Unpopular Keyboard Opinions

[FLFisherman]

These are supposed to be keyboard opinions...

TOY STORY 2 WAS OKAY

TOY STORY 3 BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE

When Andy drove away.. Man, that was too much. 

Damnit, use spoiler tags.
Bastards.

Romeo and Juliet both die, Leonardo DiCaprio was in a dream the entire time, Vader is Luke's father, Cameron ruins his father's Ferrari, Nemo is reunited with his dad.

Oh wait I forgot the spoiler tags, whoops.

I think this is debatable.

[ander]

MX Blues were created to annoy friends, co-workers, and loved ones. They were designed to destroy relationships, and maybe even lives.

Then what were Greens created for, to destroy the few remaining relationships that could stand listening to Blues?

LOL

Pretty much. And for strong people. I've tried greens. I cried, then I sold the board.

You'd better not go near buckling springs, then.

[jamster]

Buckling springs are so much less fatiguing that stupid ramped force MX springs.

[hullo8d]

i like leaving pizza grease on my keyboard. it gives me that extra boost in speed needed in this competitive world of typing really fast.

[chipotle]

My Realforce keyboard has biased me against my other boards to the point where I may prefer typing on the Apple wired aluminum keyboard to MX Clears.

[jonathanyu]

i like leaving pizza grease on my keyboard. it gives me that extra boost in speed needed in this competitive world of typing really fast.

are you seious

[demik]

My Realforce keyboard has biased me against my other boards to the point where I may prefer typing on the Apple wired aluminum keyboard to MX Clears.

Chipotle name and cherry. If you were a woman id ask you to marry me.


Ah hell, wanna get hitched and enjoy topre together for life?

[Waateva]

i like leaving pizza grease on my keyboard. it gives me that extra boost in speed needed in this competitive world of typing really fast.

are you seious

[demik]

These are supposed to be keyboard opinions...

TOY STORY 2 WAS OKAY

TOY STORY 3 BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE

Toy Story 3 was bad and not needed. Fite me

[FLFisherman]

These are supposed to be keyboard opinions...

TOY STORY 2 WAS OKAY

TOY STORY 3 BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE

Toy Story 3 was bad and not needed. Fite me

This is not only not a keyboard opinion, but it's also a wrong opinion.

[demik]

The only good thing about it was mr tortilla head

[khronokrator]

I generally agree with the Alps > Buckling Spring > Cherry ranking.

Um... I also think buckling spring boards that have experienced some use are simply better than mint condition ones. It's the reason I prefer my restored Model M over my Unicomp Ultra Classic. The switches just feel... better and smoother in some indefatigable way.

There's an older Unicomp Model M type hooked up to a terminal emulator at my work that feels amazing to type on. Almost like my F122 at times. It's seen quite a bit of use, and more than its share of abuse, and it feels amazing. Infinitely better than the Ultra Classic, and I'm pretty sure that's simply because it's seen a lot of use in its 15 year lifespan, and not any manufacturing defects or compromises on Unicomp's part.

[HoffmanMyster]

indefatigable

TIL a new word 

[khronokrator]

It's what you get from reading British literature and talking with Brits on a fairly routine basis. 

Edit: I also used it incorrectly, mea culpa. 

Oh, and...

I think this is debatable.

Very much so. Michael Caine supposedly made a statement to the effect of "Any scene with me in it unequivocally takes place in the real world."

[appleonama]

carbon fiber on a keyboard looks bad

[azhdar]

the reason hhkb is garbage isn't topre itself, it's the fn layout and the fact it's not programmable stock.
Actually any 300$+ keyboard that is not programmable is trash

[theoriginal123123]

the reason hhkb is garbage isn't topre itself, it's the fn layout and the fact it's not programmable stock.
Actually any 300$+ keyboard that is not programmable is trash

Agreed. Anything at that price point better be programmable!

[nubbinator]

HHKB is programmable with dip switches.  You can't change every key, but it's not purely stock.

[HoffmanMyster]

HHKB is programmable with dip switches.  You can't change every key, but it's not purely stock.

Not to mention that if you've spent $300 on your HHKB it probably has a hasu controller.    Unless you live in the EU and didn't proxy it, I suppose.

[nubbinator]

HHKB is programmable with dip switches.  You can't change every key, but it's not purely stock.

Not to mention that if you've spent $300 on your HHKB it probably has a hasu controller.    Unless you live in the EU and didn't proxy it, I suppose.

Exactly.  Also, the HHKB isn't any more expensive than most boards you build yourself or even most Cherry boards with how people treat them.  Most stock boards (that cost at least $100) have ****ty caps that people swap out, putting you at $160-220 to get something that's nice to type on.  Most custom builds (not even talking Kustoms) cost around $120 just for the PCB, plate, switches, and stabs and then you have to source a case and caps.  Again looking at north of $200 with no guarantee that it's programmable.

Yes, the HHKB is expensive, but when you look at the way must people treat MX and Alps boards, it's not really that much different in terms of price. 

carbon fiber on a keyboard looks bad

Carbon fiber accents can look good and there might even be a place with them on some boards, but, yeah, it usually looks bad because it's overused.

The main reason it usually looks like trash though is because people love to use and overuse that god awful 3M Di-Noc.  I don't think I've ever seen that stuff look good or used tastefully.

[jamster]

Carbon fibre looks bad for at least two reasons. The first is that it's just overused generally. The second is because it's just not a sensible material to be using in the first place, so it desperately screams "look at me... please!" Kind of like LEDs, come to think of it

[sinusoid]

Carbon fibre [...] it's just not a sensible material to be using in the first place

Disagree, you get a lof of features from it, compared to steel, alu or plastic.
- lots of stiffness
- thin
- lightweight
- chemically resistant

Agreed it looks fugly, why don't people paint it over is beyond me.

Heard a reason that the paint increases the weight of the thing, which is wtf really.

In other news:

good scissors > mechanical switches

spring-modded Cherry G81 is awesome.

[xtrafrood]

steel scissor switches should be a thing

[sinusoid]

it's already been done.

[xtrafrood]

it's already been done.
(Attachment Link)

RIP johnny depp

[jamster]

Carbon fibre [...] it's just not a sensible material to be using in the first place

Disagree, you get a lof of features from it, compared to steel, alu or plastic.
- lots of stiffness
- thin
- lightweight
- chemically resistant

Agreed it looks fugly, why don't people paint it over is beyond me.

Heard a reason that the paint increases the weight of the thing, which is wtf really.

In other news:

good scissors > mechanical switches

spring-modded Cherry G81 is awesome.

I see weight as a good thing for a keyboard to have- the heft makes it more solid on the desk. I guess this is one of the reasons that people like heavy steel plates so much.

CF does help with vibration reduction, though I'd suspect that would be trivial compared to whatever immediate effect a steel plate has.

I haven't paid attention to CF in keyboards, but would assume that for a top plate you'd have to cut holes for the keys rather than mold it. Cutting through carbon doesn't leave the nicest edges and you get lots of wastage that cannot be recycled. It still has to be hand laid, so very expensive. Far as I know, CF is in no way able to be recycled. Plastic is perfect as it molded and you don't get wastage during production.

I do rather like the look of unidrectional CF, because it looks raw and unfinished. It's the cross woven stuff used as a cosmetic layer that looks a bit silly. May as well use plastic wrap that looks like cross woven CF.

Didn't think that weight of paint was a factor in CF considerations. Paint is very light. It's powdercoating that is heavy, and powercoating can only be applied to metals.

[Steezus]

Carbon fibre [...] it's just not a sensible material to be using in the first place

Disagree, you get a lof of features from it, compared to steel, alu or plastic.
- lots of stiffness
- thin
- lightweight
- chemically resistant

Agreed it looks fugly, why don't people paint it over is beyond me.

Heard a reason that the paint increases the weight of the thing, which is wtf really.

In other news:

good scissors > mechanical switches

spring-modded Cherry G81 is awesome.

I see weight as a good thing for a keyboard to have- the heft makes it more solid on the desk. I guess this is one of the reasons that people like heavy steel plates so much.

I don't know if you've noticed but most CF cases are 60% boards since those boards are the best for travel. The lighter the board the better if you need to toss it into your backpack and go to travel anywhere.

[hwood34]

Carbon fibre [...] it's just not a sensible material to be using in the first place

Disagree, you get a lof of features from it, compared to steel, alu or plastic.
- lots of stiffness
- thin
- lightweight
- chemically resistant

Agreed it looks fugly, why don't people paint it over is beyond me.

Heard a reason that the paint increases the weight of the thing, which is wtf really.

In other news:

good scissors > mechanical switches

spring-modded Cherry G81 is awesome.

I see weight as a good thing for a keyboard to have- the heft makes it more solid on the desk. I guess this is one of the reasons that people like heavy steel plates so much.

I don't know if you've noticed but most CF cases are 60% boards since those boards are the best for travel. The lighter the board the better if you need to toss it into your backpack and go to travel anywhere.

^

[appleonama]

That's why they made the hhkb. That thing is light as hell and portable. not only that the japs designed a special traveling case for the hhkb

[Moistgun]

Perfectly symmetrical boards freak me out ex. planck

[hwood34]

That's why they made the hhkb. That thing is light as hell and portable. not only that the japs designed a special traveling case for the hhkb

but sometimes people don't want to use **** switches...

[axtran]

That's why they made the hhkb. That thing is light as hell and portable. not only that the japs designed a special traveling case for the hhkb

but sometimes people don't want to use **** switches...

Shots fired!

I like the switches though, it's the plasticky feel due to a lack of a metal plate that has the HHKB as "subpar" to me.

[Corsa1r]

I've never used a topre board with a steel plate. but I really enjoy the Type-S I just got because of the organic and slightly bouncy feel to typing it has.  It's nice to switch to from my steel-plate cherry boards, which almost feel unyielding and hard to me now.  I'm a pretty light typist though, so..

[E3E]

That's why they made the hhkb. That thing is light as hell and portable. not only that the japs designed a special traveling case for the hhkb

I like that carrying case--I use it for my Hammer Alps keyboard.

[iLLucionist]

HHKB is programmable with dip switches.  You can't change every key, but it's not purely stock.

Not to mention that if you've spent $300 on your HHKB it probably has a hasu controller.    Unless you live in the EU and didn't proxy it, I suppose.

Living in the EU is horror to buy anything from outside the EU. They aftertax you AND have you buy for electronics import although legally you shouldnt'. My 87U was 80 dolllars more expensive because of that.

[Findecanor]

carbon fiber on a keyboard looks bad

I am OK with things made of carbon fiber if there are engineering reasons for it, but if it isn't made of carbon fiber then it should not look like carbon fiber.
Carbon fiber-printed vinyl is a filthy lie!

RIP johnny depp

He isn't dead! But with the bad luck we have had this year so far with celeb deaths... *knocks on wood*

[theoriginal123123]

HHKB is programmable with dip switches.  You can't change every key, but it's not purely stock.

Not to mention that if you've spent $300 on your HHKB it probably has a hasu controller.    Unless you live in the EU and didn't proxy it, I suppose.

Living in the EU is horror to buy anything from outside the EU. They aftertax you AND have you buy for electronics import although legally you shouldnt'. My 87U was 80 dolllars more expensive because of that.

Being in the UK, goddamn VAT is the bane of my existence. 

[sinusoid]

@jamster
When you have a light keyboard, and want to make it heavier, you attach weights.
When you have a heavy keyboard, and you want to make it lighter, you buy a new keyboard.

With the former approach, you can also make the weight unevenly distributed, so the damn thing doesn't fall off your knees when you type while being curled up in a train or a bus, for example.

Or better yet, sandwich the carbon with some li-ion prismatic cells. You keep the weight you want, and get a powerbank.  #justdigitalnomadthings   

Agreed that carbon fiber is pretty limited when it comes to complex shapes.

I've seen research that correlated carbon fibers to health problems, they act similarly to asbestos, carve up your lungs badly. Also heard it can accumulate in the environment.
So, agreed that it's better not to cut that stuff if you don't know what you're doing.

I have no idea how to machine or safely dispose of carbon fiber, not gonna touch it.

Still, mechanically, this is a pretty awesome material.


@appleonama
used hhkb for some time, it was meh. Got back to Logitech UltraX (1st gen).

I love the keyboards of X60-X61 thinkpads, those things are tops, feels are awesome, and they cram so many buttons in such a tight space you can reach most of them with one hand, while still being comfy to type on. Also, trackpoint.

@iLLucionist
True, this. Located in EU too, was thinking about expatting myself, but can't decide on a location.


@Findecanor
Yeah! Filthy lie!



I think that placing your super awesome keyboard on top of a laptop keyboard looks stupid. Just get a tablet instead.

[swimmingbird]

Sky Dolch looks better than expected

[demik]

Sky Dolch looks better than expected

i wish they'd stop with -name- dolch. it's so over done

[nubbinator]

Sky Dolch looks better than expected

I still wouldn't get it.  It hurts to look at the legends.

[swimmingbird]

Sky Dolch looks better than expected

i wish they'd stop with -name- dolch. it's so over done

yeah its kind of had its name dragged through the mud by now

Sky Dolch looks better than expected

I still wouldn't get it.  It hurts to look at the legends.

The only one with the funky legends seemed to be the short shift? Did I miss some

[Waateva]

Sky Dolch looks better than expected

i wish they'd stop with -name- dolch. it's so over done

Miami-fuse Dolch confirmed

[bocahgundul]

Sky Dolch looks better than expected

man you need to stop buying all them plastic! I know you want to buy the sky dolch

[jamster]

For the first time saw a keyboard with what I assume was an 'artisan' on it... well, at least the Esc key was a skull. It also had blank red and black caps.

It was about as tasteful as 80s fashion, only without the mitigating edge of potential irony.

[hwood34]

can we update the OP with popular unpopular opinions just so everyone can stop posting the same 5 things?

[FLFisherman]

can we update the OP with popular unpopular opinions just so everyone can stop posting the same 5 things?

But then we'll quickly run out of things to post.

[xtrafrood]

The Alps switch needs to eat a hamburger

[katushkin]

can we update the OP with popular unpopular opinions just so everyone can stop posting the same 5 things?

But then we lose loads of content!

On an unrelated note, artisans are too expensive, the HHKB looks silly and Razer make good products.

 

[Corsa1r]

Artisans are too expensive (and 98% of them look ridiculous, gaudy, awful), and Razer make good products (minus their keyboards).