I recently decided to buy a new keyboard. I've never used a mechanical keyboard before, and I keep hearing about how awesome they are, so I did some research and picked out the Das Keyboard 4 Professional (with MX Brown switches). Everyone who's reviewed it seems to say it's the best keyboard they've ever owned, but I've been using it for a few days and... I'm not sure I like it very much. I haven't owned very many keyboards in my life, so either I've peaked too soon, or it just isn't for me.

The overall design is fantastic: the construction feels extremely solid and the media controls are well thought out. However, I dislike how stiff the keys are, and the key depression distance feels a bit too deep. Some of the larger keys have a different sound and feel than the others; the backspace key in particular wiggles a bit more and sometimes makes a high-pitched squeak when pressed. The resting angle is fairly flat, so I have to hold my arms up in an awkward way when I type on it. I don't particularly mind the lack of back-lighting or macro keys, but for $170 I'd expect the absence of extra features to mean that everything else was perfect.

It's kind of disappointing, because the simplicity of this keyboard is super refreshing. Most others I checked out looked like what you'd get if a you bred a spaceship and a Christmas tree. Having two USB 3.0 ports on the back is a great addition as well, and something I haven't seen on anything else.

As for replacements, I'm currently looking into the Corsair K70. I'm hoping the shorter bottom-out distance will make it less exhausting to type on, while still providing a nice crisp feeling. As for the lights, I'm planning on setting them to somewhere between 'white' and 'off'.

Anyway, I'm the most indecisive person I know (maybe?), so I'd love/hate to see any other keyboard choices you guys can give me. Ultimately the only thing it needs to have is a number pad (and the rest of the keyboard too), since I use Blender a lot.

The best keyboard I've ever used is a 12 year old bare-bones Dell OEM keyboard that came with my work desktop. Probably worth about $5 new, but it's still a trooper.

I can type so goddamned fast on that thing.

If you're going for a mechanical keyboard and enjoy the flat boards, the Das Keyboard is a good one.

Otherwise, the Microsoft Keyboard 4000 is the best thing ever. I currently own three, plus I have worn out two of them over the decades, although one of those deaths was partly attributed to someone's spilled beverage. I've never found a better keyboard. Reverse incline, split keyboard, buttons are solid (but not quite to the level of mechanical), and various commonly-killed keys plus the space bar are reinforced for extended life.

In addition to the regular keyboard aspects, it's got a convenient back/forward button that can be mapped on a per-program basis. For me they're always mapped to back/lookup in Visual Studio, as well as a little scroll nub that works great while viewing files so you don't need to move or reach for your mouse. It's also got some other programmable buttons I've never bothered to use over the years, but I know some programmers who have all kinds of stuff programmed to them.

The best keyboard I've ever used is a 12 year old bare-bones Dell OEM keyboard that came with my work desktop. Probably worth about $5 new, but it's still a trooper.

Hahah yeah I've got two of this Dell keyboard, one of which is over 10 years old and still in regular use: http://i.imgur.com/Ii8QhZh.jpg
I really liked it on a work PC, so I rang dell to buy one, but they said they don't sell keyboards by themselves and wouldn't take my money... So I rang back pretending to be work's IT guy and said we'd broken a few of them and needed replacements - then they took my money and sent me keyboards :D

Any of the cheap chinese clone brands that actually use real mechanical switches and normal key layouts are good too, e.g. I have one of these which is great to type on with its Cherry MX Brown switches: https://img.kogan.com/ti04vDJDFo0rv4DXgdIymnmV-04=/1200x800/http://assets.kogan.com/files/product/KAMKBMXBRNA/KAMKBMXBRNA_1.jpg

The best keyboard I've ever used is a 12 year old bare-bones Dell OEM keyboard that came with my work desktop. Probably worth about $5 new, but it's still a trooper.

Hahah yeah I've got two of this Dell keyboard, one of which is over 10 years old and still in regular use: http://i.imgur.com/Ii8QhZh.jpg
I really liked it on a work PC, so I rang dell to buy one, but they said they don't sell keyboards by themselves and wouldn't take my money... So I rang back pretending to be work's IT guy and said we'd broken a few of them and needed replacements - then they took my money and sent me keyboards :D

Any of the cheap chinese clone brands that actually use real mechanical switches and normal key layouts are good too, e.g. I have one of these which is great to type on with its Cherry MX Brown switches: https://img.kogan.com/ti04vDJDFo0rv4DXgdIymnmV-04=/1200x800/http://assets.kogan.com/files/product/KAMKBMXBRNA/KAMKBMXBRNA_1.jpg

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-DELL-USB-WIRE-KEYBOARD-L100-OR-SK-8115-Genuine-OEM-/112266750388?hash=item1a239ea9b4:g:lOoAAOSwRgJXlosD <- That's the one! Such a good keyboard.

Hmm, I use to have a Thermaltake Meka G-Unit keyboard (stupid name) which was built like a damn tank, seriously weighed a ton though took a lot of abuse and usage over the years and lasted damn well - dont tend to like mechanical keyboards as the sound really just annoys me if i dont have headphones on so now I have Razer Deathstalker which is actually built pretty and is a scissor switch style so feels kinda like a laptop but the keys are so silent ;p

God I do remember having one of those old dell ones though waaay back when I was a kid ;P

I really like having an illuminated keyboard, makes it way easier to write at night.

I really like having an illuminated keyboard, makes it way easier to write at night.

Wait, you write that much and you're not a touch-typist?

If you're looking for something cheap, I like the Magicforce 68.

As a touch typist who uses different computers on a regular basis, I have to say that I still kind of like a backlit keyboard after getting used to using some in dim lighting conditions. It isn't like I'm hunting around trying to figure out which key is the A or something, but more "How far over is F11 on this one?", where are my media keys or oddball functions, and the slight added accuracy when it comes to putting my hands back on the keyboard if I've taken them off for whatever reason.

As to which specific keyboard: I strongly suggest one stocked and on display from a big-box store. Ideally where you can plug a small laptop into them and actually stand there to type a few paragraphs at least. I'm not horribly picky about my keyboards, and have long since grown used to cheap OEM boards that ship with computers, and the weird and horrible thing on my old MacBook Pro.