Tech Support Pits:

From Finia===

Dear Webby,
Where can you find standard, office style keyboards
without all the silly game buttons on it, and with a 
standard USB connector?
Finia

Dear Finia
The easiest is to just go to http://dalco.com and order
part # 71047. It's a good and sturdy Mitsumi Office keyboard.
The specs are here: http://www.dalco.com/tech/71047_spec.pdf
You'll get a good laugh out of feature #4, about characters that 
can be recycled to protect the environment, but the keyboard
is good. They cost $15 each plus shipping.

Memory Express has standard keyboards with USB connectors,
but not every town has a Memory Express store.

As you probably noticed, all the more popular places, including
Staples and Office Depot and Business Depot and Future-Shop
just have the silly space-wasting game style keyboards with 
USB connectors and standard keyboards with the old PS2 
connectors.

Not long ago I was at a Future-Shop store and noticed a lady
getting quite loud and agitated while talking to one of the 
know-it-all clerks. She wanted a keyboard like the one you 
want and he told her that all decent computers have a PS2 
socket for the keyboard. Well, he definitely chose the wrong 
time to say that. 

I interrupted him and told him he was full of BS and challenged
him to prove his BS by showing us ONE computer that had a
"non Y2K compliant PS2 keyboard socket". (Yes, I know Y2K
compliance has absolutely nothing to do with keyboards, but
I was having fun.)

They only have new laptops in that area, and of course he 
was not able to show a machine with a PS2 keyboard 
socket. So I ranted at him that he should be ashamed of 
himslef, trying to sell the lady an obsolete keyboard that 
was not even Y2K compliant. 

The lady was having a coughing fit so as not to bust out 
laughing. Then an older, oriental looking gent chimed in 
and claimed that he had been a certified IBM tech for 
twenty years and that there was absolutely no question 
about it, the IBM PS2 machines were definitely not Y2K 
compliant. By that time the lady was kicking me in the 
shins with her heels to keep me from laughing.

(IBM PS2 machines were the 286 and 386 Pizza-Box style
machines of the very early 90's. They were the first ones to
use the small DIN type 6 connector and the DIN type 6 has 
been called PS2 connector ever since.) 

After we had the know-it-all clerk totally confused we rushed
out to the parking lot and had a good laugh. This was 
definitely too much fun to leave at just one. We decided to
go to Staples and Business Depot and a few more places. 
Same story everywhere, always ending with us busting a gut
laughing in the parking lot.

Eventually though we wound up at Memory Express and got
stopped cold. The solemn looking gent behind the counter
not only instantly realized what the lady wanted, but even 
had them in stock. They were very nice and super quiet
keyboards, so I too bought a couple of them for spares and 
as a souvenir of a hilarious Saturday afternoon. They were 
the same price as the one at http://dalco.com, and at the rate
I wear out keyboards, they will get their turn soon.

Have FUN!
DearWebby