Das Keyboard Professional hits US retail stores
By Donald Melanson 
posted Nov 11th 2008 2:50PM
posted Nov 11th 2008 2:50PM
Keyboard aficionados have been able to order the Das Keyboard Professional directly from the company for a little while now, but those that prefer to check out their keyboards up close before committing will no doubt be pleased to hear that it's now also available at two US retailers: Micro Center and J&R Music and Computer World. The price apparently stays the same at $129, which'll get you those trademark mechanical switches, a two-port USB hub, a glossy black finish, and a couple of blue LEDs to jazz things up a bit. Those interested in the blank key-equipped Das Keyboard II are out of luck, however, as it's still only available online.
This is a good keyboard but the lettering on the keys is already staring to wear off and I've only had it a couple of months!
I guess in a couple of years you'll have the Das Keyboard II model :)
I have the Pro myself, and I've been really happy with it. I got $30 for pre-ordering, huzzah!
That's the free conversion feature,
You get a Das II after a few weeks!
2-for-1!
Cool! My Matias TactilePro is starting to show its age, but I love mechanical keyboards. Too many manufacturers churn out squishy crap that you can't type on. One of the worst keyboards I've ever used is the pre-aluminum Apple Pro keyboard.
"profesional" reminds me when bmw had "business" on their in-dash stereo players... does it mean anything at all?
professional*
donald,
but those that "perfer" to check out their keyboards up close before committing will no doubt be pleased to hear that it's now also available at two US retailers
prefer*
Not really... The model "II" doesn't have markings on the keys, the "Professional" does.
actually the business radio in bmw was just the step down, a little less map features and you couldnt listen to a cd while navigating. where as the professional can do 3d mapping and everything else
Ja. Das Keyboard ist gud.
Nein, das keyboard ist GUT.... :-P
Sie sprechen nicht Deutsch sehr gut.
Aber das ist in Ordnung, mache ich nicht entweder.
From the cover of a tree he reads out the funniest joke in the world.
"Wenn ist das Nunstruck git und Slotermeyer? Ja!...Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!"
Naja, sein Deutsch nicht so gut ist, aber warum sagen Sie das denn :P?
не понянто ничего... херня сплошная...
@Pretol
Fail. Dies ist Deutsch, nicht Russich.
"two US retailers: Micro Center and J&R Music and Computer World"
am I missing something here? or was this just punctuation?
(Micro Center) and (J&R Music and Computer World)
Retailer 1 "J&R Music and Computer World"
Retailer 2 "Micro Center"
i would never pay more than FREE for a keyboard
mmmm free lunch,
why am i hungry?
You must be using one of those 10 year old free keyboards that has a problem with the caps lock key.
You clearly don't know much about keyboards.
J&R Music and Computer World right next to Pace University...good times
"Das boot" is really going to like this!
Why doesn't someone make a keyboard with a few USB ports pointing UP right above the keys--there's plenty of empty space there on most keyboards--so that you can stick in a flash drive or three without having to fumble behind the keyboard or needing extra clearance back there? Seems like such a no-brainer, yet I can't seem to find something like that.
thats nothing a dremel and some hot glue cant fix
@RedBull Runner: That would apply to any number of other things as well, but apparently there's still a huge market for off-the-shelf products in general that don't require dremeling and gluing. I myself am a huge fan of Das Dremel, but some things I prefer to not look like ass, such as the thing I type on all day long. Then again, typing on ass may have benefits all of its own...
One problem, it would get dusty if you didn't clean it. While that's not that big of a problem with USB's large contacts. It would be cool if it had a flap that would cover it like some keyholes or like the memory card slots on a lot of game consoles.
That's a good idea, though.
Aside from the jokesters and those who think a $5 keyboard is fine...
How does this compare to the old IBM keyboards of days gone by? I've had one I've been using for 15 years and still love it. But it is beginning to show an occasional glitch and miss a few letters now and then. I've looked for a replacement but everything I have touched has felt like a kids toy rather than a tool to do business with.
For a replacement of the same quality of the old IBM keyboards that came out of the typewriter division, you bet I'd pay good $$$ for one.
Bubba
pckeyboard.com now owns the rights to the old IBM keyboard designs, and you can get them with Windows keys with your choice of buckling spring or rubber dome switches and PS/2 or USB connectivity.
Here's my video review of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJitURx3ZVQ
Hey PhotoTristan, it's pronounced DOSS, as in MS-DOS. Not DASS, like glass.
Im still using an old IBM model M keyboard. i have two. No windows key and its super loud, but i jsut love the response of the keys. best keyboard i have used. Buckle Spring FTW.
Well...
If you want a keyboard of that QUALITY, although with a different keyswitching mechanism, your choice is probably the CVT Avant Prime, which is actually built a little better than the old Model M, and has programmability (and Windows keys...) but also has an L-shaped enter. It costs $149.
If you want a keyboard with the buckling spring mechanism of the Model M, then your best bet is Unicomp's line, which starts with the $59 Customizer 101, and they have versions with Windows keys for $69. I've got an EnduraPro 104 (Windows keys, pointing stick, slimline case) with USB that I got for $99, and the quality is nowhere near a real Model M, though.
So, what am I typing this post on?
IBM Model M, p/n 1391401, ID 0126050, DOB 06-03-1993.
Oh, and in reply to your "Aside from the jokesters and those who think a $5 keyboard is fine..." comment... a $5 keyboard *IS* fine - in fact, the best keyboard I've ever typed on. I paid $4.99 for this keyboard at Goodwill. ;)
What makes this worth $120~???
Shhhhhh. Don't you know it's impolite to ask questions like that?
Damn, I was wondering the same thing. I'm quite happy to pay for a good keyboard (I'm currently using Apple's wired keyboard since I love laptop-style keyboards) but I'm not seeing what $130 is buying me here. It looks like a plain vanilla keyboard to my untrained eyes. What am I missing?
The keyswitches are mechanical, there are actually little metal springs in each key that give a positive feedback and make a satisfying click sound. Almost all modern keyboards are made with cheap keyswitches that are mushy.
Here's a review of the IBM Model M keyboards which are regarded by many as the finest keyboards ever made:
http://www.dansdata.com/ibmkeyboard.htm
The Das keyboard is still overpriced though, you can get a new clone of the IBM Model M keyboards from pckeyboards.com for like $60, you're just paying for style with the Das Keyboard.
Ever hear of audiophiles?
These are keyophiles... they're what makes this keyboard worth $120.
(Seriously, I've had mechanical keyboards, but am quite content with a good membrane keyboard, and it's quiet, too. (No, not all membrane keyboards are good, of course...)
It looks like a free Dell keyboard. Am I missing something?
My guess is that it's how the keyboard acts mechanically that sets it apart from the other models. It's apparently modeled after the IBM model M, which is considered to be one of the best tactile keyboards of all time. I couldn't tell you for sure how much better it is, though, because I've never used one.
It look identical to my keyboard. Is there something i am missing???
mechanical keyswitches
You mean the clicky ones? That made that cool sound when u typed and were metal (some of them) and weighed like 500 pounds?
for those that don't understand the difference between this keyboard and most others, it's the mechanical switches.
if you don't know what the difference is between mechanical and membrane switches you can move on and read something else because you're probably too young to remember IBM "M" series keyboards - or have any experience with anything but lame squishy membrane switches therefore you can't appreciate a real mechanical keyboard.
for those of you looking at mechanical keyboards, this one has a great touch IMO (close to an IBM Selectric typewriter, but with a crisper click - you can even hear the springs twang a little). Well worth the price because of the build quality - it's heavy duty.. it probably weighs 5-6 lbs - it's got to me mostly metal inside..
@Bubba - I think you'll love it - of course Keyboards are a very personal thing - I don't think you'll have any problems returning it, esp if you get it direct from the vendor.
It looks like a shoe. Why are there monkeys?????
So what exactly is so special about this keyboard?
I am a fan of the model M. In fact I have 3 of them. However I paid way less than $120+ for them. I got them for around $35 each new in the box. Current model M's are around $55 or so. The only thing this keyboard seems to offer is USB support. I spent $100 on a Razor keyboard only to sell it later. I really don't see why this is $120+. Please someone let me know. I am moving to a non PS/2 type motherboard and need a replacement for my model M. I thought the Razor would do it and I was wrong.
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/customizer.html
USB and Windows keys in a IBM "M" clone.
I don;t know this keyboard and don;t undertand from the article what is so great about it???
my comments at http://www.commentino.com/orim
i see what you did there
I don't understand the engadget's obsession with keyboards...
They're barely a gadget (if at all)...
Fyi, http://www.clickykeyboards.com sells Model M keyboards. They have refurbished models as well as never-opened "new" models. I have two of the latter, both of which I paid ~$75 for. They are fantastic. Plus, if I ever need to brain someone, they are solid as rocks.
Huh? How are they NOT gadgets? They allow you to interface completely and efficiently with your computer. Some keyboards have displays on them, some have backlights, and some are ergonomic playlands (such as ones with mechanical switches and no numpad).
They are electronic devices that allow usage of other electronic devices, and significant engineering goes into any decent one. I'd call that a great gadget.
-Typed on my Deck Legend keyboard (One of my most favorite gadgets)
I've just realized, looking at some photos, that in my youth I apparently used those famous IBM M keyboards, but I don't remember them being all that good. After some years of heavy videogaming (and I'd guess some work, but I couldn't care less about that) the space key just got destroyed in the ones my father and uncle owned. The handle which kept it tied to the spring broke in both instances, and you could only use the right part of the key or otherwise it would get stuck. I vaguely recall other keys degrading in a similar way, like the intro or the backspace.
Was that really an extended problem in the M series or did IBM build lower quality models which would look exactly the same to the untrained eye (me)?
I mention this because those experiences have kept me from acquiring mechanical keyboards again, and I am right now looking for a USB replacement for the cheap one I have.
They actually did make lower quality models...
Everything made by Lexmark was lower quality. And, they slowly phased in the Lexmark boards - I've found Lexmark Model Ms made in February 1993, and I'm typing this post on an IBM Model M made June 3, 1993. (They're almost all badged as IBM, but the label on the bottom says who made them.) The really screwy part is that Lexmark boards were made in the same plant in Lexington, KY. (Hence *Lex*mark.)
Also, Lexmark made a model known as the M2, which had a rather fragile spacebar, and was much smaller and lighter. However, if I find one in Goodwill, I'm grabbing it - because it's much smaller, and might even fit in my laptop bag. You might've been using an M2.
Another thing... Lexmark made both Model Ms and Model M2s with rubber dome sheets instead of the buckling spring mechanism. (And, Unicomp still makes their keyboards with that option - the Customizer 101 is the modern equivalent of the old Model Ms, although most of their models are badged as "Model M.")
I will note, I don't really care for my Unicomp EnduraPro 104's key feel... which is why I'm typing this post on my June 1993 1391401, not it. This is the best keyboard I've ever owned... and I paid $5 for it at Goodwill. :)
This is old old news. Microcenter has been selling them in US for over a month now.
Talk about epic news fail.
I have one. The clicking keys are great. Not so great is the typeface they use on the keys. Also - if you have a Mac and want one of these you end up with the problem that the keys are mapped to a PC kb layout. The Alt and Command keys are easy enough to deal with, but what you don't get is any volume controls. The three top right keys are effectively useless: Port Source, Scroll Lock and Pause, and I'd like to remap those to Mute, Volume Down and Volume Up. There's a pay option in ControllerMate: http://www.orderedbytes.com/controllermate/ but it would be nice to get a free solution just for those keys. Griffin's Proxi: http://proxi.griffintechnology.com/ says it's capable of doing this, but I can't for the life of me work out how, even after watching their instructional videos.
http://geekhack.org