I am the IT manager of a multinational in Lausanne, we've many employees that are used to using US or UK layout keyboards. Since a significant number of them are top level executives, I don't really want to say "Use a Swiss Keyboard".

I'm struggling to find anywhere that I can buy a UK or a US layout wirelss keyboard and Mouse. I'd like either Microsoft or Logitec.

Ebay isn't an option, as I need to be able to claim the cot back with a receipt, nor is buying them in the UK and shipping them over as the cost on a single unit purchase is prohibative.

Can anyone help me with a reliable source? I'm looking to buy 5 now with a view to purchasing more in the long run.

If you're able to supply me directly, please ensure that you're a registered Swiss company for tax purposes.

Thanks.

As a significant number of them are top level executives... and the cost of a keyboard is therefore completely insignificant...

Just buy them from Amazon and don't worry about a few francs postage.

ebay sellers provide invoices.

www.digitec.ch have UK and US keyboards. Choose "Peripherals - Keyboards" and select "English" or "US International" layouts.

Umm.. Thanks Cran/Phil. I don't see how either of those solutions are any better than getting them sent from the UK.

Thank you Tom. I'll take a look. I didn't think Digitec sold keyboards with UK layouts.

What does a Swiss keyboard look like?

qwertz

the UK/US ones are

qwerty

Here it is:

Swiss German ( QWERTZ )

I bought a UK keyboard (by Microsoft) from Media Markt. They had quite a good range I think. It seems quite a lot of people like keyboards other than the Swiss ones.

Damn--I just realized this as well. I'm planning on buying a new smartphone from Swisscom in the next month. Does anyone know if you can choose a qwerty keyboard instead of the swiss version? That would suck.

I've never seen them in Media Markt. Where are you based?

If you ask Swisscom rather than just getting the standard package they might be able to help. I've got Blackberrys from Orange with US keypads. Of course the touchscreen phones can have whatever layout you want.

Personally I'd prefer to give everyone Swiss layouts but these are people that won't accept "no"

Have considered asking Logitec directly - they sell direct, so I would guess that would be your best bet.

Just to reinforce the message, but 'English' keyboards are freely available through most major computer retailers, possibly due to the large number of ex-pats in the country. Some places you'll have to ask specifically; other places will ask you which keyboard you want.

The MediaMarkt I was referring to was SihlCity in Zurich.

I didn't really have problems finding one at all- though maybe there is more demand in Zurich.

I have a qwertz swisscom blackberry, and just changed the settings to qwerty (could use qwertz, just a pain as automatically look for the y and z in the wrong place for that configuration) - all that is different is the transposition of the two letters - all the symbols etc are in the same place, so shouldn't be an issue

Maybe on a blackberry, but on a computer keyboard most of the symbols are moved, which is real annoying for certain work.

Thus, all of my computers are setup to think that the keyboards are US, even if they are Swiss or other.

Tom

Really? It only takes a few days to get used to it. If "top executives" can't manage to get used to a couple of keys on a keyboard being in different places then I wouldn't have much confidence in their ability to run a multinational company. Despite there being a lot of ex-pats where I work, everyone has the Swiss keyboard and manages perfectly well. Plus, when living and working in Switzerland one often needs to write Swiss or German words, which is much easier if with a Swiss keyboard.

Not if you touch-type.

Also, a lot of symbols I need and use often are hard to get at on Swiss keyboards.

And I generally don't need to write anything in German, and if I do I use ue, oe, etc.

Tom

Having gotten used to the Swiss German keyboard, I use it with my machines ( with EN OS ) and comes in useful when eg I search for info for EF using the umlaut ( ü Ü, ä Ä etc. ). Got used to the Y and Z except for the damned @ once in a while.

With the appropriate keyboard shortcuts 'armed', I can do pretty much all of the European special characters with a maximum of three keystrokes on my qwerty ... even all the French ones.

Speaking of touch-typing and Swiss-German keyboards, it was hard to find a free typing tutor for my class with the Swiss-German keyboard layout ... but I did! Now just have to remind some of them to turn off the sound when they're training, as the metronome and the keyboard 'clicks' are very annoying ...