Unpopular Keyboard Opinions

[azhdar]

"skeleton style" keyboards look horrible.

Do you have an exemple ?

[nubbinator]

"skeleton style" keyboards look horrible.

Do you have an exemple ?

JD40, Infiniti, any keyboard that has an open frame or is basically just a plate.

[jonathanyu]

"skeleton style" keyboards look horrible.

Do you have an exemple ?

jd40
sorry jd

[zombimuncha]

Edgar Matias is the pope of the alps religion ;-)

[nubbinator]

Edgar Matias is the pope of the alps religion ;-)

I don't care for Matias Alps, I think it's the clear plastic shell or something, but they don't feel as good as OG Alps to me.

[Steezus]

I don't like Modern Selectric at all, I have yet to see it go well with a board.

[livingspeedbump]

I think the community was kind of hypocritical from starting at hating clones (Kailh comes to mind) to going to preferring them (Gateron) because of feels. Was it always about feels or did some righteousness turn into preference? =/

I've never been hypocritical, I hate all clones.. Except for Star Wars - Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones=worst movie since the star wars movie that came before it.

[ika]

I think the community was kind of hypocritical from starting at hating clones (Kailh comes to mind) to going to preferring them (Gateron) because of feels. Was it always about feels or did some righteousness turn into preference? =/

I've never been hypocritical, I hate all clones.. Except for Star Wars - Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones=worst movie since the star wars movie that came before it.

this is supposed to be the unpopular opinion thread :^)

[njbair]

Edgar Matias is the pope of the alps religion ;-)

I don't care for Matias Alps, I think it's the clear plastic shell or something, but they don't feel as good as OG Alps to me.

I've only tried the quiets so far, but I prefer Matias to dirty OG tactile Alps. And since it's hard to know what you're getting when you buy old Alps sight-unseen, sometimes it's nice to just buy Matias and know they will be smooth.

[livingspeedbump]

I think the community was kind of hypocritical from starting at hating clones (Kailh comes to mind) to going to preferring them (Gateron) because of feels. Was it always about feels or did some righteousness turn into preference? =/

I've never been hypocritical, I hate all clones.. Except for Star Wars - Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones=worst movie since the star wars movie that came before it.

this is supposed to be the unpopular opinion thread :^)

haha, touche.

[E3E]

Edgar Matias is the pope of the alps religion ;-)

I don't care for Matias Alps, I think it's the clear plastic shell or something, but they don't feel as good as OG Alps to me.

I've only tried the quiets so far, but I prefer Matias to dirty OG tactile Alps. And since it's hard to know what you're getting when you buy old Alps sight-unseen, sometimes it's nice to just buy Matias and know they will be smooth.

I'm fortunate to have had all smooth experiences with the vintage boards I've purchased so far.  I have a Zenith Z-150 that's supposed to be coming in tomorrow. No idea if it will have green or yellow Alps. It was MFG in 1988, so I'm hoping for green! We'll see how smooth they are!

An unpopular opinion? The WKL and HHKB bottom row layout is a blow to functionality despite being aesthetically pleasing. 'Course, remapping can fix these issues. I like having a Windows key, myself, but I will admit that WKL has a nice symmetry to it over the standard layout.

[blueangel2323]

"skeleton style" keyboards look horrible.

Do you have an exemple ?

jd40
sorry jd

I actually like the simple industrial look... as long as the keycaps are no more than 2 colours

[sth]

Edgar Matias is the pope of the alps religion ;-)

lol no ive said it before and i'll say it again, matias is the sharper image of the alps religion

[E3E]

Edgar Matias is the pope of the alps religion ;-)

lol no ive said it before and i'll say it again, matias is the sharper image of the alps religion

I think Alps would be the Pope John Paul II of the Alps religion, no? Seeing as they are the OG mfg, ya know (or would that make them god? lol). These days, Matias does what they can. I'm glad someone is at least making quality Alps clones and has so much direct communication with the community.

[zombimuncha]

Edgar Matias is the pope of the alps religion ;-)

lol no ive said it before and i'll say it again, matias is the sharper image of the alps religion

Sharper Image sells you the exact same stuff as other places, for a higher price because they make it look more high-tech. Matias switches are cheaper than old complicated Alps switches, and they actually are (slightly) more high-tech.

I think Alps would be the Pope John Paul II of the Alps religion, no? Seeing as they are the OG mfg, ya know (or would that make them god? lol). These days, Matias does what they can. I'm glad someone is at least making quality Alps clones and has so much direct communication with the community.

I think you just proved my point ;-)


edit: this was my 200th post! yay!

[Want]

There is an endgame.

edit: this was my 200th post! yay!

Congratulations on 200 

[HoffmanMyster]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

[azhdar]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

65% in azerty flavor.

[HoffmanMyster]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

65% in azerty flavor.

skype_puke_emoticon.gif

[azhdar]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

65% in azerty flavor.

skype_puke_emoticon.gif

[HoffmanMyster]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

65% in azerty flavor.

skype_puke_emoticon.gif

Show Image

^-^

[meow a cat]

It's been said before in this thread I think, but I much prefer ABS to PBT.

PBT isn't bad, but worn in ABS just feels 100x better to me.

And I'm not sure if this is really unpopular or not, but I hate non-sculpted keysets and refuse to buy them. )

[trenzafeeds]

It's been said before in this thread I think, but I much prefer ABS to PBT.

PBT isn't bad, but worn in ABS just feels 100x better to me.

And I'm not sure if this is really unpopular or not, but I hate non-sculpted keysets and refuse to buy them. )

I agree on both entirely. PBT feels weirdly clumsy to me (not sure if that's really the right word to describe it), thick ABS is the only way.

[nubbinator]

Depends on the PBT.  I prefer thick worn ABS to PBT most of the time, but I love my PBT sets that came off of Royal Typewriters.  Those are OG Cherry PBT, I believe, and they feel great.  It also seems like PBT gets worse feeling as it ages and ABS gets better feeling.  Thin caps, regardless of ABS or PBT, suck.

I can't get behind POM though.

[Want]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

I've come to a point where I have my favourite version of the HHKB, and will soon have my (hopefully) favourite Korean custom. I can see myself making a keyboard too, but after that, I doubt I'll be interested in anything else. I've quenched my thirst, I have all that I desire. Ya feel me?

If I want a regular white HHKB too, I can simply add it to the collection.

All of this is presuming infinite budget in a perfect world, but that's the idea of it, I guess.

Oh, and if you're in it for the community, you're screwed. 

[HoffmanMyster]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

I've come to a point where I have my favourite version of the HHKB, and will soon have my (hopefully) favourite Korean custom. I can see myself making a keyboard too, but after that, I doubt I'll be interested in anything else. I've quenched my thirst, I have all that I desire. Ya feel me?

If I want a regular white HHKB too, I can simply add it to the collection.

All of this is presuming infinite budget in a perfect world, but that's the idea of it, I guess.

Oh, and if you're in it for the community, you're screwed. 

Haha. Yeah, I'm screwed. 

I'd agree with you to an extent (I've found a few main boards I use all the time), but I still find myself buying/trying more...

[ideus]

My 2 cents of unpopular keyboard opinions:

Bright and shiny, worn off double shot thick and sculpted ABS caps rule.
Windowless ANSI layout with 7x space bar is the only acceptable one.
Boards featuring discrete switches are the only actual mechanical ones.
60% boards with arrows are an oxymoron.

[nubbinator]

If there was a split HHKB (not Ergodox style, but old Apple Ergo style) that would probably be my "end game" board.  As it is, I'm incredibly happy with the boards I have now and don't really see a need for more outside of doing fun projects.

[jonathanyu]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

I've come to a point where I have my favourite version of the HHKB, and will soon have my (hopefully) favourite Korean custom. I can see myself making a keyboard too, but after that, I doubt I'll be interested in anything else. I've quenched my thirst, I have all that I desire. Ya feel me?

If I want a regular white HHKB too, I can simply add it to the collection.

All of this is presuming infinite budget in a perfect world, but that's the idea of it, I guess.

Oh, and if you're in it for the community, you're screwed. 

well you'll probably have a similar case to me.  two years ago I got my 456gt, but still keep buying keyboard until I got my HBQ.  I would still buy keyboard in the future, but probably not as crazy as before and only buy olivetti and cheap cherry.
oh, maybe topre as well, maybe.
I still consider my 456gt as my endgame keyboard

[E3E]

I think the end game board is a relative thing, you know? If you're in the hobby for the long term, then end game relates to current interests and the ultimate examples of said interests.

I thought the Octagon would be endgame (and now there's a v2 over the horizon  ), then I found Alps and figured my Infinity would be it, but now I have a special backlit green alps 60% in mind.

See where this is going?

Excuse the proceeding gush:

I also have an obscure super low serial# vintage Fame keyboard that has blue alps (not that Aruz switch) in it and looks like a Chicony 5161 http://puu.sh/ksjDc/3fb5587f5c.jpg, which is my endgame in the vintage world because it combines a lot of my favorite things: obscurity/rarity, switch type, and build quality (most Fame boards have a distinctly different body style than mine. see: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Fame_GOG3YLTH-5539). I also grinded out part of the plate to add another switch so that it would be able to take an ANSI-like layout since the Enter key did not have stabilizers on the top half. I was lucky that there was a switch position right where I ground out the plate, but it's only a redundant spot for an Enter key, likely the ISO layout. I've been retrobriting it, I sanded down the plate and back metal panel to eliminate some surface rust and repaint it as I see fit. So there's a lot of work going into that. Ultimately if I could get a Leeku Alps/MX 3000 PCB to put in it, that would be it. Done for that. My favorite vintage.

Anyway, yeah. Endgame is a mixture of current interests and investment in the hobby and if and when you are willing to stop. I have been good at not buying every cool thing in sight and truly sticking to what I find to be ideal for me. Gotta admit I won't be able to pass another Octagon release, especially if it has Alps compatibility this time.

For me 75% is the ultimate practical keyboard, which is why I love my Octagon. TKL is a little superfluous in comparison though I do think they look nice. 60% are really nice to play with but not ideal for me. I like the form factor a lot though. Full-size only works in the vintage spectrum when there is no alternative.

My main desk setup uses a Duck Lightpad/Butterfly Pad and the Octagon, and I don't see that ever changing. I like using the Fame board, but my daily drivers will always be those Ducks.

[ideus]

Another unpopular opinion: A keyboard aficionado can be very happy with only one favorite board.

The monogamous geek-hacker does exist.

[E3E]

Another unpopular opinion: A keyboard aficionado can be very happy with only one favorite board.

The monogamous geek-hacker does exist.

I actually agree with this! I could live with just one of my keyboards if I had to.

[ideus]

Another unpopular opinion: A keyboard aficionado can be very happy with only one favorite board.

The monogamous geek-hacker does exist.

I actually agree with this! I could live with just one of my keyboards if I had to.

The future has reached us, all the computers are now touch screen, the few geek hackers are now living underground, and the geek police look for him night and day; when they are captured, they are moved to special facilities to be treated to cure them from the illness of the keyboardists, and be returned to the society where they can be again productive and happy citizens living with no keyboards at all.

[hoz]

Another unpopular opinion: A keyboard aficionado can be very happy with only one favorite board.

The monogamous geek-hacker does exist.

well, considering i have quite a few boxes placed all around at home i could make due with one favourite keyboard per station ;P

[Vibex]

Another unpopular opinion: A keyboard aficionado can be very happy with only one favorite board.

The monogamous geek-hacker does exist.

I've been moving towards this. Still have lots of boards, but most of them just look pretty. May sell them so they can go be with some loving owners.

[hoz]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

personal bankrupcy.

[jerue]

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

personal bankrupcy.

My soon-to-be 456gt and Digilog 55g Realforce agree with you.

[Want]

Quote by jonathanyu:

More

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

I've come to a point where I have my favourite version of the HHKB, and will soon have my (hopefully) favourite Korean custom. I can see myself making a keyboard too, but after that, I doubt I'll be interested in anything else. I've quenched my thirst, I have all that I desire. Ya feel me?

If I want a regular white HHKB too, I can simply add it to the collection.

All of this is presuming infinite budget in a perfect world, but that's the idea of it, I guess.

Oh, and if you're in it for the community, you're screwed. 

well you'll probably have a similar case to me.  two years ago I got my 456gt, but still keep buying keyboard until I got my HBQ.  I would still buy keyboard in the future, but probably not as crazy as before and only buy olivetti and cheap cherry.
oh, maybe topre as well, maybe.
I still consider my 456gt as my endgame keyboard

Yes, I get you man. Maybe I'll still be interested, maybe I'm still curious, but I know that I enjoy Cherry over Alps, and Gats over Cherry, linears over tactile, and so on. I definitely have an image of my favourite keyboard, and I'm able to obtain it. Maybe I'll be buying and selling these smaller, interesting things, but I've still reached the endgame, right?

Quote by E3E:

More

I think the end game board is a relative thing, you know? If you're in the hobby for the long term, then end game relates to current interests and the ultimate examples of said interests.

I thought the Octagon would be endgame (and now there's a v2 over the horizon  ), then I found Alps and figured my Infinity would be it, but now I have a special backlit green alps 60% in mind.

See where this is going?

Excuse the proceeding gush:

I also have an obscure super low serial# vintage Fame keyboard that has blue alps (not that Aruz switch) in it and looks like a Chicony 5161 http://puu.sh/ksjDc/3fb5587f5c.jpg, which is my endgame in the vintage world because it combines a lot of my favorite things: obscurity/rarity, switch type, and build quality (most Fame boards have a distinctly different body style than mine. see: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Fame_GOG3YLTH-5539). I also grinded out part of the plate to add another switch so that it would be able to take an ANSI-like layout since the Enter key did not have stabilizers on the top half. I was lucky that there was a switch position right where I ground out the plate, but it's only a redundant spot for an Enter key, likely the ISO layout. I've been retrobriting it, I sanded down the plate and back metal panel to eliminate some surface rust and repaint it as I see fit. So there's a lot of work going into that. Ultimately if I could get a Leeku Alps/MX 3000 PCB to put in it, that would be it. Done for that. My favorite vintage.

Anyway, yeah. Endgame is a mixture of current interests and investment in the hobby and if and when you are willing to stop. I have been good at not buying every cool thing in sight and truly sticking to what I find to be ideal for me. Gotta admit I won't be able to pass another Octagon release, especially if it has Alps compatibility this time.

For me 75% is the ultimate practical keyboard, which is why I love my Octagon. TKL is a little superfluous in comparison though I do think they look nice. 60% are really nice to play with but not ideal for me. I like the form factor a lot though. Full-size only works in the vintage spectrum when there is no alternative.

My main desk setup uses a Duck Lightpad/Butterfly Pad and the Octagon, and I don't see that ever changing. I like using the Fame board, but my daily drivers will always be those Ducks.

You've broken it down better than I could. Perhaps I will be bit more conservative in my spending, student's budget and all, but we're definitely on the same page.

E: formatting and spelling

[trenzafeeds]

MX blues would be amazing if the stems weren't so loose.

[jonathanyu]

Quote by jonathanyu:

More

There is an endgame.

Aaand?!?  What is it?? 

I've come to a point where I have my favourite version of the HHKB, and will soon have my (hopefully) favourite Korean custom. I can see myself making a keyboard too, but after that, I doubt I'll be interested in anything else. I've quenched my thirst, I have all that I desire. Ya feel me?

If I want a regular white HHKB too, I can simply add it to the collection.

All of this is presuming infinite budget in a perfect world, but that's the idea of it, I guess.

Oh, and if you're in it for the community, you're screwed. 

well you'll probably have a similar case to me.  two years ago I got my 456gt, but still keep buying keyboard until I got my HBQ.  I would still buy keyboard in the future, but probably not as crazy as before and only buy olivetti and cheap cherry.
oh, maybe topre as well, maybe.
I still consider my 456gt as my endgame keyboard

Yes, I get you man. Maybe I'll still be interested, maybe I'm still curious, but I know that I enjoy Cherry over Alps, and Gats over Cherry, linears over tactile, and so on. I definitely have an image of my favourite keyboard, and I'm able to obtain it. Maybe I'll be buying and selling these smaller, interesting things, but I've still reached the endgame, right?

Quote by E3E:

More

I think the end game board is a relative thing, you know? If you're in the hobby for the long term, then end game relates to current interests and the ultimate examples of said interests.

I thought the Octagon would be endgame (and now there's a v2 over the horizon  ), then I found Alps and figured my Infinity would be it, but now I have a special backlit green alps 60% in mind.

See where this is going?

Excuse the proceeding gush:

I also have an obscure super low serial# vintage Fame keyboard that has blue alps (not that Aruz switch) in it and looks like a Chicony 5161 http://puu.sh/ksjDc/3fb5587f5c.jpg, which is my endgame in the vintage world because it combines a lot of my favorite things: obscurity/rarity, switch type, and build quality (most Fame boards have a distinctly different body style than mine. see: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Fame_GOG3YLTH-5539). I also grinded out part of the plate to add another switch so that it would be able to take an ANSI-like layout since the Enter key did not have stabilizers on the top half. I was lucky that there was a switch position right where I ground out the plate, but it's only a redundant spot for an Enter key, likely the ISO layout. I've been retrobriting it, I sanded down the plate and back metal panel to eliminate some surface rust and repaint it as I see fit. So there's a lot of work going into that. Ultimately if I could get a Leeku Alps/MX 3000 PCB to put in it, that would be it. Done for that. My favorite vintage.

Anyway, yeah. Endgame is a mixture of current interests and investment in the hobby and if and when you are willing to stop. I have been good at not buying every cool thing in sight and truly sticking to what I find to be ideal for me. Gotta admit I won't be able to pass another Octagon release, especially if it has Alps compatibility this time.

For me 75% is the ultimate practical keyboard, which is why I love my Octagon. TKL is a little superfluous in comparison though I do think they look nice. 60% are really nice to play with but not ideal for me. I like the form factor a lot though. Full-size only works in the vintage spectrum when there is no alternative.

My main desk setup uses a Duck Lightpad/Butterfly Pad and the Octagon, and I don't see that ever changing. I like using the Fame board, but my daily drivers will always be those Ducks.

You've broken it down better than I could. Perhaps I will be bit more conservative in my spending, student's budget and all, but were definitely on the same page.

that's exactly what i mean

[Altis]

MX blues would be amazing if the stems weren't so loose.

That's why Hi-Tek Space Invaders are nicer than MX Blue.

Very stable, and the click is a bit more subtle.

[Kazekumiho]

My unpopular opinion? I love the Cherry G84-4100...with ML switches.

[kurplop]

My unpopular opinion? I love the Cherry G84-4100...with ML switches.

Agreed. The ML is great if you need a switch for a compact application.

[meow a cat]

Depends on the PBT.  I prefer thick worn ABS to PBT most of the time, but I love my PBT sets that came off of Royal Typewriters.  Those are OG Cherry PBT, I believe, and they feel great.  It also seems like PBT gets worse feeling as it ages and ABS gets better feeling.  Thin caps, regardless of ABS or PBT, suck.

I can't get behind POM though.

Yeah, any caps suck if they're thin. Agree with you there for sure. Thick PBT is nice, I don't mind the Gateron PBT for example, it's really smooth. It feels a little cold and unfeeling though, whereas ABS feels warm and welcoming like a well worn-in home.  )

What didn't you like about POM? I haven't tried it yet.

[nubbinator]

It's just too slippery/slick and unpleasant feeling.

[Ralph Furley]

Edited in Update

[livingspeedbump]

The POK3R is nothing special, even a little lame.

PBT doesnt deserve the undying circle-jerking surrounding it. I really enjoy POM and ABS caps as well, usually even more.

Not all rubber dome keyboards suck, some are pretty dang enjoyable.
 

[ideus]

The POK3R is nothing special, even a little lame.

PBT doesnt deserve the undying circle-jerking surrounding it. I really enjoy POM and ABS caps as well, usually even more.

Not all rubber dome keyboards suck, some are pretty dang enjoyable.

I am pretty much agree with you; still, I prefer a mechanical keyboard, over even the most sophisticated rubber dome.

[livingspeedbump]

The POK3R is nothing special, even a little lame.

PBT doesnt deserve the undying circle-jerking surrounding it. I really enjoy POM and ABS caps as well, usually even more.

Not all rubber dome keyboards suck, some are pretty dang enjoyable.

I am pretty much agree with you; still, I prefer a mechanical keyboard, over even the most sophisticated rubber dome.

I'll pretty much agree, absolutely prefer them, but having to use one doesn't always result in this...

[jonathanyu]

The POK3R is nothing special, even a little lame.

PBT doesnt deserve the undying circle-jerking surrounding it. I really enjoy POM and ABS caps as well, usually even more.

Not all rubber dome keyboards suck, some are pretty dang enjoyable.

I actually fall in love with rubberdome recently.  No, not topre. but dell rubberdome