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I am typing this post from my spanking new, and yet very old (in computer terms) Datadesk 101e keyboard<\/a>. This keyboard is so old it has an ADB port instead of USB\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI need to use an adaptor to hook it up to my Mac.<\/p>\n I love it.<\/p>\n I used Datadesk keyboards for years, but when I bought my current computer, my old one was looking especially crusty, and I felt like it was time to enter the modern era. I’d read good things about the Matias Tactile Pro<\/a>, and so I decided to get one of them. I was never entirely happy with it. Some combinations of keys and modifier keys were simply dead, making some of my preferred MS Word shortcuts impossible. Matias even addresses this issue<\/a>, saying in short, “all keyboards have this problem.” (I never had that problem with the 101e.)<\/p>\n After a few years of service, my Matias keyboard was starting to misbehave, and it was looking appallingly crusty. So I decided to replace it with the keyboard I really wanted all along, another 101e.<\/p>\n Since no online retailer carries these keyboards anymore, I called Datadesk directly, and spoke with someone who’s apparently in a position of responsibility there. We had a long and interesting (if you’re a Mac nerd) conversation about the history of Apple computers. He tried to talk me out of ordering the 101e, since it doesn’t have USB. I told him I had an adaptor. He laughed, and found there were still about a dozen new-old stock 101es on hand. So he sold me one.<\/p>\n He also told me that the people at Datadesk have been kicking around the idea of updating the 101e for the modern age, but aren’t sure whether to update the electronics to USB and give it slightly updated cosmetics without changing the plastics (which he said would be pretty easy), or to undertake a more extensive physical makeover (which would be a bigger commitment). I think either one would be a viable option.<\/p>\n I’m a keyboard snob. I like keys that have a long stroke and solid action. Not many keyboards these days offer that. And frankly, I’m surprised that more people aren’t<\/em> keyboard snobs. Until we get direct neural hookups, keyboards are going to remain the primary text input device for many of us. We tap on them thousands of times a day, and even a tiny improvement multiplied out over thousands of repetitions per day add up to a pretty big improvement. It’s a mystery to me that well-engineered aftermarket computer mice are as popular as they are, but not keyboards.<\/p>\n Although most keyboards sold today are cost-engineered disposable crap with lousy feel, there is clearly a market for keyboards with quality engineering. The Matias, despite my problems with it, is much better than most. There’s also the even more retro PC Keyboard,<\/a> and the intimidating Das Keyboard.<\/a><\/p>\n Compared to the Tactile Pro, the 101e is much quieter, though still louder than most modern keyboards. It weighs much more: it stays where you set it on your desk. It’s bigger in every dimension. I don’t mind the fact that it takes up a little more desk real-estate, but it would be nice if the total height were a little lower; a rounded front edge on the space bar would also make it more comfortable to use. But I’m very happy with it. When you push down on a key, it goes straight down. With the Matias, sometimes the keys felt like they were trying to veer off to one side.<\/p>\n If you’re a snob about keyboards and don’t mind using a Griffin iMate<\/a>, get one of the Update:<\/ins> Numbers don’t lie (even if statistics do<\/a>). My best score at keybr.com<\/a> was about 48 WPM with my old keyboard. 64 WPM with my new one. And I don’t even touch-type<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Another update:<\/ins> According to a fellow old-school keyboardista, although there are other USB-ADB adaptors out there, they can cause problems, so you really want to use the Griffin iMate.<\/p>\n Yet another update:<\/ins> Gruber and Benjamin discuss old keyboards on an episode of The Talk Show,<\/a> and make sidelong references to the 101e, although do not mention it by name.<\/p>\n12<\/strike> 11 remaining 101es. Or perhaps let Datadesk know that you’d be interested in getting an updated version of the 101e.<\/p>\n