Cherry MX switches sounds
March 26, 2016 1:43 PM Subscribe
Thinking of getting a cherry mx mechanical keyboard? Here's how the various switches actually sound (asmr warning). Listen to these sweet switches on actual keyboards.
I have cherry blues. I would also feel bad about how loud they are if another guy in our office didn't have an old IBM model M that sounds like a horse stampede.
posted by double block and bleed at 2:51 PM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by double block and bleed at 2:51 PM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
It is really apparent from that video that the majority of the noise on the switches other than Blue have very little actuation noise compared to the sharp sound of bottoming out.
I am typing this on a Quickfire Rapid with Brown switches. The body of the keyboard is really solid, but the stock keycaps were very thin. I replaced them with much thicker keycaps and the timber of the click moved down to a clack. Adding rubber O-rings further reduces the noise to more of a soft thud.
This was required to keep the peace in my household.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:52 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
I am typing this on a Quickfire Rapid with Brown switches. The body of the keyboard is really solid, but the stock keycaps were very thin. I replaced them with much thicker keycaps and the timber of the click moved down to a clack. Adding rubber O-rings further reduces the noise to more of a soft thud.
This was required to keep the peace in my household.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:52 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Seconding rubber O-rings. I installed the red ones and it cut the sound maybe in half.
posted by double block and bleed at 2:53 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by double block and bleed at 2:53 PM on March 26, 2016
(I wear a hearing aid now. My keyboard was causing excruciating feedback. The O-rings fixed it.)
posted by double block and bleed at 2:55 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by double block and bleed at 2:55 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's a stampede every day in the Eld home office.
Buckling spring Model M or bust!
posted by RolandOfEld at 2:56 PM on March 26, 2016 [12 favorites]
Buckling spring Model M or bust!
posted by RolandOfEld at 2:56 PM on March 26, 2016 [12 favorites]
If you're unsure, there are also switch sampler kits with one of each switch type. Here's one on Amazon. Might be cheaper elsewhere.
posted by bluecore at 2:57 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bluecore at 2:57 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have coworkers who swear by this stuff, but I'm not sure I get it. Is it the physical feedback, or the sound?
I don't drive, but if I did, I'd want my vehicle to be as quiet as possible. Using keyboards like this strikes me as analogous to having a loud ass car or motorcycle.
posted by defenestration at 3:09 PM on March 26, 2016 [6 favorites]
I don't drive, but if I did, I'd want my vehicle to be as quiet as possible. Using keyboards like this strikes me as analogous to having a loud ass car or motorcycle.
posted by defenestration at 3:09 PM on March 26, 2016 [6 favorites]
While we're all here, please explain to me why all these keyboards have to have a separate processor now so that every single key can glow a different color. Why the hell do you want your keyboard to glow at all? I mean, you bought a $100 keyboard so I really hope you aren't hunting and pecking. You look at the monitor, you type on the keyboard. Why do I want the bottom 10% of my vision filled with a weird glow?
Ahem. Anyway.
posted by selfnoise at 3:17 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Ahem. Anyway.
posted by selfnoise at 3:17 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Well, first you'd want it to be reliable, comfortable to drive and reasonably speedy - all things being equal quieter is better in cars as well as in keyboards, but all things are not usually equal.
This is very relevant to my interests: my primary (only) machine is a laptop, and just last week I got a docking station and big-ass monitor. We didn't have any spare keyboards, so I dug out and plugged in my beloved Cherry, then the other people sharing the office reminded me how I had to put it away last time so they didn't need to murder me.
Some googling later, it looks like the most recent development is this, but I am somewhat reluctant to spend that kind of money on something with a "Gaming" designation - don't care for led colors at all. Anybody have any first hand experience?
posted by Dr Dracator at 3:19 PM on March 26, 2016
This is very relevant to my interests: my primary (only) machine is a laptop, and just last week I got a docking station and big-ass monitor. We didn't have any spare keyboards, so I dug out and plugged in my beloved Cherry, then the other people sharing the office reminded me how I had to put it away last time so they didn't need to murder me.
Some googling later, it looks like the most recent development is this, but I am somewhat reluctant to spend that kind of money on something with a "Gaming" designation - don't care for led colors at all. Anybody have any first hand experience?
posted by Dr Dracator at 3:19 PM on March 26, 2016
I am considering the purchase of a mechanical keyboard and am undecided on the most desirable switch type. But I have one requirement: the Enter key has to be a rectangle. None of that mutant Tetris piece shit.
posted by delfin at 3:28 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by delfin at 3:28 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
The garish LED stuff drives the car analogy home. Put a spoiler on it.
I guess I've never had an issue with reliability or speed, even with scissor keys. I've tried keyboards like this before, but maybe the benefit isn't immediately obvious.
posted by defenestration at 3:31 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I guess I've never had an issue with reliability or speed, even with scissor keys. I've tried keyboards like this before, but maybe the benefit isn't immediately obvious.
posted by defenestration at 3:31 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Some googling later, it looks like the most recent development is this, but I am somewhat reluctant to spend that kind of money on something with a "Gaming" designation - don't care for led colors at all. Anybody have any first hand experience?
I have the Corsair M70 with cherry reds (solid blue backlighting, the RGB software is still a nightmare). I also have the Corsair M65 mouse, I think Corsair has some of the best periprhals on the market right now at pretty reasonable prices. I got both of mine on sale, but I think that was around Holiday time so, YMMV. It's really not that loud, the bottoming out is what's audible and that could be muffled some more with the o rings. It's a huge quality of life improvement from my 10$ Rosewill I had for 4 years before springing for this one. It just feels more tactile, you can tell where the key activation point is, and it's much more solid under your fingers both for gaming or just regular typing. I do a lot of PC gaming in my free time, but my real job is spent typing on a shitty government mandated laptop keyboard, the difference is enormous.
As far as the backlighting goes, on the Corsair at least, you can turn it off, on to 3 different intensities, or on for only a set of user defined keys. It's kinda cool, but not really critical. Apparently the RGB software is nearly unusable according to the reviews, so I didn't even bother, it can't be worth the $30 premium.
If you're in the market for a highend mechanical keyboard, it's worth it to get a key sampler.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:31 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have the Corsair M70 with cherry reds (solid blue backlighting, the RGB software is still a nightmare). I also have the Corsair M65 mouse, I think Corsair has some of the best periprhals on the market right now at pretty reasonable prices. I got both of mine on sale, but I think that was around Holiday time so, YMMV. It's really not that loud, the bottoming out is what's audible and that could be muffled some more with the o rings. It's a huge quality of life improvement from my 10$ Rosewill I had for 4 years before springing for this one. It just feels more tactile, you can tell where the key activation point is, and it's much more solid under your fingers both for gaming or just regular typing. I do a lot of PC gaming in my free time, but my real job is spent typing on a shitty government mandated laptop keyboard, the difference is enormous.
As far as the backlighting goes, on the Corsair at least, you can turn it off, on to 3 different intensities, or on for only a set of user defined keys. It's kinda cool, but not really critical. Apparently the RGB software is nearly unusable according to the reviews, so I didn't even bother, it can't be worth the $30 premium.
If you're in the market for a highend mechanical keyboard, it's worth it to get a key sampler.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:31 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I bought a starter mechanical keyboard with brown switches. I now hate every cheap keyboard I am forced to use. They feel like walking through a ball pit.
posted by mecran01 at 3:35 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by mecran01 at 3:35 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Why the hell do you want your keyboard to glow at all?
I like working in the dark at night and I touch type for everything except the functions keys so a little light is helpful for finding them.
posted by srboisvert at 3:42 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I like working in the dark at night and I touch type for everything except the functions keys so a little light is helpful for finding them.
posted by srboisvert at 3:42 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, the LED stuff is absolutely ridiculous tackiness. I dipped into a couple of shops last weekend to compare different microswitch styles (wound up getting a Majestouch Ninja with Cherry Blues because nobody makes keyboards with greens) and it was like that guy from high school with the spoiler on his '94 Jetta had been a major consultant on 95% of the computer peripherals that cost more than literally the lowest price possible. Blue LEDs or rainbow LEDs EVERYWHERE.
I mean, on the other hand, Alienware still exists, so obviously there's a market for this silliness, but it was definitely a shock after getting used to the world of black or white chiclet keys in aluminum bodies for years.
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:57 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I mean, on the other hand, Alienware still exists, so obviously there's a market for this silliness, but it was definitely a shock after getting used to the world of black or white chiclet keys in aluminum bodies for years.
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:57 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
The only keyboard I have that glows is the one built into my macbook pro.
posted by double block and bleed at 4:01 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by double block and bleed at 4:01 PM on March 26, 2016
I don't drive, but if I did, I'd want my vehicle to be as quiet as possible. Using keyboards like this strikes me as analogous to having a loud ass car or motorcycle.
Eh, it's a lot more like having a blinker that goes click-click-click or a gear shift with a nice solid ka-chunk. Tactile and auditory feedback has always been an important part of human/machine interaction.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 4:03 PM on March 26, 2016 [9 favorites]
Eh, it's a lot more like having a blinker that goes click-click-click or a gear shift with a nice solid ka-chunk. Tactile and auditory feedback has always been an important part of human/machine interaction.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 4:03 PM on March 26, 2016 [9 favorites]
DoctorFedora, if you're still interested in a keyboard with mx greens, WASD makes them under their CODE sub-brand. They're quite nice, with white backlighting that can be turned off completely (or brightened up or down), o-rings pre-installed to keep sound levels reasonable, and a very useful little dip-switch on the back.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 4:16 PM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 4:16 PM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
Is it the physical feedback, or the sound?
Neither, for me at least. It's that, when struck correctly, the keys depress easily, smoothly, and with a clear point at which they've been pressed; and to strike them correctly, it helps a lot to have good form, like a pianist, which then makes your typing faster and less error-prone. It feels and works like an expert tool: you need to pay a little more attention, but that's rewarded.
posted by fatbird at 4:53 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Neither, for me at least. It's that, when struck correctly, the keys depress easily, smoothly, and with a clear point at which they've been pressed; and to strike them correctly, it helps a lot to have good form, like a pianist, which then makes your typing faster and less error-prone. It feels and works like an expert tool: you need to pay a little more attention, but that's rewarded.
posted by fatbird at 4:53 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I wear a hearing aid now
With Cherry Blues, I'm not surprised.
I got a Macally extended so the action mimicked my MacBook's as closely as possible.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:00 PM on March 26, 2016
With Cherry Blues, I'm not surprised.
I got a Macally extended so the action mimicked my MacBook's as closely as possible.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:00 PM on March 26, 2016
box and stick etc., thanks for the heads up, but honestly I don't think I'd really find that much more value in the greens than the blues to spend twice as much as I did (plus overseas shipping). Nice to see that SOMEONE uses greens at all, though!
posted by DoctorFedora at 5:07 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by DoctorFedora at 5:07 PM on March 26, 2016
I don't drive, but if I did, I'd want my vehicle to be as quiet as possible.
I can safely say you are in the sliver of a minority on that one. Manufacturers go to the trouble of faking engine roars these days.
posted by pwnguin at 5:07 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I can safely say you are in the sliver of a minority on that one. Manufacturers go to the trouble of faking engine roars these days.
posted by pwnguin at 5:07 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Neither, for me at least. It's that, when struck correctly, the keys depress easily, smoothly, and with a clear point at which they've been pressed
Yes, the creeeak as a typical rubber-dome key rubs against its neighbor is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Sticky, awkward, misfiring, it feels like I'm swimming through molasses on the typical keyboard, where with (almost) all varieties of mechanical keyboard, it feels like I'm flying.
A good scissor-switch keyboard, like from Enermax or Apple (but not Toshiba or HP, good god), gets me most of the way to where I want to be. The longer key-travel and physical feedback really are missed, tho, and make me a swifter and more accurate typist.
My personal fave is the Model-M style buckling spring, I am invincible with that thing. The problem is that it is obnoxious in this day of tiny little cubicles - it is machine gun loud. My second best-boo, the Mattias/Alps style switch is also pretty bad in this regard, tho I have heard reports that their new Quiet Click mechanisms keep the nice tactile feel (and the slightly more wiggly key mounting system, as compared to the buckling spring).
I have encountered Topre and Cherry Blues in the wild, and I love the quiet, authoritative "thwop" of the former and the precise, vibrating intensity of the latter. The Cherry Red I tried out was very nice and precise, but bland under the fingers. I think I would like a Topre keyboard, but they don't make 'em with both Mac meta keys and arrow keys, and hella expensive. I might consider a cherry brown with o-rings if I could give one a test-drive, to see if it keeps the feel of the blues while ditching the noise.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:17 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yes, the creeeak as a typical rubber-dome key rubs against its neighbor is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Sticky, awkward, misfiring, it feels like I'm swimming through molasses on the typical keyboard, where with (almost) all varieties of mechanical keyboard, it feels like I'm flying.
A good scissor-switch keyboard, like from Enermax or Apple (but not Toshiba or HP, good god), gets me most of the way to where I want to be. The longer key-travel and physical feedback really are missed, tho, and make me a swifter and more accurate typist.
My personal fave is the Model-M style buckling spring, I am invincible with that thing. The problem is that it is obnoxious in this day of tiny little cubicles - it is machine gun loud. My second best-boo, the Mattias/Alps style switch is also pretty bad in this regard, tho I have heard reports that their new Quiet Click mechanisms keep the nice tactile feel (and the slightly more wiggly key mounting system, as compared to the buckling spring).
I have encountered Topre and Cherry Blues in the wild, and I love the quiet, authoritative "thwop" of the former and the precise, vibrating intensity of the latter. The Cherry Red I tried out was very nice and precise, but bland under the fingers. I think I would like a Topre keyboard, but they don't make 'em with both Mac meta keys and arrow keys, and hella expensive. I might consider a cherry brown with o-rings if I could give one a test-drive, to see if it keeps the feel of the blues while ditching the noise.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:17 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
if another guy in our office didn't have an old IBM model M that sounds like a horse stampede.
For the record, it's a fairly recent Unicomp.
posted by mikelieman at 5:31 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
For the record, it's a fairly recent Unicomp.
posted by mikelieman at 5:31 PM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Switched jobs recently, I've gone through a couple of Mac keyboards at the new place due to weird USB issues. Though I think the spacebar on my currently wireless keyboard may be intermittent as well. Not a huge surprise, typing on it isn't the greatest experience.
I will definitely have to look into the CODE keyboards, already feeling the first twinges of carpal tunnel creeping back in and the not-great keyboards may be part of the problem. (For some reason I don't mind typing on the MacBook itself, but the external Apple keyboards aren't as comfortable.)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 5:31 PM on March 26, 2016
I will definitely have to look into the CODE keyboards, already feeling the first twinges of carpal tunnel creeping back in and the not-great keyboards may be part of the problem. (For some reason I don't mind typing on the MacBook itself, but the external Apple keyboards aren't as comfortable.)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 5:31 PM on March 26, 2016
I get to hear this all the time, thanks to my Das Keyboard with Cherry MX Blues! Mechanical keyboards are totally worth it, if you do a lot of typing.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 5:33 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by escape from the potato planet at 5:33 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
What modern mechanical keyboard is closest to a Model M?
Unicomp. IBM spun off their keyboard division. It keeps kicking ass and taking names - there are complaints about the weight of the modern plastics being not up to the original snuff, but it still has a chunk of steel plate at the bottom to keep it planted. Comes in Mac and Windows and Linux varietals, and APL keycaps are available! Made in Kentucky.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:50 PM on March 26, 2016 [9 favorites]
Unicomp. IBM spun off their keyboard division. It keeps kicking ass and taking names - there are complaints about the weight of the modern plastics being not up to the original snuff, but it still has a chunk of steel plate at the bottom to keep it planted. Comes in Mac and Windows and Linux varietals, and APL keycaps are available! Made in Kentucky.
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:50 PM on March 26, 2016 [9 favorites]
Unicomp is definitely the closest, but if you want something slightly more portable I'd go with mx greens. Definitely a difference in feel, but I think it's the closest you'll get without an actual buckling spring.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 5:56 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 5:56 PM on March 26, 2016
I have a mid-90s Model M. Captive non-curly lead (boo), PS/2 interface. USB inline adaptor.
I work from home, and answer to no man.
I pound that sucker but good. I hold that there is no keyboard before it, and I am correct.
(The sound of a mechanical keyboard is like garlic and farts: your own - divine. Other people's - unbearable.)
posted by Devonian at 5:58 PM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
I work from home, and answer to no man.
I pound that sucker but good. I hold that there is no keyboard before it, and I am correct.
(The sound of a mechanical keyboard is like garlic and farts: your own - divine. Other people's - unbearable.)
posted by Devonian at 5:58 PM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
While we're all here, please explain to me why all these keyboards have to have a separate processor now so that every single key can glow a different color.
I have the quintessential expression of this madness: the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid-i. It's a ludicrous product really, with a 32-bit Cortex processor and absolutely no keymap programmability whatsoever. It's all just to control fancy lighting effects. I have blank keys on mine, so the lighting is completely superfluous and goes entirely unused. I liked the build quality and form factor of the keyboard, and the fact that I got a good price on it. I had hoped, but it was a dim hope, that maybe one day someone would hack the firmware so that people could program different keymappings, but so far all anyone has done is get it to play snake.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 6:23 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have the quintessential expression of this madness: the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid-i. It's a ludicrous product really, with a 32-bit Cortex processor and absolutely no keymap programmability whatsoever. It's all just to control fancy lighting effects. I have blank keys on mine, so the lighting is completely superfluous and goes entirely unused. I liked the build quality and form factor of the keyboard, and the fact that I got a good price on it. I had hoped, but it was a dim hope, that maybe one day someone would hack the firmware so that people could program different keymappings, but so far all anyone has done is get it to play snake.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 6:23 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Man even the blue seems quiet next to those ALPS switches in the second video.
posted by atoxyl at 6:30 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by atoxyl at 6:30 PM on March 26, 2016
I think with the ALPS you get a free bag of potato chips and raw carrots to crunch on.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:29 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:29 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
A long time ago, in a different time, people had sound-insulated individual spaces to work in. Whether foam-filled cubicles or actual, honest to goodness walls, people had a place to work where their individual noises would not (unless rather loud) bother others. Where one could concentrate, and work at one's own speed.
Where one could tear through work at 100wpm on a keyboard of unbelievable comfort without incurring the wrath of a hundred co-workers.
Those days are over, as the Silicon Valley sweatshops promise Slack and snacks as a way to abate the pain of the noise and interruptions of an open office and absurd business plan. Pity. Some of those people who could tear through work like nothing else have taken their clicky, clicky keyboards and gone home.
(I'm an ALPS man, myself.)
posted by eschatfische at 8:49 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Where one could tear through work at 100wpm on a keyboard of unbelievable comfort without incurring the wrath of a hundred co-workers.
Those days are over, as the Silicon Valley sweatshops promise Slack and snacks as a way to abate the pain of the noise and interruptions of an open office and absurd business plan. Pity. Some of those people who could tear through work like nothing else have taken their clicky, clicky keyboards and gone home.
(I'm an ALPS man, myself.)
posted by eschatfische at 8:49 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
man, I know they aren't loud, but I miss my kenesis with cherry blues on it :( too bad those rounded circuit boards didn't hold up forever.
posted by jonbro at 9:24 PM on March 26, 2016
posted by jonbro at 9:24 PM on March 26, 2016
Matias Quiet Click keyswitches are where it's at. Quiet operation due to rubber dampeners inside the switch that silence the upstroke and downstroke, but still a very definite tactile feel on activation due to the leaf. The "quiet" Cherry switches are both louder and have a much more vague tactile feel.
posted by zsazsa at 10:48 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by zsazsa at 10:48 PM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Tactile and auditory feedback has always been an important part of human/machine interaction.
All keyboards provide that.
posted by shmegegge at 3:44 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
All keyboards provide that.
posted by shmegegge at 3:44 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
It boggles my mind that all of these keyboard enthusiasts out there are buying straight keyboards and not split/angled/ergonomic keyboards. A straight keyboard is a complete non-starter for me after using a split keyboard with a healthy sized palm rest for decades. I haven't been able to find a decent mechanical switch keyboard in the split layout that doesn't cost megabucks. Maybe it exists, but I'm not paying $250 for a keyboard. (And I admit that I like the stupid extra multimedia keys, or at least the pause/play button.)
I just don't understand, it's like getting an expensive kitchen remodel and then cooking nothing but instant mac and cheese for every meal.
posted by Rhomboid at 4:17 AM on March 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
I just don't understand, it's like getting an expensive kitchen remodel and then cooking nothing but instant mac and cheese for every meal.
posted by Rhomboid at 4:17 AM on March 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
Yeah, I'm looking for a mechanical keyboard but none of them seem to be designed with ergonomics in mind. Logitech and Microsoft still makes really ergonomic keyboards but the switches seem mushy in comparison to a mechanical.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:58 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:58 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
You'll want an ErgoDox. They're unfortunately difficult to find pre-assembled, though there is a fundraiser to change that.
posted by LogicalDash at 5:22 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by LogicalDash at 5:22 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Truly Ergonomic or Kinesis Advantage are nearly as good, though they're one-piece boards and so, less adaptible.
posted by LogicalDash at 5:25 AM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by LogicalDash at 5:25 AM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
The garish LED stuff drives the car analogy home. Put a spoiler on it.
Oh yeah, the LED stuff is absolutely ridiculous tackiness.
I guess everyone has their own personal preference but I'm surprised by the amount of snark and dislike towards RGB/LED/gaming keyboards. Maybe its just a trend right now. I was recently gifted with a Razer Blackwidow Chroma and I enjoy typing mine. It's lots of fun. It has profile settings that makes the lighting look like its breathing or it can cycle through various lighting animations (matrix code, pac-man chasing a ghost, etc). I wouldn't have spent my own money on the keyboard as it's a bit pricey, but still it looks very pretty and shiny. With regard to the mechanical switches: Razer has their own propriety "green switch" and I've enjoyed typing on mine. Just the right amount of click and clack.
posted by Fizz at 6:18 AM on March 27, 2016
Oh yeah, the LED stuff is absolutely ridiculous tackiness.
I guess everyone has their own personal preference but I'm surprised by the amount of snark and dislike towards RGB/LED/gaming keyboards. Maybe its just a trend right now. I was recently gifted with a Razer Blackwidow Chroma and I enjoy typing mine. It's lots of fun. It has profile settings that makes the lighting look like its breathing or it can cycle through various lighting animations (matrix code, pac-man chasing a ghost, etc). I wouldn't have spent my own money on the keyboard as it's a bit pricey, but still it looks very pretty and shiny. With regard to the mechanical switches: Razer has their own propriety "green switch" and I've enjoyed typing on mine. Just the right amount of click and clack.
posted by Fizz at 6:18 AM on March 27, 2016
So what you're saying is, I was correct that it's impossible to buy an ergonomic keyboard with mechanical springs that don't cost $250. Good to know nothing has changed, and I'll keep using my ten year old shitty Microsoft keyboard that cost probably $40.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:37 AM on March 27, 2016
posted by Rhomboid at 6:37 AM on March 27, 2016
I'd like to double the Matias recommendation.
I use a Macintosh layout Quiet Pro. Initially I ordered their true clicky keyboard but I knew the moment I tried it out that my housemates were going to kill me if I kept it. The people at Matias were completely understanding. They paid for my return shipping as well as sending out the new keyboard. It's very robust. I've spilled entire pints of sticky hoppy beer right into the key bed and all I needed to do to make it right was run hot water through it in the sink and let it dry for a day. Every button still works and responds properly.
posted by Evstar at 6:44 AM on March 27, 2016
I use a Macintosh layout Quiet Pro. Initially I ordered their true clicky keyboard but I knew the moment I tried it out that my housemates were going to kill me if I kept it. The people at Matias were completely understanding. They paid for my return shipping as well as sending out the new keyboard. It's very robust. I've spilled entire pints of sticky hoppy beer right into the key bed and all I needed to do to make it right was run hot water through it in the sink and let it dry for a day. Every button still works and responds properly.
posted by Evstar at 6:44 AM on March 27, 2016
I should add that it's pretty over the top expensive for a wired keyboard with no backlighting. (I'm a touch typist but in the dark there's always a character or two you need help locating.)
posted by Evstar at 6:46 AM on March 27, 2016
posted by Evstar at 6:46 AM on March 27, 2016
I want to buy a 60% keyboard with Cherry Linear Dark Grey switches, but apparently not bad enough to actually seek one out, so, instead, I keep using the decades-old Model M's that I picked up at thrift stores for two bucks in the '90s.
posted by box at 7:33 AM on March 27, 2016
posted by box at 7:33 AM on March 27, 2016
I think I'd murder anyone who used one of those godawful abominations within earshot of me.
Like vaping, I suppose it's something some people chose to enjoy, and if they keep it to themselves and away from me I'll be ok. But in any public setting it's an obnoxious, boorish, and anti-social act.
I've been typing for 32 years now, on all manner of different keyboards, including for a brief time an old IBM Model M that made the same sort of evil clicking that these do. I can't say I've ever really noticed that it was better from a tactile standpoint.
Maybe I'm just ham handed (ham fingered?) but the whole idea of needing some sort of feedback on a keyboard is alien to me. I push until the key is fully depressed and stops going down, that's how I know it is pushed, no need for a giant click or a snap response or whatever.
Anyway, I guess I'm glad these are here for those who like 'em. Seems a bit like the computer version of buying into audiophile cable weirdness, but whatever makes you happy. As long as I'm not subjected to the noise anyway. Meanwhile, I'm typing on a keyboard that cost less than $10 and it works just fine, same as my generic HDMI cables are carrying signal just as well as the $10,000 per meter stuff from Monster.
posted by sotonohito at 8:14 AM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
Like vaping, I suppose it's something some people chose to enjoy, and if they keep it to themselves and away from me I'll be ok. But in any public setting it's an obnoxious, boorish, and anti-social act.
I've been typing for 32 years now, on all manner of different keyboards, including for a brief time an old IBM Model M that made the same sort of evil clicking that these do. I can't say I've ever really noticed that it was better from a tactile standpoint.
Maybe I'm just ham handed (ham fingered?) but the whole idea of needing some sort of feedback on a keyboard is alien to me. I push until the key is fully depressed and stops going down, that's how I know it is pushed, no need for a giant click or a snap response or whatever.
Anyway, I guess I'm glad these are here for those who like 'em. Seems a bit like the computer version of buying into audiophile cable weirdness, but whatever makes you happy. As long as I'm not subjected to the noise anyway. Meanwhile, I'm typing on a keyboard that cost less than $10 and it works just fine, same as my generic HDMI cables are carrying signal just as well as the $10,000 per meter stuff from Monster.
posted by sotonohito at 8:14 AM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
Tactile and auditory feedback has always been an important part of human/machine interaction.
All keyboards provide that.
posted by shmegegge at 3:44 AM on March 27 [+] [!]
In the same way that all cars move through space-time, yeah. Are you suggesting that folks that prefer a mechanical switch over a rubber-dome are just deluded in thinking that they work significantly better?
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 9:36 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
All keyboards provide that.
posted by shmegegge at 3:44 AM on March 27 [+] [!]
In the same way that all cars move through space-time, yeah. Are you suggesting that folks that prefer a mechanical switch over a rubber-dome are just deluded in thinking that they work significantly better?
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 9:36 AM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think I'd murder anyone who used one of those godawful abominations within earshot of me.
My coworkers and I all got cherry-switch keyboards and installed the o-rings that quiet them. In our workspace, which housed five of us with them, the additional noise didn't exceed the background office noise, and this was the "quiet room" where there was generally not a lot of talking.
In a genuinely quiet atmosphere, the extra clicking is really disturbing--which is why my wife put a stop to me using one at home :)
Seems a bit like the computer version of buying into audiophile cable weirdness
Logically there's no different in usefulness between a Bic and a fountain pen. But unlike expensive audio cables, that doesn't mean there aren't real differences for the user that justify one choice over another.
posted by fatbird at 9:59 AM on March 27, 2016
My coworkers and I all got cherry-switch keyboards and installed the o-rings that quiet them. In our workspace, which housed five of us with them, the additional noise didn't exceed the background office noise, and this was the "quiet room" where there was generally not a lot of talking.
In a genuinely quiet atmosphere, the extra clicking is really disturbing--which is why my wife put a stop to me using one at home :)
Seems a bit like the computer version of buying into audiophile cable weirdness
Logically there's no different in usefulness between a Bic and a fountain pen. But unlike expensive audio cables, that doesn't mean there aren't real differences for the user that justify one choice over another.
posted by fatbird at 9:59 AM on March 27, 2016
Except that the best keyboard I've typed on in a Microsoft Natural Elite something something. Black, split, pleather handrest. Sure, it has mushy keys, but you adapt pretty quickly, and despite typing all day for days on end, it has never been my fingers to get tired, it is always my wrists first. It cost $80 new, I picked up a spare for $10 at a thrift shop recently.
posted by Canageek at 12:49 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Canageek at 12:49 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Shocking, it's almost like people have different preferences, and they buy according to those preferences! Wait, no, that can't be right... I'm sure it's just some high-falutin' audiophile pseudo-scientific elitism.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 1:09 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 1:09 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I find it odd that the sound upsets people, but I don’t usually work around people and don’t care what they think when I do, so there’s that.
posted by bongo_x at 1:15 PM on March 27, 2016
posted by bongo_x at 1:15 PM on March 27, 2016
Since it's obvious that people who use mechanical keyboards send the best bits across the internet, can we have a filter to remove the weak text and puny opinions of those who don't?
posted by scruss at 1:35 PM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by scruss at 1:35 PM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
As a father of two young children, I would not pay extra for this. I would pay extra for a keyboard I could take outside and hose down.
posted by selfnoise at 2:30 PM on March 27, 2016
posted by selfnoise at 2:30 PM on March 27, 2016
You can hose down a Model M. I have had to on numerous occasions. They also make excellent blunt-force weapons thanks to the steel plate in the bottom.
The reason the tactile feedback is important is that it allows you to type more efficiently. Your fingers know precisely when the switch activates and don't slam into the bottom of the travel, saving both effort and wear on your joints and tendons from the sudden unexpected stop.
They don't don't necessarily need to be as loud and expensive as a Model M buckling spring, though. I once had a macro-programmable keyboard from the mid-90s that had a much lighter touch, slightly less noise, but also had excellent feedback at the buckling point. Unlike the Model M, it was not baseball-bat survivable, however.
(I got my Model M from an RS/6000 one of my clients was throwing in the trash) Unlike the keyboard from a 3270 or 5250 terminal, their keymap is close enough to PC-standard to work fine on a normal desktop.
posted by wierdo at 2:39 PM on March 27, 2016
The reason the tactile feedback is important is that it allows you to type more efficiently. Your fingers know precisely when the switch activates and don't slam into the bottom of the travel, saving both effort and wear on your joints and tendons from the sudden unexpected stop.
They don't don't necessarily need to be as loud and expensive as a Model M buckling spring, though. I once had a macro-programmable keyboard from the mid-90s that had a much lighter touch, slightly less noise, but also had excellent feedback at the buckling point. Unlike the Model M, it was not baseball-bat survivable, however.
(I got my Model M from an RS/6000 one of my clients was throwing in the trash) Unlike the keyboard from a 3270 or 5250 terminal, their keymap is close enough to PC-standard to work fine on a normal desktop.
posted by wierdo at 2:39 PM on March 27, 2016
Some chefs use the cheap throwaway Dexter Russel chef's knives their restaurant supplier sells them. Other spend a few hundred on a custom carbon-steel chef's knife built to their specifications. The knife won't make once chef a better cook than the other, but the nicer knife will be more comfortable and efficient to use in prep. Perhaps not enough for some chefs to care, others will care a whole lot.
So it is with keyboards! Whether an ergo layout or a mechanical switch or a low-profile, keyboard comfort is one of those things where when it's something you notice, you REALLY NOTICE. I have a hovering ten-fingered hunt-n-peck style that has saved me from serious wrist and hand issues so far, but accuracy and speed are a problem for me. Mechanical switches do help with that, which is why they rule the gaming world and litter the desks of professional programmers. Some folks won't notice or care, or care long enough to balk at the pricetag and that's fine. But the differences aren't imaginary.
posted by Slap*Happy at 3:01 PM on March 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
So it is with keyboards! Whether an ergo layout or a mechanical switch or a low-profile, keyboard comfort is one of those things where when it's something you notice, you REALLY NOTICE. I have a hovering ten-fingered hunt-n-peck style that has saved me from serious wrist and hand issues so far, but accuracy and speed are a problem for me. Mechanical switches do help with that, which is why they rule the gaming world and litter the desks of professional programmers. Some folks won't notice or care, or care long enough to balk at the pricetag and that's fine. But the differences aren't imaginary.
posted by Slap*Happy at 3:01 PM on March 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
Your fingers know precisely when the switch activates and don't slam into the bottom of the travel, saving both effort and wear on your joints and tendons from the sudden unexpected stop.
I've been a model-m guy since my XT-286 days, but never appreciated the benefits truly until my rheumatoid arthritis kicked in. "If I have to, I can bring in a doctor's note..."
posted by mikelieman at 3:04 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've been a model-m guy since my XT-286 days, but never appreciated the benefits truly until my rheumatoid arthritis kicked in. "If I have to, I can bring in a doctor's note..."
posted by mikelieman at 3:04 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have a coworker who manages to make a netbook/laptop keyboard output decibels like a (albeit tired and fatigued) Model M.
Any suggestions for a quiet keyboard to gift him with (as a preferable alternative to chopping off his fingers and bashing his skull in with his laptop)?
posted by porpoise at 5:36 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Any suggestions for a quiet keyboard to gift him with (as a preferable alternative to chopping off his fingers and bashing his skull in with his laptop)?
posted by porpoise at 5:36 PM on March 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
When I worked 100% in the field as a carpenter, I bought the nicest tools I could afford. Before buying a new drill or saw or tape measure I'd do research, ask my coworkers for recommendations, read reviews, and try to find one in person that I could handle and play with so that I'd know I was getting something powerful, precise, and durable that would serve me well for a long time and that would be a pleasure to use. Having good tools didn't make me a better carpenter, but it made being a carpenter more fun, more satisfying, and less frustrating.
Now I work in the office about 60% of the time, doing project management stuff. Planning/coordinating/facilitating type stuff. They gave me a crappy little HP all-in-one with a garbage keyboard and mouse that had probably been sitting in a closet for several years, and it was just such a pain to deal with that after a few days I started bringing my personal laptop to work—an aging Lenovo T-series that is showing its years but which at least doesn't make me want to throw it across the room every five seconds.
I don't have the money yet to justify it, but you better believe I am going to upgrade my office tools as soon as I can, and step one will be to get myself a nice solid mechanical keyboard. It won't make me a better production manager, but it will absolutely make being a project manager a more pleasant and satisfying experience, no question. It's the difference between a crappy old Chicago Electric impact driver from Harbor Freight and my nice new Milwaukee with the brushless motor, four settings, and five amp-hour battery. They both do essentially the same thing, but one is a frustrating piece of crap that makes me want to throw it across the room, and the other is a precision tool that puts a smile on my face every time I use it. That's how I feel about keyboards, too. Not everybody cares (and it's probably cheaper not to care, at least with keyboards) but it matters to me.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:56 PM on March 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
Now I work in the office about 60% of the time, doing project management stuff. Planning/coordinating/facilitating type stuff. They gave me a crappy little HP all-in-one with a garbage keyboard and mouse that had probably been sitting in a closet for several years, and it was just such a pain to deal with that after a few days I started bringing my personal laptop to work—an aging Lenovo T-series that is showing its years but which at least doesn't make me want to throw it across the room every five seconds.
I don't have the money yet to justify it, but you better believe I am going to upgrade my office tools as soon as I can, and step one will be to get myself a nice solid mechanical keyboard. It won't make me a better production manager, but it will absolutely make being a project manager a more pleasant and satisfying experience, no question. It's the difference between a crappy old Chicago Electric impact driver from Harbor Freight and my nice new Milwaukee with the brushless motor, four settings, and five amp-hour battery. They both do essentially the same thing, but one is a frustrating piece of crap that makes me want to throw it across the room, and the other is a precision tool that puts a smile on my face every time I use it. That's how I feel about keyboards, too. Not everybody cares (and it's probably cheaper not to care, at least with keyboards) but it matters to me.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:56 PM on March 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
Anyway, I guess I'm glad these are here for those who like 'em. Seems a bit like the computer version of buying into audiophile cable weirdness, but whatever makes you happy.
Wow, someone makes an audiophile cable that costs around $20 and will remove my knuckle joint pain? Now this is my kind of weirdness!
posted by vanar sena at 10:48 PM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
Wow, someone makes an audiophile cable that costs around $20 and will remove my knuckle joint pain? Now this is my kind of weirdness!
posted by vanar sena at 10:48 PM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
I recently got an Ergodox Infinity with Cherry Clears for home, and at work got an Ergodox EZ with Gateron Browns. It's taken me a lot of trial and error to figure out how to map my new keys (and where to shift the missing ones), but now that's done, I'm very comfortable, back up to speed, and overall very satisfied. The Ergodox EZ is definitely a professional build, but programming it is fiddly - it uses the Teensy microprocessor, and you basically have to edit a .c file to change the mappings. The Infinity has a nice (closed source - bah) web-configurator. I very much like the split keyboard, and giving my thumbs more to do. All the better that it's with these nice mechanical switches.
posted by dylanjames at 10:53 PM on March 27, 2016
posted by dylanjames at 10:53 PM on March 27, 2016
Oh, I'm surprised nobody's yet mentioned the IBM Model F revival, over here: http://www.modelfkeyboards.com/ Talk about clacky goodness (and some obsessive keyboard archivists)! I'd never heard of buckling springs before reading about these keyboards a couple weeks ago - they're interesting, but too loud for my taste.
posted by dylanjames at 10:59 PM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by dylanjames at 10:59 PM on March 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
As a father of two young children, I would not pay extra for this. I would pay extra for a keyboard I could take outside and hose down.
Here you go - they make them for medical/industrial settings, where washability is a big requirement.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:19 AM on March 28, 2016
Here you go - they make them for medical/industrial settings, where washability is a big requirement.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:19 AM on March 28, 2016
Logically there's no different in usefulness between a Bic and a fountain pen.
Fountain pens require less force to use and are easier on wrists and tendons and suchlike.
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:30 AM on March 28, 2016
Fountain pens require less force to use and are easier on wrists and tendons and suchlike.
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:30 AM on March 28, 2016
a box and a stick and a string and a bear Are you suggesting that folks that prefer a mechanical switch over a rubber-dome are just deluded in thinking that they work significantly better?
Yes. Yes, I am.
From the standpoint of a mechanical thing that will last longer, of course mechanical switch is superior to rubber-dome. But from the standpoint of user interaction, no.
Again, whatever makes people happy. If these were marketed as "this keyboard is cool and makes clicky noises that some people really like", I'd be fine. But when they start touting it as a cure for RSI, or having other highly lauded but very vaguely defined, superiority, it pings my BS/scam indicators.
You like 'em, you want 'em, yay enjoy. There's vastly worse things to spend a couple hundred bucks on. I like plenty of non-standard things that aren't objectively superior to the standard myself.
But the idea that they're superior tools is not one that I see any evidence at all to support. Again, I've been typing for 32 years now, and I type a lot both for my job and in my private life. I've used a Model M, I've used little chiclet keyboards, I've used the default Dell keyboards, etc. The only one I've ever really seen any marked superiority or inferiority on are the membrane keyboards that you almost never see these days (Timex Sinclair Z-80 back in the 1980's) that were always known to be lousy because they have absolutely no tactile feedback at all.
My indifference to the supposed superiority of clicky keyboards is not rooted in a lack of typing experience. Its rooted in the fact that I've experienced them (admittedly about 20 years ago) and I have seen absolutely no difference at all in typing experience other than a noise that drills into my skull and drives me mad.
Again, if people like them aesthetically I say good for them. At least as long as I don't have to hear it.
But I never see people say that they just like them because they think the clicky keyboards are nifty, or they like the aesthetics, or they like the idea of a mechanical device that has an inherently longer lasting mechanism, or they like the lower waste from a product that lasts longer, or whatever. Like on this thread, I mostly see people making highly improbable claims of health benefits, or vague stuff like claiming some mysterious superior typing experience due to the smooth break of the switch.
And that is why it looks like the keyboard version of the cable scam to me. They cost a bundle, they come with claims that are either vague or bogus, and they have a cultlike following who insists that anyone who isn't part of the clicky key club is an inferior typist or just lacks the necessary experience to truly understand the awesome superiority.
Enjoy (well away from my ears please) your clicky keyboard if that's what turns you on. Some people juggle geese! If you make bogus claims that it cures RSI or is somehow objectively superior, then I'll disagree and mark you as a person who has, regrettably, fallen for something similar to the audiophile cable cult.
posted by sotonohito at 6:09 AM on March 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yes. Yes, I am.
From the standpoint of a mechanical thing that will last longer, of course mechanical switch is superior to rubber-dome. But from the standpoint of user interaction, no.
Again, whatever makes people happy. If these were marketed as "this keyboard is cool and makes clicky noises that some people really like", I'd be fine. But when they start touting it as a cure for RSI, or having other highly lauded but very vaguely defined, superiority, it pings my BS/scam indicators.
You like 'em, you want 'em, yay enjoy. There's vastly worse things to spend a couple hundred bucks on. I like plenty of non-standard things that aren't objectively superior to the standard myself.
But the idea that they're superior tools is not one that I see any evidence at all to support. Again, I've been typing for 32 years now, and I type a lot both for my job and in my private life. I've used a Model M, I've used little chiclet keyboards, I've used the default Dell keyboards, etc. The only one I've ever really seen any marked superiority or inferiority on are the membrane keyboards that you almost never see these days (Timex Sinclair Z-80 back in the 1980's) that were always known to be lousy because they have absolutely no tactile feedback at all.
My indifference to the supposed superiority of clicky keyboards is not rooted in a lack of typing experience. Its rooted in the fact that I've experienced them (admittedly about 20 years ago) and I have seen absolutely no difference at all in typing experience other than a noise that drills into my skull and drives me mad.
Again, if people like them aesthetically I say good for them. At least as long as I don't have to hear it.
But I never see people say that they just like them because they think the clicky keyboards are nifty, or they like the aesthetics, or they like the idea of a mechanical device that has an inherently longer lasting mechanism, or they like the lower waste from a product that lasts longer, or whatever. Like on this thread, I mostly see people making highly improbable claims of health benefits, or vague stuff like claiming some mysterious superior typing experience due to the smooth break of the switch.
And that is why it looks like the keyboard version of the cable scam to me. They cost a bundle, they come with claims that are either vague or bogus, and they have a cultlike following who insists that anyone who isn't part of the clicky key club is an inferior typist or just lacks the necessary experience to truly understand the awesome superiority.
Enjoy (well away from my ears please) your clicky keyboard if that's what turns you on. Some people juggle geese! If you make bogus claims that it cures RSI or is somehow objectively superior, then I'll disagree and mark you as a person who has, regrettably, fallen for something similar to the audiophile cable cult.
posted by sotonohito at 6:09 AM on March 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
But when they start touting it as a cure for RSI, or having other highly lauded but very vaguely defined, superiority, it pings my BS/scam indicators.
Your indicators are poorly tuned then. I can tell you precisely why it helps with my RSI - I don't bottom out the keys any more. I find that a lot harder to do with most membrane keyboards, even really good ones. And believe me, I've tried a lot of them (for more than 32 years, as it happens).
You're working really hard to convince yourself of your position, but it is an incorrect one. I'm certainly not one of those people who claims that mechanical keyboards are the best for everyone all the time - I find them not so great for twitch gaming, for example - but there is in fact a tangible difference in the keystroke, and there are those of us for whom it has had a huge effect. Equating it to audiophile nonsense is just tedious and lazy.
posted by vanar sena at 6:38 AM on March 28, 2016 [7 favorites]
Your indicators are poorly tuned then. I can tell you precisely why it helps with my RSI - I don't bottom out the keys any more. I find that a lot harder to do with most membrane keyboards, even really good ones. And believe me, I've tried a lot of them (for more than 32 years, as it happens).
You're working really hard to convince yourself of your position, but it is an incorrect one. I'm certainly not one of those people who claims that mechanical keyboards are the best for everyone all the time - I find them not so great for twitch gaming, for example - but there is in fact a tangible difference in the keystroke, and there are those of us for whom it has had a huge effect. Equating it to audiophile nonsense is just tedious and lazy.
posted by vanar sena at 6:38 AM on March 28, 2016 [7 favorites]
...and they have a cultlike following who insists that anyone who isn't part of the clicky key club is an inferior typist or just lacks the necessary experience to truly understand the awesome superiority.
Wow, what a strawman! Maybe some projection in there, too. Makes it hard to take the rest of what you said on the topic seriously.
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:09 AM on March 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
Wow, what a strawman! Maybe some projection in there, too. Makes it hard to take the rest of what you said on the topic seriously.
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:09 AM on March 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
I bought a Unicomp Model M a couple years ago. I was tired of the sludgy keyboard that I got with my iMac and wanted something a bit more crisp for the six months out of the year that I am working out of my home. I hooked it up, on the hollow core door I use for a desktop in the wood-floored spare room I use for an office. The racket I make when I type is seriously deafening. Fortunately I'm using my mouse and Wacom tablet most of the time.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:11 AM on March 28, 2016
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:11 AM on March 28, 2016
sonohito, maybe try re-reading that last comment of yours? You say an awful lot about you, but very little about others that isn't based on assumptions (and really weirdly uncharitable assumptions, at that). If mechanical keyboards aren't for you, that's totally ok! And if you have any real reason to think that fans of them are liars/elitists/dupes, perhaps that's the info you should be sharing so that your argument is a little closer to coherency.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 9:48 AM on March 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 9:48 AM on March 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
But I never see people say that they just like them because they think the clicky keyboards are nifty, or they like the aesthetics, or they like the idea of a mechanical device that has an inherently longer lasting mechanism, or they like the lower waste from a product that lasts longer, or whatever. Like on this thread, I mostly see people making highly improbable claims of health benefits,
Interesting, I mostly see people saying they like the aesthetic, and a few people saying "it also has health benefits for me". I am not inclined to argue with someone when they tell me what works for them, especially when it doesn’t impact me in any way.
posted by bongo_x at 11:10 AM on March 28, 2016
Interesting, I mostly see people saying they like the aesthetic, and a few people saying "it also has health benefits for me". I am not inclined to argue with someone when they tell me what works for them, especially when it doesn’t impact me in any way.
posted by bongo_x at 11:10 AM on March 28, 2016
I shouldn't have said anything. I don't go on sports threads to say I don't get sports, I shouldn't have come here to say I don't get expensive loud keyboards.
Enjoy them.
posted by sotonohito at 11:19 AM on March 28, 2016 [4 favorites]
Enjoy them.
posted by sotonohito at 11:19 AM on March 28, 2016 [4 favorites]
expensive
I'll repeat that I bought mine five years ago for around $20 brand new. It's nowhere near as fancy as these enthusiast keyboards but there's real MX Blues in there.
posted by vanar sena at 11:47 AM on March 28, 2016
I'll repeat that I bought mine five years ago for around $20 brand new. It's nowhere near as fancy as these enthusiast keyboards but there's real MX Blues in there.
posted by vanar sena at 11:47 AM on March 28, 2016
→ but there's real MX Blues in there
Maybe so, but that supplier doesn't seem to ship to the majority of MeFi readers.
posted by scruss at 8:14 PM on March 28, 2016
Maybe so, but that supplier doesn't seem to ship to the majority of MeFi readers.
posted by scruss at 8:14 PM on March 28, 2016
With regard to the mechanical switches: Razer has their own propriety "green switch" and I've enjoyed typing on mine.
So it turns out a new Cherry or Matias would cost me upwards of 200 € including postage (plus a month of waiting), and in the meantime I came across this Razer Black Widow for about 110 € at a local store so I snapped it up. The verdict so far: Good click feedback, and also somewhat quieter than the Cherry blues but not by much. The keys bottoming out make *a lot* of noise, but then again the idea with getting a clicky keyboard is to not bottom out the keys, so maybe don't do that. Keyboard build looks solid, and the green backlight can be turned down enough that it's not too much of an eyesore.
posted by Dr Dracator at 5:48 AM on March 29, 2016
So it turns out a new Cherry or Matias would cost me upwards of 200 € including postage (plus a month of waiting), and in the meantime I came across this Razer Black Widow for about 110 € at a local store so I snapped it up. The verdict so far: Good click feedback, and also somewhat quieter than the Cherry blues but not by much. The keys bottoming out make *a lot* of noise, but then again the idea with getting a clicky keyboard is to not bottom out the keys, so maybe don't do that. Keyboard build looks solid, and the green backlight can be turned down enough that it's not too much of an eyesore.
posted by Dr Dracator at 5:48 AM on March 29, 2016
> IBM Model F revival
Holy Actual Fuck, Batman — that there's some twee shit and a half:
posted by scruss at 6:05 AM on March 29, 2016
Holy Actual Fuck, Batman — that there's some twee shit and a half:
- Vintage dot matrix invoicing to give it that retro feel: Your packing slip printed with a dot matrix printer on old 1980s green bar continuous form computer paper ...
- Birth certificate label on each keyboard: no, really, the DATE OF MFG standard IBM label is not a birth certificate for your $400 made-in-china kbd.
posted by scruss at 6:05 AM on March 29, 2016
Maybe so, but that supplier doesn't seem to ship to the majority of MeFi readers.
I guess the $50 ones from Monoprice will have to do then. As I understand, it that's around the price of a mid-range dome-membrane keyboard.
posted by vanar sena at 8:35 AM on March 29, 2016
I guess the $50 ones from Monoprice will have to do then. As I understand, it that's around the price of a mid-range dome-membrane keyboard.
posted by vanar sena at 8:35 AM on March 29, 2016
So I've just bought the Corsair M90 RGB keyboard and it's pretty dope. The switches feel and sound great (but why did they skimp on the backspace and G keys?) and the color effects are fun. Did I mention there are 18 extra keys on the keyboard? There are 18 extra keys on the keyboard. And they are programmable using AutoHotKey.
:)
posted by Foci for Analysis at 12:59 PM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
:)
posted by Foci for Analysis at 12:59 PM on April 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by neushoorn at 2:09 PM on March 26, 2016 [3 favorites]