My favorite keyboards
摘要
作者讲述从儿童时代 Sinclair ZX Spectrum 与 Thomson MO5 键盘的厌恶开始，追寻理想键盘历程。详述 IBM Model M（1993 邻居机购得，2011 Craigslist 淘得、复原使用近十年）及其 8BitDo 现代版；2025 年发现的 IBM Model M SSK（84 键、省空间版）；NMB RT - 9100W ConcertMaster（id Software 官方键盘，Carmack 长期使用，写 Quake 系列与 Doom 3，内置音响与旋钮便利）；Ergodox EZ（2016，解久坐手腕不适，10 年使用，分离设计）；以及最近使用的 Moonlander（2026，Platform Tilt 套件，稳固倾斜，取代 Ergodox 成为梦想键盘）。引用自身 1 号注释并附图。
荐读理由
Ollama HQ 键盘狂热者推荐的 Moonlander 配 Platform Tilt kit，结合 Ergodox EZ 10 年稳定使用经验，解决了长时间打字 RSI，未来成为‘最后键盘’，可迁移到独立 AI 项目中规避腕部负担
原文
June 28th, 2026
My favorite keyboards
When I started using computers, we had a Sinclair ZX Spectrum at home and a nano-reseau of Thomson MO5s at elementary school. I distinctly remember how unpleasant it was to type with them. These must have been the worst keyboards I ever used[1]. Ever since, I have paid close attention to the keyboards I use. Here is the list of my all-time favorites.
IBM Model M
I discovered the IBM Model M in 1993 when I went over to the neighbor who owned an IBM PS/1 6128. I was immediately hooked to the feel of the keys and their clicky sound. It felt like using a typewriter and I loved it.
It took me many years to find one. I vividly remember that 2011 Craigslist ad for a dilapidated computer shop in a Toronto suburb. Inside I found piles of them, stacked six feet high. All of them had some kind of damage so I picked a few for $20 apiece and rebuilt one that looked pristine. I used it for nearly 10 years after that.
My IBM Model M while studying Quake 2 engine (2011)
8BitDo has released a Model-M inspired modern mechanical keyboard. It looks gorgeous (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), sounds like a dream, and is overall an excellent keyboard that I have used a lot to play Diablo II: Resurrected.
IBM Model M SSK
It is only in 2025, when I was building my own IBM PS/1 6128, that I discovered the IBM Model M, SSK (Space Saving Keyboard) with 84 keys. Not having that cumbersome keypad eat up the space and pushing the mouse location further right is so convenient, it surpasses the 101/102-key version.
ConcertMaster
John Carmack working on DOOM 3 (2003)
The NMB RT-9100W, ConcertMaster, is an icon. After id Software shipped Quake, they retired their NeXT-based stack in favor of Intergraph workstations running Windows NT. The RT-9100W came standard with the TDZ RealiZm purchased by id. This is the keyboard programmers used to write QuakeWorld, WinQuake, and QuakeGL.
John Carmack enjoyed working with this keyboard so much that he kept it for many years after Quake shipped. All subsequent id games, from Quake II, Quake III, to Doom 3 were written using this keyboard as assessed by the documentary G4 Documentary: The History of Doom and Making of Doom 3 (2003).
NMB ConcertMaster RT-9100W. Super-hard to find in good condition nowadays.
The membrane base makes the keys feel quite peculiar and not on par with a Model M. It is also a beast of a keyboard. But it has the advantage of packing the best sound system I have ever come across on a keyboard. The sound quality is surprisingly high, even when powered only by a 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2) connector. The volume knob is ultra-convenient. And not having to add speakers on the desk is gold. It is a lovely keyboard that became the signature of my Quake build.
Nothing screams 2000s like John Carmack wearing a NEXT Generation magazine T-shirt, surrounded by a ConcertMaster, a Mac G3, a 28″ InterView monitor, and an SGI Visual Workstation.
Ergodox EZ
As I was getting older, I started to feel discomfort when I typed for extended periods of time. The problem was solved when I started using a keyboard that let my wrists and forearms be stable while working.
Ergodox EZ (2016). Notice the custom 3D-printed legs to increase the tilt.
With its detached parts, the Ergodox EZ is able to adjust to any typist. I used that keyboard for 10 years. I liked it so much that I bought one for home and one for work.
Moonlander
I have raved and rambled about the Ergodox EZ. It solved my RSI problems. I thought it was going to be my last keyboard. There was just one problem.
It was impossible to tilt properly. I tried many ways to solve the issue, from the official Ergodox Tilt/Tent Kit to 3D-printing my own solutions. The result was always wobbly. Occasionally the legs would slip and the keyboard would crash onto the desk. I developed muscle memory to avoid pressing too hard on the keys, but that made me miss keystrokes.
Six months ago, I was invited to visit Ollama's HQ in Palo Alto. It turned out they had many keyboard connoisseurs there. One of them even worked with a gorgeous Model M. Another engineer's setup piqued my curiosity. They had something tilted nearly 50° that felt solid and stable. I immediately noticed that I was no longer afraid to press hard on the keys.
Moonlander with Platform Tilt kit (2026).
As soon as I got home, I ordered a ZSA Moonlander (Black / Kailh Box Brown / Printed Keys) with its Platform accessory. The Moonlander is my dream keyboard. It has everything the Ergodox EZ offers, and it remains ultra-stable while tilted on the Platform. I really hope this will be my last keyboard.
References
| ^ | [1] | Closely followed by my later machines, the Amstrad CPC 6128 keyboard, and the Atari 520 STE keyboard. |
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