What sort of keyboard should I look for for code typing?
The marketing for code writers is usually focused on ... well they're pretty much off the marketing radar.
The marketing for english text writers is focused with laser like intensity on apple hardware. Turing completeness is not allowed in marketing, rather the outlook of how can you do desktop publishing without a mac laptop, there's special assembly language opcodes in the CPU that make macs the only way to do creative stuff. Also there's a fixation on location based marketing like you can only write english text worth reading in a coffee house on a laptop so an external keyboard is a no go.
Mechanical keyboards can be fun if you enjoy their feel, or if as a gamer, you're needing to be able to hit a key 5+ times per second and have it pick up each and every one. But honestly, for coding, you can get it done on just about anything, as speed isn't the necessity, planning is.
Here's my question - could you please share your experience with a mechanical keyboard to conclude on your statement "For coding, you're gonna be fine with literally any keyboard, including some $20 logitech piece". I am genuinely interested to know.
In my opinion, what you wrote in reply to jiggy2011 is b.s. Mechanical keyboards are good for gaming and equally good for coding (or for that matter even data entry/processing jobs). The reason is they are way more responsive and quicker than a membrane one that usually is on a laptop. It (imho) also helps in your wrist pain and is easy on fingers (as in you don't have to go pressing a key all the way down). If you have hands on a blue-cherry mechanical keyboard, try for a month and then try typing on a laptop keyboard.
@jiggy2011 - i have many keyboards of varied styles. my personal favorite is the CM QuickFire Rapid(tenkeyless and cheaper compared to others). If you are looking for the best in the class (go Filco - made in japan and flawless). Don't fall for the hyped keyboards - daskeyboard,razer,steelcase etc. They are good, but not up there in quality. Specially daskeyboard used to be good when they started out - i would not pick on any daskeyboard built after 2008. They used to make keyboards sourced from Taiwan(better quality), but now source it from an OEM from China. good luck!
Lets be honest here. Programming is not some intensive exercise. Nor should you be getting carpal tunnel as a programmer- if you are, you need to dial back the boilerplate.
I don't enjoy laptop keyboards if only because they force my palms to be raised- I have large hands, so for me it's natural to rest the bottom of my palms on the desk or even on the side of the desk, whereas on a laptop it's at an equal height to the keys- which is annoying as hell. I also dislike the shape of too many laptop keyboards, if only because they seem to prioritize style over feel and key differentiation(lookin' at you, Apple).
But this isn't intense stuff. If you're gaming, or doing high-speed data entry, or even if you're a prolific writer, you may have a real claim. But as a programmer, claiming that you need a mechanical keyboard is nonsense. They're nice, and if you want nice tools, that's okay, and I encourage you to invest. But they're not required, and they're never going to make you a better programmer.
If you want nice tools that's fine. I've got nothing against it, and I plan on buying many more mechanical keyboards in my life. But a keyboard doesn't change how you code, it doesn't change the real speed of your coding. It might change your satisfaction level during the day if you get caught up in that, but frankly, if you're typing so much that you need the extra precision of a mechanical keyboard to save time, you need to do something about your boilerplate code.
While I agree in principle with planning, I often find that it's easier for me to write and refactor a bunch of times rather than try and get it perfect first time. So being able to type faster would give me slightly less friction per refactor.
You would be able to do those things faster- but when I say that the difference would be minimal, I don't know how to stress it enough. Professional Starcraft players frequently will tell you that until you're operating at above 150 actions per minute MINIMUM, you're not gonna get a damn thing out of a mechanical keyboard that you couldn't from some normal trashy piece.
But, there's nothing wrong with splurging and getting yourself something nice if you just want the satisfaction. Admittedly, there is something just nice about using one. I think they totally end up justifying their cost for myself personally, in the same way that driving a nice car just makes you feel a little better. It isn't that it drives that much better(it does, just not by a huge margin), it isn't that the seats feel more comfortable(same), and it isn't that it looks nicer(often I think they don't). There's just something satisfying about hitting that level of luxury.
But that doesn't make it entirely wise economically, or a requisite, whatsoever. It's just nice. And that's okay.
MX Blue switches on an incredibly plain, dull matt plastic chassis that ages incredibly well.
They are one of the cheapest none-gaming mechanical keyboard (and the actual chassis is only fair to good) but the action is superb, completely ruined me for anything else.
http://www.cherry.de/pictures/produkt/gal_2000_G8x-3000_2_US...
I also really like the no-nonsense aesthetics.
It might be worth checking out Topre Realforce keyboards as well: they're more rare but many people swear by them.
Take a look at the key layout and imagine yourself using it and see if it makes sense for you.