On 30/03/14 11:35, Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC) wrote:

Hi,

My existing no-name corded keyboard is wearing out rather rapidly ie the key labelling has been worn off. After 5 yrs I expect nothing more from the keyboard and would like to retire it.

Whilst buying another corded PS/2\USB keyboard is on the cards I would prefer one that meets as many of these criteria:

1. Has back-lit keys as I work in a low light environment

2. A full keyboard i.e. 101/4 keys Including 12 F keys Number-pad Arrow keys Key cluster incl. Insert,Delete, Home, End, PageUp and PageDwn.

3. Fairly silent would be nice

4.Used on OpenSuse 11.2, a Windows key can me Tux styled or vacant.

I have searched Amazon and Google for keyboards that have back-lit keys and not just backlit backgrounds. Many look ideal but in further investigation they are strictly Windows gaming keyboards.

Whyso "strictly" Windows? In my experience it's only the additional functionality which may not work - extra keys and macro functions; although I've found that an un-assigned keycode is generated quite a lot of the time. Dylan -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org

On 03/30/2014 03:35 AM, Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC) wrote:

Hi,

My existing no-name corded keyboard is wearing out rather rapidly ie the key labelling has been worn off. After 5 yrs I expect nothing more from the keyboard and would like to retire it.

Whilst buying another corded PS/2\USB keyboard is on the cards I would prefer one that meets as many of these criteria:

1. Has back-lit keys as I work in a low light environment

2. A full keyboard i.e. 101/4 keys Including 12 F keys Number-pad Arrow keys Key cluster incl. Insert,Delete, Home, End, PageUp and PageDwn.

3. Fairly silent would be nice

4.Used on OpenSuse 11.2, a Windows key can me Tux styled or vacant.

I have searched Amazon and Google for keyboards that have back-lit keys and not just backlit backgrounds. Many look ideal but in further investigation they are strictly Windows gaming keyboards.

I have also visited <http://en.opensuse.org/HCL:Keyboards> and searching for lit gave me no keyboard entries :(

Can anyone on the list make a suggestion from experience with regard to a particular unit or preferred manufacturer?

Hi Hylton, I've been using computer keyboards of one sort or another since 1966 and by far the best one I've seen is the one I'm using now. Logitech "Illuminated Keyboard", part number 820-001268. I've had this keyboard for a few years now and it's still in excellent condition. But I've been a bit worried lately if I'd be able to replace it if necessary, so I checked on-line. It's still available and I just purchased another one from Amazon for $56.99 US. I'll keep it on the shelf "just in case". It's a beautiful black "themed" keyboard with a low profile. The greatest thickness is only 1/2 inch, but the keys have excellent "throw" and good tactile feedback. It feels better than any laptop keyboard I've ever seen, and feels better than conventional thick keyboards too, come to think about it. The lettering is back-lit with a white color, while the "FN" labels on the "F" keys is a light orange. I've used this keyboard a LOT, and while the nibs on the F and J keys have worn down, the lettering on the keys is still perfect. I don't know how they do it. It's survived light fluid splattering and crumb/dust accumulations. Every now and again I'll tap it upside down to shake out the crumbs. It's a USB board, and I don't know for sure if the back-lit feature will work with a USB/PS-2 adapter. It has a Windows key that I've never used or mapped. Logitech certainly has other thin back-lit keyboards, but I know for sure that this one is a winner. Regards, Lew -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org

On 2014-03-30 12:35, Hylton Conacher (ZR1HPC) wrote:

1. Has back-lit keys as I work in a low light environment

I bought a Zalman ZM-KK400G, designed for gaming, and backlighted. I had to discard it. The "ink" on the keys is too dark to see easily on room light, unless it is strong. So you use the backlight, right? Well, the lighting on the keys at the back rows is too dark, so unless the room is really dark you do not see them either. So under normal room light the labels on the keys are close to invisible. I'm almost a touch typist, but... well, "almost" is not "fully". One day I might disassemble it to find out if I can increase the backlight intensity. Perhaps the back row is disconnected or misaligned. But I disassembled recently another keyboard (water fell on it, I was attempting to dry it out internally), and half the keys do not work anymore. So I'm not too confident on repairing keyboards anymore. I bought a different keyboard instead... mechanical, and no backlight. A "Tt esports by Thermaltake". It is good, touch is good and reliable. Has two handy USB socket on the back, and for earphones and microphone. The labels are bright white... but even after just a month or two of use, some of the labels degraded to grey. This is absurd, in an expensive keyboard the paint should not be paint, but thick white plastic at least a millimetre or two in thickness, so that it does not wear out till years of use. I can not win. -- Cheers / Saludos, Carlos E. R. (from 13.1 x86_64 "Bottle" at Telcontar)