Has anyone ever used a mechanical keyboard?

[Skel]

IBM Model M ftw.

I've cut the cord on a ton of these.. I used to share an office with a guy that decided writing his book was best when I was hung over. As we were the IT department phasing out old computers he always had access to more. I would cut the cord to kindly tell him that it wasn't a good time for writing.. yes, it was indeed a dick move

 

[PottedMeat]

The greatest keyboard ever devised:

looks like mine, except for the multimedia stuff and the wrist pad. nice & cheap, seems reliable too.

i have a model m somewhere here. the 'click' noise got annoying pretty quick.

my favorite was a little ibm 'server' keyboard. it had a stick mouse and was about the size of a laptop keyboard.

 

[Vic Vega]

The pad comes off, I don't use it. Dell makes an all black model without the trim or media functions also. I think both are out of production now.

 

[lxskllr]

Dell makes an all black model without the trim or media functions also. I think both are out of production now.

I got one of those from the thrift shop. Great form factor. If it had mechanical switches it would be perfect :^D

 

[ManBearPig]

Honestly ill probably get this: Sidewinder X4.

Seems decent enough, pretty standard keys, not a lot of noise. I guess it's really responsive too which is nice...while i've never had a response problem in keyboards, apparently its something thats a big deal (anti-ghosting?) lol.

I'd prefer it to be (doesn't look like it anyway) more comfortable.

 

[fatpat268]

Last time I've used a mechanical keyboard was the early 90s. Don't really care for them anymore. I type much faster anyway on a laptop style keyboard anyway, and all of my keyboards nowadays have slim laptop keys.

Only downside: they're a bitch to clean since you can't pop off scissor keys as simply as regular keys.

 

[Eug]

The original IBM was great. However, it's too old - connectors and keys are wrong for 2011.

So, I bought the Matias Tactile Pro 3.0 and that keyboard is great. I get better typing consistency and accuracy with it, and it just feels better.

Unfortunately, I have climbers' elbow, and this keyboard makes it worse, so I had to return it, cuz otherwise I love the thing to death.

I compare most computer keyboards as being similar to a non-weighted synthesizer keyboard, whereas the old IBM or the new Matias as being more akin to a real piano keyboard.

 

[gorb]

Honestly ill probably get this: Sidewinder X4.

Seems decent enough, pretty standard keys, not a lot of noise. I guess it's really responsive too which is nice...while i've never had a response problem in keyboards, apparently its something thats a big deal (anti-ghosting?) lol.

I'd prefer it to be (doesn't look like it anyway) more comfortable.

man up and buy a mech board

 

[Clinkster]

For a quick yet indepth intro I like the overclocker's guide: http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide

This was by far the most valuable guide in terms of understanding and differentiating key switches.

OP, if you're worried about noise, I'd avoid MX Blue switches like the plague. They have a distinct cliky-clacky noise. I went with MX Blacks personally, the sound is far more muffled. High actuation is good for accuracy in gaming too.

Here's my kb, though it was over $20 cheaper when I bought it:
http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-M...THE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322764037&sr=8-1

This thing is built like a damn tank. Every single piece of it feels so solid. If you Google the keyboard, you can find a video of someone running it over with a car, twice, still working fine. There are only three negatives:

1) LED lights (Num locks, Caps lock and Scroll lock) are blinding if directly looked at.
2) Esports wristwrest is stupid looking (I hate the term to begin with).
3) Cord is quite short. Though it's good enough if your tower is the average length away.

 

[sdifox]

I've cut the cord on a ton of these.. I used to share an office with a guy that decided writing his book was best when I was hung over. As we were the IT department phasing out old computers he always had access to more. I would cut the cord to kindly tell him that it wasn't a good time for writing.. yes, it was indeed a dick move

what do you mean cut? They have detachable cords.

 

[ManBearPig]

man up and buy a mech board

I wouldn't mind spending upwards of $150 but i know the noise will drive me crazy! The black switch keys sounded fine but apparently those aren't good for general use.

Man I just want a standard keyboard (maybe with those extra media keys at the top) that doesn't have lag or whatever lol.

 

[insect9]

I love my model M.

 

[Fayd]

why is it the only decent keyboard i can find that's lacking a tenkey and the separate arrows/6key is the happy hacking, and $300?

i'd be willing to go 100 on the filco if it just rearranged the damn keyboard and did away with that extra space.

i need a keyboard to fit within 12". not 14".

 

[ManBearPig]

Can I get a board with MX black switches if I don't use it ONLY for games? Would it be good for typing too? So much quieter.

 

[Clinkster]

Can I get a board with MX black switches if I don't use it ONLY for games? Would it be good for typing too? So much quieter.

It's on my home computer. I use it for typing and gaming alike. I personally love it, some people don't.

The key thing to note with MX Blacks is the linear nature of bottoming down. It won't give you the tactile bump that some typers like to rely on. If you tactile bump and low noise, MX Browns are for you (they're the middle ground of MX Black and MX Blue)

 

[Crono]

I have a Filco Majestouch keyboard with Cherry brown switches. Cost over a hundred dollars, but it was worth it. A pleasure to use when you type a lot.

Using it right now.

I also have a IBM Model M, but it's gathering dust at the moment.

 

[ManBearPig]

It sounds like mx blacks are way quieter than mx browns though (WAY). Id go for mx browns if that was the case. Sounds like the blacks are muffled versions of the browns.

 

[Crono]

It sounds like mx blacks are way quieter than mx browns though (WAY). Id go for mx browns if that was the case. Sounds like the blacks are muffled versions of the browns.

The brown's are just clicky enough and not too loud, though you do get that satisfying sound and tactile feedback. They are good for fast typing, and probably the "average" of the Cherry's. Blues are good if you don't mind the noise.

 

[ManBearPig]

The brown's are just clicky enough and not too loud, though you do get that satisfying sound and tactile feedback. They are good for fast typing, and probably the "average" of the Cherry's. Blues are good if you don't mind the noise.

Hmmm...how much louder than a regular keyboard do you think it is? I think I probably wouldn't mind it unless the sound is like the mx blue with that high pitched wine.

 

[Crono]

Hmmm...how much louder than a regular keyboard do you think it is? I think I probably wouldn't mind it unless the sound is like the mx blue with that high pitched wine.

Oh, it's significantly louder than regular dome switch keyboards.
But it's not annoyingly loud at all.

I went for the Brown's because I was using the keyboard for data entry at work in close proximity to other people in a quiet area. The noise didn't bother anyone (I asked), so I'm glad I went for a keyboard with Brown switches. I haven't been fatigued using the keyboard for hours at a time, so I highly recommend it if you do a lot of typing.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I hate noisy keyboards. My wife has one and it drives me nuts hearing her clack away on that thing. I'm going to get her one that is less noisy.

I can't imagine working in a large office with tons of those old clacky keyboards. I think I'd stab myself in the ear with an icepick if I had to be subjected to that.

 

[Ichinisan]

The greatest keyboard ever devised:

Right now, I'm using the version without media controls. The PrintScreen, ScrollLock, and PauseBreak keys are still in the same place as yours...which is the WRONG PLACE. It's really annoying when I try to bring up System Properties with a one-handed shortcut and I can't do it.

 

[ShawnD1]

What's the cheapest kind of keyboard? I listened to the Model M sound clip on the wiki page and that sounds a lot like every keyboard I have ever owned as well as the keyboard for my computer at work. I only buy super cheap keyboards. The one I'm using right now was $10 and I love the feel of it.

The keyboards I can't stand are the ones where the keys don't seem to move up and down smoothly. The last keyboard I bought online was like that. It slows my typing down to a crawl because the stupid space bar doesn't pop up fast enough for me to click it a second time sowordsendupnothavingspacesbetweenthem.

 

[mugs]

I have a Das Keyboard Professional and a Das Keyboard Silent. I really like them both, and after typing on them I'd describe the feel of typing on a cheap keyboard as "mush." It's like my hands are cold and I can't feel anything.

Between the two I'd definitely get the Silent. I don't see any advantage to the non-silent version unless you're trying to impress people with how cool your keyboard sounds (it doesn't sound cool; my wife hates it). They both have a good feel.

I'd never try to use the non-silent version in a cubicle, but I think the Silent would be fine. It's louder than a typical keyboard, but not by much. The switches are silent, but you still hear a light thud from the keys hitting the end of their range of motion.

 

[Platypus]

IBM Model M ftw.

:wub: