Best kind of keyboard

I thoght it would be fitting to compare and contrast the two most commonly used types of keyboards. The 84 character standard keyboard, and the 88 character keyboard.  The 84 character keyboard is composed of 42 keys and a shift key. The shift key allows the user to use a secondary character per each key, whether it be a circumflex or a capital letter.  The 88 character keyboard is composed of 88 keys laid out in a simple and easy to follow pattern.  Groups of capital keys, and groups of lowercase keys.

The 42, and (a section) of the 88

I would like to begin by talking about the 42 character keyboard, as it’s the most familiar.  The action on these keyboards is generally very smooth, however it is difficult to type multiple characters at once to achieve things like “æ” or “œ”.  The rounded tops with the raised chrome ring offer a comfortable fit for the tip of the finger, and the compact layout allows you to reach any key with minimal movement.

As for the 88 character keyboard, this one is just as smooth, but a bit more difficult to use.  Whereas the 42 is labeled with “A” and “E”, the 88 has no such markings.  Another interesting thing to note is the arrangement of the uppercase and lowercase keys.  I’d assume, since there is a distinct lack of labels, that the lower row (the white keys) are the lowercase characters, and the upper rows (black keys) are the uppercase.   I’m not the biggest fan of the color coding method used, as some people who type “white only,” come off as a bit racist.  “Only type lowercase, no black ones allowed.”  Seriously, this just sounds a bit wrong.  That’s not my only complaint with the keyboard.  The sheer amount of lowercase characters far exceed 26 letters.  I must assume that these include numbers and certain punctuation marks, but it is almost impossible to distinguish.  Or so I thought.  I hooked it up to my computer and began to type some simple sentences, when I noticed that there seemed to be an error with the way it was printing letters.  It kept repeating the same 7 letters of the alphabet, and neither the capitals or the punctuation marks would work.  I think it may be defective.  So not only do I have a keyboard that doesn’t work, it doesn’t even have a good design.  Certain letters used close together may be way across the board for all I know.  The only labeled key is this odd one in the middle called “c”.  That means the alphabet starts somewhere around there, so the majority of the left keys are not letters.

I would not recommend this keyboard for extended use, as it doesn’t offer the best typing experience.  Stick to the traditional ones.  Happy April 1st.