Thanko "silent" keyboard

halcyon · Post by **halcyon** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 12:24 pm

ShadowKnight introduced us to Thanko's silent mouse. Now Thanko has introduced a 'silent' keyboard:

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-11 ... board.html

Day · Post by **Day** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 2:35 pm

Thanko might just have the perfect solution (for your wife/husband): a Noiseless Keyboard that only produces 30.2dB

30dB is very loud! You must be hitting it with a hammer to make that much noise.

qviri · Post by **qviri** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 3:10 pm

Could they make the space bar any smaller?

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 4:07 pm

Thanks (Thanko's?) guys, but I'm going to pass on this one. First they make a mouse which cause me extreme pain over several days, then they make a keyboard that's got an incresibly small spacebar, a really small enter key, then a bunch of random keys where a normal-length space bar should be.

If I wasn't so lazy, I'd shoot off an e-mail to Logitech and ask them to
A) Look at the Thanko mouse and keyboard, and
B) Release new keyboards and mice that are exactly as quiet, but have designs that don't suck when actually using them.

Anyway, probably the best way to know for sure if using the keyboard is a pain or not is to either send one to SPCR when they're for sale or send one to me if you like my review, since I'm too poor to buy one right now (I know, fat chance of #2).

EDIT: It's apparently available here: http://dynamism.com/silent-keyboard/pricing.shtml

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 12:03 pm

Shadowknight wrote: If I wasn't so lazy, I'd shoot off an e-mail to Logitech and ask them to
A) Look at the Thanko mouse and keyboard, and
B) Release new keyboards and mice that are exactly as quiet, but have designs that don't suck when actually using them.

Actually I did send an e-mail to Logitech today mentoning the 2 Thanko products and the possible demand for quiet mice and keyboards from SPCR. I also mentioned the possible benefits on stress in the workplace, since there have been articles about loud noise for continuous periods can have an impact on mental health.

I recommend as many people as possible e-mail Logitch about wanting quiet input devices, this will increase the availability in the U.S. as well as giving us access to mice and keyboards built on modern, up-to-date mice and keyboard designs. The more e-mail they get, the more likely Logitech is willing to consider making quiet devices.

I couldn't find a direct e-mail to Logitech, so I went through their product support page and e-mailed them.

marcvip · Post by **marcvip** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 10:17 am

I just bought the THANKO keyboard(and mouse)...will keep you posted on feedback

daba · Post by **daba** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 10:56 am

Hmm, it's not my taste. What other keyboards have you tried and compared this with?

marcvip · Post by **marcvip** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:13 am

daba wrote:Hmm, it's not my taste. What other keyboards have you tried and compared this with?

I meant the THANKO keyboard

nici · Post by **nici** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:33 am

30dB for a keyboard is not really loud at all. The microsoft keyboard i have now is clearly louder than a Tri-Cool on high, wich antec claims to be 30dB. A keyboard just doesnÂ´t sound as loud because not many type at 2000 clicks per minute

ThatÂ´s 33,333 clicks per second for anyone not botherred to count.

Ill swap back my logitech ultra-x today.. I used this microsoft to test if the logitech was broken, it was not.

And im not shrue i would like that keyboard, it looks like it has a "squishy" feel to the keys.. wich means not too good on the feedback. The spacebar is also horribly small. I would like to try one before making any finla judgements though.. I might like it

Hypereous · Post by **Hypereous** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:08 pm

Well, I'm typing on the keyboard right now. I just got this thing yesterday, and I've been thinking about the price of silence.

It is, as advertised, fairly silent. However, the keys are pretty difficult to press down, at least by comparison with standard keyboards and my old clacker of a keyboard, a white Miscrosoft ergnomic that is very smoothed down with use. It isn't surprising that the keys are so much stiffer, but I think they could be LESS stiff.

The keyboard itself is Japanese and after the localization, several of the original buttons aren't used at all. That's all well and good as far as it goes, but a lot of buttons are right next to the 1.5 inch space bar. That wasted space could be better used to make a spacebar that isn't so easy to miss. This is also to be expected, but as this is a japanese keyboard, some of what is displayed on the keys absolutely does not correspond to what those keys actually put on your computer screen. I'm very used to american keyboards, and this one has all the right keys in the right places (mostly), but it is somewhat annoying.

What I am most concerned with is actually USING now defunct keys. Whats the point in having keyboard keys right in front of you that do nothing?

Overall I'd say this might have been a mistake. That, and the mouse is too small. And it almost impossible to know whether or not you are "gripping" with the left mouse button clicked down. I often lose my grip while selecting text, or just moving something. I never really thought about this sort of dilema until i suffered. Perhaps clicking mice aren't so bad afterall. You always know when you're clicking, and you can't say the same thing for the Thanko mouse.

Neros · Post by **Neros** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:40 pm

Anyone tried looking around for something else than Logitech= I love my MX518, but there is other people making keyboards...

I own a Saitek Eclipse keyboard, and it's the best and most quite keyboard I've owned. And it got that extra blue light coolness to it (CAn be turned off.)

Official site:
http://www.saitekusa.com/usa/prod/eclipse.htm

Just read the reviews (I which Mike would do one too.) After owning this keyboard for more than a year, and having had 20+ different logitech/keytronic/compaq ect. before it. (So I spill beer into my keyboards that doesn't make me less of a person...)

Anyways. Just though I'd share as I got this keyboard due to the fact that my better half was complaining about my "tapping". Never heard anything about that since - Now it's the loudness of my own voice, when I use Skype... (Sometimes I wonder if she even wants me there!

)

Good luck getting silence and achiving the correct WAF.

davidstone28 · Post by **davidstone28** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:42 pm

The size of that spacebar is utterly laughable. Truly bizarre that they didn't create a normal size space.

Neros · Post by **Neros** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:00 pm

No pun intended, but if you havn't tried it - you know nothing.

Besides look at a comment like this (Did you read the whole thread?)

nici wrote:And im not shrue i would like that keyboard, it looks like it has a "squishy" feel to the keys.. wich means not too good on the feedback. The spacebar is also horribly small. I would like to try one before making any finla judgements though.. I might like it

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:12 pm

I've had one for a couple of days now. I've still evaluating ease of use, which I need time to adjust to partially because I've been using the Logitech diNovo for several months and am used to shorter keys and no number pad - I don't use the number pad so I put it somewhere else since it isn't actually attached to the keyboard. Adjusting to the changes in space for my mouse and typing style with the keyboard requires some time for fair analysis.

I've admitted to being very poor in the offtopic section. Unfotunately I suffer from a diagnosed case of OCD and had to order it to stop obsessing about it. Of course immediately after entering the order (before i received the keyboard), I no longer cared and actually suffered some buyer's remorse.

I'll get back to the thread in a day or two and give my impresssions.

Hypereous · Post by **Hypereous** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:30 pm

Well, I hope I'm not having buyers remorse but I almost instantly disliked the whole thing using it today. But I am going to wait for my own second opinion to see how good/bad it is after using it for while.

There has to be a way to manipulate ALL the buttons on this keyboard. I might put program hotkeys or winamp controls on this. May as well make up for the space and make those keys actually do something.

I can say that I liked the power, wake up, and sleep buttons. Infact, the mouse will light up even if your machine is off. Just as long as its plugged in

marcvip · Post by **marcvip** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 8:22 pm

I've been using the THANKO keyboard and mouse for 1 week now and just love it.......the bottom line is this is the quietest keyboard and mouse on the market by FAR.....you cannot hear anything when using either....so there is a small price to pay......getting used to where some US keys are located since it is a Japanese keyboard...after 3 days I was all set....and the spacebar is fine unless you are cross-eyed.

Trip · Post by **Trip** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:15 am

Does anyone use those extra buttons? I hate the windows key and that other key down at the bottom.

I especially hate the sleep key on certain keyboards. Every now and then I'd hit it and freeze up my computer until I turned the extra keys off.

Be sure to add the Thanko keyboard and mouse to the thread if you haven't already