I would have to also say that in the grand scheme of things, having high-end keyboards didn't really improve my life in any significant way, since I was not suffering from RSI or any other problems due to typing a lot, and my typing speed didn't really improve much since getting quality keyboards. And it's not as if keyboards brought any additional deeper meaning to my life. The "journey" of researching, testing, comparing, customizing keyboards is simply means to an end, and it's not a "hobby" because I have passions that are far more meaningful/fulfilling in my life. Keyboards are just tools, in the same way that cameras, paint brushes, computers, smartphones, screwdrivers, etc are just tools. Some people do find some kind of additional meaning in keyboards by making it a serious passion and getting into designing/modding/collecting, but I don't have that kind of interest in keyboards (or any kind of collecting and modding in general)--I simply want a tool that's ideal for my needs, and I focus on my preferred creative outlets (writing novels, visual art, composing music, etc).
With all that said, I do prefer the experience of using a quality keyboard compared to a cheap rubber-dome, but ultimately, having multiple high-end keyboards with different switch types and form factors and continuing "the journey" is really just an excuse to fill one's life with something to be immersed in, but compared to everything else in life, is mainly superfluous.
So in the end, if I could start over knowing what I know now, I would do the following:
-Get the RealForce 87U 55g (white/gray version) and add colored modifier/arrow/Esc/WASD keycaps. This is the daily driver and the best keyboard among all my keyboards in terms of tactile feel, sound, construction quality, etc. And it doesn't require a bunch of DIY--it's superb right out of the box.
-Get the Leopold FC660C (beige/gray version) as my bedtime/portable typing keyboard to be used with my smartphone (via OTG cable). BUT, this might change soon, because I'm still waiting for the TextBlade and the Matias 60%, and there's a chance one of them might end up being better for portable typing. (TextBlade should win due to its tiny size, but until I actually type on one, I can't say for sure if it will perform as well as advertised.)
-Get a quality fully customizable RGB LED backlit TKL keyboard with linear switch (for gaming, so I can use different LED colors for types of weapons, spells, healing, movements, inventory, etc). Unfortunately, none of the ones on the market currently are acceptable to me in terms of design. I hate LED light spillage onto the keyboard, and I'm still waiting for one of the companies out there to release a TKL that has fully customizable RGB LED lighting only for the key legends and nowhere else.
And that's it. Three keyboards to satisfy three distinctly different needs. Beyond those three, any more is just being self-indulgent and putting time/energy/money into something that inherently has no real meaning to me. I knew this going in, and I even said so in my very first post here. I just need to find the keyboard(s) that matches my needs and then move on with my life.
