Ever since Fujitsu stopped making their FKB47xx series keyboards I’ve been unable to find a suitable replacement keyboard.  I need a quality keyboard that’s responsive and has a solid feel to it.  None of these membrane keyboards with keys stuck on top of them, but something that uses actual switches with springs in them.  I finally found one that so far is working great.  The Das Keyboard Model S Silent Professional.

I like the response and feel of the keyboard and have had no problems with it.  I do have a couple of issues including the surface of the keyboard around the keys having a shiny piano black finish.  This is not an ideal surface for something I have my hands on all day.  In fact, I haven’t found it a particularly favorable surface for much of anything as finger prints and anything else shows up all too well.  Another issue is that for $135 I expected the keyboards to actually be manufactured in Texas, not Taiwan.  Since the keyboards use key switches made by Cherry, I would purchase a Cherry keyboard but I don’t like any of their layouts for keyboards using their high end switches.

Das Keyboard makes a version of this keyboard that has no key markings on them which I’m also considering.  What’s the point of having markings on a keyboard when you never look at it?

Update: It looks that though the keyboard is assembled in Taiwan (by a Texan company), the keyswitches themselves are likely made in the Czech Republic by a German company (Cherry).