[Discuss] Higher-end keyboards to try?

[tmetro+blu at gmail.com (Tom Metro)]

Dan Ritter wrote:
> Daniel Barrett wrote:
>> I'm interested in getting a better keyboard, like a Cherry MX type,
>> but would like to try out a few first to compare them.
>>
>> I tried a friend's Cherry MX Blue at work at it was quite awesome,
>> though loud.
> 
> MicroCenter probably has several different kinds, and are
> usually amenable to opening up boxes.

Last time I was at Micro Center they had a demo keyboard mounted to the
shelf in the keyboard isle that featured a variety of Cherry MX switch
types. It probably isn't ideal, as there was only a subset of keys that
used each type, so you couldn't really get the feel of what it would be
like to type on a whole keyboard using that switch type.

Then again, you never really get a feel for a keyboard until you've used
it for a week or so.

Wikipedia has a decent description of the different switch types:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_Electronics#Cherry_switches
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_keyboard
 and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OfUAQiIOWQ


> Personally, I think the Enduras from pckeyboard.com, with proper
> buckling springs, beat everything else hollow.

The buckling springs are stuffer and noisier than the MX blues. I have
an old machine that still has a "tenkeyless" Model M on it that I use
rarely. After years of typing on much lighter action keyboards with much
shorter travel, it doesn't take long for the model M to make my hands sore.


Derek Martin wrote:
> I suspect you want a brown, which has about the same tension in the 
> key switch as a blue but without the click.

I've read likewise - same tactile sensation as blues, but without the
noise. However when I tried them, I got hardly any tactile sensation
from the browns. Not only do you hear the blues, but they have a crisp
trigger point you distinctly feel. The down side is that anyone else in
the room or on the phone can hear them too.


> ...went to Microcenter since I figured they would have the biggest
> selection of keyboards in the store...

I was looking for a "tenkeyless" design (also known as 80%, relative to
the size of a 104-key keyboard; the number pad is wasted space for my
uses) and I think at the time they had maybe only one choice.

I'm also considering 70% designs, which tucks the arrow, Pg Up, Pg Down,
Home, End, Ins, and Del keys into into the main layout. Some designs do
this more effectively than others.

(There are also 60% designs, but they compromise too much for the sake
of space savings in my opinion. At least if you are using them for coding.)


> ...if you'd be interested in something with a slightly smaller form 
> factor, I'd also suggest the CM Storm Quickfire TK...

That's one of the ones I've been considering. (It's an 80% design.)
Among the cheapest at under $70:

http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=13445

But no backlighting.


Corsair Gaming K65 RGB is pretty nice. Many keyboards in this market
have aluminum backing plates under the switches for stiffness. This one
has an aluminum bezel as well, which allows them to make the sides of he
keyboard almost flush with the keys, making it among the narrowest of
the 80% designs. But at $150 you're paying a premium for the fancy
lighting effects (full RGB LEDs with a variety of programmable lighting
patterns), and the lack of competition during the period in which it is
available exclusively at Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/corsair-gaming-k65-rgb-mechanical-keyboard/7547002.p?id=1219279718644&skuId=7547002&st=categoryid$abcat0513000&cp=1&lp=8#


Some example 70% mechanical boards (mostly) with backlighting and MX
blue switches:

Keycool 84
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7NFPF0?psc=1

Vortex KBT RACE TKL Mechanical Keyboard
http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=13523

Deck 82 TKL Mechanical Keyboard
http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=13456

Matias Mini Quiet Pro for PC TKL Mechanical
http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=13874

(You can find reviews of some of these on YouTube.)


Some example 80% mechanical boards (mostly) with backlighting and MX
blue switches:

Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition 2014 (no backlighting, and I believe
it uses a knock-off MX switch, as is becoming increasingly common)
http://www.microcenter.com/product/430345/Blackwidow_Tournament_Edition_2014_Mechanical_Gaming_Keyboard

There are like a dozen Ducky models that fit the general description,
some lacking backlighting
http://www.ncix.com/detail/ducky-dk2087-zero-brown-switch-81-90669.htm
http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=9667
http://www.mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=664
http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=13404
http://www.amazon.com/Ducky-Zero-Shine-Switch-Keyboard/dp/B00HZTRMIM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Vortex KBT ONI TKL Mechanical
http://tigerimports.net/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=13496

KUL ES-87 Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard (Cherry MX Brown)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KI1ZAHY?psc=1

Nixeus MODA Mechanical Keyboard - Brown Switch
http://www.amazon.com/Nixeus-MODA-Mechanical-Keyboard-Tactile/dp/B00L1TLINC/

The CODE keyboards stand apart from the others in that they are aimed at
coders, rather than gamers. It has a DIP switch to switch it to Dvorak,
or Colemak(?). Another switch to swap Ctrl and Caps Lock. No need to
mess with keyboard settings in X. Available in both 80% and full size
versions. But it only comes in MX Green and Clear. (Green is like blue,
but requires more force. Supposedly the closest analog to buckling
springs. Clear are even more rare and work like brown, but similarly
require more force.)
http://codekeyboards.com/


There are also some high-end competitors to Cherry key switches, but
they're less common. (I haven't bothered to bookmark any.)

And if you really want to get fanatical about your keyboard, the next
spec to obsess over is what kind of plastic the keycaps are made from.
Most are ABS, but some say PBT is better. I'll be happy enough if the
lettering doesn't wear off.

After that you can then consider modding options, such as custom colored
key caps, or putting O-rings on the stems to quiet and shorten the key
travel. It seems a whole industry has developed around providing
mechanical keyboards and accessories mostly for gamers. (If you plan to
go this route, watch out for keyboards that use MX knock-offs, as the
after-market caps may not be compatible.)

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
The Perl Shop, Newton, MA, USA
"Predictable On-demand Perl Consulting."
http://www.theperlshop.com/