A Keyboard That Really Clicks

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
75,400
Still have a thing for those clicky clacky keyboards that drive your co-workers to the point of distraction? Matias has the right keyboard for you, but designed to fulfill your clicky needs without inciting your co-workers to riot. It’s pricey, but what cost is too much for excellent response and control.

You're getting the best of vintage engineering and spanking new modern tech. When you're performing hundreds of thousands of strokes a day, a flawless typing experience is worth splurging on.
 
Hmmm...so you have mechanical key action without the noise? I'm not really sure what their setup is. Article didn't go too much into detail.
 
Hmmm...so you have mechanical key action without the noise? I'm not really sure what their setup is. Article didn't go too much into detail.

It uses modified Alps switches, I believe with dampening so it doesn't hit the chassis too hard. There are actually many other mechanical keys without a click, things like every Cherry MX switch except for the blue switches. Cherry black, red, brown, and clear switches all have no click, and they can be found on numerous keyboards (Filco, Das, Leopold, Steelseries, Rosewill, etc)
 
It uses modified Alps switches, I believe with dampening so it doesn't hit the chassis too hard. There are actually many other mechanical keys without a click, things like every Cherry MX switch except for the blue switches. Cherry black, red, brown, and clear switches all have no click, and they can be found on numerous keyboards (Filco, Das, Leopold, Steelseries, Rosewill, etc)

The problem comes from the fact that touch typing is a dead art, and most people have lost the ability to do anything other than mash at a keyboard. Most of the noise from non-robber dome keyboards is from fully bottoming out the switch rather than the clickiness designed into the switch.
 
It uses modified Alps switches, I believe with dampening so it doesn't hit the chassis too hard. There are actually many other mechanical keys without a click, things like every Cherry MX switch except for the blue switches. Cherry black, red, brown, and clear switches all have no click, and they can be found on numerous keyboards (Filco, Das, Leopold, Steelseries, Rosewill, etc)

The article is speaking of tactile feedback without the noise... so black and red shouldn't be on the list. The browns are BARELY tactile (I am using them right now) and I have no experience with clears.
 
I think that some of them used to click through the speakers, (or was that noise?).
 
I love how the article assumes all nerds like the gargantuan monoliths from the 1980s. I hated them. I hated having to wear ear protection while typing up a report. I hated having the cops come to my house every night because the neighbours reported machine gun fire from my house. I'm chuffed to bits to have a keyboard that doesn't sound like Fat Man went off next to my hands every time I punch a key.
 
Don't really believe that. Mechanical without noise? Huh...
 
I know that I am violating the rules by posting this, but I am more disappointed with the new Xbox GPU specification. It means that PC games will held back, too much for my liking.
 
I've still got an old Northgate keyboard around here somewhere, but I'm fine with my split Logitech using a membrane. I'll miss them more than the mechanical KBs, though they're nice too.
 
Two issues with the board referenced:

1. It's for MAC
2. It's Bluetooth...wireless controls suck for game latency.

Maybe I need a steelseries board?
 
The article is speaking of tactile feedback without the noise... so black and red shouldn't be on the list. The browns are BARELY tactile (I am using them right now) and I have no experience with clears.

Clears have a very noticeable tactile bump. Either way, I'm not sure that Alps switches will be any more noticable than what Cherry switches have. Nothing really matches up with the classic CHUNK of the Model M, but nothing else uses springs that break and slam with every keystroke. :)
 
Don't really believe that. Mechanical without noise? Huh...

Loud keyboards like the Model M seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Most current ones are loud only if you slam the keys down rather than touch type. The noise with some have as much to do with chassis construction (dense vs light) as the switch itself. The more expensive mechanical keyboards using Topre capacitive switches (about $300) are pretty quiet.

Obviously there's nothing you can do about clicky switches like blues and greens, those will make a lot of noise no matter what. :)
 
Two issues with the board referenced:

1. It's for MAC
2. It's Bluetooth...wireless controls suck for game latency.

Maybe I need a steelseries board?

... spanking ... hundreds of thousands of strokes a day ... splurging ...

OK, that explains the nerd pron description.
 
Most current ones are loud only if you slam the keys down rather than touch type.

I have a Leopold with MX Browns and I find that although I don't bottom-out the keys, it's still loud, because when the key comes back up to its "resting" position, it makes a noise. It's certainly not as loud as it is when you bottom-out the keys like you said, but it's still loud IMO.
 
The problem comes from the fact that touch typing is a dead art, and most people have lost the ability to do anything other than mash at a keyboard. Most of the noise from non-robber dome keyboards is from fully bottoming out the switch rather than the clickiness designed into the switch.

How the hell do you touch fast AND silently? Because, for me, the faster I type the more noise I make since my fingers move faster and, thus, push the keys much stronger.
 
I'll stick with my old original IBM PS2 mechanical keyboard, 18 years old and still works like new.
Solid feel and heavier than a laptop :)
 
How the hell do you touch fast AND silently? Because, for me, the faster I type the more noise I make since my fingers move faster and, thus, push the keys much stronger.

"Control, control, you must learn control"
~Yoda
 
Two issues with the board referenced:

1. It's for MAC
2. It's Bluetooth...wireless controls suck for game latency.

Maybe I need a steelseries board?

The article also references that there is a non-Mac variant offered that is wired.

But, yeah, the noise of mechanical boards is mostly due to either noisy (that is to say, bad) typing habits and punching the keys with more force than necessary leading to bottoming out and the board construction. My BWU is noticeably louder with the same typing methodology compared to my QFR. Both use the 'notoriously loud' blue switches but because of the different board construction techniques the QFR is most definitely a quieter keyboard, even if you do act like an ape and slam on the keys.

Ideally, when you learn to touch type you stop bottoming out like you become trained to do with membrane keyboards and suddenly the typing becomes much quieter and faster because of that. I'd say a large factor though is that, at least based on my experience, few people know how to type, much less touch type. When all someone has ever used to type with are cell phones, on screen keyboards, and membrane mushboards relearning how to type on mechanical boards can be difficult.
 
The article also references that there is a non-Mac variant offered that is wired.

But, yeah, the noise of mechanical boards is mostly due to either noisy (that is to say, bad) typing habits and punching the keys with more force than necessary leading to bottoming out and the board construction. My BWU is noticeably louder with the same typing methodology compared to my QFR. Both use the 'notoriously loud' blue switches but because of the different board construction techniques the QFR is most definitely a quieter keyboard, even if you do act like an ape and slam on the keys.

Ideally, when you learn to touch type you stop bottoming out like you become trained to do with membrane keyboards and suddenly the typing becomes much quieter and faster because of that. I'd say a large factor though is that, at least based on my experience, few people know how to type, much less touch type. When all someone has ever used to type with are cell phones, on screen keyboards, and membrane mushboards relearning how to type on mechanical boards can be difficult.


Well it really depends on the swtiches. With blue switches, even touch typing is going to be loud because they have the initial clack (actuation point) which is really loud. Of course if you also bottoming out that is going to be the loudest. I had mx blue switches on my das and I my girlfriend hated it. Now I have mx brown with dampers on my WASD and its as quite as a membrane keyboard.

What I learned with this new purchase (went from das blue switches to WASD brown with dampers) is that contrary to what people believe, mechanical keyboards do not have to be super loud. Dampers work a treat and even though the feel is different, it is still a 10000 times better than a membrane keyboard.
 
I've never understood the nostalgia for obnoxiously loud, non-ergonomic keyboards that will give you carpal tunnel syndrome.

This hipster mechanical keyboard fad needs to go die in a fire. Most of the people getting nostalgic for these things weren't even alive when they were the norm. I was, and I don't miss them at all.
 
How the hell do you touch fast AND silently? Because, for me, the faster I type the more noise I make since my fingers move faster and, thus, push the keys much stronger.

"Control, control, you must learn control"
~Yoda
To type at any speed on a my cherry brown keyboard makes decent amounts of noise. At first I thought it was because I was always bottoming out, but then I played around with it and realised the whole movement of the key makes noise even if you don't bottom it. If you press a key and release it quickly, it'll make a noise, if you brush a key, it'll make noise. If I just repeatedly press a key quickly, being careful not to bottom it, it'll still make enough noise that I feel bad typing late at night when others are sleeping or in the office. If I actually leave my finger on the key throughout the stroke and let it depress softly and release softly with my finger damping the movement, it makes it more quiet (still far from silent) but there's no way I could type my typical 60-70 wpm (which admittedly isn't awesome, but none the less faster than I could type if I were trying to keep quiet.
I've never understood the nostalgia for obnoxiously loud, non-ergonomic keyboards that will give you carpal tunnel syndrome.

This hipster mechanical keyboard fad needs to go die in a fire. Most of the people getting nostalgic for these things weren't even alive when they were the norm. I was, and I don't miss them at all.
It's not nostalgia for obnoxiously loud, non-ergonomic keyboards. I bought my first mechanical keyboard after I repeatedly got finger pains from typing too much while writing reports in my final year of college, it's massively more comfortable. I've never been much in to the wave style or split ergonomic keyboards anyway, as they don't suit my typing style and don't feel overly comfortable to me.
 
haha, hipster mechanical keyboard fad. I think the fad of calling everything hipster is what needs to go die in a fire to be honest.

Now, I do not disagree that its a fad and that it kind of have invaded the market and all of a sudden all companies are releasing mechanical keyboards to sell new product. What can I say, I tried this fad and really liked it, I just really enjoy mechanical keyboards better. I also remember the model m, my dad had one and it was awesome and I used it all the time back then.
 
I hear that Ferrari is making a new exhaust system. It's all the brilliant sound that comes from their exhaust note, without any of the sound. You can drive down Main Street with all the roar that comes with owning a premium exotic sports car, without all of the roar. :rolleyes:

Using a mechanical keyboard is amazing not just because of the feedback, but also because of the sound it makes. If you want to dampen it, there are o rings that you can put on your keycaps to get rid of it.
 
I hear that Ferrari is making a new exhaust system. It's all the brilliant sound that comes from their exhaust note, without any of the sound. You can drive down Main Street with all the roar that comes with owning a premium exotic sports car, without all of the roar. :rolleyes:

Using a mechanical keyboard is amazing not just because of the feedback, but also because of the sound it makes. If you want to dampen it, there are o rings that you can put on your keycaps to get rid of it.

Comparing a sports car that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars so you can drive around looking like a wanker to a keyboard you buy for around a hundred dollars that you hope doesn't make you look like a wanker to your coworkers/housemates/family? Yeah, a bit of a skewed analogy IMO :p

I'm sure some people buy mechanical keyboards because they feel all warm and fuzzy inside being able to allow everyone else hear their typing, but I think there are just as many who would prefer to keep all the mechanical benefits without being a disturber of the peace.
 
I could never go without my Ducky Shines

hSmgc.jpg
 
I've never understood the nostalgia for obnoxiously loud, non-ergonomic keyboards that will give you carpal tunnel syndrome.

This hipster mechanical keyboard fad needs to go die in a fire. Most of the people getting nostalgic for these things weren't even alive when they were the norm. I was, and I don't miss them at all.

Please. :rolleyes:

Why has no "ergonomic" keyboard format ever caught on? Because at the begining and end of the day the key layout is not responsible for causing RSI like carpal tunnel or tendonitis. It is poor posture and poor typing technique.

If non-ergonomic form factor keyboards were causationally linked to RSI, there would be billions of cases worldwide...which there aren't. "Ergonomic" keyboards are a "solution" in search of a problem. None has ever caught on to any meaningful market measure, and it is doubtful any every will.
 
I'm using an IBM model M at home. I picked it up a a thrift store for $2.50 IIRC.

I pulled off all of the keycaps and washed them in soapy water. Let them dry out and re-assembled.

I had one sticky/non-functioning key due to a bent spring. Raided a spring from an IBM model M2 I got from a thrift store to fix (worked for 5 minutes and then stopped- prob a bad capacitor).

Still need a Pause/Break keycap for it though. :)

I'm planning on getting a Logitech G13 or the like to sit on the left of it - the only thing I miss from my original G15 is the macro keys (and the Windows key).

I love typing on the thing. I'm far, far more accurate than on my mushy cheap Lenovo keyboard at work and the tactile feedback is great.
 
I've been touch typing since I started using a computern, and although I'm not super fast, I can type at 100wpm no problems all day long (I can peak at 120wpm in certain moments).

What I do know is that, at least for me, noise increases with speed, and you simply can't control the amount of force you do when typing at high speed because fingers move quicker and, thus, they push the keys with more force... and bottoming out comes into place.

So, I'd like to know for those who say that its possible to not bottom out at a decent speed, to confirm how fast they can touch type (and yes, I do touch type the way it should be done, using all fingers in my hands) because, sure, at 50wpm its kinda easy to measure the exact force you require for activation... but at high speed there seems to be no chance to do so.
 
Don't really believe that. Mechanical without noise? Huh...

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rftenkeyless&pid=rf_se170s

And with the regular version, right now, coming in at $240

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rftenkeyless&pid=rf_se07ewv

There's no point in shelling out $180 for an Alps switch keyboard. Alps switch keyboards are pretty great as they're some of the loudest switches when not silenced, but, the Topre is so much better you're getting a lot more keyboard for your money.

I did, in fact. Typing on a white RF 87U TenKeyless right now. ;)
 
I got the Razer Black widow Ultimate, Drives my friends insane over the headset, but damn to I love the clickyness and reponsiveness! A little overpriced for a gaming Mechanical keyboard, but it has the word Ultimate in it, guess that makes it worth it :D. (And I got it free through work)
 
$170 is strictly for the bluetooth (mac) version of the keyboard. The PC wired model is $129 with shipping right now. I linked it up above as I feel like that is the more relevant model to the [H]ard crowd. That is a huge difference from $310.00.

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rftenkeyless&pid=rf_se170s

And with the regular version, right now, coming in at $240

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=topre_keyboards,rftenkeyless&pid=rf_se07ewv

There's no point in shelling out $180 for an Alps switch keyboard. Alps switch keyboards are pretty great as they're some of the loudest switches when not silenced, but, the Topre is so much better you're getting a lot more keyboard for your money.

I did, in fact. Typing on a white RF 87U TenKeyless right now. ;)
 
Two issues with the board referenced:

1. It's for MAC
2. It's Bluetooth...wireless controls suck for game latency.

Maybe I need a steelseries board?

Bluetooth latency isn't bad at all. I use a Logitech bluetooth (the MX revolution that came as a combo, not the one that is sold individually) mouse for all my gaming and I notice 0 lag, plus I love that all the buttons are reprogrammable, along with the general feel of the mouse because I have large hands and the mouse feels large and beefy but not heavy. Also looks sweet. I do however use a wired gaming keyboard.

Anyways back on topic. How is this new or innovative? Mechanical keyboards have been around forever and are still currently sold.
I have never personally typed on one but I have no problems with my current membrane keyboard.
 
Bluetooth is fine for a keyboard.

Keyboards don't require as consistant tracking as mice.
 
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