Unpopular Keyboard Opinions

[ideus]

Beige vintage caps are better than granite/charcoal/gray caps

This is correct. However, the question is if they should be ABS-DS, or PBT.

[CaesarAZealad]

Beige vintage caps are better than granite/charcoal/gray caps

This is correct. However, the question is if they should be ABS-DS, or PBT.

I'm forced to use PBT. I melt ABS like a mother****er.

[ideus]

Beige vintage caps are better than granite/charcoal/gray caps

This is correct. However, the question is if they should be ABS-DS, or PBT.

I'm forced to use PBT. I melt ABS like a mother****er.

Heavy fingers, pal?

[CaesarAZealad]

Beige vintage caps are better than granite/charcoal/gray caps

This is correct. However, the question is if they should be ABS-DS, or PBT.

I'm forced to use PBT. I melt ABS like a mother****er.

Heavy fingers, pal?

Yeah

[PlayBox]

my unpopular opinion here is that i dont like any keyboard that oesn't have standart mx style switches.
topre-rubber basically a membrane that activates mid travel aalso expensive
alps- heard they have good clickies but they dont work for standard pcbs now and are hard to get and im talking about original ones
buckling spring- heard that original ibm keyboards are pretty expensive also old and only clicky not removable too
other strange old switches -no

[ideus]

my unpopular opinion here is that i dont like any keyboard that oesn't have standart mx style switches.
topre-rubber basically a membrane that activates mid travel aalso expensive
alps- heard they have good clickies but they dont work for standard pcbs now and are hard to get and im talking about original ones
buckling spring- heard that original ibm keyboards are pretty expensive also old and only clicky not removable too
other strange old switches -no

I share your opinion fully; yet, it may not be an unpopular one, after all.

[CaesarAZealad]

my unpopular opinion here is that i dont like any keyboard that oesn't have standart mx style switches.
topre-rubber basically a membrane that activates mid travel aalso expensive
alps- heard they have good clickies but they dont work for standard pcbs now and are hard to get and im talking about original ones
buckling spring- heard that original ibm keyboards are pretty expensive also old and only clicky not removable too
other strange old switches -no

Don't discount Alps tactiles. The clickies are very nice, but the tactiles are also very neato as well. I used to think that ALPS were hard to find as well, but really all you need to do is spend some time on the deskthority wiki and ebay/craigslist and you can find some really good deals. I assume you're newer to this hobby so I'll say this, it's the best advice I ever got. "Don't form an opinion on something until you've tried it."
I used to think that Mitsumi Mini Mechs were complete dog**** until I tried them for myself. They're not great mind you, but for something that can be used on a modern PC extremely easily and is incredibly cheap they're very nice (Plus they take MX caps).
Try to find some meetups nearby you or maybe organize a small one yourself in order to try some interesting switches without spending the cash! Best of luck man.

[CaesarAZealad]

Oh and most importantly, take every switch opinion with a pinch of salt. I used to take people like Chyros' videos as gospel until I started trying more vintage switches myself.

[PlayBox]

my unpopular opinion here is that i dont like any keyboard that oesn't have standart mx style switches.
topre-rubber basically a membrane that activates mid travel aalso expensive
alps- heard they have good clickies but they dont work for standard pcbs now and are hard to get and im talking about original ones
buckling spring- heard that original ibm keyboards are pretty expensive also old and only clicky not removable too
other strange old switches -no

Don't discount Alps tactiles. The clickies are very nice, but the tactiles are also very neato as well. I used to think that ALPS were hard to find as well, but really all you need to do is spend some time on the deskthority wiki and ebay/craigslist and you can find some really good deals. I assume you're newer to this hobby so I'll say this, it's the best advice I ever got. "Don't form an opinion on something until you've tried it."
I used to think that Mitsumi Mini Mechs were complete dog**** until I tried them for myself. They're not great mind you, but for something that can be used on a modern PC extremely easily and is incredibly cheap they're very nice (Plus they take MX caps).
Try to find some meetups nearby you or maybe organize a small one yourself in order to try some interesting switches without spending the cash! Best of luck man.

i wanted to type about that i haven't tried any of these switches but im on kindle (don't ask why) so i coluldn't continue writing where i wanted. maybe there waas something about alps tactiles but i just forgot
i overall think that alps are the best out of these vintage switches
just mx style switches but  not compatible and they are sometimes nicer even

[CaesarAZealad]

my unpopular opinion here is that i dont like any keyboard that oesn't have standart mx style switches.
topre-rubber basically a membrane that activates mid travel aalso expensive
alps- heard they have good clickies but they dont work for standard pcbs now and are hard to get and im talking about original ones
buckling spring- heard that original ibm keyboards are pretty expensive also old and only clicky not removable too
other strange old switches -no

Don't discount Alps tactiles. The clickies are very nice, but the tactiles are also very neato as well. I used to think that ALPS were hard to find as well, but really all you need to do is spend some time on the deskthority wiki and ebay/craigslist and you can find some really good deals. I assume you're newer to this hobby so I'll say this, it's the best advice I ever got. "Don't form an opinion on something until you've tried it."
I used to think that Mitsumi Mini Mechs were complete dog**** until I tried them for myself. They're not great mind you, but for something that can be used on a modern PC extremely easily and is incredibly cheap they're very nice (Plus they take MX caps).
Try to find some meetups nearby you or maybe organize a small one yourself in order to try some interesting switches without spending the cash! Best of luck man.

i wanted to type about that i haven't tried any of these switches but im on kindle (don't ask why) so i coluldn't continue writing where i wanted. maybe there waas something about alps tactiles but i just forgot
i overall think that alps are the best out of these vintage switches
just mx style switches but  not compatible and they are sometimes nicer even

So you're saying you've never tried any of these switches, but you've already formed an opinion on them...
All I'm saying is to reserve judgement until you actually try some of them for yourself. Don't take this the wrong way but are you young, or is English not your native language? I'm just having a hard time understanding what you're trying to say here.

[PlayBox]

my unpopular opinion here is that i dont like any keyboard that oesn't have standart mx style switches.
topre-rubber basically a membrane that activates mid travel aalso expensive
alps- heard they have good clickies but they dont work for standard pcbs now and are hard to get and im talking about original ones
buckling spring- heard that original ibm keyboards are pretty expensive also old and only clicky not removable too
other strange old switches -no

Don't discount Alps tactiles. The clickies are very nice, but the tactiles are also very neato as well. I used to think that ALPS were hard to find as well, but really all you need to do is spend some time on the deskthority wiki and ebay/craigslist and you can find some really good deals. I assume you're newer to this hobby so I'll say this, it's the best advice I ever got. "Don't form an opinion on something until you've tried it."
I used to think that Mitsumi Mini Mechs were complete dog**** until I tried them for myself. They're not great mind you, but for something that can be used on a modern PC extremely easily and is incredibly cheap they're very nice (Plus they take MX caps).
Try to find some meetups nearby you or maybe organize a small one yourself in order to try some interesting switches without spending the cash! Best of luck man.

i wanted to type about that i haven't tried any of these switches but im on kindle (don't ask why) so i coluldn't continue writing where i wanted. maybe there waas something about alps tactiles but i just forgot
i overall think that alps are the best out of these vintage switches
just mx style switches but  not compatible and they are sometimes nicer even

So you're saying you've never tried any of these switches, but you've already formed an opinion on them...
All I'm saying is to reserve judgement until you actually try some of them for yourself. Don't take this the wrong way but are you young, or is English not your native language? I'm just having a hard time understanding what you're trying to say here.

well yes i think im just like that. i like making opinions without trying it.
both im 15 and my native language isn't english, ill try checking what
i am writing

[Maledicted]

my unpopular opinion here is that i dont like any keyboard that oesn't have standart mx style switches.

MX's proliferation can objectively be attributed to only two things: long-term reliability (for the cost and size), and a significant historical market share of the industrial and POS markets that weathered the rubber dome apocalypse while its competitors either folded or left the market space.

MX is not the standard today for any other significant reason. If those are the only reasons that we, as enthusiasts, settle for MX ... then the standard needs to change. I don't think you'll find a majority of people who would try something like Alps (in good shape) and go right back to their MX browns, etc, if not for their compulsive obsession to customize everything. The very fact that that is the case is also the only reason that it remains so.

topre-rubber basically a membrane that activates mid travel aalso expensive

There are some very good dome-with-slider boards that come very close to Topre. I'm told there are even some good modern "memchanical" boards. Topre and Niz boards are worth the cost though if you like tactile switches. Try them.

alps- heard they have good clickies but they dont work for standard pcbs now and are hard to get and im talking about original ones

In addition to what CaesarAZealad has already deftly said, and what I have addressed above, look into Zeal's new Clickiez switches. I have them in one board and ordered a few hundred more based on my impressions. I like them more than Kaihua's box switches and those were the only MX compatibles I could stand anymore previously. They can compete with Alps (to my preference). They are extremely stiff in the tactile configuration though. Maybe they'll make something more ... normal down the road for the tactile fans.

buckling spring- heard that original ibm keyboards are pretty expensive also old and only clicky not removable too

Unless somebody doesn't know what they have, have too many of them, or wants to spark a fire in someone new, the Models F are expensive ... yes. Standard Model Ms haven't really changed significantly in value in years and Unicomp still makes their own variants to this day for a reasonable price. I don't like membrane buckling spring at all anyway, but to each their own. Capacitive buckling spring is worth the price, and Ellipse should still be selling reproduction 4704 IBM boards ... they are worth every penny.

other strange old switches -no

Why not? The weird/obscure ones are the ones you're most likely to get for a reasonable price. NEC blue ovals are fantastic clicky switches, and you're more likely to find a good dome with slider board than a bad one. I would take any of those over anything MX myself.

[PlayBox]

[deleted]

[VaporKeebs]

if you would give me a 300$ keyboard and a 100$ keyboard with same keycaps and switches in a blind test i would propably choose the 100$ one

lmfao that literally makes no sense. What is youre logic?

[TheWonderBubble]

VIA is a bad program and the community really needs to start using VIAL instead. It's properly open sourced, has a better interface, offers significantly more options of what you can do with it including key combos, tap dance, key overrides, directly controlling lighting, and controlling encoders. VIA offers none of this in a clunkier interface that doesn't load as well.

With improving microcontrollers that offer more power (such as blackpill), more designs integrating encoders, and a growing trend towards compact boards where functions such as combos offer a significantly improved workflow and a whole new world of options, VIA is an inexcusably outdated interface that really ought to be left behind for the overwhelming majority of boards.

[bkrownd]

  This might actually be a popular opinion, but I've received my first two group buys and I have to say that I'm extremely underwhelmed by how far the colors turned out compared to both renders and pre-production samples.  I was hoping photos of actual samples would be a better bet, but that was a false hope. 

  All is not lost, because in-stock sets I've bought have actually been pretty good, and I have the feeling that with one exception I have more confidence in the other group buys I bought into. 

[granola bar enthusiast]

  This might actually be a popular opinion, but I've received my first two group buys and I have to say that I'm extremely underwhelmed by how far the colors turned out compared to both renders and pre-production samples.  I was hoping photos of actual samples would be a better bet, but that was a false hope. 

  All is not lost, because in-stock sets I've bought have actually been pretty good, and I have the feeling that with one exception I have more confidence in the other group buys I bought into.

yeah this can be pretty annoying but some of the newer manu's have definitely been improving. just wondering, what was the manufacturer for the sets you were underwhelmed by?

[bkrownd]

  I'll pass on naming names.  "You pays yer money and you takes yer chances."  The physical quality of the caps is good, but the color matching outcome is just a fail.  I saw yesterday that both sets are still advertised with misleading renders/samples so I'm thinking of dropping those vendors a note about correcting that. 

[bkrownd]

Unpopular Opinion #69.69-ahh subsection XXX

I don't understand all these expensive keyboards that have fancy decorations on the back and underside which you'll never see when using them as a...wait for it...keyboard. 

[maxmousee]

I guess I have a few:
- I think these brass weights or added weights in general are a bit pointless except for looks (and even then, you mostly don't see them).
- Easily programmable macros (specially without a running software) are probably the most underrated feature in any keyboard.
- 95% of people would not be able to feel the difference between a lot of hyped switches vs standard ones (e.g. MX Red vs Alpacas, Tangerines, etc).

[CaesarAZealad]

Unpopular Opinion #69.69-ahh subsection XXX

I don't understand all these expensive keyboards that have fancy decorations on the back and underside which you'll never see when using them as a...wait for it...keyboard.

I mean I agree but at the same time, you dangle a keyboard with an engraving of Foxy or a raccoon and I'd ****ing peel my flesh from bone just to get it.

[VaporKeebs]

  I'll pass on naming names.  "You pays yer money and you takes yer chances."  The physical quality of the caps is good, but the color matching outcome is just a fail.  I saw yesterday that both sets are still advertised with misleading renders/samples so I'm thinking of dropping those vendors a note about correcting that.

Why would you not let us know? Do you want us to make the same mistake and buy a bad set? Come the **** on. Name the vendor and cap set. Youre part of this community right?

[bkrownd]

These are group buys, which I entered in the explicit spirit of supporting the designer's vision, and with the knowledge that the renders/samples aren't exact.  The keycap set is an artwork, and the designer is the artist.  In that spirit it would strike me as unethical to publicly fault the artist when they're presumably satisfied with the work and don't seem to be trying to be deceptive.  Sometimes an artwork is not quite what you expected. 

I think the community generally does a poor job of acknowledging up front that renders or even photos of samples are often an inadequate representation of keycap colors "in the flesh", and we don't really have standards for how to do it.  Different light sources interacting with different surfaces and individual color perceptions are really difficult things to model or photograph accurately. 

[MIGHTY CHICKEN]

It still should be up to the designer and vendor make somewhat accurate renders. It’s definitely possible with a Pantone book, spyder, and some patience.

It should also be both of their jobs to inspect and check samples to make sure it’s up to par with what community should be expecting. It’s not like they can’t take a look at their own renders which is what most other people will be seeing.

There’s also some trends with not releasing color codes in the name of “preventing clones” when cloners could just take an eye dropper tool on some half assed uncolormatched renders and get it equally as good as gmk trying to match hex codes.

So yeah totally more blame on vendors/designers, more transparency, higher render standards


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bkrownd]

It isn't as simple as color codes.  Light is very complex to work with. 

Getting it reasonably right takes actual experience with the process from start to finish, with all of the materials, manufacturing processes and pigments involved.  Most of these designers are hobbyists who do not have the experience, and we generally know this limitation when we buy into a group buy. 

I also think some designers are a bit lazy with the process at various points from the presentation of the concept to sample proofing and to applying quality standards to the finished product.  And then in the end if they're personally satisfied that's just what you're getting.

[MIGHTY CHICKEN]

If the designers aren’t the most experienced, they should at least release codes and maybe pics of the samples in hand, in different lighting. So that the normal customer can see a lil more into it. More professional streamers and hobbyists can also pull out their own books to do a check and maybe give others a heads up about, hey, the purple looks a little deeper on screens than irl. I’ve seen some streamers do that in IC/GB reviews and it somewhat helps to know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bkrownd]

Very detailed examination of samples under different light sources, with an adequate period of community feedback, would be a big plus.  It's unfortunate that there are no standards for this at all. 

High quality photos need to be examined and fact-checked very closely, using multiple lighting sources that are exactly detailed, unprocessed images from quality cameras provided (preferably RAW) with white-balance information, etc.  Designers would need to post enough information to break through people's normal reluctance to "make waves" and ask questions, and the community needs to be engaged and not overly anxious to rush to production.

[F2Grey]

I don't know if unpopular, but I loved to type on this keyboard then I spilled Cola-Cola™ on it.




Also... as a newbie to custom keyboards I really don't understand why wireless with a USB dongle isn't even available as an option. Who needs wired these days? Gamers certainly won't until they first mod their Windows installation properly and who does that? One in a million.

[MIGHTY CHICKEN]

Wireless is complicated to design around, a dongle much more so than Bluetooth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bkrownd]

  Wireless is unreliable and wastes system resources.  Plus, it's a future point of likely failure and premature obsolescence.  (Actually, where I work it's also forbidden.) 

[F2Grey]

Thanks for the replies. Windows, these days, is spyware bundled with an operating system so it is in itself the main culprit for wasted resources. The biggest issue is constant interrupts. There's a way to get rid of them but it's a LOT of work. Wifi etc. have no real significant effect on the system latency of an optimized system. In an unoptimized system (which is c. 100% of users) it's another (very complicated) story.

[Sxmxs]

Speaking Personally:

I appreciate smaller boards, which drives me to love 60s above all.
HHKB's are an aesthetic thing that doesnt apply to everybody, but its my second favorite 60 type, behind WKL.

To my opinions:

Exploded 75% are weird. The Jelly Epoch and Hex.4b look nice to me because they're compact, but still come with a blocker unlike the kbd75.

Cherry Blacks are the best sounding switches, Nothing else compares.

Stepped Caps is the only right way.

People who use 6.25u on solderable or hotswap with 7u compatibility are crazy

Durocks are overrated, they are just smoother and have slightly better tolerances than cherry. Only Owlstabs, TX Stabs, and Staebies deserve praise. Everything else is just standard

[Zytyx]

I miss older kits that ran with a top row 1u backspace key. It's like any modern numpad kit are made by people who have never had to use one in their day to day. I know there are bandaids for anyone who uses a split + key layout (the ever useless f13 key, a novelty, some nav key, etc.) but it was nice having correct legends. Atleast my old GMK kits have this key.

[NamesReed]

TKL boards are a waste of space, if you want the keys go 75%

Gasket mounted boards feel mushy.

40’s rule

[PlayBox]

TKL boards are a waste of space, if you want the keys go 75%
Gasket mounted boards feel mushy.
40’s rule

no, tkl looks better than 75%, has more functionality, is more standard
now im scared if i should get gasket mount can anyone confirm that
40's are more of fun fact than a functional keyboard, because everyone needs number row, almost no exception

[atarione]

I'm not at all sure how people use keyboards smaller than TKL...My hands at least are sized such that anything smaller than TKL would seem very cramped (has seemed when I tried a friends 60%.)
  

[MIGHTY CHICKEN]

Wouldn’t a 60 be still the same spacing? I feel like you would have more room and less likely for a hand to brush the arrow keys.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CaesarAZealad]

Wouldn’t a 60 be still the same spacing? I feel like you would have more room and less likely for a hand to brush the arrow keys.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You'd think, but no, not really. Idk if it's a psychological thing but I definitely feel more cramped using My mode65 or Q1 compared to my NCR80.

[atarione]

Wouldn’t a 60 be still the same spacing? I feel like you would have more room and less likely for a hand to brush the arrow keys.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wouldn’t a 60 be still the same spacing? I feel like you would have more room and less likely for a hand to brush the arrow keys.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You'd think, but no, not really. Idk if it's a psychological thing but I definitely feel more cramped using My mode65 or Q1 compared to my NCR80.

My experience also I felt more cramped on a 60 than my Filco TKL... I also really don't like having to switch layers to get F keys and whatever... I find my TKL is great for my own needs.

[Omnias]

r/budgetkeyboards is the new "stop gatekeeping our gatekeeping" corner.

r/mechanicalkeyboards is the new spot for budgetkeebs and GMK hate .

r/customkeebs is the only place worth visiting anymore... aside from GH.

My reasoning... post a nice custom board on r/mk with GMK caps and people will ignore it because "must be nice to be rich". Post the same board on r/ck where they legit have only 10% as many viewers and it'll get upvoted like crazy because they actually like nice stuff there.

Forget about budget keebs... they banned me for telling someone Gateron makes better products than Akko and their milky yellows are cheaper than most anything Akko sells. Got banned for "sharing my opinion as a fact" LMFAO but the mods will claim up and down I was harassing someone... too bad I got receipts from when a mod let me back in because "I dont see anything youve done wrong". LOL

I got banned for correcting libelous statements made by their owner, and another r/MK mod got banned for warning the r/bk Owner to stop harassing members of r/MK and spamming false reports…

[PlayBox]

don't like frl it's a deal breaker for me. very sad to see that many great boards being wkl only. the blockers should be removable for accessible winkey atleast

[pinkpurpleteal]

gasket mount key boards are not good

[Fraaaan]

don't like frl it's a deal breaker for me. very sad to see that many great boards being wkl only. the blockers should be removable for accessible winkey atleast

Just bind it somewhere else. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[PlayBox]

don't like frl it's a deal breaker for me. very sad to see that many great boards being wkl only. the blockers should be removable for accessible winkey atleast

Just bind it somewhere else. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

idk where, and i like where it normally is.

[tp4tissue]

r/budgetkeyboards is the new "stop gatekeeping our gatekeeping" corner.

r/mechanicalkeyboards is the new spot for budgetkeebs and GMK hate .

r/customkeebs is the only place worth visiting anymore... aside from GH.

My reasoning... post a nice custom board on r/mk with GMK caps and people will ignore it because "must be nice to be rich". Post the same board on r/ck where they legit have only 10% as many viewers and it'll get upvoted like crazy because they actually like nice stuff there.

Forget about budget keebs... they banned me for telling someone Gateron makes better products than Akko and their milky yellows are cheaper than most anything Akko sells. Got banned for "sharing my opinion as a fact" LMFAO but the mods will claim up and down I was harassing someone... too bad I got receipts from when a mod let me back in because "I dont see anything youve done wrong". LOL

There is only 1 true path, Split + Tented ,   You're all 1nfidels in the eyes of the True Keebers.

[CaesarAZealad]

r/budgetkeyboards is the new "stop gatekeeping our gatekeeping" corner.

r/mechanicalkeyboards is the new spot for budgetkeebs and GMK hate .

r/customkeebs is the only place worth visiting anymore... aside from GH.

My reasoning... post a nice custom board on r/mk with GMK caps and people will ignore it because "must be nice to be rich". Post the same board on r/ck where they legit have only 10% as many viewers and it'll get upvoted like crazy because they actually like nice stuff there.

Forget about budget keebs... they banned me for telling someone Gateron makes better products than Akko and their milky yellows are cheaper than most anything Akko sells. Got banned for "sharing my opinion as a fact" LMFAO but the mods will claim up and down I was harassing someone... too bad I got receipts from when a mod let me back in because "I dont see anything youve done wrong". LOL

There is only 1 true path, Split + Tented ,   You're all 1nfidels in the eyes of the True Keebers.

Show Image

This is the first time I've seen Tp4 outside of Off Topic. He's breached containment.

[fohat.digs]

He's breached containment.

Prior to plant-based diet screeds, ergodox was his primary crusade.

[Morbii]

I don't just like my caps lock, I love it.  And I use it frequently -- basically any time I have more than a single capital letter in a row. 

I don't have a problem reaching for CTRL, so I see no reason to put it in place of caps lock (and I might even use CTRL less depending on what I'm doing).

[farlig]

I don't just like my caps lock, I love it.  And I use it frequently -- basically any time I have more than a single capital letter in a row. 

I don't have a problem reaching for CTRL, so I see no reason to put it in place of caps lock (and I might even use CTRL less depending on what I'm doing).

I am even worse, I never use shift for capital letters, caps lock only, even single letters. 

[bkrownd]

All my formative years of typing were on the Apple IIe, Sun and Happy Hacking keyboards, so I always instinctively reach just left of the A key for Control.