lot of noise can come from the keys sliding around. It's not often that your fingers come down on a key perfectly straight: almost always, you're pushing a little to one side or the other. All keyboards have some looseness, but... well, in my case it was either "a lot" or "very little," with no keyboards in the middle ground. And you'd be surprised at some of the names (and prices) that have a lot of looseness in the keys.


  • Earplugs!

    Why the solution must be on Your side?

    • You clearly have never been married.

      -Peter
    • Yeah right - I can just imagine it.

      wife: "Stop that damn clicking and come to bed!"
      husband(skating on thin ice): "But I bought you some earplugs. Why aren't you using them?"
      wife: "I'm not going to wear those !@%!$#%@#^ earplugs just so you can click all night!"
      husband(now in the dog house): "But you'll be able to go to sleep then!"
      wife: "I can't go to sleep with !@$%#%^^ earplugs in my ears and you clicking all night."
  • I suffer from exactly the same problem. My office is directly opposite the main bedroom. I've had to dampen the sound from the fans and disks, by doing the old trick of adding a diode inline to the fan power, and putting in foam baffles.

    However, keyboard click is a problem. I find myself attempting to type quietly which tends to slow me down somewhat. As a matter of fact mouse clicks are a problem too. When I'm coding I very rarely use mouse clicks, (if at all), however surfing the web is something else. The somewhat sparodic mouse click noise tends to wake my wife up more.

    So what about quiet mice as well?

    • I have the same problem with mice too :( I get in trouble from neighboring cubemates when playing Minesweeper. Does anyone know how I shut my mouse up?!
  • One way of getting the audible keypress feedback and have a quiet keyboard is to use audible key clicks. Some PC BIOSes support this, also every OS supports it as well. You could then find an ultra quiet keyboard and then don a set of headphones.
    Granted there would be a delay between keypress and sound, (depending on the OS and speed of your poota). But if you use the BIOS to provide the keyclick there shouldn't be much noticable delay.
    If you don't like headphones then you can just pipe it to a speaker and adjust the volume.
  • Hi,

    I recently discovered that my spare Options by IBM SelectEase has some defective keys. I tried to take one of the halves (splits into 2 pieces) apart and found that the underlying PCB layer is held together by what appears to be locking washers attached to plastic pegs. What tool can I get to pry these off? The specific key's spring has been deformed so the force required to press it has increased and the tactile feedback has disappeared (spring no longer deforms to create the clicking sound). What I wanted to do was switch its spring clip with that of a less-used key like F11. I'm well aware the potential havoc that can arise by the disassembly of these mechanical IBM keyboards. More info at PCGuide [pcguide.com] and here [pcguide.com]

    I know that pckeyboard.com fixes keyboards but with the unfavorable comment here, I don't want to try them since these keyboards aren't being made any more.

    Also, what causes keys to repeat intermittently? Old springs?

    • not sure exactly what to do with that one, but at my last job we had an old IBM-101 (it was even the 10-lb XT model with the detatchable cord) out on the production floor ... after 10 years of abuse and crud buildup, a couple of the keys started to stick a little ... one of the engineers ran the whole thing (no taking it apart) through the de-ionized water vat ... that keyboard came out as if it were brand new ... it even clicked like new :) ... turns out that the only real problem with it was that the crud had built up so much that it was physically hindering the downward motion of the keys ... so if you've got a de-ionized water wash someplace around, it'd probably help at least get any extra crud out :)
    • I don't know if it solves your problem, but at at this [modelm.org] site there are many model m keyboards dissassembled. Maybe if you chat with the author of the site he might help you...

      Here's another [3m3718.com] site that might be helpful.

  • I'm looking for a keyboard, too. Specifically, one that mimics the incredible feel of the keyboard that came with the IBM PS/2 Model P70. It was a 80386 running at 20MHz and came with a gas plasma display that tilted out. It was called a portable computer, and that was being generous as it had to run on A/C and weighed about 20 pounds!

    The keyboard had a very light touch but never missed a key press on me. My fingers just FLEW along that keyboard! At the end of the day, I had not even a hint of fatigue from typing, either. It was the best keyboard I've ever used in 30 years of programming, and I've worked on everything from mainframes and minis to PCs. Heck, I started with a teletype which had a built-in accoustically coupled modem that we used to dial up a DEC PDP-8!

    If anyone ever made a keyboard like that which I could use with my PC today, I'd buy up several in a heartbeat!

  • On a side note about this article thread, zerOnlne's use of the word "hacker" made me think. I use the word with more frequency now than before. The original slang meaning really applies the word to any programming, hardware workaround. Grabbing other peoples code, script or mark-up and then editing it to do what you want; that is hacking. Ripping MP3s or recording a movie from satellite to your Apple/PC is hacking, really. I would argue that using MS Word to create an HTML page is a hack. Even brewing TEA with a COFFEE maker could be considered hacking. Of how about taking the RevLimiter off your Yamaha or CBR crotch-rocket motorcycle so you can pop a wheelie?

    My point here is that politicians and non-tech/non-mechanical people use the term hacking to immediately imply malicious behavior, a threat to the public, like hacking into top secret gov't networks or stealing credit card numbers from an e-commerce site. So, what happens when the FBI (Carnivore) and the new Homeland Security Dept. flag your Slashdot username as a hacker simply because their bots picked up your name posting a message where you say something like "when I want to get some late-night hacking in"? This may sound stupid to some of you, but hear me out. I think more and more of us need to publicly use the word hack (hacked, hacking, etc.) in an attempt to make the word so arbitrarily vague, that the government cannot use the word in legislative drafts, executive orders or judicial summaries. Terms like hacking and "intellectual property" have been made dangerous black holes by the government and exploited by corporate America. And when corporate America exploits something, international businesses learn to follow suit, because they can get away with it!

    So on that note, Merry Hacking and have a Hacking New Year!
  • I want a NOISY keyboard that has a good tactile feedback and mechanical click response as you press a key. I find that I get much better WPMs out of those types of keyboards. But they are darn hard to find nowadays, and I have to go to surplus/vintage computer stores to get them.
  • ...is the original ADB keyboard that came with the old Power Computing Mac clones. Very lightweight, a nice snap to the keys, etc, and a rounded-bottomed space bar (very comfy).

    Power Computing is out of business now, but MacAlly makes USB clones of their old keyboards [macally.com] now for the Mac market. As mentioned previously in the thread, you can remap the keys however you like them, and they're BIOS supported.

    They're very, very quiet -- very comfortable and have satisfying feedback.

    You may need to test a couple of them though before buying, though. I own several and one of them (a Bondi model, FWIW) feels "soft" when typing.

    I actually installed one of these on my token WinBox (eMachines: loudest keyboard EVER, but great feedback, ala old IBMs) for the same reason you mention -- becuase my girlfriend playing that word-scramble game on Shockwave.com was driving me completely batshit while I was trying to code.

    MacAlly has a couple of other 'boards with additional features -- I'm eager to try the IceKey [macally.com].

    MacAlly stuff is generally carried in your local CompUSA in the Mac section, so you should be able to test drive one.

    Don't be afraid to take it out of the box and play with one if it's not on display. CompUSA employees are generally scared of Mac people and won't say a word, if they are even brave enough to come near the section. :)

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