I plan on buying a new USB keyboard for my SAM. (for my birthday )

What would you recommend or advice to avoid?

some examples that I consider:
-apple slim keyboard with numberpad and two port USB hub (49eur)
-Saitek Eclipse Gaming Keyboard (backlit) (47eur)
-Saitek Backlit Slimline (backlit) (33eur)
-SteelSeries Merc Stealth (backlit and two port USB hub) (59eur)
-or this noname backlit keyboard (24eur)

Apple slim might be a very good quality keyboard?
Any negative issues found with it & SAM & AOS4?

Last edited by KimmoK on 30-Jan-2012 at 09:20 PM.

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@KimmoK

The Apple Slim keyboard is a lovely keyboard, but I'd suggest you try one out before you take the plunge - they do feel a little different to your "standard" keyboard. Personally I love them, though I've never tried one on OS4. Personally though, both in work and at home I use Cherry keyboards. Coincidentally it's a Cherry keyboard that's used as the AmigaOne branded one, though mine are all an older model. Still, they're many years old, still feel nice to type on, and didn't cost all that much at the time.

Last edited by Daedalus on 30-Jan-2012 at 09:39 PM.

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@KimmoK

I have Apple compact keyboard (without numeric pad) and it doesn't have some important keys so check this longer one if it has all you need. Whats impotant, I'm unable to to use its USB hub because anything I plug in (phones, even small pendrives), the system screams there is not enough power to feed the device. The only excepction is my mouse and its radio receiver. With earlier updates (USB1.1) all small devices worked OK.
Nevertheless the quality is great and looks awesome

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@KimmoK
I am using the slimline Apple Keyboard. As Daedalus said:

- it feels different than other keyboards, took me a couple of weeks to get used to... but then it feels great (I am a really good typewriter using 10 fingers system).

- just from the useability a good Cherry Keyboard would do the same job...

- excellent design !

- no window keys

- very robust, high qualitiy

- 2 USB Hubs (good on SAM 440mini, as you only got 2 external USB's)

- Keys need remapping compared to window keyboards ("@" is not alt+q/it sits on alt+l)

- got 2 Amigakeys (cmd/apple keys), whereas Window compatible keyboards sometimes only have one Window key

- I am also using a KVM Swicht, works great as well (Keyboard USB can only be used for Mouse though)

Other than that, my second choice would be official AmigaOne Keyboard.

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@KimmoK

ups, just read what mr2 said... I have a large Apple KB (incl. numpad) let me check the USB stuff (didn't check on Upd3 and 4 until now...)

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@KimmoK

I use an Apple A1242 (the one w/o numpad) with my MorphOS mini and it's a great keyboard. The integrated usb hub can be pretty handy.
The only downside I see is the lack of a dedicated "delete" key. I relocated that function to F12 which is usually rarely used by Amiga programs. I am considering to switch to a bluetooth model though.
I think these keyboards is one of the few remaining things where Appls still delivers brilliant quality for an okayish price.

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@KimmoK
yep, confirmed... seems the inbuild USB Hub doesn't work anymore since upd4 (Didn't recognize, because it is always plugged into my KVM Switch). So mr2 seems to be right.

Another DownSide (for Windowsuser) is the missing PrtScr key (located on F14)

Last edited by gerograph on 30-Jan-2012 at 10:05 PM.

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I would say gaming keyboards if your a heavy typer like me. Something like the logitech or even the microsoft ones.

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@gerograph

Quote:

.. seems the inbuild USB Hub doesn't work anymore since upd4..

Doesn't work at all? Or you get this message:

The attached device needs more power than is available on the port!
.......
.......


My mouse works OK...

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@KimmoK

I'd go for a cherry keyboard too.. or speedlink for a bckilit keyboard..

@mr2

The USB hub on mine works OK (since Update 3 I've had serious problems with mouse/keyboard through any hub though), but I have an old model (M9034B/A).

@gerograph

Quote:

- Keys need remapping compared to window keyboards ("@" is not alt+q/it sits on alt+l)

Keymap for British and Swedish models:
http://www.unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk/download.php?file=mackbd

Keymap for French models:
http://aminet.net/package/driver/input/fr_mac

Hopefully will not require too much tweaking for the Finnish version!

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@Chris_Y

Quote:

The USB hub on mine works OK (since Update 3 I've had serious problems with mouse/keyboard through any hub though), but I have an old model (M9034B/A).

It looks each model works differently...

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@KimmoK

I recommend a DasKeyboard by Metadot. Great mechanical USB keyboard. Haven't tried it on an Amiga yet but works great on my PC.

Apple keyboards are nice (like on MacBook & iMac) but they have very small arrow keys and no keypad. Nice feel but hard to get used to the missing keys.

Last edited by Sandpiper on 31-Jan-2012 at 12:07 AM.

@KimmoK

I got the Seitek Eclipse I that I really like, the II is also very nice.

Then you got this one with mechanical keys:

http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=753

Apple keyboards are offcourse nice and all but for some reason I prefer the Seitek better. I like the the F-keys are grouped in four keys each and then with a space between them, really helps if you're typing and don't want to look at the keyboard. On Apple keyboards they are all in one long row AFAIK.

They are all good keyboards so... good luck

@KimmoK

Another little thing that might not matter at all is the LEDs at the top of the Seitek keyboard. If you use it with WinUAE it looks pretty nice if you activate the feature to make them simulate the LEDs on a classic Amiga. They are placed at the top in a row and are big so it's kind of cool. It might sound silly but it's kind of nice when you see it in action, at least I think so. Would be nice to have that feature in E-UAE.

@KimmoK

Same "power related" error message as mr2, mouse works without problems. USB Stick plus unpowered HUB / Cardreader doesn't work, because of power...

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@KimmoK

that "no name" one is horrible :I , i had one connected to my ps3 for a while, it was just uncomfortable over longer sessions as the buttons and tilt had next to no finger feedback and the tilt made my hands cramp up.

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@KimmoK

Haven't looked at your examples, but for me it's important that the keys have a normal layout, i.e. no crippled or malplaced arrow-keys and home/end/del/ins keys. So no mini-keyboard.

I also find it very important to have lots of multimedia-keys, especially a user-friendly volume wheel or keys, and play/pause/stop and preferably a lot more

Wireless is nice also. My wireless logitech keyboard lasts for at least 2 years between battery changes! Wireless *optical* mouse OTOH is quite useless. Needs recharging way too often for my taste. And it's heavy with the battery and all.

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Thanks everybody. Very good information.

I try to arrange it so that I can test several before buying, at least apple and saitek keyboards.

Currently I have a cheap logitech keyboard that is ok, but I'll put it to good use in another location.
I'm not very good in typing (no 10 fingers typing, rather more like 3 fingers ), but I get annoyed with some keyboards that do not give good feedback on keypress.

I think I soon have my first own computer room ever and I plan to put some scifi decoration in it, so backlit gaming keyboards would suit fine.


UPDATE:
I bought apple keyboard.
I will set up a powered USB Hub to try to make also USB ports to work.

Last edited by KimmoK on 14-Mar-2012 at 12:10 PM.

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@KimmoK

I was also about to get a full (including numeric keypad) USB apple KB...
But what are the exact problems with it ? Keys that missing? If I get it right , there is no Delete key? What about "Help" (mapped to ScrLk)? Is there an Amiga-friendly keymap for this type of KB?

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