(I'll answer your questions without quoting :-) )
I would say buy a pc keyboard adapter without a second thought. it will allow you to connect cheap and dead-easy to find keyboards..
Like i said, i recommend the lyra adapter. You can find it in Amiga shops (check the links section) or ebay.
Lyra works almost perfectly for me in games and such.
You don't have to put your Amiga into a tower but it is advisable. You can drill a small hole to the case or use the "extra port" of the A1200 to drive the kb cable out of your Amiga
Don't worry, the connectors are metallic.
