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Lez talk mechanical keyboards

N

nakedeyes

Banned
aku:jiki said:
I'm about to make this switch but just to make sure... I can get a Ducky Shine and replace keys with replacements from WASD, right? I'd like a funny esc key of some kind and I want to get rid of the spacebar snake.
Click to expand...

My buddy at work did EXACTLY this. only it wasn't the Ducky Shine ( it was a super recent non Shine Ducky model ). He just threw his caps from his old WASD right on. They look great.
 
C

commissar

Member
Got myself a Poker 2! Great little (tiny) keyboard though I'm still getting used to all the keys hidden in a function layer.

I got the white one as I wanted a white PCB. Now I can start planning out some key and case colours!

They're Cherry Reds, which I find a bit noisy. Do those rubber rings make much of a difference?
 
D

Dec

Member
Amazon.ca is complete garbage for mechanical keyboards. Only site worth a shit is ncix and they wont take my payment info.

Where do Canadians order mechanical keyboards?
 
K

kasane

Member
Declarius said:
Amazon.ca is complete garbage for mechanical keyboards. Only site worth a shit is ncix and they wont take my payment info.

Where do Canadians order mechanical keyboards?
Click to expand...

its hard to find stuff really

you can go to newegg but they have a limited selection of boards

i know wasd can ship to canada but they can be pretty pricey and afaik elitekeyboards also ship to canada
 
D

Dec

Member
kasane said:
its hard to find stuff really

you can go to newegg but they have a limited selection of boards

i know wasd can ship to canada but they can be pretty pricey and afaik elitekeyboards also ship to canada
Click to expand...

Ugh. I have to go with like... my third choice of board in order to not pay a ton in shipping and taxes. It's as if Canada is some weird island in the middle of an ocean.
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
Couple good deals on Massdrop right now.

TEX Yoda Trackpoint for $200 - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tex-yoda

12062587546_86522feb8d_m.jpg


KBC Poker II w/ MX Clear for $120 - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/kbc-poker-2-clear

Code for $140 - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/code-keyboard
 
G

gamma

Member
Finally looking to buy a mechanical keyboard. All I need are dedicated media/volume buttons and maybe backlighting. Also I'm thinking MX browns. The only keyboard I can find that has these is the K70, can anyone recommend some others?
 
D

Dec

Member
So I found a local store that stocked some mechanical keyboards and got a quickfire rapid. It doesn't seem to work though. When I plug it in the lights for caps lock etc. Come on but turn off almost immediately. I literally have one PC in the house so my only other way of testing it is a ps3. The first time I plugged it into the ps3 the lights turned on and stayed on. Thought it must be a bios thing but after looking around and and testing more I don't think that's it. I tried plugging it into the ps3 again and it is now doing the same thing my PC is doing. Thinking its a wire problem I tried another microusb but the same results. I know the cable is hard to snap into the back but that isn't the problem, it is in all the way. I've tried the provided PS/2 adapter and nothing.

When I push the cabnle in halfway to my PC the lights turn on for a second then turn off, and if I wobble the cable around it intermittently turns on for a second too. Sometimes when wobbling it the lights dimly flash very quickly as if getting inconsistent power.

Remaining options? Seems like maybe a bad solder connection but I'm not opening it up obviously, but its also a really long drive to return it.

Edit: Figured it out. Updated chipset drivers and usb 3.0 drivers, restarted and it worked.
 
J

jeffers

Member
Ordered a k70 brown from amazon UK back on 24th odd of june, was 2-4 weeks wait, talked to chat today and seems its said to be right at the end of that 4 (24th ish july), expecting further delay though (page gone up to 1-2 months to dispatch) [reason from amazon uk was a giftcard]. Thought would just warn of the wait =/
 
G

garath

Member
Declarius said:
So I found a local store that stocked some mechanical keyboards and got a quickfire rapid. It doesn't seem to work though. When I plug it in the lights for caps lock etc. Come on but turn off almost immediately. I literally have one PC in the house so my only other way of testing it is a ps3. The first time I plugged it into the ps3 the lights turned on and stayed on. Thought it must be a bios thing but after looking around and and testing more I don't think that's it. I tried plugging it into the ps3 again and it is now doing the same thing my PC is doing. Thinking its a wire problem I tried another microusb but the same results. I know the cable is hard to snap into the back but that isn't the problem, it is in all the way. I've tried the provided PS/2 adapter and nothing.

When I push the cabnle in halfway to my PC the lights turn on for a second then turn off, and if I wobble the cable around it intermittently turns on for a second too. Sometimes when wobbling it the lights dimly flash very quickly as if getting inconsistent power.

Remaining options? Seems like maybe a bad solder connection but I'm not opening it up obviously, but its also a really long drive to return it.

Edit: Figured it out. Updated chipset drivers and usb 3.0 drivers, restarted and it worked.
Click to expand...

Glad it's working. Just in case something like that pops up again, the CM line of mechanical keyboards are pretty touchy on the micro usb cable that plugs into the keyboard. It needs to be VERY snugly attached. So many people think they have defective CM keyboards when it just needs to be pushed in harder. My Quickfire pro didn't work initially either but I just pushed it in harder and all has been well since.
 
A

Auron_Kale

Member
Quick question:

I'm thinking of replacing my work keyboard (it's one of those Dell keyboards that come with the workstations we order) with possibly a mechanical keyboard (I miss the clickiness when I type). Obviously it's not for gaming but will just remain at my work desk, so was trying to gauge as to what type of keyboard I should be looking into? Since it's for work, I don't really need anything super-expensive.

Thanks!
 
O

Orayn

Member
I found an Acer 6311-G at work today! (Picture not mine, but it was the same board.)

fN1xFTr.jpg


I had been trying to find a place in a building to do a complete floor-to-ceiling measurement with no tiles in the way, and happened upon a storage closet containing this and other artifacts. Said closet belongs to another department at my college, but I may ask if I can have it on account of how old it is.

It had an AT connection, clicky tactile ALPS clones, and a lot of dust.
 
Z

Zombie James

Banned
Are all switches alike no matter what model they're in? Or do manufacturers tweak them? I'm thinking of upgrading from my Apple keyboard to an MX Brown or Clear mechanical keyboard but I don't need anything with media keys or rainbow backlights or volume knobs or all that other fluff. Just something well-built that'll last a while for my programming work.
 
O

Orayn

Member
Zombie James said:
Are all switches alike no matter what model they're in? Or do manufacturers tweak them? I'm thinking of upgrading from my Apple keyboard to an MX Brown or Clear mechanical keyboard but I don't need anything with media keys or rainbow backlights or volume knobs or all that other fluff. Just something well-built that'll last a while for my programming work.
Click to expand...

The only real instances of "tweaking" are Topre keyboards where you can either get one with uniformly weighted keys or an ergonomic version that gives keys different actuation forces depending on which finger they're meant to be pressed with. Apart from that, the switches are always the same and the differences come from the backplate, keycaps, electronics, case, and other miscellaneous features.
 
G

graywords

Member
Finally decided to bite the bullet and get a Code.

mech_keyboard.jpg


It's my first mechanical keyboard — still breaking it in, but I love it so far. Definitely a super solid piece of hardware.

As expected, the Clear key switches are definitely harder to push in than the Brown sample I have. That's not a bad thing, though; it makes it feel... I guess "meaty" is the word I would use. We'll see if I run into any typing fatigue after prolonged use.

For now, just gonna sit back, bask in the white LED glow, and enjoy some typing.
 
P

Piano

Banned
Those Choc Minis are tempting...but I'm not sure if I can give up the numpad on my Quickfire TK.

Decisions, decisions.
 
Z

Zombie James

Banned
Got my Quickfire Stealth and I love this thing. It's well built, feels great, and it doesn't look like an obnoxious mess. My only issue is that after spending the last three and a half years typing on an Apple keyboard my fingers aren't going where they're supposed to and my WPM dropped about 20%. I need to get in touch with my inner teenager. All we had were old buckling springs to type on back in high school and I was damn good at it.
 
M

Maige

Neo Member
Recently I've been looking for one on a budget that's quiet, any recommendations possibly, recently i've been looking at the Razer Black Widow (right now I'm using a stock keyboard and it's getting the job done, but it's started bugging out recently which is why i'm looking for a new one)
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
Maige said:
Recently I've been looking for one on a budget that's quiet, any recommendations possibly, recently i've been looking at the Razer Black Widow (right now I'm using a stock keyboard and it's getting the job done, but it's started bugging out recently which is why i'm looking for a new one)
Click to expand...
You don't want a Razer BlackWidow if you want quiet. All mech keyboards are loud if you bottom out, but reds, blacks, browns, and clears/white are what you would want to look at.

The BlackWidow uses the equivalent of Cherry Blues, which are the loudest.

Do some googling of the different switch types, and you can watch videos of people typing on them to get an idea.
perfect free said:
Nice. Love that color combination.
Click to expand...
TYVM!

I'm loving it so far. I replaced the keys on my K65, but I'm not sure I totally dig the white/pink on the grey background. Might need to pick up something like a Vortex Race instead.
 
M

MikeOfTheLivingDead

Grapetastic!
Orayn said:
Speaking of MassDrop, ERGODOX KITS ARE UP!

2-piece ergonomic mechanical keyboard available with software-customizable layouts and a variety of switches including the rare-ish Cherry MX Clear. $200 base price once at least 100 people have bought in.
Click to expand...

Careful here. They have a habit of slow, buggy, non-exist driver/software updates for their hardware. I spent $200 on one of their configureable keyboards some years ago. Worst $200 I ever spent on computer related gear. Once I upgraded my OS it was useless.
 
Z

Zia

Member
Hey, so I think I'm going to celebrate the end of my iMac's two week-long stay at the Apple Store by finally purchasing a mechanical keyboard. Any recommendations for something minimalist-looking, that'd be a smoother transition from an Apple keyboard than some other options? I was looking at the SteelSeries 7G, because aside from some branding it seems pretty svelte, and right now I'm using the Sensei [Raw] mouse which is very well made (I mainly like that it's IntelliMouse-esque and matte black and very basic but still, it's a nice mouse). Any other, better recommendations? I haven't handled different switches so right now I'm basically just browsing models, reading reviews and trying to find something respectable-looking that has switches that sound as if they'd be a natural transition from what I'm using.
 
O

Orayn

Member
Zia said:
Hey, so I think I'm going to celebrate the end of my iMac's two week-long stay at the Apple Store by finally purchasing a mechanical keyboard. Any recommendations for something minimalist-looking, that'd be a smoother transition from an Apple keyboard than some other options? I was looking at the SteelSeries 7G, because aside from some branding it seems pretty svelte, and right now I'm using the Sensei [Raw] mouse which is very well made (I mainly like that it's IntelliMouse-esque and matte black and very basic but still, it's a nice mouse). Any other, better recommendations? I haven't handled different switches so right now I'm basically just browsing models, reading reviews and trying to find something respectable-looking that has switches that sound as if they'd be a natural transition from what I'm using.
Click to expand...

Going to a 7G might be a bit jarring for people who haven't used a mechanical keyboard before, since the switches are linear and don't offer much in the way of feedback until you press them all the way in and they bottom out.

Cherry MX Brown and MX Blue are two very popular switches found in a variety of boards that you might want to look into. They're both tactile switches, meaning there's a "bump" you can feel as you depress the key. Blues also have an internal "jumping bean" mechanism that makes them produce an audible click, while Browns don't.

There are sampler kits that include keycaps and a variety of switches if you want to try out various things before you buy, but they're out of stock in most online stores right now...
 
Z

Zia

Member
Thanks for the recommendation. Definitely leaning toward WASD's tenkeyless, now I just need to find some kits.
 
P

potam

Banned
oM2oKpX.jpg
Click to expand...

Just grabbed my Das Keyboard 4 Professional that was dropped off this evening and brought it back to work. First mechanical keyboard, and so far I'm enjoying it. The clicking noise isn't as obnoxious if it's coming from me, I guess....

Usually I keep my keyboard legs folded, but for this I found that I am having to use the included stand/ruler (lol), which I was somewhat worried about since I heard that the magnets didn't really secure it very well. So far, I don't have any complaints, but I have only used it for about 10 minutes.
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
I've neglected to pop in this thread for far too long, but I've gotta do something. My keyboard is in poor shape, its just a random Microsoft wireless keyboard. Works fine, but, lets face it, kind of grungy at this point and cleaning would take too much work. So I finally want to get around to replacing it. So, here are my requirements, wondering if you guys know anything that would fit:

1. Wireless. I don't use this for gaming (I have a Logitech G13 for that kind of stuff), but since I also work from my laptop at my desk, I have a separate keyboard for that so things need to get moved around a lot, the extra cable would just be cumbersome.

2. Basic. I don't want or need media buttons. Never use them, and they make the footprint of the keyboard larger.

3. Ten-key. I hate not having a ten-key. Hate it.

4. Noise. Somewhere in the middle. Not silent, but not overly clicky.

5. Price. Under $150 I think would be best. Under $100 would be great.

Any ideas?
 
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