Why the Logitech Keyboard K120 is the best I've ever tried, and better than yours.

[False_Dmitry_II]

Yeah, I would never have started had I not been handed one.

My rubber dome board was a $5 off brand and even though I game and all, it just never really seemed to change from the day I got it. Used it 3-4 years and it still has almost all the lettering and no shininess (one or two letters have some edges of them starting to go away.

Someone was switching from desktop to laptop and told me that I could have all the stuff the old one was using. I wanted to keep the keyboard just because it was PS/2 (and that is easier to use for dual boot menus, etc). I happened to poke at it, noticed that it clicked and decided to try it. 2-3 years of using it as my main board and here I am. Now I have ~10 boards (Including repeats/backups). Have montereys to get at some point still, and a few others just for projects not really for adding anything new to my collection.

[arc2]

100 % WUM, no doubt about it.

The space bar is the most balanced key in the whole keyboard, it sits right at the center, and you can actually use it without looking at the keyboard. I mean, that's just brilliant design.

Oh really, nice xD.

In saying that I enjoyed reading the post, made me smile, thanks.

[The Solutor]

Let's recap why people traditionally ended up here. They might have been sick of going through cheap (or worse yet, expensive) "rubble domes" within less than 2 years, or even months, due to either outright failure or mushiness.

 
Again is a god thing to not generalize in either side. I bet real money that on the consistence during the life of a board most of RD will outlast most of the cherry tactile board.

I mean that a cherry brown or clear and even blue will become almost linear well before even the cheapest RD will become mushy.

Obviously linear boards are different, BS are different (i'm not an expert of alps), and mushiness is not the only problem that affects RDs.

What I mean is that considering mech and not as two compact blocks is just wrong, is just like arguing about Americans (i mean the whole continent) v.s. Europeans when there are people from Greece or from Finland or from Alaska or Chile.

[Astounding]

Again is a god thing to not generalize in either side. I bet real money that on the consistence during the life of a board most of RD will outlast most of the cherry tactile board.

I mean that a cherry brown or clear and even blue will become almost linear well before even the cheapest RD will become mushy.

Obviously linear boards are different, BS are different (i'm not an expert of alps), and mushiness is not the only problem that affects RDs.

What I mean is that considering mech and not as two compact blocks is just wrong, is just like arguing about Americans (i mean the whole continent) v.s. Europeans when there are people from Greece or from Finland or from Alaska or Chile.

But.... the cheapest RD is mushy from the start.

[noodles256]

Again is a god thing to not generalize in either side. I bet real money that on the consistence during the life of a board most of RD will outlast most of the cherry tactile board.

I mean that a cherry brown or clear and even blue will become almost linear well before even the cheapest RD will become mushy.

Obviously linear boards are different, BS are different (i'm not an expert of alps), and mushiness is not the only problem that affects RDs.

What I mean is that considering mech and not as two compact blocks is just wrong, is just like arguing about Americans (i mean the whole continent) v.s. Europeans when there are people from Greece or from Finland or from Alaska or Chile.

whats a god thing? is it like potatos?

[mmmty]

I think he meant to type 'good' but the 'O' key was mushy causing typo.

[The Solutor]

But.... the cheapest RD is mushy from the start.

 

Not really, i cooperated with a company that sold (an sell) assembled PCS for 12 years, usually clients were small companies that were used to choose the cheapest accessories, so keyboars were almost always first price ones from random [no]brands, the usual cost was from 2.5 to 6 euro and while some of them were just horrible, others were  good or very good keyboards.

There is no mandatory relation between price and quality.

[The Solutor]

whats a god thing? is it like potatos?

 
wkml 2 hg

[daerid]

As far as rubber domes outlasting mech boards, I'm calling BS on that one. I've worn out several a rubber dome board in a matter of months, with the keys becoming completely mushy and unresponsive, whereas I got my mom a AT101W back in 2001 that still feels exactly the same, ten years later. I can't comment on cherry switches, but I can vouch for alps and buckling spring far, far outlasting rubber dome boards, from personal experience.

[The Solutor]

As far as rubber domes outlasting mech boards, I'm calling BS on that one.

 
If you read what I wrote I already mentioned BS as unbreakable, i think four time in this very tread.

Although mechanical as cherry boards they are in different leagues.

[IvanIvanovich]

I've encountered Cherry boards from the late 80's that still felt pretty much as expected. A slight bit softer from wear but only barely. I've also had rubberdomes that felt like it was full of overcooked pasta after only a few months...

[TacticalCoder]

...but I can vouch for alps and buckling spring far, far outlasting rubber dome boards, from personal experience.

 
Can't say for ALPS (found an ALPS board by chance in my basement but never really used it) but I second that for BS: I've got so many old RD that I threw around because they became unusable while all my Ms (including some that I bought used and that used for many years) do still click happily : )

[theferenc]

What brought me to the Model M in the first place was wearing out 4 Sun Type 6 USB keyboards in a little over a year. I just couldn't keep that pace up, as it was too expensive.

[False_Dmitry_II]

The acer switch (alps compatible for all keys except stabilizers) board I got handed is made in 1994. It was the main keyboard of the person who gave it to me for possibly that entire time. It has also not changed in the 2-3 years I've been using it, including no differences in lettering or shine which it has none of.

On the other hand my brother bought a rubberdome a few years ago and several keys have stopped working.

I've also never touched a rubber dome I didn't think felt mushy either.

[The Solutor]

4 Sun Type 6 USB keyboards in a little over a year.

 
Type 6 are good examples of crap (and expensive) boards, do you ever tried an olivetti just for example ?

They are mostly rubber domes, and they are as solid as Model Ms, and most people here consider them the best keyboards ever. I have one from an M24 and is still like new after 28 years or so.

[baller1308]

the original post wouldn't have been so bad if you left "...and better than yours." out of the title.

[Tony]

Among rubber domes, Logitech, Dell and Keytronic are the best. I bought Keytronic keyboards before learning about mech keyboards, then a Compaq MX11800, then a Model M, then a Filco, and now another Filco.

I chuckle when the topic starter said that he can press space bar without looking at the keyboard because it is exactly at the center. I bought the Ninja keycaps for the same reason.

Clearly, he is just an innocent boy trying to share his naive, limited keyboard experience. We should enjoy him and his posts while it lasts. He'll learn fast.

He's not a troll, he's just a naive boy.

Forgive him, since what he don't know cannot hurt him.

[Bry]

Not gonna lie, when I ruined my xarmor and needed an emergency trip to walmart so I could do my homework for the next few days until I order a new mech board, I picked up this flimsy little logitech k120 (because it was the cheapest thing they had with an ANSI layout). I'm typing on it right now. Comparing it to other rubber dome boards, it's not too bad at all. The feeling is fine, but I don't like rubber domes. IMO pretty much any mechanical switch > rubber domes.

[RC-1140]

Well ripster, you have a little more posts, and are considered a troll for maybe half of them, by half of the geekhackers. But still I think the connotation of the word "troll" is much more positive in your case. Your posts are funny, and confuse some people, OPs posts are partly pretty strange. I'm quite unsure about him. He might be real, and this might be his real opinion. Then this is alright. Maybe a little strange for a starting post, but still alright in my opinion. I agree that he should have read more before posting, but I'm not sure he just wants to troll us Geekhackers.

Anyhow, we might never find out the truth, as OP seems to have left GH after being called troll in his second thread too.

[spolia optima]

It's like the brand itself makes a crappy keyboard turn into a great one.

wow. just wow.

[spolia optima]

Keytronic makes far and away the best cheap keyboards
Even Microsoft models are leagues better than Logitech.

Logitech makes fantastic pointing devices. But their keyboards are garbage.

[itlnstln]

It's like the brand itself makes a crappy keyboard turn into a great one.

I wouldn't have discounted his post until I read this statement.  I don't think I would call him a "troll," but that doesn't sound well-founded.

[itlnstln]

I'm not saying he's wrong or we should **** on him, but that line is awkwardly worded at best.

It's like taking an old Yugo and slapping a Honda logo on it, and now it's a good car.

[noodles256]

a s d f

[itlnstln]

a s d f

Bro, your posts crack me up.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

What kind of a reaction was OP expecting? He's acting as though he had his head bitten off for asking an innocent question. Look at the last 4 words of the thread title – they're a judgment. Why join a website for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts if all you intend to do is convince 10,000 some odd strangers that they're wrong?

[itlnstln]

I don't think of Geekhack as a website for Mechanical Keyboards.

I think of it as a site for keyboards.

Even the logo above has changed to reflect the broader view.

However I will always consider Topre a mechanical keyboard in my wikis.

This.  While GH is dominated by a general preference for mechanical keyboards, it was never only about mechanical keyboards.  Really, we just wanted to talk about keyboards in general.  If someone likes rubber domes, scissors, etc., that's fine, it's their opinion.  Hell, there was a group that was die-hard about Keytronics for awhile.

[itlnstln]

Well, we're not perfect.  The 4 members that were here didn't treat me poorly as a noob.  I think they were just happy someone showed up.  We had more women back then, too.

[flyball]

i have a k200 as a spare keyboard. i think it is almost 20% better than the keyboard the OP has.

[woody]

... Logitech ...
Key labels don't wear off.

They do wear off, very quickly.

[noodles256]

At least noodles isn't rude to noobs.

He welcomes them to Geekhack.

sum1 has to do it

[woody]

Please refer to the pic in the earlier post.  3 years.  Heavily used.  Shiny as can be, labels are fine.

I have worn the legends off (read: not in any way completely, but parts/edges here and there vanished) three different Logitech keyboards in just few months time each - one very general model, one ultra-flat, one diNovo Edge. And I am of the gentle/clean type, whose Filco keycap legends don't show any signs of wear.

Just saying. Probably there's no general rule about Logitech's legend durability.

[woody]

That thought crossed my mind, but I got rid of them once I began hoarding good keyboards. The ultra-flat had also cheap body paint which wore off under my thumbs.
There's one old VAIO I keep which saw very heavy use by me for many years. Gotta capture it's shininess and legend condition ...

[drsauced]

Well, it's time to thank the OP for the recommendation.  I had to replace a bunch of keyboards in our student lab, and decided to go with 15 K120's.  I'll grab some pictures later on to see how they hold up!

[shrap]

If you're buying keyboards for a student lab, I don't think that key feel is a big factor in your decision.

I worked in a computer lab where the keyboards were being used by students for 12 hours a day, seven days a week. I don't remember any of the cheapo Dell keyboards failing, or even if the indices were wearing off. We wiped them down with cleaners every night too.

[False_Dmitry_II]

If you're buying keyboards for a student lab, I don't think that key feel is a big factor in your decision.

I worked in a computer lab where the keyboards were being used by students for 12 hours a day, seven days a week. I don't remember any of the cheapo Dell keyboards failing, or even if the indices were wearing off. We wiped them down with cleaners every night too.

Yeah, the biggest would just be cheap, not too terrible and works for at least awhile. I'm pretty sure most of the people who end up using them wouldn't care. Even potentially in a computer science building.

I agree that he should have read more before posting, but I'm not sure he just wants to troll us Geekhackers.

It's not even only that. If you ignore the flame-baiting title (and you have to to even pretend it was serious), then you would have to start reading just the content. Which was nothing but "I tried a bunch of random boards in a store and this one was the least terrible." Especially when you add in there his comments about other keyboards where he'd end up hitting multiple keys at once. What in the world is THAT terrible, besides, perhaps, netbook ones? Overall there really wasn't much real comparison or testing of anything. Including, in the first post at least, any mention of even a single mech board. I'd think if you wanted to make a serious post like that you'd read (and potentially try) about some other stuff before just claiming yours is the best thing ever.

[drsauced]

No, it was a measure of my benevolence.  I wanted something for the students that wouldn't be too abysmal to type on, but also had to be cheap since we go through 6 or 7 of them a semester.  It isn't straight typing that does them in either, it's the fluids, food, and the mystery gunk that accumulates somehow.

We have some Microsoft keyboards in there now (low profile) and they shine up nicely in a month or two.  The Mac keyboards discolor quickly and then the areas most used on the board stay whitish.  We replaced one Mac keyboard with a dead backspace (delete) key, which was not cheap.

[guiche]

I've owned a Logitech k120 for 6 years. Pretty basic keyboard, but so cheap.

The painted letters are coming off "asd" but it still works like day 1.

So I wouldn't be afraid to buy any of their keyboards.

https://pctechtest.com/best-logitech-keyboards