UPDATE – There are a number of other Filco Majestouch keyboards available on Amazon right now – supplied probably limited as these are no longer in production.
This is a real rarity – a Filco Majestouch keyboard, of the 87-key layout (tenkeyless), and with the linear Cherry MX Red switches, in stock at Amazon.com. In my earlier post on keyboards I noted that reds were pretty much impossible to find. And here they are, in stock and free shipping. The keyboard is a little pricey but I think it’s worth snapping this up.
Red switches are linear like blacks, but lighter force for actuation. The result should be an ideal hybrid between gaming and typing. My only complaint is that it isn’t a blank keyset, but that’s ok 🙂 There’s a thread at geekhack with some initial reviews of this board and I think I am going to enjoy it.
Couldn’t live without the keypad. In addition to using it for things like balancing the checkbook (what can I say? I did data entry for an accounting firm in high school), I have all the action bar functions in WoW mapped to the keypad.
Wouldn’t a separate numpad suffice? or do you need it to be attached?
A good choice, I’ve thought about getting one of the Filco tenkeyless keyboards for awhile. However, as I mentioned before, I’ve got a Goldtouch which also lacks a keypad, to prevent RSI problems from flaring up.
Anachronda: keyboards without keypads allow a more natural distance for a right-handed mouse. Three alternatives: get a keyboard with the keypad on the left side (there are a few), get a separate keypad which you can place wherever is most comfortable and convenient, or try left-hand mousing. Or just live with stretching out your arm for the mouse.
Otakukun: For a mouse, you might want to check out the Contour Mouse by Contour Design. Ergonomic, available in right hand and left hand versions in multiple sizes. The mouse I currently use is a Logitech MouseMan ’98, which probably hasn’t been manufactured in over a decade, which is just about the almost the ideal three-button ball-mouse (pre-wheel, before the current imaging-based optical mice). I bought four or five of them back then and when this last one dies, I’ll probably get a Contour Mouse, though not definite, will re-evaluate available choices.
the countour is certainly interesting, but I “finger” the mouse, not rest my palm on it (for more controlled, fine motion). my wrist is basically motionless.
“Wouldn’t a separate numpad suffice? or do you need it to be attached?”
Don’t necessarily *need* it attached, I suppose. However, I don’t have a lot of desktop space right here, and I already get annoyed when my mouse falls off and I have to chase it down; dont need to do that for the keypad as well.
“Three alternatives: get a keyboard with the keypad on the left side”
I’m a northpaw; not coordinated enough to run a keypad with my left hand.
“Or just live with stretching out your arm for the mouse.”
Which is what I do; like I said, I can’t live without a keypad.
‘Course, as a long-time EDT user, I find the average PC keyboard annoying in that there aren’t enough keys on the keypad: I have to live without delete word in EDT. Not such a problem with my Mac, which does have enough keys, but I don’t have a VMS system running at home at the moment so I can’t luxuriate in the full keypadedness of my Mac keyboard…
For the PC at home, a friend gave me an old LK450 which, being a DEC keyboard, *does* have enough keys on the keypad. Maybe I should try to smuggle it into work one of these days.