Thanko Silent Keyboard EX might sneak up on the unalert

So you've bought your Silent Mouse EX and now want to pair it up with a similarly radical text input device? Thanko is keen to make that choice as easy and obvious as possible, and has now updated its venerable Silent Keyboard with the EX moniker and an extra shot of quiet. The value of cutting 16.5 dB from the sound of a keyboard tap is somewhat lost on us, but Thanko seems to think it is precisely $52.79. Bundle the two sort-of-silent peripherals together for $77 and you might just save enough money to buy a decibel meter, which will be the only thing capable of telling the difference.

[Via Akihabara News]

[Bublik25 Posted Jul 8th 2009 7:00AM]

it won't be so silent when i loose in L4D

[r34p3r Posted Jul 8th 2009 7:05AM]

You're loose in L4D? You should really tighten up that playing style!

[Gi Posted Jul 8th 2009 7:32AM]

haha fail! you must be a rager

[ack154 Posted Jul 8th 2009 7:52AM]

Sorry but I'll never buy another keyboard with the Enter key sized/shaped like that. I use the \\ way too much to not have it in the same spot it is on almost EVERY OTHER KEYBOARD!

[Ghen Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:16AM]

Yeah, I don't get it either. The people who are going to care about this product are those who type all day long and are used to a normal design.

[Wwhat Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:50AM]

Well the picture is a japanese version, and I'd say the tiny space key would be more distressing than the enter in that configuration.
I wonder if they even make western versions actually.

[keeganhennis Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:58AM]

have you wondered why the [enter] key is misshaped? clue, it has to do with the makers moving the "close bracket" key from next to the open "bracket key" to under it. no, they didn't stop at making it quieter, they had to shuffle some keys around just to make sure you go slower, thus adding to the quietude.

i know i misspell words and even make up new ones, but if you stoop to the level of reading my comment, you probably shouldn't care anyway. cheers mate!

[scratchfury Posted Jul 8th 2009 10:51AM]

I *HAVE* to have a full sized backspace. I can't buy a keyboard with a small one.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 8th 2009 7:57AM]

Here's one reason to use a silent keyboard.

http://www.securitypronews.com/insiderreports/insider/spn-49-20050915TheKeysToAcousticSpying.html

[hexon Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:02AM]

You don't realize how great of an idea this is until you have a roommate that stays up all hours of the night pecking away at his keyboard

[Wwhat Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:46AM]

Or wife or husband or brother or sister, once a person becomes aware of it it can become quite maddening I'm sure.

[egress63 Posted Jul 8th 2009 10:16AM]

Or an office floor having 200 keyboards...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:05AM]

A silent keyboard is useless unless your wife / girlfriend / female office colleague has short nails. The sound of nails hitting the keys under rapid fire typing is louder than the keys being depressed. Just a thought...

[fourthletter Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:16AM]

I wonder why you're single you poor Dell loving freak.

[fourthletter Posted Jul 8th 2009 8:17AM]

Silent keyboards are great but why does it have to look so shit ?

[SOOPERGOOMAN Posted Jul 8th 2009 9:39AM]

It stinks of win in its quiet nature but has a little bit of Fail with that cord tieing it down. pass

[anonamiss Posted Jul 8th 2009 10:20AM]

I like my keyboards loud and clicky! What's that you say? I can't hear you over the pounding of my keys! Muahahahaha!

[RAMz Posted Jul 8th 2009 10:54AM]

Especially a big WHAM of the spacebar.

[HideyoshiJP Posted Jul 8th 2009 10:51AM]

For that price, I'll live with my not-so-silent Logitech Illuminated Sexboard.

[RAMz Posted Jul 8th 2009 10:54AM]

I have a G11 that I am thoroughly happy with.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 8th 2009 11:35AM]

Now you'll need to play an audio file of keyboard clacking so the boss knows you're working. Kind of like the sounds proposed for electric vehicles.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 8th 2009 4:44PM]

Did you EVER have to sit through a 4-hour Skype conference with a notorious keyboard murderer? Someone who types so hard that whenever he hits a key, a random key on the other side of the world pops out of a keyboard and leaves a hole in the ceiling? Have you? I have, on a regular basis. And I am thinking about giving this to that guy as a gift, even if it would cost double of that.

[MacsAre1 Posted Jul 8th 2009 9:14PM]

Actually, the smallest sound difference the human ear can hear is about 3 decibels. So you'll definitely hear the difference at 16.5 less.
:-)

If we're going to have to play an audio file of keyboard clicking, make it sound like the ancient typewriters. Complete with the "ding" when you hit return!

[Nate Posted Jul 9th 2009 4:15PM]

This is actually really cool! I would love to see this on my Macbook!