As a noob in these parts, I am puzzled by the "aviator" cable with the honking big clunky connector in the middle and the tight coil.
It is just another example of feature items that are just for show. Aviator cables and artisan caps are some of the most conspicuous examples of these trends.
One could argue that they offer a convenient way of switching between USB types for different devices. I've built two aviator cables for myself for fun, they're cool... Bulky, but I have a lot of free real estate on my desk.
Lemo on the other hand looks sick, but the prices of them are outlandish.
I love coiled cables. Reminds me of rotary landlines we had growing up
I use female aviator sockets mounted directly to the case on keyboards that I want to be able to swing around over my head by the cable or use them as boat anchors and have them still work. Otherwise, yeah, they're pretty pointless when you can use magnetic cables for quick switching between USB interfaces.
I've used the Fujitsu keyboard, which is generally considered to be an awful keyboard because it has a 'backwards' tactile response, and I didn't think it was so bad.
What do you mean by the Fujitsu keyboard? Fujitsu Peerless switches? I was just talking to somebody recently who runs a computer recycling/resale shop. The guy's literally been surrounded by nice vintage keyboards for years. A friend of mine that works there has had Model Ms all over the shop that everyone uses, and the owner never got into them, or any other mechanicals. All of a sudden recently he tried Fujitsu Peerless and I kid you not he's got some beat up old Fujitsu board at his computer now and is just finally starting to research all of the other things that are out there because of it. I was literally there learning of these developments because they had an IBM beamspring board there that they were selling and I had never tried one before. He hated the feel of the beamspring ... and was gushing about the cheap Peerless switches. I think Fujitsu Peerless is either loved or hated. I actually think they're kind of nice/interesting myself.
Contrary opinion: don't lube at all. Lubing is dumb. If you need to lube, you've picked a dumb switch.
i do agree there, switches should smooth out with time, if you need lube your switch is rather poor, my gat silent reds started off a bit scratchy but after about 2 months of rather heavy use only the keys i use the very least still feel a bit scratchy.
out of that experience i feel like lubing is rather a waste of time, but then in those times peoples do have time to waste.
Yes, agreed. I have never lubed a switch, and I never plan to unless I get really bored and/or try saving some really dirty Alps switches.
filco is overpriced and has terrible typing experience
realforce is ugly
topre is overrated
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I agree on Realforce and Topre, although Topre does feel great ... just not worth the buzz. My Rosewill Filco knockoff seems like a great keyboard besides the MX browns though.
Costar stabs are a nightmare. I'd rather use unlubed Cherry than Costar.
Pretty sure that is for some reason a popular opinion given cherry seems to be by far the most popular choice.
I don't see it myself, costar has the best keyfeel, I don't care about rattle.
Yes, agreed. I actually quite like rattly Costars even.
I'm not sure it's wise to out myself like this on my very first post, but here we go:
- PBT caps are overrated and chalky, broken in ABS shine is pleasant to use
- Tactile and clicky switches are both closer in feel to rubber domes than linear
- Complicated Alps really don't offer anything special over simplified Alps, and are prone to issues with key chatter that nobody likes to talk about
- The clean, crisp bottom out is one of the major benefits of mechanical boards and orings completely, totally ruin it
- Topre is an okay switch, but a realforce really shouldn't sell for even a penny over $80
- A little bit of keycap wobble actually makes for a more forgiving typing experience
- Any keyboard smaller than a 60% is a cruel, claustrophobic joke to see how many less switches you'll still pay actual money for
- Packing a separate keyboard to use with your laptop is cringey and not worth the backpack space
- I agree about PBT.
- I'm not sure where you're going with tactiles and clickies feeling closer to rubber domes than linears other than the fact that rubber domes are tactile. One could also argue that a rubber dome is closer to linear than they are to very tactile clickies, like Alps or box navies. Then there's Matias' "linears" which actually kind of have a tactile bump at the end of travel.
- That segways nicely into complicated vs simplified Alps. Have you tried SKCM blue Alps switches in perfect shape? I'm literally using some early-ish SKCM white Alps right next to some Matias switches at this very moment and these particular white Alps switches definitely have noticeable differences that some may prefer over simplified Alps. I think the difference between the two is a little blown out of proportion myself and use Matias clickies just about every day, but there's no arguing that some good SKCM blue Alps are a little more smooth/refined and bassier (for whatever that last part is worth).
- I haven't had any problems with chatter with any Alps, or derivative, boards that haven't been heavily abused (the plates usually look like they've spent some time at the bottom of the ocean in those cases). Matias actually used to be known for chatter problems, although I can't seem to find a single used board that has that problem yet.
- I agree at least partially that orings basically make mechanical boards feel like rubber domes, at least the cheap Rosewill ones I tried years ago. I think there are newer options that can get closer in feel to dampened switches though.
- Yes, Topre is overpriced and overhyped.
- I don't care about wobble one way or another unless it is so bad it is inhibiting typing accurately.
- I don't even like boards as small as 60%. I think you'll find a lot of people who agree.
- Yeah, packing a separate keyboard may be cringey, but laptops have some pretty terrible keyboards, so I might do it anyway.
I'm saying this more to vent than as an opinion. But I really wish engineers would just re-invent the stabilizer. I feel like we can do better than what we have. It is so frustrating to be putting in a ton of dialetric grease only to have my stabilizer still making ticks and rattles, meanwhile my switch has become extremely mushy. Then I have to try straightening out the wire to see if that's the cause... then maybe try putting random pieces of bandaid or foam inside the stab housing and mess that up... and then 15 other tricks people have tried to remove rattle. Or I just hit the jackpot and a stabilizer works for no apparent reason on the first try.
Please engineers... just invent a non-rattling stabilizer. Start from scratch and make a new design. We put a man on the moon, surely this can be done.
rattle is like a man's baldness, it's ugly and frustrating but not harming anyone, so yeah, nobody gonna cure it properly
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Or, if you're crazy like me, you like your keyboards to be as thunderous as possible and actually like rattling noises ... and the idea of adding solenoids and buzzers.
I might tend to agree, but it usually comes at the unacceptable penalty of altering the shape of Backspace and/or Right Shift.
I'd happily exile the \| button to a different layer for a big ass enter key.
When I think about it, I might be able to alter a Big ass enter key to fit over the \| switch's stem, wish there was a Cherry profile one though.
Oddly, I don't mind the 1u backspace keys ... although I hate ISO enter keys. Long live the big ass enter. I wish it were easier to find new production caps for those poor old boards.