Cherry Blues trial

[Chloe]

Let us know when you've completed it!

I don't know if xsphat was joking, but I began one a while ago. I'll post it if you think it would be helpful.

[lam47]

I don't know if xsphat was joking, but I began one a while ago. I'll post it if you think it would be helpful.

It can be hard to tell cant it.

[xsphat]

Back on topic ...

Nearing the end of the first week, I've come around full circle on the Cherry blues. I don't really like them as much after a few days. The Alps whites, fake or simplified or whatever still feel way better than the Cherrys. The one setback with the Alps whites is they are so loud they make it sound like the mighty Thor is transcribing my words. Don't think I'll ever dis the Cherry blues — they type nice, but they aren't my thing.

So it looks like my Topre 86 will continue be my daily driver and I'll keep an Alps / XM / fake / simplified / unbranded / knockoff white stemmed keyboard to handle my clicky needs.

Anyway, nothing is final since the concept of tomorrow is an illusion, so I'll give the Cherry blues the full two-week trial, but I'm writing this on the Topre and man did I miss this keyboard. I'm stunned by how much I like it.

[wellington1869]

I don't really like them as much after a few days. The Alps whites, fake or simplified or whatever still feel way better than the Cherrys. The one setback with the Alps whites is they are so loud they make it sound like the mighty Thor is transcribing my words. Don't think I'll ever dis the Cherry blues — they type nice, but they aren't my thing.

that was pretty much my experience with the blues too. An initial love affair (mine lasted about 2 weeks) followed by a decisive return to buckling springs and alps.

[xsphat]

And for some reason the Topre switches go well with Alps. You need to buy a board with them.

[lam47]

I think you should buy one for me and I will be only too happy to agree.

[lal]

I have to agree, I like Alps more then blue Cherrys. I believe the reason is at least in my case twofold. First is the click sound of the blues which has some very pronounced high frequencies that are hurting my ears a bit, whereas the white Alps have a very nice balanced sound.

Second is the horizontal wobbling of the key buttons. Every keyboard has wobbling keys because they need some backlash in order to make them easily go down when pressed and not getting stuck. When you just touch the surface of the keys without pushing them down and start shaking them horizontally I notice a very defined backlash and a hard stop with both white Alps and buckling springs. In contrast the blue Cherrys feel rather undefined and as if they could always be bent a little more.

This even applies to fully pushed down keys as I just noticed. So pressing blue Cherrys feels like activating some loose mechanics that could break every moment or something. Not the secure environment and well defined feeling Alps or BS are giving my finger tips. Hope you understand what I'm trying to say

[iMav]

I would say that that most definitely is not across the board with blue Cherries.  In my experience (with the SMK-88 and M10), the keys have very little wobble.  (less than any other 'boards I've tried).

[lal]

Yes, of course I can only speak about boards I know, which is just the G80

I didn't mean that blue Cherrys have *more* wobble but that the feeling is different.

[bigpook]

xsphat

you say the white alps are really loud. I am on the filco mini with white alps and while it is loud I don't think it is overly loud.
Is it possible that the keyboard itself could add to the noise? The filco mini is pretty tight, meaning there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of echo or resonance going on. I don't think the filco mini form factor is adding to the noise here.
There are some other members here that have commented on the noise. Maybe our noise tolerances are different.

As a side note, I have been on the filco mini with white alps for three weeks now, either the board has loosened up or my fingers have made the adjustment but this is one nice feeling keyboard.

[wellington1869]

And for some reason the Topre switches go well with Alps. You need to buy a board with them.

lol, its on the to-do list, right after 'get job'.

[xsphat]

Well then get a damned job sir! You need Topres like you need air. They are spendy but worth every cent. If you don't mind a numpad, the Topre 101 is relatively cheap, and in the Model M layout.

And on that note, do you guys think BeNippon is getting way too expensive lately? It seems like they jacked the prices up on keyboards way more than to compensate for the dollar sucking. Members who use other services usually get their keyboards for $40 cheaper. I think BeNippon is turning into GeekStuff4U.

[itlnstln]

xsphat

you say the white alps are really loud. I am on the filco mini with white alps and while it is loud I don't think it is overly loud.
Is it possible that the keyboard itself could add to the noise? The filco mini is pretty tight, meaning there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of echo or resonance going on. I don't think the filco mini form factor is adding to the noise here.
There are some other members here that have commented on the noise. Maybe our noise tolerances are different.

As a side note, I have been on the filco mini with white alps for three weeks now, either the board has loosened up or my fingers have made the adjustment but this is one nice feeling keyboard.

I would agree with all of this.  My Northgate is quite a bit louder than my Dells, and I believe this is mostly due to the construction of the case.  The Northgate is almost 100% steel, while the Dell is almost 100% plastic.  This steel casing in the Northgate seems to make the clacking sound of the Alps switches bottoming and topping out resonate throughout the 'board while the plastic Dell sounds more inert.  I can deal with the clacking on the Dell much more than the Northgate as it tends to get distracting after awhile.

To your second paragraph, I, too, have noticed and enjoyed the lighter touch of the Alps switches.  So much so, that I have a hard time typing on my Model Ms.  The Ms feel heavy and stiff compared to both the Alps whites in the Northgate and the black in the Dell.  Other than the clacking sound, I really enjoy typing on either of them.

[xsphat]

Just so happens I'm typing this on the Model M mini I loaned to a friend. I had to buy him another Model M off eBay to get this one back from him. He reimbursed me for all of it and more for my troubles, but damn, he had it for months. So that was today I got it back, and I've been on it since. I really do like the buckling springs when I'm typing on an M, but when I'm not, I don't really miss anything about them. But now as I'm typing, I  miss the speed and the utter smoothness of the Topre, and I miss the crisp snap of the Alps white. A great keyboard, this M mini, but it's not my first choice if I was stranded on a dessert island.

[wellington1869]

To your second paragraph, I, too, have noticed and enjoyed the lighter touch of the Alps switches.  So much so, that I have a hard time typing on my Model Ms.  The Ms feel heavy and stiff compared to both the Alps whites in the Northgate and the black in the Dell.  Other than the clacking sound, I really enjoy typing on either of them.

One thing I noticed about buckling springs: the endurapro is considerably lighter, IMHO, than the old model M's.

I think I too couldnt really go back to the original model M's (since I'm too used to modern boards and their considerably lighter feel). However, I'm quite happy on the endurapro.

I know unicomp and others say that their modern buckling springs boards (endurapro for instance) are supposed to be 'identical' with the old design. But I think thats just not the case. My endurapro is really considerably lighter in feel than both 1391401's that I've had.

[andb]

but it's not my first choice if I was stranded on a dessert island.

I'd prefer a spoon over the model M mini if I was on that dessert island with you


(sorry for being a spelling jerk, if you weren't a writer, I'd never make such an obnoxious comment. Now the doors are wide open for you to slap my next silly mistake )

[xsphat]

I've often said, I'm a writer, not a speller.

For a minute there, I thought you wanted to spoon with me

[FKSSR]

I'm resurrecting this thread, because I have a question for you, xsphat...

I am currently loving the MK96.  However, I really want a black keyboard with a standard layout (arrow keys and Home, End... keys in particular).

I tried the blue cherry switches in a G80-3000, but I didn't like them.  They were too high-pitched for me.  Another thing that is harder to describe is that the click almost seemed like an "added gimmick" or "afterthought."  Unlike the white-alps that give a satisfying tactile click that my fingers can feel, the G80-3000 w/ blues did not.  They are tactile, obviously, but it didn't have that click.

So, since you've owned a Filco w/ blues and a MK96, can you clarify (what it seems like you already sort of said) that the Filco w/ blues didn't have that tactile click?  I personally like the added resistance, and my fingers seem to love the feeling as well, pushing through that click.

Thanks!

[huha]

I just know the G80, but the blue MX's click is quite underwhelming. It's extremely light and not as pronounced as, say, an ALPS click.

I'd really like to have a keyboard with green MX. I couldn't find any suitable information about them, but their feel is much nicer than the blue's. Green MXs are used as a keyswitch for the spacebar, so trying this out for yourself is quite easy.

-huha