I'm pretty sure my Yamaha YPP-55 keyboard is now 10 years old. I know I got it at Sam Ash in December 1994, though I don't remember the date.

Ten years and many thousands of hours of playing time later, this keyboard still sounds as good as new. I remember being told that the Yamaha piano sounds are better than those of other equivalently-priced brands. The YPP-55 features two piano sounds, one that sounds like a Steinway and another that sounds more like a Yamaha. The harpsichord sound is also great as is the electric piano. The pedal is useful. Of course, even with full-size, touch-sensitive keys (meaning the harder you press a key, the louder a note will sound), it doesn't compare to a real piano, but I only notice that on the rare occasions I actually play a real piano.

In 1995 I bought Opcode software to try and connect the keyboard to my Powerbook. After spending an entire weekend reading a manual with all the clarity of a physics textbook, I gave up. Friends tell me this is easier now. It's probably a good project for a snowy weekend.