Building the Perfect Keyboard

Waterproof
It’s not that hard to make a waterproof keyboard…   The inner workings of a keyboard are simply a simple circuit printed on a sheet of mylar (which is sandwiched between other sheets of mylar to seperate the contacts.  A keyboard could be made completely waterproof by vacuum-sealing the mylar sheets and circuitry in a plastic bag.  This extra step would cost practically nothing, but would ensure the life of the keyboard.

Backlit keys
Many of the flashier keyboards have backlit keys, but they usually have some drawback.  The Ideazon Merc Stealth (reviewed here) has LEDs that come in 3 customizable colors, which is great but has no intensity adjustment.  The Razer Lycossa has backlit keys, but they only come in blue, and tend to be too dim.  If you’re going to incporprate LEDs into a keys, then you should be able to control the color and brightness to suit your lighting conditions.

Long shelf life
We get used to a particular keyboard, and the next year they stop making them.  This new type of “everyman” keyboard should be a franchise… and each model should be available for at least 10 years.  If there’s an improved version, then great, the the original should at least still be available.

Ergonomic
If the Perfect Keyboard is not ergonomic, then an ergonomic flavor should be available. You could put extra functions in the middle of the keyboard.  The keyboard should have the ability to tilt from the front and the back, to accomodate users who want to use it as super-ergo or normal.  It could possibly be one of those hybrid ergos (like the Logitech Wave), but would prefer a full ergo.  I understand that gamers may shy away from a true ergo, but at the very least the keyboard should have a comfortable cushy wrist rest, should raise from the front and back, and rubberized keys wouldn’t hurt either.

Ultrapolling is stoopid
1000Hz does not add to the gaming experience or give you an extra nanosecond of response time that will make a horrible gamer a professional. Ultrapolling only makes the keyboard incompatible with USB hubs and KVMs (like the ATEN swictch reviewed here).

Upgradable expansion modules
If there’s a new feature that would cater better to gamers, then just make an add-on rather than inticing them to buy a whole new keyboard.  The LCD readout may not be required on the base unit, but should be an option.  The port could be covered, or you could have a different module (switch between a media module and LCD).  Readout could be available as LCD mono, LCD color, or VFD.

Find a standard and stick with it.
Microsoft came out with keyboards with a new delete/home bank, and after getting used to it, it really is a better system.  Microsoft switched back to the standard bank, which utilizes keys that are never used.  The Scroll Lock and Right-Click keys need to go away forever.  They could be accessible by toggling the “Fn” keys if anyone actually needed them (like the system the Logitech Wave incorporates).

I know these are alot of features, and can quickly turn into Homer’s “everyman” car…  There is really one one keyboard series that comes even close, and that is the Logitech G keyboard series.  If only it came in an ergonomic flavor and had upgradable features…