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This, of course, was my moment of glory. Or ignominy.
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Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983
T h e R o a d L e s s T r a v e l e d
Seeking that old touch in a new Matias keyboard
Oct. 19, 2005
By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2005, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2005, The Post-Standard
Never stand between a man and his keyboard.
My wife knows that rule. And, in case you're wondering, I'm never going to stand between my wife and HER keyboard. It's all subjective.
That's probably why my wife fell in love with a new keyboard from Matias, a Canadian specialty company, while I thought the thing was a piece of mush. To each his -- or her -- own, right?
Well, maybe. I've been typing on computer keyboards since 1976. There aren't many memorable ones in all those years. In fact, only one stands out -- my old Leading Edge keyboard, made by Daewoo. It had honest-to-goodness mechanical switches under each key. When you typed on it, you felt like God was in his Heaven and you were on your way.
Most of the others just weren't very good. Some were awful.
When Matias sent its new OS X Keyboard, I installed it right away in hopes that the ghost of my Daewoo had reappeared in modern garb. There's a lot to like in the Matias keyboard -- a nice key layout, helpful labels on dozens of keys, a wide stance and fair price of $29.95. (For more, go to http://matias.ca.)
But typing on it is like typing on an old Nintendo keypad. Or like pressing keys on a pay phone. It's devoid of any feel.
That's what I thought, at least. So after a day of trying my best to like the Matias OS X Keyboard, I slid my Apple Pro keyobard back into place and switched the USB cables. I like my Apple Pro keyboard a lot. I especially like the smooth feel.
That's what I thought, at least. You can blame Matias for what happened next.
To get my ego massaged, I waited until my wife was out of the room and switched keyboards on her iMac G4. I connected her white Apple Pro keyboard to my G4 tower and plugged the Matias keyboard into her iMac. I was sure she was going to tell me how little she liked the new keyboard. And that, of course, would have made me feel like an expert.
Oh, how little we know when we think we know a lot. She sat down and said, "Oh, a new keyboard!" After only a minute or two, she pronounced the Matias the best keyboard she'd ever tried.
"Why?" I asked, a little weakly.
"Because it is SO much better than that awful white keyboard that came with my iMac."
This, of course, was my moment of glory. Or ignominy. I'm not sure which. But it doesn't matter. I was macho. And quick.
"But I like your white keyboard," I said. "I'm using it now."
The fact that I had used her white keyboard a total of 16 nanoseconds didn't seem to get in my way. I just plain KNEW I liked that keyboard better. I had to like it better.
Don't laugh. Life is full of insights. And full of no insights at all, come to think of it. I'm not sure which I got that evening. All I really know is that I've been using that nice white Apple keyboard for some time now, and I've never giving it back. And my wife is happy with her new keyboard, too, thanks to Matias.
Give it a try. Judging from our nonscientific but family-oriented test, you've got a 50-50 chance of never wanting to give it up.
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