Mechanical Keyboard Guide

I want to take advantage of the Das promo. Was looking at making it my first mechanical KB anyways ;-). However, I just can't make up my mind if I should get the blue or brown switches.

I'm coming from a standard MS KB that I've used for years, and this may prove I'm not picky, but I want to make sure I go with what's best for me. The mushyness of my KB I can almost say I've gotten use to it, as newer KB's feel a little stiff for me I believe. I may have missed this in the first posts, but didn't see a direct comparison of actuation force of a regular KB vs. Mechanical. Should I go with brown because they're lighter?

With the blue switches, I would look forward to the better typing experience, but I do game lighty. I say lightly as I am sorta recovering from some CTS =P, perhaps I should factor that in too (go for ligher switches? or is the fact that they're both mechanical better for my fingers?=P). Overall I'd say I care more about general KB use, but I don't want a... steep learning curve? when gaming...

Is the "gaming advantage" of the browns smaller than the advantage of the blues for general typing use? =P

ah, I'll try to do more research, but I welcome input =).
 
Using cherry white/clears for typing and gaming atm and I think I would very much welcome brown switches.
 
Very tempted by the new Razer keyboard. Got a chance to try out a friends das and rather liked it.
 
does anybody know if any computer shops in melbourne's southeast have display stock I can try? I'm interested in getting a feel for what a mechanical keyboard is like before i spend $200+ on one. Tried Scorptec but they only have logitech/razer on display and cannot unbox me a steelseries.
 
If you just want to try mechanical switches, just keep in mind that mechanical switches are marketed to businesses, particularly for POS. So as you go about your business around town, just keep an eye out and you will find them.

A few examples from my area:
Saw a board with Cherry black switches at a Home Depot.
My local post office uses Cherry G80-11900 boards.
A friend of mine claims he saw a board with Cherry reds at a Sears.
When I went on a vacation to Maui, the rental car place used Model M's (Unicomp).

It's much more likely you'll see the boards being used than seeing them for sale.
 
sayu said:
If you just want to try mechanical switches, just keep in mind that mechanical switches are marketed to businesses, particularly for POS. So as you go about your business around town, just keep an eye out and you will find them.

A few examples from my area:
Saw a board with Cherry black switches at a Home Depot.
My local post office uses Cherry G80-11900 boards.
A friend of mine claims he saw a board with Cherry reds at a Sears.
When I went on a vacation to Maui, the rental car place used Model M's (Unicomp).

It's much more likely you'll see the boards being used than seeing them for sale.
Click to expand...
how can you tell what kind of switches just by looking at the keyboard?
 
Well, I know what all of those switches feel like so I went and pressed a few keys.
 
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I'm replacing a Das S Silent with a Topre Realforce 103UB 55g. The only US reseller is offering a super deal (a big 20$ discount ;) ). I really hope I'll like it! :D
 
sayu said:
Well, I know what all of those switches feel like so I went and pressed a few keys.
Click to expand...

thats the problem
i dont know what they feel like, hence needing somewhere to try them. i was thinking a PC store with a few set up would be ideal..
 
Shredocaster said:
thats the problem
i dont know what they feel like, hence needing somewhere to try them. i was thinking a PC store with a few set up would be ideal..
Click to expand...

It's pretty easy to tell the Cherry switches apart. There's only 3 switch types you're likely to see in a mechanical Cherry branded POS board - brown, black, or blue. AFAIK the clears, whites, reds, etc, are not very commonly used in their POS boards. So if it clicks, its blue, if it's tactile but doesn't click, its brown, and if its linear it's, black. Black will probably be the one you're most likely to come across.

Or, just buy something like this and keep it in your pocket so you can quickly pull a cap to see what's under it.
 
sayu said:
It's pretty easy to tell the Cherry switches apart. There's only 3 switch types you're likely to see in a mechanical Cherry branded POS board - brown, black, or blue. AFAIK the clears, whites, reds, etc, are not very commonly used in their POS boards. So if it clicks, its blue, if it's tactile but doesn't click, its brown, and if its linear it's, black. Black will probably be the one you're most likely to come across.

Or, just buy something like this and keep it in your pocket so you can quickly pull a cap to see what's under it.
Click to expand...

I think you're still missing my point. It's not a matter of knowing what to look for, its where to look. Nowhere local I've called has any that are on display/willing to unbox to test. Its not that I don't know the technical difference between blues/blacks etc but I've always had the standard membrane/scissor keys and would rather try out mecahnical before I just spend $200+ on one. How do I know if it's the right thing for me personally?
tempted to just get a steelseries G7 and if I don't like it I'll cop the 10% restock fee's they all have and change over to a g19 as I have a logitech and don't mind the key action.
 
Shredocaster said:
I think you're still missing my point. It's not a matter of knowing what to look for, its where to look. Nowhere local I've called has any that are on display/willing to unbox to test. Its not that I don't know the technical difference between blues/blacks etc but I've always had the standard membrane/scissor keys and would rather try out mecahnical before I just spend $200+ on one. How do I know if it's the right thing for me personally?
tempted to just get a steelseries G7 and if I don't like it I'll cop the 10% restock fee's they all have and change over to a g19 as I have a logitech and don't mind the key action.
Click to expand...

And you're still missing mine. I'm saying you are not going to find a store with a wide variety of mechanical keyboards on display for you to sample (in NA at least). That leaves you three ways to test out the switches:

1. Buy them all and sell off/return what you don't like
2. Find a keyboard enthusiast in your area who will let you come over and try all their boards.
3. Keep an eye out for Cherry branded POS boards around town.

All I'm saying is that number 3 is a viable option if you're not in a rush. They're more common than you may think.
 
To try out a mechanical kb at all, check out stores that sell old computer parts. I just dug through old computer parts at my dad's automotive shop and found one kb (NTC KB-6251EA compact 101-key) with old Alps white complicated switches, and two kb's with old Alps blue complicated switches.

I just rebuilt the kb with Alps white switches, ran the keys through an ultra-sonic cleaner too. Stole the PS/2 cable from a junk Dell membrane keyboard, re-terminated it for this NTC, and here I am typing this post with it. Doesn't have NKRO of course, but for a free mechanical kb it's nice! Slowly getting used to the different Enter/Backspace layout, and the smaller key tops than my low-profile Microsoft board, but so far I like it. :cool:
 
Hey I'm not familiar with all the different mechanical keyboard switch types, so maybe you guys can help.

Is the new Razer Black Widow going to make the CLICK CLACK CLACKETY CLICK CLACK racket that those oldschool library keyboards used to make? Or are these the silent variety?
 
RabidRat said:
Hey I'm not familiar with all the different mechanical keyboard switch types, so maybe you guys can help.

Is the new Razer Black Widow going to make the CLICK CLACK CLACKETY CLICK CLACK racket that those oldschool library keyboards used to make? Or are these the silent variety?
Click to expand...

If they're Cherry MX Blue switches, then yes, they will make lots of clicking noises. Browns and Blacks are much quieter, although either switch won't be anywhere near as quiet as a rubber dome keyboard.

Also, I <3 the clicky sound. :D
 
Actually I love that sound too haha I didn't mean to sound like the ruckus would be unwelcome =p.

I really miss those old keyboards. I remember doing a typing test on one and I would get about 140wpm, but on a regular keyboard I can't do much better than 120.
 
The noise also comes from the metal bars under the long keys, if the plastic holders are loose then it'll make a big racket. I'm currently swapping the NKRO board from an old Alps-based NTC keyboard into a Vtech Laser Alps-based keyboard that has better "sway bars" (I'm a car guy) and a more modern backspace/enter layout.
 
RabidRat said:
Hey I'm not familiar with all the different mechanical keyboard switch types, so maybe you guys can help.

Is the new Razer Black Widow going to make the CLICK CLACK CLACKETY CLICK CLACK racket that those oldschool library keyboards used to make? Or are these the silent variety?
Click to expand...

They use Cherry MX Blue switches, so they will click as you press down. A keyboard like the Steelseries 6Gv2 has black switches so they don't click at all, the only sound you'd get is if you bottom out the keys. Something like the Filco has a brown switch option, which again you wouldn't hear unless you bottom out the keys.

Here is a nice rundown of the different kinds of Cherry MX switches out there: http://elitekeyboards.com/support.php#1a
 
I'd be somewhat skeptical of the Razer Black Widow even though it uses Cherry MX Blues. They are fantastic switches, but Razer isn't exactly known for the best-built peripherals. The iOne Scorpius M10 uses the same switches, yet the board is plagued with quality issues. A good key switch does not make a good keyboard (though it's a good start).

I'd still go Filco, Das, Deck, or even SteelSeries if key feel and product quality rank higher than l33t gaming features. I've used a variety of mechanical keyboards, and the cheaper ones do feel...cheaper.
 
imyourzero - I agree. I can personally vouch for the quality of the Filco and the SteelSeries. Both make excellent mechanical keyboards.

I can also vouch for other Razer keyboards I have used to be garbage. Like so many people have been saying, wait and see. :)
 
MS ergo4k + cherry brown update.
So i took a week off to mod this, yea it sounds stupid and crazy but i really only wanted a mech board in this layout, well it's done, (95% of the way) it types fine, feels and sounds awesome, and i even made it tenkeyless (cut off the numpad)
my last 5% is to build in a nostromo n50 in there (not the n52, same thing but less buttons and 3dollars shipped from ebay!) and i guess to clean it up cuz it is rather ugly.
i have pics and stuff on the geekhack mod section(cuz they're dedicated to that stuff) i'll post a finished pic later here if ppl want to see too.
 
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Thats sweet.

I love the ergo layout, but at the same time i love the mechanical click...

Link to a buildlog?
 
New mechanical keyboard:

ZOWIE CELERITAS
http://zowiegear.com/index.php?opti...cle&id=137:announcementkeyboard&catid=37:news
Switch Type: MX Cherry Brown
Price: 119,90 EUR
Release Date: December 2010

Features of ZOWIE CELERITAS
General functions:
6 keys Anti-Ghosting through USB
18K Gold Plated mechanical switches and USB connectors
Ability to change the "Windows"-key to "Ctrl"
Multimedia controls
Highly durable metal inner chassis
Ergonomic design saves space and offer full comfort during use
Connector: USB / PS2 (by USB to PS2 converter)
Cable Length: 1.8m / 5.8 ft.

PS/2 functions
&#8226; Full Anti-Ghosting with PS/2
&#8226; ZOWIE RTR&#8482; technology provides 4 levels of repeat-response (normal, 2x, 4x, 8x) - PS/2
 
If it's anything like their other products I wouldn't hold off your Christmas purchases waiting for this Zowie Wowie.
 
Looking at that Zowie i can't help a feeling that steelseries killed all competition with 6g V2 in price/value department.
 
Michaelius said:
Looking at that Zowie i can't help a feeling that steelseries killed all competition with 6g V2 in price/value department.
Click to expand...

The 6gv2 is the best bang for buck only if you're looking for a keyboard with mx blacks. It would be awesome if Steelseries started making the same keyboard with different switches and the same price.
 
db_Iodine said:
The 6gv2 is the best bang for buck only if you're looking for a keyboard with mx blacks. It would be awesome if Steelseries started making the same keyboard with different switches and the same price.
Click to expand...

I doubt they will since this is such a niche market, but if they did it would become the new budget board standard.
 
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