What Mouse and Keyboard Are You Using Right Now?

Old school. Vintage IBM model M and CH Trackball Pro, both modified for USB. I've tried the newer clicky keyboards but they just don't compare with the classic. I like optical track balls for the lower hassle, but the ball bearings and pool ball in the CH make me keep coming back to it despite having to clean it more often. Both units are built like tanks.

Since going to a track ball, a long time ago, I've never gone back to a rodent other than a few flirtations that resulted in the purchase of a [H] Ratpadz.

-Mike
I have a slightly later IBM laying around that's intermittent (and was heavily gamed on), a model or two after the M and even though it's silicon membranes, it's super solid and still to this day my favorite silicon based keyboard. . I would gladly fight someone with that keyboard, it has 1-2mm steel backing for the keys, they don't build em like that much anymore.
Love your choice of trackball, always wanted to try the CH Trackball pro, even better would be on the original bus setup on an old rig. But for modern use that USB mod is great, they are probably my favorite looking trackballs of all :D
Same with the CST L-Track, uses same size ball as yours too, free spinning scroll is what I miss the most after an MX Master prior and that has it, plus external button support which would be best way around the issues with locked axis/slow mouse movement trigger incompatibility in the Kensington software.
 
Old school. Vintage IBM model M and CH Trackball Pro, both modified for USB. I've tried the newer clicky keyboards but they just don't compare with the classic. I like optical track balls for the lower hassle, but the ball bearings and pool ball in the CH make me keep coming back to it despite having to clean it more often. Both units are built like tanks.

Since going to a track ball, a long time ago, I've never gone back to a rodent other than a few flirtations that resulted in the purchase of a [H] Ratpadz.

-Mike


I agree. I like buckling spring the best too. I decided to try something newer this time around, but I kind for regret it.
 
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I have a slightly later IBM laying around that's intermittent (and was heavily gamed on), a model or two after the M and even though it's silicon membranes, it's super solid and still to this day my favorite silicon based keyboard. . I would gladly fight someone with that keyboard, it has 1-2mm steel backing for the keys, they don't build em like that much anymore.
An intermittent model M is a symptom of a loose backplate. Newer IBM model Ms used heat swaged plastic pins to attache the back plate. Over time these can crack. The fix is to do the "bolt mod": https://wiki.geekhack.org/index.php?title=Modifications:IBM_Model_M:Nut_and_Bolt_Mod

Mine is going to need this someday as every once in a while I have to thump it on the desk to get back a group of keys that go dead.

LOL on the "fight someone", I almost commented you could use it as a weapon - it would make an effective bat.

Same with the CST L-Track, uses same size ball as yours too, free spinning scroll is what I miss the most after an MX Master prior and that has it, plus external button support which would be best way around the issues with locked axis/slow mouse movement trigger incompatibility in the Kensington software.

X-Mouse Button Control may be your friend here. It can program all four buttons of the CH including decent scroll with the ball. It may work with yours as well and it's free. I hadn't seen the CST L-Track - looks interesting.

The other cool thing about the CH is you can easily replace the ball. The dirt cheap ($4) Mizerak cue ball is very heavy and has a relatively soft surface. After a bit of break in, it glides really well and the weight is really good for CAD/drawing/PCB layout work. I've also got a higher quality black cue ball from a billiard store ($10) that weighs a bit less and for gaming, a snooker ball which is very light. The ball that came with it was good quality too. It's nice to be able to customize it so cheap.

There is a CH DT225 sometimes branded "Hologic" that is a native USB that gets rid of the hassle of getting a Trackball Pro serial to work on USB. One word of warning, the Trackball Pro serial is very picky about serial to USB adapters as the serial port voltage for most of these things is way lower than a real RS-232 port. I wound up making my own serial to USB adapter out of a Pro Micro hobbyist board and changing some resistors in the Trackball Pro. The DT225 is hassle free, but more expensive, about $80 used on Ebay. Trackball Pros can be had cheap if one has patience, I think I scored a NIB old stock one for $25. The bearings on the CH Trackballs are cheap and easy to replace and a good fix for one that feels gritty even when clean or if it skips.

-Mike
 
Keyboard: Ducky Miya Pro Panda Edition @ MX Black Switches + QMX clips
Mouse: Nixeus Revel @ Paracord cable
Pad: SteelSeries DeX

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Logitech G410 and logitech G303
Gonna try to get a new mouse this spring/summer. wish we could get a g9 revial.
 
Keyboard is a Drevo Blademaster Pro with Cherry MX Silver switches, keycaps are HyperX PBT Pudding Caps. Plan on picking up a couple accent keys later to complete.

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Mouse not shown is Logitech MX Ergo trackball mouse to finish off the work setup.
 
My newest keyboard is the heaviest and best built beast I've ever tried. KBDFans75 with MX Silver switches and RGB light strip around the base. I added a set of PBT doubleshot key caps, but probably will swap them for a different color scheme.

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I can't help but wonder, what's the point of backlighting if the keycaps don't have translucent lettering?
 
I can't help but wonder, what's the point of backlighting if the keycaps don't have translucent lettering?
The keys are not backlit, only the strip around the base. The light you see is just reflected from inside the base.
 
More than a year later I'm still waiting for a new G700S or some type of successor.
 
Well, the other day my Glorious PC Gaming Race keyboard started screwing up. The thing quit registering a couple of the keys so I went back to my Ducky Shine Zero. I may take the PC Gaming Race keyboard apart and see what I can do with it, but the Ducky will do for now.
 
Well, the other day my Glorious PC Gaming Race keyboard started screwing up. The thing quit registering a couple of the keys so I went back to my Ducky Shine Zero. I may take the PC Gaming Race keyboard apart and see what I can do with it, but the Ducky will do for now.

RIP PCMRKYBD.

My Vortex Vibe is probably the best kybd I have ever used.
 
My Ducky One with white switches and Royal Navy DSA caps has been my daily driver at work for about two years. I still love this keyboard and the caps, and I get compliments from time to time from visitors.

My Roccat kova is not nearly as interesting. :)


Hmm.. i can't link to a website or link to a image. I dunno what the hell is going on. :/
 
After years of hopping between a couple different keyboards, I've gone back to my ancient (12+ years old) Logitech K250 recently. It seems to have no key common key rollover issues and I like the form factor. Especially the layout near the arrow keys. The dated-looking tribal flourishes on it are the only knock on it. I sprayed it down with electronics cleaner and gave it a good wipedown and it's luckily just like new. Lord only knows the spills this thing has received over the years.

My G502 Lightspeed just showed up yesterday. I love the action on it, although the button placement isn't quite perfect. It feels like you need a super tight grip on it or have massive thumbs to hit the front thumb button. Hopefully I'll get used to it. Otherwise it's great.
 
I will try to link it again.. but the forum was overriding the address with ******* or something.
https://imgur.com/a/bvXbZHw

Weird if I try to embed, it acts like it can't find it. But that should suffice.

I like those caps. I'm still using the OEM Ducky caps on my Ducky One. I don't want to sacrifice the double shot translucency. I'm really curious about experimentibg with different materials and shapes though.
 
Keyboard: DIY JD40 MKII @ Cherry MX Speed Silver switches (main keys) + Cherry MX Green switches (function keys) with DSA PBT key caps
Mouse: Nixeus Revel @ Paracord cable
Pad: Artisan FX Hien L MID

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Keyboard: DIY JD40 MKII @ Cherry MX Speed Silver switches (main keys) + Cherry MX Green switches (function keys) with DSA PBT key caps
Mouse: Nixeus Revel @ Paracord cable
Pad: Artisan FX Hien L MID

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Lol. I had to double take on that one. I thought it was a joke at first. I've never seen anyone use such a tiny keyboard (and don't quite get the appeal) :p
 
This is my gaming keyboard, because I don't need 100+ keys in-game.

Since the good part of this custom DIY PCB, I can build my own firmware set the key layout, I use 4 layers in total, useable with 4 FN keys so I get a full size keyboard packed into a 40% keyboard at the end. It's not that hard to get into it, even multimedia keys I have included like to mute/increase/decrease volume.

My main keyboard is still a "big" 65% keyboard see here: https://hardforum.com/threads/what-...sing-right-now.1954432/page-8#post-1044173984
 
As my signature says;

Corsair K70 RGB mk2 mechanical keyboard & Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB wired mouse. Both sat on a large Corsair MM200 gaming surface & the mouse sat on top of a Corsair RGB MM800 Polaris hard mouse pad as well.

I have a slight Corsair RGB "fetish" even though I don't really like RGB & lighting!!!!!! lol
 
This is my gaming keyboard, because I don't need 100+ keys in-game.

Since the good part of this custom DIY PCB, I can build my own firmware set the key layout, I use 4 layers in total, useable with 4 FN keys so I get a full size keyboard packed into a 40% keyboard at the end. It's not that hard to get into it, even multimedia keys I have included like to mute/increase/decrease volume.

My main keyboard is still a "big" 65% keyboard see here: https://hardforum.com/threads/what-...sing-right-now.1954432/page-8#post-1044173984

That thing is so stupid its awesome. [H] as hell lol. Nice work.
 
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Sorry for potato.

Keyboard is very custom. Plans for a fully custom (6 row) ortholinear on the backburner, but for now this one is real nice.

Mouse is a G203, which I quite liked at first, but after a couple years of use I'm liking it less. Might try an ergonomic next. No plans for custom, but did look into it.
 
Can anyone explain to me the appeal of Tenkeyless or 60% boards?

I've never quite understood why so many people like them. I pretty much considered IBM's Enhanced Layout from the mid 80's (with windows/menu keys added - of course - to be the perfect layout.

What do you guys who prefer them gain from the smaller form factors?
The way I've come to rationalize is that not everyone is crunching numbers so they don't need them. And others like to hit their keys so much that they're will to hit 2 for every function they normally would have access to on a TKL. :D
 
I live in fear of this moment. I've been typing more than most over the last 30 years. By all assessments I SHOULD have these kinds of issues, but nothing yet...


knock on wood.
If you've been typing that long without issues, you're doing it right. (y) My brother and I found out really quickly that a Model M is the only way to go, and after my brother got carpel tunnel release surgery before leaving high school, he had to change to something even lighter and the old MS ergo boards were his friend for several years. Now a glass screen is his best friend. The M is still mine, and I'm carpel trouble free. (y)

But I did have to switch to a trackball as mousing for hours was killing my neck and shoulders. And now I keep one on both sides of the keyboard so I can use either hand. (y)
 
I have a slightly later IBM laying around that's intermittent (and was heavily gamed on), a model or two after the M and even though it's silicon membranes, it's super solid and still to this day my favorite silicon based keyboard. . I would gladly fight someone with that keyboard, it has 1-2mm steel backing for the keys, they don't build em like that much anymore./QUOTE]Ah yes, I know these--I hated them so much because they were nothing like the M. I got about 7-9 of them with my Pentium Pros back in the day. And I was lucky enough to get some Ms cheap and replaced them all. But I still have them and the Pentium Pros. At some point when I have time, I'll restore them to stock, pack them up in their original boxes and sell them to a new owner. But not before maxing out at least one or two of them since they were dual processor capable. ;)
 
I have a razer basilisk and razer blackwidow elite. I only got those because of pricing. I got them cheaply, the switches are razer yellow so that they can be quiet.
 
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I like those caps. I'm still using the OEM Ducky caps on my Ducky One. I don't want to sacrifice the double shot translucency. I'm really curious about experimentibg with different materials and shapes though.
It's amazing how much the keycaps can change the feel. I have a few sets that are pretty much just color differences, but even the slightest change in thickness does change things. It's almost as much of a variable as the switch and plate in a board imo.
 
I finally caught up on the thread, lol.

After seeing so many of the awesome custom keyboards and the painstaking work that goes into them, I'm actually grateful that my endgame was just an off-the-shelf widely available Model M. :D
 
I have a razer basilisk and razer blackwidow elite. I only got those because of pricing. I got them cheaply
Hey no harm in that! I've bought several boards because they were cheap and neat to try. I think I actually have an original Blackwidow that has Cherry Blues in them. (y)
 
Hey no harm in that! I've bought several boards because they were cheap and neat to try. I think I actually have an original Blackwidow that has Cherry Blues in them. (y)

In hindsight I think I would have gotten a ducky or something. But I needed something quick, it was cheap as chips, and it does the job admirably.
 
In hindsight I think I would have gotten a ducky or something. But I needed something quick, it was cheap as chips, and it does the job admirably.
I've noticed the shift from non-mech to mech is a huge difference, but not so much from mech to mech. It's like a mech is tasting salt for the first time, and then all the other types of salt (sea salt, Himalayan salt, coarse salt, etc) are the variants in the mech world.

Still I would like to try them all at some point, but that's not a reasonable goal anymore since the number of products has grown by an order of magnitude. :eek:
 
Currently using a CM storm Quickfire XT w/ blue switches, and a Glorious model O mouse. This is the first mechanical keyboard I've ever had, and I really like it. Unfortunately though it appears that CM Storm doesn't make the Quickfire XT anymore, however the Masterkeys series looks to be it's replacement. Can anyone confirm this?

I've only had this Model O mouse for literally one day, but it seems ok so far, aside from a slight rattle and the side mouse buttons move around a bit (which I have emailed Glorious about to see if it is at all normal). The shape is quite a bit different from my g403 and will take a little getting used to.
 
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