Another blank keyboard

Though there aren't a lot of competitors in the blank keyboard market, Das Keyboard saw fit to update its original iteration with the Das Keyboard 2. We took a look at the Das Keyboard last year and found that eliminating letters from the keys really did help us type faster. After 20-or-so years of typing, my fingers know their way to the keys; my eyes just look out of habit. That said, I missed the marking on the less frequently used keys, such as insert and scroll lock.

Little has changed for Das Keyboard 2 in terms of markings--it still has none, which gives it an all-black, "I'm superior to your lettered keyboard" look. The design is slightly changed, but it still looks like a run-of-the-mill keyboard. Metadot, the makers of Das Keyboard, state that the Das Keyboard 2 is equipped with "gold-plated mechanical key switches that offer a distinct, tactile click feeling." I definitely noticed a click feel--and a very, very loud clicking sound that annoyed the hell out of my cubemate. In addition to the gold-plating, the F and J keys have a slightly deeper indent than the rest, allowing your fingers to find the "home row" faster. My fingers felt the difference, but I'm not sure how helpful it was in guiding me "home."

Despite its loud clicking, the Das Keyboard 2 is a novel concept and even a conversation piece if you're prone to having tech-related conversations (which we are). And if you're hoping to type faster with less reliance on glancing down at the keys, the Das Keyboard 2 could be the solution. But for its $90 asking price, you could have the Logitech Cordless Desktop LX 700, which includes a mouse, media controls, and keys with markings on them.