deskthority

Please suggest nominees for the Best regular keyboard or keyboard family in 2013. Only full size keyboards. You have to give a short motivation for each suggestion. It is not a requirement that the keyboard was released in 2013. If you think a vintage keyboard was the best, you can suggest it.

Current suggestions (this list is frequently updated):

• Topre Realforce HiPro
• 122 key Model M
• WASD V2
• CODE keyboard
• IBM Model F Personal Computer keyboard
• IBM 3278 beam spring keyboard
• Ducky Shine 3

Topre Realforce HiPro

Because tall spherical caps on a Topre is two kinds of perfect.

Nice to see they went for row 3 in the bottom row, too.

I nominate the 122 key Model M, which I use at the office. To me, it is a regular keyboard, the smaller (101-105) keyboards are moderate space savers with missing function keys at the left!

I think WASD V2 would make an excellent candidate,

* its affordable (not cheap by any means)
* highly customisable (I'm talking about the keycaps of course)
* dip switches
* a great all around keyboard and an excellent choice for someone thats willing to try mechanical keyboards for the first time.

Their Code Keyboard got the most attention this year, thanks to a few Internet famous blokes. It's not as interesting as Microsoft's new one, I'd say, but switches are switches!

True, code got the most attention plus it had backlighting (useful for a lot of people, personally I'd still opt for the 'regular' v2

I'm going to stick with the IBM PC Keyboard (original or XT version).

• It has the alpha-keys in the middle and thus has a shorter distance to a mouse placed on the right. This remains somewhat unique for a keyboard with a conventional alpha-block.
• Comes in near-ISO layout.
• NKRO baby!
• Most click for your buck!

I'm a fan of the IBM 3278 full size board. A 3278 board has quite a nice feel to the switches, as well as the strength to survive the zombie duck apocalypse, something that not many keyboards can do.

Muirium wrote:Their Code Keyboard got the most attention this year, thanks to a few Internet famous blokes. It's not as interesting as Microsoft's new one, I'd say, but switches are switches!

I'd be more tempted to nominate either WASD or Cherry for the ping award — after all, the lead time on more MX clear keyboards from WASD was cited as being a year! A year!!!

The Code keyboard looks really nice and I wouldn't mind one for work (my Filco is hopeless, keeps breaking) but this time around I think I'd prefer clears instead of brown, for a change.

Ducky Shine 3. Serious LED fireworks if you're into that sort of thing.
..oh and i like the extra media keys.