[FLTWS]

To get things back on topic;

I've never given much thought to keyboards. My 2 Dell PC's have standard built in's (Back lighting is a nice feature). My 2 simulator boxes use old MS wireless keyboards I've had for about 20 years. No problems.

For roughly the same period of time I've used 4 wireless M570 Logitech Trackball Mice, never an issue. I dislike using the finger pads that come with laptops so I use the Trackballs with the laptops as well. I find them quicker to use and hit the spots I want to 10 times faster. I throw a fresh battery in all of them every couple years and mouse-on!

 

[O8h7w]

I LOVED those!

For those who love those keyboards more than money, someone actually had enough enthusiasm and tenacity to straight up create a company recreating such keyboards. I'm in awe of the effort and I might've gone for one of those, had I not found that I need a split keyboard.
https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/

So, split keyboards. No keyboard where your hands need to be close together rather than at least about shoulder-width apart can ever claim to be the best keyboard ever made - if you ask me. Or most people with knowledge of ergonomics, I think. Can be done by using a laptop or a 60% keyboard for the left hand and another keyboard for the right hand. Try it! My shoulders and upper back, in terms of both posture and low-level pain, seem quite a bit healthier and more okay with riding my bike since I started doing this.

 

[ScOgLiO]

I dislike using the finger pads that come with laptops so I use the Trackballs with the laptops as well. I find them quicker to use and hit the spots I want to 10 times faster. I throw a fresh battery in all of them every couple years and mouse-on!

I used to hate them, too, until I moved to Macbook and finally met a very good one. Most non-Apple laptops have terrible trackpads that make for a miserable experience, I've heard good things about the XPS line from Dell and the Surface one from Microsoft itself, but haven't tried either personally.

However, I also much prefer a dedicated device to a trackpad, especially because I mostly use my computer with one or more external monitors (so, not as a laptop).
Incidentally, I use a Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac, which I find fantastic (hardware and software-wise...hopefully they don't break anything with an update, but the app-based button mapping is a game-changer for me)

 

[cricket]

To get things back on topic;

I've never given much thought to keyboards. My 2 Dell PC's have standard built in's (Back lighting is a nice feature). My 2 simulator boxes use old MS wireless keyboards I've had for about 20 years. No problems.

For roughly the same period of time I've used 4 wireless M570 Logitech Trackball Mice, never an issue. I dislike using the finger pads that come with laptops so I use the Trackballs with the laptops as well. I find them quicker to use and hit the spots I want to 10 times faster. I throw a fresh battery in all of them every couple years and mouse-on!

I love that style of trackball and converted my wife to one when she was having wrist problems. I'm predominately right-handed, but used a regular mouse with my left until carpal tunnel revision. It's either time to switch back or get one of these for the desktop.

 

[FLTWS]

Once I got used to using just my thumb on the stationary mouse there was no going back to waving my arm around over a mouse pad.

 

[Ripper2860]

Texas?

Absolutely not.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

Ye olde tube caddy.

That's the one. Beautiful.

 

[sam6550a]

If I want a few more wall warts for my Eitr and Jil, how do I get them?

Email Schiit, they may have some 6 volt wall warts in stock. If not, you need a 6 volt AC, 2 amp wall wart with the correct output plug.

 

[cakewalk101]

I’m a fan of Drop’s CTRL keyboard as they allowed me to experiment a little - landing on some fun keys and Neapolitan Ice Cream tactile switches. Having an Apple Magic Keyboard nearby as a portable silent option has been useful too.

Fountain pens - I like what Montagrappa has been doing over the years, with thematics more than IPs mind you. A quality brand in my limited experience so take with a grain of salt. I had gotten into them in the first place because of their location and history.

 

[Puddnhead]

I love that style of trackball and converted my wife to one when she was having wrist problems. I'm predominately right-handed, but used a regular mouse with my left until carpal tunnel revision. It's either time to switch back or get one of these for the desktop.

I work on PC/Mac/Linux, have had multiple MX mice (nice!) and wired Razr mice for gaming (nice!). Mac trackpads are my favorite for routine work. But only if you enable the multi-finger motions and tap-to-click (hidden under Mac Accessibility options). A trackpad as pure mouse pointer substitute is, by comparison, like mittens, and I prefer mouse over trackpad when on PC.

 

[yonson]

The keychron k7 is a decent low-ish profile mechanical.

Love the heft of the Keychron (Alice layout) Q10. Comes in black, grey or blue.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...ateron-G-Pro-brown-M3Z_1080x.jpg?v=1664175324

Keychron and Ducky have some very good turnkey KB's, I have both on secondary and tertiary machines, they are quite sufficient for 99% of the population, but my DD's are full custom builds...

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

I love that style of trackball and converted my wife to one when she was having wrist problems.

You converted your wife to a trackball? Are you sure that's legal?

 

[cricket]

You converted your wife to a trackball? Are you sure that's legal?

LOL. Well she does have Bluetooth and wireless charging implanted.

 

[FLTWS]

Well folks, just sold the last of my big ticket hardware. I'm down to a few accessories and some odds and ends and my tube inventory. I started this liquidation on Oct 18, I can not believe how everything sold as fast as it did, almost all the big Schiit was out the door in about 10 days. I made around 30 sales, only had to list 6 or so, so many proactively contacted me. Thanks to all on this thread I dealt with, it was a a pleasure.

 

[Paladin79]

Moving on to the ball point pen since there was talk of fountain pens. When my father-in-law passed away I received all of his WW 2 related items, he had served in the Army in Africa and Italy. In a small wooden box were the usual war items, medals, etc. and a ball point pen. At the time it was a rare commodity and he treasured it I suppose. I read at one point those pens were issued to officers and the price could be around $65, a great deal of money back then. Early versions had been around since 1888 but they were greatly improved later on

"In the summer of 1938, a prototype ballpoint pen they created became usable. During WWII, Laszlo Biro didn’t want to live in Hungary, which backed Hitler’s, Third Reich. Soon, he took his prototype pen and emigrated to Paris, Spain, then Argentina.

In 1941, his brother moved too in the same period. Hungarian siblings and Argentine friend Juan Jorge Meyne created a successful ballpoint pen with thick ink. Meyne later became the project investor. They sold the new biro pen in 1943 under the brand Birome (a mixture of the surnames Bíró and Meyne). It’s curious that “Birome” is still called ball pens of different brands in Argentina.

The history of the pen in the united states resembles an action novel. In 1943, commercial traveller Milton Reynolds, travelling through South America, bought a “Beer”. A smart businessman realised he could make a lot of money by making reliable ballpoint pens in Chicago.

On return home, Reynolds inquired about the rolling ball pen. Patented Bíró’s invention in the USA with his surname (before the inventor did it himself). Then mastered the mass production of a ball point pen with no license.

On October 29, 1945, Reynolds pens went on sale after an advertisement campaign. Sold under the brand Reynolds Rocket in Gimbels department store in New York City, at $12.50. Fifty police officers had to maintain order. With 8 million manufactured by Reynolds international pen co in the six weeks prior, ten thousand sold out in days!"