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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

What is your favorite brand of Keyboard?...

Posted By: Denise Blackwell on 2009-04-15
In Reply to:

A gal I work with once said her most important purchase as a medical Transcriptionist was her keyboards. I had never gave much thought to a keyboard, as my most important purchases focused on comfort (chair) and clarity (headphones).  I am now in the market for a keyboard and what she said about a keyboard has me real curious.  Is there something I have been missing?


So the question I have is, do you have a favorite keyboard (brand) and/or style (ergonomic), and why?  Thank you for your input!  


 


 


 




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favorite keyboard over the holidays is called "no keyboard"
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If boss said I want U to use brand X keyboard,
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What I meant was where are you about the keyboard brand question below sm
Was trying to figure out which brand of keyboard you have that the space bar can be programmed - the Kinesis Maxim cannot. And also the Maxim does not come completely apart.
Sorry I did not make myself clear, but anyway I am from Louisiana pronounced Lu-see-ann-na!
What is your favorite keyboard? I need a new one. NM

Favorite keyboard?

Is there a really sturdy, responsive keyboard out there that you DON'T have to pound?  Not an ergonomic one...I just can't get used to those.   Dell is horrible.


What's your favorite food. Favorite in that you could only have one last meal what would it be?

Indulge me while I stare at computer screen waiting for Q work that isn't there.


I love spaghetti but only served with a great salad with olive oil and some garlic bread. Can't have pasta alone.  And needless to say a glass of red wine.  No dessert, just extra spaghetti.


 


I use a MSFT Natural keyboard at home and the laptop keyboard on the road. nm

If you use a standard keyboard you can buy an old IBM model M keyboard on ebay or clickykeyboards.co

That key printing never wear down because the letters are part of the key itself.  They just don't make them that way anymore because it is too expensive to make.  Some of the mechanical keyboards like Cherry have what they double shot key imprinting and the letters are part of the key itself and don't wear off. That IBM keyboard is very noisy from the type of keyswitch it has so you may not like that.  Logitech and Belkin make some membrane switch keyboards that are supposed to have longer lasting key imprints.  I have a logitech that has the longer lasting key imprints and it is pretty good.  You have to look on the specs to find out if has the longer lasting key printing.


I have experimented so much with keyboards and have done a lot of research.  Way too much info.  


 


I use a laptop with a full-size keyboard (no separate keyboard)
I'm using a lap desk but previously was using a pillow with a book on it under the laptop. No additional keyboard though, I bought one with a full-sized board with regular size keys (an HP) which I LOVE and it took no time at all to get used to it. I also love that when the weather improves, I can take my computer outside and get some fresh air! What a great job... :)
Keyboard and mouse. Is there such a thing as a keyboard that has a mouse on the actual keyboard?
nm

Not REALLY a brand name but please SM
This is a mouthwash specially compounded by a pharmacy - I think it originated at Duke University. I usually capitalize Magic because it's not really generic and not really a brand name. JMO
No, not a brand name.
.
They are brand new.
n/t
I think 100 may be a lot for brand new newbies. nm
nm
Maybe it is just the particular model/brand
I have had I believe three Fantoms now (first one so heavy so bought second one years later, then ran over big screw and broke the bar on the bottom of the second one). I have the HEPA filters and have never had to do anything with them - not even change them as mine have a button that is suppose to pop up to tell you when it needs to be replaced. I have probably owned these over the past 10 years or more.

You are right, emptying the cannister can be a little messy - I do what you do and go outside, use a plastic grocery bag to empty it in (or better yet have husband do it) as I, too, have severe allergies.

If I had to choose though, I would still go bagless as I hated changing and buying the bags and once they got about half full you didn't get the suction like you do with an empty bag/cannister.

I am not familiar with the type you have where you have to clean the filter. Ugh.
Look below regarding the Noisebuster brand!
They may work for you too. Good luck!
My brand is SoftFlex, but if you use
a straight keyboard, there is a heated keyboard you could get. Or put a heating pad in your lap. http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=10313&sk=MX51419
Goldtouch is brand name. see msg.
www.goldtouch.com

I always get mine on eBay. They aren't cheap but you definitely get what you pay for and they are great, in my opinion.
What brand of LCD monitor to buy? sm

I am really troubled by eye strain ... got new computer glasses from eye doc but still not happy ... a number of people have said I should swap my CRT monitor out for a flat screen LCD.  I'm game to do it, but have been reading reviews until I'm brain-dead!  Thought maybe you folks here might share what brand of LCD you are using, and if you are happy with it for word processing.  I hear some are better for text than others, and I don't want to shell out the bucks without looking into it.  TIA!



Brand is Saitek....
I am on my third one and I love it. Have yet to find another keyboard with a touch like this one. It is not silent - it clicks, which is what I really like about it. Nothing at all like a laptop keyboard which make my fingers dyslexic. Bought a MS keyboard, but it sits in the corner as I type much faster with my Saitek, worn off letters and all. The fact that the letter disappear is my only complaint. The light up feature is nice, but in my opinion not bright enough. Gotta say though, it is pretty cool 'cause you can change the colors to purple, red or blue.
I have one for sale still that is brand new...
I bought mine from Dictran in May but have never used it as I ended up taking another job that doesn't use this. I'm asking $85 if you are interested. You can also E-mail me.
I got a brand new computer

custom built by a small shop here in town with XP instead of Vista.  Don't count out a small business being able to help you!  Cheaper than a Dell, too...


HP is the LAST brand I would recommend!! sm

I have had an HP desktop, which gave me occasional problems, but nothing big.  i got an HP laptop last year, and it has been one headache after another.  First the wireless connection died, I have had to do a major system restore, I have had to send it in to HP for service, and it still doesn't work right.  OTOH, DH bought a Gateway laptop this year that is pretty much the same as mine as far as specs,  and he hasn't had a bit of trouble with his.  I would recommend either a Gateway or a Toshiba. 


You say you're brand new at this
Unfortunately, what you think is "the worst" may very well be the best. Well not actually the best, but probably the norm.  Give it some time to adjust.  Are you new in general, or just new to at-home work?
Has anyone used the Smartboard keyboard? Everyone tell what keyboard they have and rate it nm
nm
Kinesis Keyboard and keyboard tray

Okay, any lefties use this keyboard? How long did it take to get used to? I use my left thumb for the space bar and I notice on a diagram of the keys that I would always be hitting the backspace key.


I'm really interested in getting a better keyboard. I destroyed my left hand and wrist the other week when I fell because I'm becoming a real klutz.


I bought the Soft Flex gloves, but they only help a little bit. My production is down because of it and it's driving me crazy. I can only type an hour without stopping and then have to rest the hand for some time.


I did buy a Microsoft 2000 keyboard but have yet to recieve it. Is this a good one?


Do you use a keyboard tray with it or just set it on the desk? Do you think a kayboard tray would be the least expensive item right now that would help with a straight keyboard?


Any info you can provide to help me in making any decision would be greatfully appreciated.


'Scuse me for being old school, but I've only ever used a straight keyboard.


 


Does anyone know of a keyboard that has the backspace key in the center of the keyboard? NM
nm
Generic vs Brand drugs
I have these in my Shorthand program and they are typed correctly - upper or lower case. No matter how I type them they wind up correct. If the word is at the beginning of a sentence, Shorthand capitalizes it there, which would be correct.
KCl is the generic, Kay Ciel name brand
Offsite MTs have no way of knowing if physcian is using name brand or not unless he specifies. In most cases a service will defer to the generic to be as accurate as possible.
Magic mouthwash? Is that a brand name?
NM
Went there for paint. Brand new store. SM
I asked for specific color and the kid behind the counter starting mixing it. It seemed to be taking a long time, Home Depot takes second, all because he had an old fashioned paint machine where you had to manually put in the colors, not computerized like Home Depot. So why didn't I go to Home Depot? Good question.
i love clickys, where, what brand?
they are hard to find
I feed Innova too, the Evo brand
I would love to feed BARF and have tried in the past, but it confused me, read 3 books on it, but I was always afraid I wasn't using enough of the right ingredients and being a vegitarian the meat handling was a lot for me to deal with. I also subscribe to the Whole Dog Journal, great magazine. Would love to have a sheltie in the future. I have an American Eskimo right now who I love dearly and 3 cats, feed all of them Evo with fresh chicken nightly. Glad others here are aware of the terrible ingredients of commercial companion animal food. Thanks for sharing.
Love it! Did you know you can get brand new on eBay?
nm
brand new blade every single....nm

I adore my Dyson. Will never buy another brand. sm
It runs circles around any other vacuum I've ever used (and I feel like I've tried them all). 
That's it. Thanks! Not a big name brand person but I do know the Chanel name. Just
couldn't think of what the logo could be. It's CC for Coco Chanel I'm guessing? Thanks!
What brand of personal computer do U have?
I'm looking to buy a computer (non-work) and I wuz wondering what everyone else has and recommends. I'm considering a Dell...
I have Abacus SE, brand new with disk. s/m
I paid $40 for it about two months ago. It is very user friendly and prints out invoices. I'll sell it for half price plus shipping if you are interested.
Brand of computer not that important.

If you are using other than a USB connection with your foot pedal you'll probably need an adapter.  You'll need an external keyboard and may need an adapter to convert it from PS/2 to USB depending on the computer and what keyboard you have.  You need to have a wireless/ethernet (which is pretty standard these days).  You should also have a dial-up modem just in case.  You need 512 RAM and a good sound card.


I have worked on a laptop for 6 years.  I also travel a lot.  I've had 3 different brands and brand doesn't really matter.  Being able to get an internet connection is the difficult part, although with technology advances it isn't as difficult as it used to be. 


 


SoftFlex is my brand of glove.
Putting a heating pad on your lap is another idea, though it heats your arms before your hands. If you sit near a window, a cold draft can cross your desk and dump right onto your hands, so winterizing windows or moving your desk away can help that.

DH enjoys the fact I have cold hands. He claims that every time I touch him I say, "You're warm!" and then I hold his hand or scratch his back because he's so delightfully warm. So he benefits from my little problem. :op


brand does not matter --- look inside
Basically, speed is everything. The faster your motherboard can process any commands from the keyboard and/or any programs you are running, how fast your hard drive turns so that the information your ROM/RAM is looking for can find it, and the amount of RAM you have that is not being used could possibly make the difference between achieving your line rate comfortably and not achieving them. If you work on the internet, the speed of your internet plays a factor, but only if your computer is capable of downloading and storing at the faster speed.

I have an MT I am mentoring who was using one of my laptops. We live in an area where we can get 8 MB of download. She was achieving her daily line counts 3 out of 5 days. She decided to buy a laptop and return mine. The laptop she now has only has 512 MB RAM, 2.6 Hz motherboard, and 540 RPM hard drive. She has had it for over a month, and has not yet had a day where she has made line counts. She is very frustrated.

Sometimes people who cannot make line counts for some of the companies where they work directly through the internet (VPN), it is not because of stipping the lines and/or ability of the MT, it has everything to do with the speech of the computer, the internet, and the VPN they are attached to.
What is the best brand of medical referecnes?
Stedman's, Dorland's, etc....
but this one is brand new, just bought today
And I tried restarting the computer and now the whole background is PINK. Not my color today!
Yes, if they're brand names...
Unisom is a brand name and would be capitalized. Generic drug names are not capitalized, unless your account specifics or boss say otherwise.
If you buy it brand new it will come with Windows Vista

Better make sure all your programs are compatible.


You can go to Best Buy and get one of their e-machines (Best Buy brand). They will custom-build it for you and it won't cost as much as "name brands." I used one of theirs for quite a while and I was very satisfied with it.


You might even be able to get them to load XP on it if you have the full version (or you could buy a copy). I've heard Vista is still pretty glitchy. I plan to wait at least another year or more before I get Vista, to give them a chance to work out some of the problems.


Good luck!


I like an expensive Koss brand I get at
Wal-Mart.  They fit around the back of your head, have a big "muff" (don't know what you call them) and don't squeeze so tight you sweat.  I think they are are $9.99.   They only last me about a year though as one of the wires seems to break and you don't get sound in both ears.  I've had several pair of them and really like them other than having to replacement them every year or so.
Brand new drug book
I have always used the electronic drug references. The company I get them from has now combined everything into 1 icon and it takes forever to get anything to come up. It is easier to use Google for references than to mess with this anymore. I find myself using my old references just to save time and if it is not there, then I go to the "brand new drug reference" It is never up to date anyhow, so back to the net I go. And no, I don't think their requirement is reasonable. They want your brains and experience with no cash outlay on their end?
There is also E-machine, brand of computer, but sm
I have one sitting here in my office that says on it "NEVER OBSOLETE," but it so is. C-phone seems more likely, if it is transcription related..
What brand? Does it have software you need to install?
Does it have special keys you need to program? Wireless? You may not have done a complete setup.
Evidently the site is brand new
Yeah, not a ton of information yet - I searched on this forum and found interesting info when what I guess are founding members were gathering information and getting started. It appears they just got the website up in Jan 09 and I also read a post that they said it was 2 years (the group/website) in the making. I think it's worth keeping an eye on, since many have voiced dissatisfaction with AAMT/AHDI and some have voiced hope for a new MT group to form. Now we just have to see who they are and what their next step is. In the meantime, there are still others of us who want to put our heads together. :-)