Author Topic: Keyboard for Grad Student???  (Read 1901 times)

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Offline robn311

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 14:31:23 »
Hi all, this is my first post here, so go easy on me!

I just recently realized the benefits and joy of typing on a solid keyboard.  I am a graduate student beginning my dissertation, and also do some creative writing on the side, so I spend a lot of time typing. I don't play games at all, so I'm looking for strictly a solid writing keyboard to get me through the dissertation. I have a Model M (1994 Lexmark) and I love it. But it's too loud for working at night in my apartment, which is shared with my girlfriend. So I am looking for something that has a nice tactile feel but isn't quite as loud as the Model M. So I'm thinking I should go for either Cherry MX Brown or Blue switches.

Being a student, I have a very limited budget, around $80. And I would like to buy new/manufacturer refurbished so I can get a warranty. So here's what I'm considering:

Das Keyboard Professional (regular or silent, not sure which yet) - can get refurbished with student discount for ~$80.
Razer Blackwidow - ~$70
Adesso MKB135 - ~$80

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Offline thegunner100

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 14:38:43 »
You can get a cm quickfire mx blues for $75 shipped from superbiiz or a mx brown for $78 + $9 shipping from mechanicalkeyboards.com. Great quality for the price, much better than the adesso or BW unless you really need the number pad.
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Offline robn311

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 14:42:05 »
Thanks, though I should have mentioned, I really do want the number pad. I do a lot of data entry, and so the number pad is near-essential.

Offline Armegadon

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 14:47:30 »
Well since your main complaint from your current Model M is the noise from working at night, i don't really think blues are a great idea. (For blues and Model M owners, are they kind of alike in sound? If model m is too loud are blues also?)

Offline robn311

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 15:01:35 »
That's sorta what I'm wondering. I love the feel and the sound of the Model M. So I'm pretty sure I'd like the MX Blues. But it's hard to tell just how loud they are based on the Youtube videos, so I was hoping to get some opinions from people on here who had used both. Some noise is ok, but the Model M tends to get pretty noisy when I get "in the zone" while writing. And I'm a fairly heavy-handed typist...

Offline Armegadon

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 15:05:44 »
Blues with o-ring mod perhaps? Because if you want that click, and you are heavy handed, then blues sound like you.

Offline ch_123

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 16:19:03 »
Remember that a bolt modded M is about as loud as a blue MX keyboard.

You really want to look into either tactile (brown/clear) or linear (black/red) Cherry switches, or Topres. Although I suspect the latter may be out of your budget.

Offline fohat.digs

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 16:27:49 »
In decibels, the Cherry blue may be slightly less loud than a buckling spring, but I find the thinner, higher-pitched sound more penetrating and annoying. There have been attempts to describe the difference like tinky-clinky vs thonk-thunk, but you really need to get away from clicking altogether, unfortunately.

Get something like browns and also find some pads or o-rings. And get some drawer liner at Wal-Mart to cut for a pad under your board.

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It was all part of a very sophisticated real estate practice known as “lying.”
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Offline ch_123

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 16:30:05 »
Quote from: fohat.digs;589376
In decibels, the Cherry blue may be slightly less loud than a buckling spring, but I find the thinner, higher-pitched sound more penetrating and annoying.


This is another very good point. The buckling spring sound is a bit more... organic. The noise of a Blue Cherry is the one most likely to annoy people around you.

Offline smknjoe

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 03 May 2012, 17:02:07 »
Quote from: ch_123;589378
This is another very good point. The buckling spring sound is a bit more... organic. The noise of a Blue Cherry is the one most likely to annoy people around you.

I concur as well, but having said that I find the blues much more enjoyable to type on than the browns. They seem slightly more tactile and the click gives me a nice "warm and fuzzy" feeling confirming I can move quickly to the next key. Browns will also make noise when you bottom out (I'm a heavy typist as well.) You're going to get a different opinion from everyone here. Try them out first if you can.
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Offline win

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Keyboard for Grad Student???
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 12 May 2012, 20:56:20 »
Quote from: robn311;589304
That's sorta what I'm wondering. I love the feel and the sound of the Model M. So I'm pretty sure I'd like the MX Blues. But it's hard to tell just how loud they are based on the Youtube videos, so I was hoping to get some opinions from people on here who had used both. Some noise is ok, but the Model M tends to get pretty noisy when I get "in the zone" while writing. And I'm a fairly heavy-handed typist...


I feel like I should add since I've made the Model M or buckling spring to mx blues error that this is not by any means a one to one equation, although they are technically both tactile and clicky. The major difference for me, and maybe for you as well since you've admitted to being a heavy typist, is actuation force. Blues are really very light switches compared to buckling springs. This is what I mean by the equation not being equal. Now it may turn out you like lighter switches anyway, but I've tried both and I know for certain I don't. How both switches arrive at their tactile-clickyness is not equal as well, but that's another, longer story.

If you live near a Fry's or a Micro Center, I'd go to one and test what they have. If your budget were higher, I'd recommend a Deck with mx clears. The backlighting may or may not help with late night diss writing, but more importantly the switches sound like they'd suit you. You could also just try to "gift" your girlfriend some nice sleep headphones or something else to create white noise at night. :sleep: I don't know, an air purifier. Does she have allergies?