Backlit Keyboard YES or NO?

[usno_oj]

Hey geekhackers,
Some people love the look of LEDs shining on their keyboard while others have said "less is more".
I understand it come down to personal preference, but I wanted some opinions as to what ultimately made you decide on one over the other.

[Novus]

Sparkly rainbows are good

[tp4tissue]

Kids luv um...

adults... may luv them for all of 15 minutes...

1337 GHers don't give a fff what their keyboard looks like..


I never look at my keyboard..  but I feel it up quite often.

[Novus]

There's no point in being grown up if you can't act a little childish sometimes.

[Puddsy]

I think backlighting looks nasty 99% of the time.

[heedpantsnow]

I think backlighting looks nasty 99% of the time.

+1000

[Tiramisuu]

late night couch typing requires glo in the dark keys.

[Findecanor]

If it was possible to light up all legends evenly, in the centre and in the top/left corner, with double-shot PBT, then it wouldn't be so bad.
Until then, there are other things I value higher.

[Hypersphere]

Prefer non-backlit. Although I work in subdued light, have adequate task lighting to see the keyboard. In addition, the keycaps for non-backlit keyboards are of better quality and appearance.

[Altis]

Everyone is different. I only have 2/9 keyboards backlit. It's kind of nice sometimes, but the keycaps tend to be worse as a result.

I'm also of the belief that if you can't see your keyboard, there probably isn't enough light in the room for your eyes to be safe looking at a computer screen.

White keycaps seem to be much easier to see in the dark.

Bottom line, if you want backlit, give it a go.

[demik]

horrible.

people say they need them for typing in the dark.

learn to touch type ffs. spending so much on boards and can't even type on them.

same goes with keycap sets.

[GL1TCH3D]

Did you ask this because of my thread on reddit? xP
http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/2g575x/you_dont_need_leds_to_be_beautiful/

[Badwrench]

Meh, it gives me one more thing to tinker with.  I don't really care either way as I touch type anyways.  I do find that I prefer using my backlit board during late nite gaming sessions, but not because I can't read the keys, but rather I like to have only the leds on my board and behind my monitor on for a nice subtle glow in the room.  Just enough light to keep my eyes happy. 

[Sent]

They look cool for a bit.  My boards that are backlit never have the LED's on when I'm actually using them.  The exception is a single light for capslock or locking switch for fn layer.

[katushkin]

I like them in all forms. Fully backlit, selective backlighting, and different modes as well.

The new all white RGB backlit Keycool looks soooooo good.... Waiting till I get paid until I can get one

[user 18]

The first mech board I bought was backlit. I'm never buying a backlit board again. After a while, it just stayed off all the time, and was basically a $30-40 feature that I never used. I simply don't see the point in having the LEDs. They also don't work nicely with my V2s, so that's a pretty big downside.

[mouse.the.lucky.dog]

IMHO. I thought I was a touch typist, and I never catch myself looking at the keys, but I notice I have a lot of problems typing in the dark.

I think that  perhaps I need to see the keyboard in my peripheral vision to home my fingers.

Unless you go hog wild with backlighting like the corsair RGB, I would backlit for esthetic reasons no.

But backlighting because you type in the dark, yes.

[redpandasocks]

Currently I'm not using a backlit keyboard but I had one before this.  I think it really just depends on my mood really.  XD

Plus sometimes the pretty colors are fun to look at, as long as they aren't eye-meltingly bright that is.

[Crazyhendrix]

Never bought a keyboard with backlighting... Well, other then my laptop keyboard. Never found a need for them, but they do look pretty to me.

[rowdy]

I work and play in the semi-dark a lot.

A backlit keyboard helps me to enter sometimes long and complicated passwords right first time.  The sort of thing that is difficult to touch type, with lots of symbols in them.

Backlighting can be turned off, and turned on only if you need it.

A backlit keyboard will accept non-backlight-friendly keycaps, and often show a nice underglow when turned up.

[Fragil1ty]

Hey geekhackers,
Some people love the look of LEDs shining on their keyboard while others have said "less is more".
I understand it come down to personal preference, but I wanted some opinions as to what ultimately made you decide on one over the other.

I hate having backlit keys on my keyboard, I don't buy them anymore, the last bl keyboard I owned was a Razer Blackwidow ultimate, I just think it looks tacky tbh.

[absyrd]

I actually find LEDs distracting. That being said, I find myself not HATING the new GONs as long as the LEDs are white and on the dim side.

[Grim Fandango]

Ultimately it does come down to personal preference.

Personally, I do not like the way they look. I find them distracting as I am trying to look at the monitor, and for most touch typists they serve no function. An additional thing I do not like about them is that the LEDs are often one of the parts that are most likely to break on a keyboard (seems to be common for some brands).

Another thing that I have experienced, is that they are not the most convenient legends to have. Typically, a legend that is a contrasting color to the keycap is easier to read in all except for extremely low light conditions.

[GL1TCH3D]

Ultimately it does come down to personal preference.

Personally, I do not like the way they look. I find them distracting as I am trying to look at the monitor, and for most touch typists they serve no function. An additional thing I do not like about them is that the LEDs are often one of the parts that are most likely to break on a keyboard (seems to be common for some brands).

Another thing that I have experienced, is that they are not the most convenient legends to have. Typically, a legend that is a contrasting color to the keycap is easier to read in all except for extremely low light conditions.

So much this
A lot of people don't even care for legends and just use blanks anyway

I still have yet to actually use LEDs for a purpose other than the lock keys (And even then I just don't bother with them)

Besides that whether you're gaming or typing you shouldn't need the backlighting (and if you really need to see the keys turn on a desk lamp?)

[nahka]

I used to think I needed them since I was always peeking at my keyboard (It's dark here in Finland) but now that I got blank caps it seems that I need to just look at my board every now and then to assure myself.

I do still like them on Caps and Num lock tho.

[VP]

If You want to be a good typist, do not watch on your keyboard. In my opinion backlit keyboards are for children.

[jterp7]

If it was possible to light up all legends evenly, in the centre and in the top/left corner, with double-shot PBT, then it wouldn't be so bad.
Until then, there are other things I value higher.

now that i have two, i agree. One is PBT, but if you're a meticulous person (most GHers are) you will be able to tell the slight backlighting variability. I would say on both about 50% is good (both white) half of the bad is greenish or just darker, the PBT is less noticeable since its not going through, but you can see the green vs pink effect.

[FrostyToast]

I like having bling.
For something simple and classic like Dolch, I wouldn't want to have any backlighting aside from locks.
For something like a Duck board, I would definitely want to have some rainbow unicorn **** sprinkles.

[Premonition]

I like some backlighting when possible, it looks really nice (plus 1337 gam3r). If only I could just take a live video of the keyboard and show it on a corner in my screen, that would be pretty cool, since I don't see it out of my peripheral vision when typing or playing games.

[Melvang]

I personally prefer a subtle glow around the caps.  Can't stand the legends being lit.  This is the one thing about my orbweaver I don't like that I need to get remidied.  That and I do really like the HDD activity LED under my esc key.

[RED-404]

I don't mind backlighting, but I can't say I have found a backlit keycap that I liked the feel of.
I also don't like directly visible, absurdly bright LEDs so I tend to paint them only leaving a pinprick of light.

Sometimes I even paint the underside of my keycaps.

[rowdy]

I don't mind backlighting, but I can't say I have found a backlit keycap that I liked the feel of.
I also don't like directly visible, absurdly bright LEDs so I tend to paint them only leaving a pinprick of light.

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Sometimes I even paint the underside of my keycaps.

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Painting the underside of keycaps sounds kinda hardcore :p

[paicrai]

rofl

[StylinGreymon]

For souped up customs, it seems silly not have LEDs, but I don't like them in any other context.

[epzy]

I don't use backlit compatible keycaps, so it really doesn't matter whether my keyboard has LEDs or not.

[ShawnMeg]

I like them as long as they are not blindingly bright.

[fatchoi]

Having some backlighting is cool. I own a faceu 60% board and it has breathing light mode and typefaster= brighter mode.
They are simply so awesome.

If you have a backlighting board, you could always disable it when you don't need it.

[blackbox]

I prefer non-backlit keyboards. Ihave no problems typing in the dark so I dont see it as necessary.

[onseki]

No...

Before I bought my first big boy keyboard, I genuinely thought that I would need the backlighting. I settled on a high contrast yellow on black Filco, but I hardly even look at the keyboard anymore, unless it is extremely dark, or I am drunk. I still don't think I would like a black on black board, but white, pink or grey would be acceptable for those times when I have to glance down.

Backlighting would interrupt the general experience of typing and relaxing.

[_PixelNinja]

Personal preference. I do not like back lighting:

– I prefer subtle looking keyboards ;
– Back lit key caps options are far and few between ;
– LEDs add another, IMO, unnecessary point of failure.

[coreXeon]

I prefer non-backlit keyboards. I have no need for them and the LEDs get in the way when you want to change switch stems.

[davkol]

Umm, what's the point of backlighting anyway?

• More eye strain, especially in poorly lit environment and even worse if the lights are bright (e.g., blue-light hazard) or flicker
• Supporting bad typing/whatever technique that causes additional strain on neck and you name it.
• More parts that can break, more soldering of questionable quality, usually **** quality keycaps and difficult-to-open switches.
• Uneven contrast across lettering in most cases (i.e. anything but scissor switches).

If I were into conspiracy theories, I'd argue that backlit keyboards are an attempt to keep certain medical professions in business and support the primitive-capitalist economy running (make moar crap!).

Cherry doubleshots on a painted plate on the other hand…

[GL1TCH3D]

For souped up customs, it seems silly not have LEDs, but I don't like them in any other context.

If I'm going to buy a GoN I'd definitely take LEDs even if it's just for the resale value and e-penis

[FoxWolf1]

I tend to think of backlighting as falling into the same category as keycaps with fancy printing methods...

I mean, if you think about it from a purely functional perspective, for a touch typist, why would it matter if the lettering on some of the keys wears off? The argument, "you shouldn't be looking at your keyboard anyway" applies just as well to the case of pad printing vs dyesub as to backlit vs non-backlit. But some people care about the look of their keyboard, and their taste requires consistent lettering across the keyboard, so they spend the extra money on nicer keycaps. By the same token, some people have a preference for the appearance of backlit keyboards, and are willing to accept the costs to have that look. And that's really all there is to it.

[inanis]

I don't mind backilghting at all. I mean, it's not like you have to keep it on just because the keyboard comes with it. So, it is off in situations where I don't want it, and on in situations where I do. Though, I do typically operate with the backlighting set to a very low level. I can't imagine the thing turned all the way up, I'd go blind! The one thing that really turns me off is typical backlite friendly keycaps. Those are the worst. Those get removed instantly and instead of illuminated legends, I go with a soft subtle glow under the caps. No shine through is a must.

[davkol]

I mean, if you think about it from a purely functional perspective, for a touch typist, why would it matter if the lettering on some of the keys wears off?

Idk about you, but I can't feel doubleshot/dyesub lettering under my fingertips, which certainly isn't the case with engraved, painted, laser-etched and sometimes printed legends.

I find some kind of easily visible lettering quite useful, when I'm putting a set on a keyboard—to distinguish different profiles/rows. An obscure use case, but an use case nevertheless.

If it's assumed keycaps with legends (as opposed to blanks) improve accessibility for some users, higher quality printing methods make the final product less complex than backlighting.

[FoxWolf1]

I mean, if you think about it from a purely functional perspective, for a touch typist, why would it matter if the lettering on some of the keys wears off?

Idk about you, but I can't feel doubleshot/dyesub lettering under my fingertips, which certainly isn't the case with engraved, painted, laser-etched and sometimes printed legends.

I find some kind of easily visible lettering quite useful, when I'm putting a set on a keyboard—to distinguish different profiles/rows. An obscure use case, but an use case nevertheless.

If it's assumed keycaps with legends (as opposed to blanks) improve accessibility for some users, higher quality printing methods make the final product less complex than backlighting.

I seriously doubt that those extremely minor differences in feel can explain the popularity (among enthusiasts) of more durable printing methods.

If you want to get into obscure use cases, then people who use backlighting to see their keys in the dark will count. If rare cases of accessibility issues are a concern, then you also have to take into account users with bad eyesight, whose ability to see the keys will benefit from backlighting. If anything, that seems likely to be more common than people who will lose the ability to use the keyboard after their letters start to fade. And of course, even lettering that rubs off within days will do the job if you're just using it to get the keys in the right place.

Anyway, the case of different printing methods is just one of the many ways in which people focus on the appearance of their keyboard. There are also keysets that sell on the basis of having different colors, and novelty keycaps that sell for vast amounts of money despite having a negative effect on the typing feel of the key in question. If you're not going to accept that it's okay for appearance to sometimes trump functionality in people's preferences, surely the latter would be a far more fitting target...

[davkol]

I seriously doubt that those extremely minor differences in feel can explain the popularity (among enthusiasts) of more durable printing methods.

Considering the obscurity of some switch mods?

If you want to get into obscure use cases, then people who use backlighting to see their keys in the dark will count.

The police officers with backlit TG3 84key keyboards? I don't doubt that. Who else? Uninformed gamers, who strain their eyes for no actual reason?

If rare cases of accessibility issues are a concern, then you also have to take into account users with bad eyesight, whose ability to see the keys will benefit from backlighting.

Someone should tell these companies that make keyboards for disabled people and seniors that they're doing it wrong. Or perhaps size matters.

What backlit keycaps actually feature a legible typeface anyway?

Anyway, the case of different printing methods is just one of the many ways in which people focus on the appearance of their keyboard. There are also keysets that sell on the basis of having different colors, and novelty keycaps that sell for vast amounts of money despite having a negative effect on the typing feel of the key in question. If you're not going to accept that it's okay for appearance to sometimes trump functionality in people's preferences, surely the latter would be a far more fitting target...

Well, people do lots of dumb things. For example, keyboards are often compared to shoes around here… It's interesting how common is outright unhealthy but fashionable footwear.

[Roibhilin]

i personally dislike backlit because on the one backlit board I have(Quickfire TK) the part where the LEDs are supposed to shine through got greyish from finger oils, so it's way dimmer on the keys that you use more

[Tiramisuu]

I mean, if you think about it from a purely functional perspective, for a touch typist, why would it matter if the lettering on some of the keys wears off?

Idk about you, but I can't feel doubleshot/dyesub lettering under my fingertips, which certainly isn't the case with engraved, painted, laser-etched and sometimes printed legends.

I find some kind of easily visible lettering quite useful, when I'm putting a set on a keyboard—to distinguish different profiles/rows. An obscure use case, but an use case nevertheless.

If it's assumed keycaps with legends (as opposed to blanks) improve accessibility for some users, higher quality printing methods make the final product less complex than backlighting.

I seriously doubt that those extremely minor differences in feel can explain the popularity (among enthusiasts) of more durable printing methods.

If you want to get into obscure use cases, then people who use backlighting to see their keys in the dark will count. If rare cases of accessibility issues are a concern, then you also have to take into account users with bad eyesight, whose ability to see the keys will benefit from backlighting. If anything, that seems likely to be more common than people who will lose the ability to use the keyboard after their letters start to fade. And of course, even lettering that rubs off within days will do the job if you're just using it to get the keys in the right place.

Anyway, the case of different printing methods is just one of the many ways in which people focus on the appearance of their keyboard. There are also keysets that sell on the basis of having different colors, and novelty keycaps that sell for vast amounts of money despite having a negative effect on the typing feel of the key in question. If you're not going to accept that it's okay for appearance to sometimes trump functionality in people's preferences, surely the latter would be a far more fitting target...

I don't think night time use of your keyboard is an obscure use case at all.  Buying into high end keyboards that you carry from location to location and use to play games and do business seem to include late night surfing, gaming, home entertainment, and programming, text entry.