Wooting Lekker Switches

[filcomanfilthy]

Chyrosran's most endorsed gaming keyboard brand has a new model switch being introduced, the lekker. Does anyone have feedback or comparison? This would be a good kb review to have too.

[Kevadu]

I don't think anyone has much to say because they're not actually out yet.  They've shown them off at trade shows and the like but I don't think anyone has gotten a chance to review them in-depth yet.

It's interesting that Wooting has gone for a Hall Effect sensor in the new switches rather than optical like their previous design.  This shouldn't have any effect on key feel as both are contactless but it makes one wonder why they switched.  Given that a larger sensing range is one of the main advertised features of the new switches maybe it was just too difficult to do that with optical.

But Wooting won't even be alone in offering a Hall Effect analog keyboard because Input Club is doing the exact same thing with their Keystone boards.  And they're going to be making a clicky version of it as well based on beam springs which I think has a lot of people here interested.  Though if the analog sensing is your main concern you'll probably want to stick to linear anyway...I can't imagine analog sensing making much sense on a tactile or clicky switch.  In which case the specs the two companies are advertising seem very similar...which is better might actually come down more to the software side of things.

So basically...I dunno.  Wait for reviews I guess.

[Findecanor]

It's interesting that Wooting has gone for a Hall Effect sensor in the new switches rather than optical like their previous design.

The previous switch had been developed by Adomax, and then Wooting worked with them to develop the analogue sensing circuitry. AFAIK, there was very little change in the switch module itself.
The switch is available from other brands, just without analogue sensing (Zowie Celeritas II, Gigabyte Aorus K9)

...but it makes one wonder why they switched.

For the new switch, they did not just change mechanism but also manufacturer. The new switch is made by Huano.
I'm guessing that one issue could be patents and another be life-time: Optical switches depend on all LEDs being constantly on — and those wear out. Average lifetime may be high but if you have one bad out of a hundred that fails after only two years, then that would in effect make the whole keyboard fail.

This shouldn't have any effect on key feel as both are contactless ...

The Flaretech is quite smooth. Let's see how well Huano can make it.
Their "Switch Master" switches are not that common: I've seen only one review and it gave it a low score on smoothness.

I can't imagine analog sensing making much sense on a tactile or clicky switch.

I think that if the tactile event is reasonably early in the stroke and you have a long linear portion below it, then that could be useful.

Analogue sensing could also enable:
* Adjustable actuation distance.
* Double-action keys: A second actuation at the bottom. Some electric typewriters' space bars use have these: they repeat only if you press it to the bottom.

BTW. The hall-effect OmniPoint switches in the SteelSeries Apex Pro are probably capable of full analogue sensing but SteelSeries are using it only for adjustable actuation distance.

[el_murdoque]

I gave that keyboard a closer look and now I want one.

For entirely different reasons.

One thing is, I do appreciate a linear switch - at least when it's really smooth, but usually prefer a tactile one.
My gut says that with the option to set the height at which a key press is registered, I can remedy my problems with typing on linear switches - and I will gain the option of analog input for those games that are supported, which is a great byproduct. 
Well, that is true for the Wooting One and the Wooting Two as well, even though they use another kind of switch.

And I don't even want to go into any kind of detail about those switches, because most would be speculation (such as: since they are contactless as well, they should be just as smooth but these seem to be soldered to the PCB and have different (better) stems, the keys might be even smoother on off center key presses).

I want to stress the point, that to my humble opinion, Wooting has, once more, done something that has not really been done before:
They are doing a keyboard that is modern, stylish (I certainly do hope those keycaps light up as promised), offers some rare features (Contactless Hall effect switches + analog input) that benefit gamers and is made of high quality components.
It looks grown up and made of high quality components, though.

I personally use the Logitech G610 keyboard because it looks like a modern keyboard without bells and whistles and not like
A) an UFO has landed on your desk like your typical gaming keyboard or B) a computer keyboard from at least three decades ago.
It is plain, black, has only one color to light up and not much in terms of extra features.

When you're looking for a keyboard that says "I'm a grown man, yet I value a good keyboard" you could put a 122 key Model F on your Desk, which does not really give the rest of the room a non-nerdy look, or you could find something nice and stylish, designed to look sleek on your designer desk - but missing 40% of the keys.
I can't do 60% keyboards. I could manage on a TKL, but will still miss the num block at least once per day. And ironically, When I take a comfortable position on my desk to play a game that requires mouse and keyboard, I'll have about 15cm room from the edge of the (full size) keyboard to the edge of the mousepad, so I don't really see the advantage of TKL. No. I want my keyboard full sized. When you want to leave out keys, take out those useless windows keys but let the nav cluster, the num pad and the F keys be exactly where they belong, please. I have grown so used to the standard 100% format that I do use all of those keys and do miss every single one dearly once it's not where it's supposed to be.

So a person like me, looking for a keyboard that exceeds the quality of cherry MX switches, the only way to go is full custom and even that is hard.
-Find a housing and backplate in 100% size - you'll have to look around a bit. Did I mention I want ISO?
-Find a set of keycaps that's offering a nice sound and feel, in high quality, with back lighting ability in ISO-DE.
Your choices are severely limited and the whole thing will come in north of four hundred bucks if you choose decent switches,
plus you will need to build the thing, or pay someone to get it done.

The way I see it, Wooting has made the only production model 100% keyboard with switches  significantly (well we'll see about that) better than Cherry MX and keycaps to match, which is not a resurrection of an old model (or a legacy product like the Unicomp), but a completely new thing in its own right.

Now could someone please dampen my enthusiasm and talk me out of it, because my finger is hovering over the 'order' button.

[treeleaf64]

I would wait a few days, because the analog keyboards from Input Club are coming out. They are also cheaper than the Wooting, at 100 bucks.

[el_murdoque]

I would wait a few days, because the analog keyboards from Input Club are coming out. They are also cheaper than the Wooting, at 100 bucks.

That's the first I hear of these. Will they be available in ISO Layout?
The kickstarter campaign lists the full sized board with PBT keycaps at $204 and the version with the beam spring switches at $243 though - no mention of a version that's only 100 bucks.
In the preorder in their shop the full sized board in ANSI Layout is listed $179,- . Including shipping and tax, the total cost will be around €250, so it will actually be more expensive.