ballzac Posted June 6, 2012 I generally like to get things that are of decent quality, and when it comes to keyboards, I always looked at the more expensive ones available at most computer shops. This tends to be things like the Razer products. I was quite happy with my last keyboard, which was a Razer lycosa, but in reality the actual design of the board is fundamentally the same as the generic, el cheapo boards, but the Razer has pretty lights on it and some cool features like being able to change profiles. I found out about mechanical keyboards recently. I'm sure I would have come across them as a youngster, but every keyboard I've used in the past 20 odd years would be the same rubber dome design where there is a sheet of rubber on the board with a little dome under each key that pushes it back up after it's been depressed. So anyway, there are quite a few different types of mechanical switches used in keyboards. I liked the idea of one that clicks when it actuates, so I went with the "Cherry MX Blue". The board is a Filco Majestouch 1 tenkeyless. I was expecting it to feel nice to type on based on reviews, but I am blown away by it. It feels incredibly smooth to type on, and there is a satisfying audible and tactile 'click' as the key actuates. My typing speed went up about 10% immediately simply due to how easy it is to actuate the switch without banging away on the keys, and also due to the consistency of force required for actuating the switches under different keys. Now when I type on a 'normal' keyboard, it feels all 'gummy'. I got the keycaps from WASD. I think they will take a little getting used to, because the Razer lycosa had very rubbery, non-slip keycaps, and the original filco ones had a little bit of traction even though they were plastic. I just put the WASD ones on today, and they don't have much traction, so my fingers slide over them a bit, but I'm already starting to get used to them. I just got them because I wanted all-white keys. I'm not so sure about the green 'esc' key, but I have spares because I got a full set of 104 keys but the keyboard is only 87 keys, so I might end up putting one of the spare white ones on. Total cost (including the keycaps and postage for both) was under $200. Anyway, I would highly recommend a mechanical keyboard to anyone who uses a computer a lot. Considering it is the main means of input, it's at least as important as having a good quality monitor. I can't speak for other switches, but by the sounds of it all the cherry ones are good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nothinghead Posted June 6, 2012 Cool! Looks elegant, and a nice keyboard does make a big difference if you're typing a lot. Thanks for the info! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted June 6, 2012 Yeah. It's a really nice simple design, and with the lack of numpad and the very thin border, it takes up barely any space on my desk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OPP Posted June 6, 2012 No letters or numbers on the buttons? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etherealdrifter Posted June 6, 2012 its kinda "HAL" Ballzac, nice. sorry if this is a bit of topic Ballzac but one of my bro inlaws bought this bamboo keyboard and mouse combo: http://www.purebamboo.com.au/stylish/products-page/bamboo-style-collection/bamboo-keyboardmouse/ Personally i don't upgrade my gear all that regularly(i'm lazy and use the bare minimum of techs to get by) anywho's, from an esthetic perspective it totally suits his decor in his 'puter room. I think it looks really cool and the tactile response is kinda groovy. Nice to see computer tech involving some retro feel to it's normally plastic and (generally) boring design. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watertrade Posted June 6, 2012 No letters or numbers on the buttons? yeah they sent you a dud one mate. no type on the keys.... ;p 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted June 6, 2012 Yeah. It's a really nice simple design, and with the lack of numpad and the very thin border, it takes up barely any space on my desk. Just a size comparison with my girlfriend's microsoft keyboard. No letters or numbers on the buttons? They make keyboards with letters now? one of my bro inlaws bought this bamboo keyboard and mouse combo: Pretty cool man. The Cherry switches are really popular and used on many different boards, so the key sizes are standardised. I've seen wooden ones, and there are gold plated and silver plated ones, anodised alluminium, etc. Some of those are really cool. Also, WASD will print any design on the keycaps for a cost, which is pretty cool. There are a lot of cool designs on the mechanical keyboards. I may not always have a simple one like the Filco, but I will never go back to rubber dome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted June 6, 2012 Also, these switches are meant to last for 50 million keystrokes each, and even if one breaks, on most boards it's not meant to be too difficult to replace a single switch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
at0m Posted June 6, 2012 (edited) People around you are going to love you if it's anywhere near as loud as my friends keyboard... I've had to leave the room once or twice because the sound is just so damn loud and echo-y in the room Edited June 6, 2012 by at0m Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted June 6, 2012 Yeah, it's loud as, especially since I tend to bottom out the keys. My girlfriend doesn't mind too much, but it's put me off getting one for uni, because there are several people in my office and I don't think they'd like it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etherealdrifter Posted June 6, 2012 People around you are going to love you if it's anywhere near as loud as my friends keyboard... I've had to leave the room once or twice because the sound is just so damn loud and echo-y in the room hahaahaa.thas funny. when i was in high school, i member sitting in a room with 30 other students all tapping away on typewriters learning how to type up a resume.....the noise was akin to a plague of locust approaching .......lolz i'm feeling a tad aged now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted June 6, 2012 My Dad had an electric typewriter that he only got rid of recently when I forcibly gave him a computer. It was louder than a mechanical typewriter. The letters were on a wheel that whirs as it spins to the right letter, and then a hammer hits the symbol to the ribbon and paper with a big 'thud'. The annoying thing was that it takes about a third of a second for the wheel to get going at first, so the 'thuds' occur with almost exactly the same rhythm as your typing, but delayed by that third of a second. It was really difficult to get a good rhythm going when the auditory feedback is delayed like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted June 6, 2012 So is that your secret weapon for word bubbles or are you really a cyborg from the future ? Just kidding, I was going to blame my two fingered typing for my lame score on that game but the truth is I just couldn't come up with the words under pressure. The best I could manage was 1770 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted June 6, 2012 So is that your secret weapon for word bubbles or are you really a cyborg from the future ? D. All of the above 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted June 7, 2012 well i'm definitely going to blame my two fingered typing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted July 4, 2012 So I have found a slight inconvenience of not having a numpad when typing in things like ip addresses, but have been dealing with it fine. It was only when I had a recent play around in Blender that I realised how much I use the numpad for shortcuts when using a program like that. I found a couple of filco numpads that match the keyboard. Pretty happy with the one I went with. It has an extra row of keys at the top which are bigger than the top row on a normal keyboard, and I'm not sure if I can get keycaps for them, which is why I have the original keys still on. It's pretty nice being able to have the mouse beside the regular keys while still having access to a numpad if/when I need it. I don't think they make them with blue switches, so I went with the brown ones. I'm quite happy with them for the purpose of a numpad, but it makes me glad I went with the blues for the main keyboard, because they definitely feel better than the browns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ErraneousHerbalist Posted July 4, 2012 What neat keyboard; an empty page eh? It also seems I've met my match in unkept desks... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
