I spent years as a technical translator. When I understood the source documents well, typing speed was the main limitation to how much money I could make in an hour, and so the keyboard I used was very important.<p>I discovered the key to fantastic typing under those conditions was not the mechanics of the keyboard--it was the layout of the letters.<p>After working at it full-time for a year or so, I started suffering wrist pain so bad I had to use voice recognition software (which sucked). I switched to the Dvorak layout and by the time I was proficient, the pain had disappeared, and I could type about 10 WPM faster. The pain never came back<p>It took about six months to remap my brain and muscle memory. Nowadays, it's sometimes a pain if I have to temporarily use another computer and I don't have access to the settings that change the layout. If I see that situation coming, I just bring my own keyboard to work. The only time it became a bigger problem was in a job where IT required a doctor's note before even allowing me to connect another keyboard to the computer or change the setting. I solved that problem by getting another job.<p>I use a keyboard that can be switched between Dvorak and normal, mainly for the convenience of non-Dvorak users who need to use my computer from time to time (This one: <a href="http://www.typematrix.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.typematrix.com/</a>), but I find the mechanics or type of keyboard (for example ergonomic or not) fades into insignificance compared to the difference between Dvorak and QWERTY.<p>Still, a nicely built keyboard can really improve the typing experience. My laptop is a Lenovo, and I love the feel of the keyboard on it.<p>I don't care what the keycaps say, because I totally touchtype. I bought the cheapest keyboard available for my Raspberry Pi, and the cheap feel is kind of annoying, but the difference between that one and the Lenovo is like between 70% and 90%, despite the quality difference, and most of that is based on having to get used to a different layout of the non-letter keys like delete and control, and not the quality of the mechanism.<p>I've been coding a lot these days and the work happens much more in the brain and less on the keyboard than in translation. That being the case, I think the appeal of a very high-quality keyboard for programming is probably more a matter of taste than practicality. It's like owning a Ferrari. You will never push it near its limit, but its really fun to drive.<p>Another consideration: programming makes very heavy use of symbols compared to text writing, and I think a true programmer's keyboard would be one that puts those symbols in easy reach.<p>So my keyboard recommendations to hackers would be: Find a keyboard with a layout that supports your programming efforts. Next consider what feels good and appeals to your taste. Finally, if you write a lot of text in other contexts besides coding, and if you have some time to suck at typing for six months before getting much better at it, try Dvorak. It will speed up those really long HN posts.