@Munch: Checked with my wife, but she says it is a 'no go' on the hooker thing for me. Guess I will have to stick with the keyboard. Darn.

I use old IBM click keyboards at home and the office, and people never stop complaining about the noise I make typing on them. At least with this keyboard their attention will switch to the keyboard itself for a minute before complaining again about how loud my typing is.

Monty

"The keys look like they belong on a OLD manual typewriter."

exactly where they came from.....

KhaiJB

@i_prefer_sasquatch: Know what the difference is between an onion and a hooker? You cry when you cut up an onion. Sorry - Truly Tasteless Joke from back in the day.

Munch

So funny about Selectric....

They defined the touch of analog. Decades later, most have learned to type on digital keyboards and couldn't care less!

Maybe retired executive assistants?

altus

Depends on the quality of the hooker, but figure the going rate for a decent independent is about $300/hr + tip.

So, yeah, 3-4 hookers = one steampunk keyboard.

Round here we just call 'em hookins.

As in:

"A steampunk keyboard will set you back 4 hookins."

i_prefer_sasquatch

The keys look like they belong on a OLD manual typewriter. My mom had one from the 50s that I learned to type on way back in the day, which taught me to BANG the keys really hard, (you had to hit it hard to get it to strike the paper) a habit I still have, much to the horror of our sysadmin who has to get me a new keyboard every few months.

Curves

You know how many hookers I could get for $1000? Me neither, but I mean to find out.. BRB

Munch

Finally! A steampunk thing that I like!

itchytooth

@jrghoull: Once it is mass-produced, it loses its charm. The whole appeal of something like this is that it's hand-made, and if you have one, you're one of only a handful. It's more "functional art" than "novelty keyboard."

PipeRifle

@jrghoull: You mean the way Apple cuts prices via mass production?

AmishJohn

Shiz, I got a IBM Selectric and a Smith-Corona Deville 125 in the closet. First $1000 each takes 'em. You crazy B@St@rD5.

txpunk

1000-1500 dollars!?!? golly!

the guy that makes this certainly wouldnt become a millionaire by doing what i'm about to suggest...but if he had these things mass produced...he could make a pretty penny.

mind you though, i think about 100 bucks is as high as something like this should/could go...and it would have to be made out of metal just like the one above.

jrghoull

I thought the IBM keyboards were steampunk.... ziiiiing

praevalesco

This looks nice, but I've seen nicer.

If I ever thought about spending more than $100 for a keyboard, it would have to be EASIER to type on than a normal keyboard. Art Lebdev? Are you listening?

hakubak

@doofusgumby: Kudos on the Unicomp info. I still use my PS/2 keyboard.

Down the hall, they KNOW when I am on a rant! CLACKCLACKCLACKCLACK CLACK!

SigmundTheSeaMonster

@AmishJohn: Good idea, but screw cutting costs. Leave the price the same but add bluetooth and write "iPhone compatible" on the box and they'll sell like hotcakes.

mhlaxp

"Uber steampunk connoisseur, DRM hater, typist, new father and NY Times Bestselling author Cory Doctorow"

You forgot arrogant ass.

regexp

you damn young kids wouldn't know a quality keyboard if I smacked you upside the head with one and went back to clacking on it.

unicomp still makes the old-school mechanical keyswitch keyboards. ibm sold them all the tooling a while back for the scooped out surfboard style, I got three of 'em. two older white ones with ps/2, and a new black one with usb.

AND GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN YOU PUNKS!

doofusgumby

Say what you want about the guy but "Little Brother" is an EXCELLENT read thus far.

strider_mt2k

@Munch: Or you could get one high quality hooker.

I think that's the statement here. Quality over quantity, though with my fucked up hands because of sports, I wouldn't enjoy typing on those steampunks. Having a screw in your finger to make it work sucks X_X

Kermit The Frog

.. :( all these post and no one made a comment that they change the "Space Bar" to "Ether Bar".

Technogen

The Vicky's always have the neatest most expensive stuff. They use artisans, never the mater streams.

DeadWriter

@Technogen: That is very funny!

itchytooth

This just makes me wanna get a Model M.

Alucard

Hot damn, I want one.
@Technogen: HA! that's great, didn't even notice that.

kzooguy

Hey I use the IBM Buckling keyboards because they have feedback. In fact I buy them five at a time because they have real feedback and it's not like typing on a mushmaster keyboard with no tactile feedback.
When typing it's nice to know when you actually hit a key or not. Go to your mushmaster keyboards, live your lives in ignorance and shame. Lives without clicky feedback just aren't worth living. Yes you, go on being non clicky.

Hello_Newman

I love my IBM M (1988) Works like a charm. I got it from www.clickykeyboards.com they ROCK!

The second version of the Daskeyboard (www.daskeyboard.com) also uses mechanical key switches, but they aren't buckling springs. It is fairly tactile... I don't use mine as much because its on a comp that doesn't get much attention :D

Don't knock it till you try it, I say.

Nadnerb5

I wish my teletype machine had mechanical keys.

HumanBomb

Egad! No one has said it yet, but Cory Dr.Row,

"POUND THE KEYS!"
"YOUR THE MAN NOW DOG!"

HumanBomb

This keypad seems good for someone whose career revolved around typing (like a novelist), but how can the common man be expected to pay $1,000+ on a keypad! I don't even think I've ever used the same keypad for over two years anyways.

MahaliaFearbot