geekhack Community > Keyboards

Buckling Spring Capacitive Switches?

(1/6) > >>

riverofwind:
I'm just curious what people think of buckling spring capacitive switches. Scott Mueller in Upgrading and Repairing PCs 22nd Edition says they are the highest quality and his favorites. How do they compare to Cherry switches? Do most people prefer Cherrys?

fohat.digs:
That is a very complex issue.

It can be argued that the IBM Model F does not really have "switches" at all in the usual sense of the word. The "switching" is capacative (ie not mechanical) and the buckling spring assemblies are merely mechanisms to make the capacitive action occur.

Zefix:
This comment is coming courtesy of a 1985 ibm model F AT, 1988 model m, and corsair gaming keyboard. So from having a model M, model F, and a gaming keyboard all infront of me here's the rub.

My normal gaming keyboard does not "snap" when I press down a key. Rather it just kind of silently moves downward and then makes a sound when the key bottoms out. With these cherry switches I could successfully press a key without making any noise if I did it slowly.

Ok now the model F is the complete opposite. This switch makes a very crunchy snappy sound/feel upon every key press. I find it extremely satisfying. Even if I try to press a key down as slowly as possible about halfway down it'll snap and then press all the way down making a high pitch metal sound.

The model m is similar to the model f with a couple differences. First off the sound the m makes is very different. The F makes a tick tack sound where the model m makes a thock thock sound. This is because the model F is nearly all metal under the case and the model m uses some more plastics and such. Another difference I feel is that the m comes across as having a shorter key travel. The keys also dont snap as aggressively which to me makes them feel more "mushy" and less "crisp".

So to summarize one way to think about these keyboards is what level of mush/snap do you want in your keys. Rubber domes are the most mushy, then modern switches, then the M, then the F.
PSA: once you get accustomed to the feel of a F you'll turn your nose up at basically every keyboard ever calling it "cheap feeling"

To answer your question specifically, Catastrophically Buckling Compression Column Switch and Actuator is designed for typests and has some cons as it is very loud, very expensive to manufacture (and buy), and misses high-tech stuff like variable key travel (where pressing a key down further makes a character move faster) and RGB. Also model Fs can fatigue your hands if you're not used to them/are typing for long hours. As a programmer I spend more time thinking than I do typing so it's great for me.

riverofwind:
Thanks guys.
@Zefix Looks like the model M is dirt cheap here https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/NEW_M . And the Model Fs are freakin expensive here. https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/store/ and medium price refurbished here https://www.clickykeyboards.com/
Where'd you get yours? Sounds like your fav is the Model F right?

fohat.digs:
IBM Model F keyboards are the best of the lot, for sure, but the originals came in a handful of layouts that are "non-standard" in the modern world.
Ellipse has brought classic 1980s gear forward into today's world with high-quality, all-new components and some solid enhancements.

The 122-key terminal is a near-ISO configuration with some extra keys (easily re-mapped for whatever you need to be handy) and can be modified to a near-ANSI layout with some effort.

You will find much debate as to whether a new Model M from Unicomp or decades-old IBM gear is the way to go, and there are good arguments on both sides. My advice is to try a new Unicomp first to see whether and/or how much you actually like these beasts before going further down the rabbit hole.
 

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page