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I've read this topic before asking but it doesn't answer to my needs: I do touch-typing. My needs are:

  1. Silent keyboard. When I say silent, I mean maybe "a very small noise that you may get used to."
  2. I've read everywhere about the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. I bought it. It's really nice. But the spacebar noise is insane… after 3 years of intense use it has become really, really noisy. Thus my second need is a silent keyboard for the long run (3-4 years at least).
  3. Keyboard for touch-typing like the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. Thus I'm looking for a split/angled keyboard rather than the traditional straight design.
  4. It must have a French configuration not like those ones who are only QWERTY (sad though).

I still haven't found one that meets my needs.

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A touchscreen and an on-screen keyboard perhaps? – thijs Jun 4 '09 at 11:36
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You should edit your question to add your desire for a split/angled keyboard rather than the traditional straight design... – Will Jun 4 '09 at 15:54
What about a very quiet one and noise-reducing earplugs? – JeffH Jun 9 '09 at 15:33
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Some of the confusion here is because the OP seems to use "Touch typing" in a non standard way. Touch typing means typing without looking at the keys. It does not imply an angled keyboard, keys with a certain amount of up and down travel, or anything like that. It might imply that there is a certain amount of feedback, either audible or tactile, to indicate you have pressed a key. I took a touch typing class in high school, and we used old fashioned typewriters. – Peter Jul 14 '10 at 18:21
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@karim79: Sound like simplynoise.com (including their current downloadable thunderstorm track) work better. :) – Roger Pate Jul 17 '10 at 21:53
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12 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I found the best possible silent possible keyboard: I've been using it for 8 months and it's still 100% silent, and it has a silicone protection, which makes it perfect for cleanness.

Type "mobility lab design touch keyboard for pc" on google. It exists for MAC too. So I check my answer as the good one because I finally found the one I've been looking for so long...

Okay after a long time of searching, the only keyboard that fits my needs is the Microsoft® Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000. I definitely miss the function keys of the Natural® Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 but it just stayed silent even after many months of use.

My Natural® Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is behind me I don't use it anymore because it has become too noisy whereas it wasn't when I bought it.

BTW I still don't get why people want Wireless stuff. It's a little bit more pratical, but a lot less comfortable to work with : the mouses are far heavier because of the batteries, they are to the least 10 times less sensitive and as for the keyboard, try to play games like Trackmania with a USB2.0 keyboard and with a wireless keyboard... not to speak about the times when your keyboard batteries are empty and your keyboard works once each other key you press...

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up vote 1 down vote

Just a thought: I bought this iSkin protective cover for my MacBook keyboard, that has pretty much silenced the otherwise noisy keyboard. Perhaps you could work with something similar, but I have to say, using the keyboard with the cover does take a bit of getting used to.

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Looks like an iCondom for an iPenis. iThink. iBy iThe iWay iThis iIs iGetting iAnnoying. iAnnoying. There's gotta be a good product for that one... – Will Jun 4 '09 at 11:43
Can't find something like that for MS natural keyboard – Olivier Pons Jun 4 '09 at 12:07
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Enjoy.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/5a7f/

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I saw this one at a local store for $10. I would have bought one, but they only had ugly colours left (yellow & pink). I regret not grabbing one now. – Kieveli Jun 4 '09 at 11:35
From personal experience I can tell that touch typing on a keyboard like that is practically nerve-racking. – ayaz Jun 4 '09 at 11:36
Ultrathin 0.3mm Blue Flexible Waterproof Keyboard: dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7846. – Erwin Jun 4 '09 at 11:37
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How do you design a keyboard for touch typing? Apart from little knobs on the f and j keys, all keyboards follow pretty much the same layout, including this one. You'll have to actually try one to see if it is hard for you to touch type on one of these. They seem pretty cheap; go ahead and get one. If nothing else, you have a backup keyboard you can roll up and shove in a drawer. – Will Jun 4 '09 at 12:28
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Okay. That makes more sense. I'm a touch typist (not fast; probably around 70-80 wpm), but I'm also very comfortable with straight keyboards. I probably spend 20-30 hours a week typing or using a keyboard and never had issues with a straight one.... – Will Jun 4 '09 at 15:54
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up vote 1 down vote

This laser projected keyboard comes to mind.

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Sorry but this is not designed for touch-typing :'( – Olivier Pons Jun 4 '09 at 12:03
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up vote 1 down vote

Any keyboard that uses notebook-style keys is usually pretty quiet. Personally, I like the Logitech diNovo Edge keyboards. Very good build quality and quiet.

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Copy-paste my answer : sorry but this is not designed for touch-typing :'( – Olivier Pons Jun 4 '09 at 12:04
and why is that? What makes a keyboard "designed for touch-typing" ? – Philippe Jun 4 '09 at 14:14
When you do touch-typing, this means you type a lot. More than programming (chatting and other stuff that frees your mind for a while before working again). Your fingers have to be perfectly positionned and in a harmless position. "Straight" keyboards don't let your wrist, and fingers in a good "rest" position. The nicest design I've met ? Perfect example ? The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. People around me who don't do touch-typing hate it. I loved it... until it became really noisy. – Olivier Pons Jun 4 '09 at 19:47
Can't live without a numpad; typing long numbers using the usual digits row takes much too long. – romkyns Dec 27 '09 at 17:47
@OlivierPons - You're exaggerating. You can certainly touch type on a notebook keyboard without any problems whatsoever. And people have been typing on "dangerous straight keyboards" for decades now, without any consequences. – ldigas Nov 5 '11 at 4:46
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up vote 0 down vote

If you liked the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 then maybe some oil to lubricate the space bar every second year might be an idea?

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Or get one of these...

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That was baaaaaaaaad :') – Olivier Pons Jun 4 '09 at 12:04
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This one is a simple graphic adhesive that you place on some surface, and you tap the surface... by acoustic recognition, they figure out the location. It can tell locations apart by just 10 to 20mm.

I'm absolutely sure they have it in French layout (because they're french).

VBK, Clavier autocollant

I've tested it myself and it's not only "90% realiable", it's way more if you dedicate a small surface to it, and have it mildly isolated from the table supporting it. So, you choose the acoustics of it.

The drivers and setting software is lame.

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up vote 0 down vote

I use the Logitech Wave, it's very cheap (around 20 pounds) and IMHO has a softer and quieter feel the MS ergo ones. Choice of keyboard is a very personal issue though, you may have to try a few to find one that suits you.

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up vote 0 down vote

Old question, but even so, the current Apple Keyboards are very quiet.

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If you can find one, the old Apple Pro Keyboard -- from the days of the G4 cube -- is pretty silent (even more so than the newer ones), and actually pretty decent as a keyboard goes.

It's got pretty much all the usual keys in the usual places. The function keys are full-height (unlike most Apple keyboards since), and go up to F15 (F13-F15 over the insert-home-etc block). There's 4 "multimedia" keys over the keypad. There's 2 downstream USB ports on the back. As a bonus, the upstream USB cable is pretty near indestructible, unlike many keyboards (and unlike the Apple mouse that went with it!).

Also, despite being an Apple product from the PPC days, it works perfectly with PCs. I bought it to use with a Powerbook, but then ended up using it as my primary keyboard on my Linux workstation for years.

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I use the Logitech Wave...

They had a nerve calling it that. "Wave" keyboards refers to a fully-ergonomic shape (curved in both dimensions), and the Logitech Wave is barely a wave keyboard at all; it's not curvy enough.

The fully ergo/wave keyboards I've used include Adesso models (always fell apart in one year) and my current, the Microsoft Ergo 4000. Overall it's the best I've used since the ancient IBM Selectric Typewriter days, but it does have poor spacebar action (sticks sometimes depending on where you hit it) and also one of the keys broke in 2.5 years. Still under warranty, though, so I got a replacement.

I'm hard on keyboards (also finicky) because I'm a fast touch typist and put a lot of wear on them in a relatively short period of time.

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