I’ve had no problems with the gloss on my recent Das Keyboard. I occasionally shine it up with the dusting cloth they included.
Well, I ended up weakening and getting the Filco Majestouch Blue Switch, Metallic Blue off of Amazon (KeyboardCo is offering them there now). It was pricey, but it’s very nice thus far except that the spacebar is a little bit “sharper” than I’m used to (has a hard, defined edge rather than the rounded, sloping edge I’m used to). I’m sure my thumb will callous eventually.
Das Keyboard silent/brown arrived just now. I like it quite a bit. It doesn’t have as much resistance as the regular one, but that’s ok, because it really does feel pretty great and it hasn’t made anyone bash me over the head with it for making too much noise so far.
So jealous right now :)
EDIT: Nevermind, I just checked the mail. My Choc Mini w/ Black switches just arrived. Every keypress feels very satisfying.
It’s a great day for both of us.
Big day for mechanicals here on Qt3, then! Huzzah expenditure!
Is it weird that I’m kind of excited to go to work tomorrow just for the sake of typing on it more?
I bit the bullet and got the Steelseries 6Gv2. It was on the cheap end of the mechanicals at 99 bucks.
It had a nice heft to it as I held the box. I learned on a manual typewriter and I’ve always been a pounder on the keys. It’s actually a pleasure to type again. The feel of a key being pressed and the springing back of the key on your finger allows for some really nice touch-typing. It’s a nice stimulus-response of having that press before the character shows on your monitor is something special. As a bonus, I can already tell that my wrists and fingers will get stronger by typing on this.
The keys are stout…these are not your coward keys that hide in some depression. These keys stand tall and proud, daring you to press them. At first I was afraid that I would have to get a wrist wrest they are so high, but after a few days of typing, I find that my form is coming back with my wrists hanging in the air. No slouching on this desk.
I got the black switch keys because I wanted the quietest keys possible. Even these are pretty loud. It’s too bad there isn’t a way to try these out beforehand as I have a desk microphone and I’m sure my TS brethren will complain at the typing. Oh well, fuck 'em because this is a joy to type.
This keyboard has some really bright LEDs to ensure you know the NumLock, Caps or Scroll Lock is set. You won’t be wondering anymore if you’ve pressed any of these keys.
My only real complaint at this point is the right shift key. It’s a tad small and it will take some retraining to get that right pinky to hit it instead of the \ key.
Thanks for keeping these threads going. Typing is something to be cherished and when you’re doing it on a nice keyboard, it really makes a difference.
clickety clack, clickety clack
Awesome Tman! I totally agree. I work with computers 8 hours a day. Comforts like Mech keyboards are huge.
Yeah, that’s my feeling. Everyone pretty much balked when I told them I was going to drop $135 on a keyboard, but I probably use my keyboard more than any other device I own, so if I can make that more enjoyable, I think it’s worth it.
Congratulations to everyone making the switch. The difference in typing between my keyboard at home (A unicomp buckling spring) and work is drastic and almost painful in certain ways. Probably enough that I’m going to risk the ire of my coworkers and pick up a second keyboard for the office.
Well… nice knowing you.
Arise!
So has anyone used a keyboard with red switches? They are apparently pretty hard to find, but the Filco Linear R is currently available on Amazon. It’s a bit pricey, and I was kind of leaning towards a tenkeyless model, to reclaim some desk space. But the red keys sound really intriguing–light actuation pressure like the browns, but linear (so none of the “bump” feel that Zylon disliked). And it comes with red WASD replacement keys… sexy.
The other option would by the Filco tenkeyless Ninja with black switches, but I worry about the key action being to heavy for typing.
Well, after looking into it more, I’m leaning away from both red and black. I just worry too much about typing on the blacks, and whether I will like the total lack of tactile feedback coupled with the stiff spring action. And the red only comes full-sized. I really like the form factor of the tenkeyless; the only time I ever use the numpad is when entering my credit card number or phone number when shopping online, and I’m willing to sacrifice that to reclaim some desk space.
So the only other tenkeyless Filco that Amazon stocks is the brown Ninja, which a lot of folks seem to like. However, the company that sells it through Amazon also stocks the tenkeyless blue on their website. It’s a UK company, but they ship to the US for a very reasonable rate, and apparently the shipping is fast. Oh, the clickety-clack dark side is so tempting, but I fear that Karen would probably kill me.
Hey, I like the bump. What I don’t like is when the mechanical bump doesn’t precisely coincide with the electrical actuation.
As it turns out, my earlier criticism of the Filco keyboard due to this issue was severely overstated. I was pretty much exclusively playing Fallout 3 when I first got that keyboard, and as I later discovered, the movement problems I attributed to the keyboard (occasionally lurching forward after I thought I’d released the key) were actually being caused by the game. Oops.
So, thumbs up on the browns, for gaming and typing? As much as I love the idea of getting a keyboard with blue switches, I know that I probably shouldn’t. My office is right across the hall from our bedroom.
Given the extreme subjectivity of keyboards, I can only say that it’s been working for me. Keyboards this expensive should be tried before bought, or bought from places that allow no-hassle returns.
Yeah, I’d love to try before I buy, but unfortunately there is simply no place nearby that carries mechanical keyboards. Best Buy sells the Razer Black Widow (Cherry blues) and the Steelseries keyboards (Cherry blacks), but only online. I did watch some of the Youtube videos linked in the other thread, but that doesn’t help much with feel. Geekhack has a poll for people’s favorite switches, and browns are the #1 pick (blues are a pretty close second). So there’s that.
That said, I have a suspicion that any of the mechanicals will feel better than my mushy Saitek membrane keyboard. Worst case scenario, the Filcos seem to have pretty good resale value…
I have the Black Widow and I really love the thing. I swear this thing could kill at least 5 zombies or more before it breaks. Its one hell of a solid keyboard. I don’t think I would get a keyboard with out a back light if I ever had to replace this but I imagine this thing will last me a very very long time.
I love my Das Keyboard Silent (browns) for both general typing and gaming. The keyboard is built like a tank (very heavy) and has a great feel.