Keyswitch to recommend to newbies

[patrickgeekhack]

I have been reading this forum for a while now, and the general feeling I've got (and based on my experience), the keyswitch to recommend to a newbie is probably the Cherry MX Blue. To me, it has the right compromise between tactility and audible feedback. You can feel the click bump and hear it very well, and they keys don't require a lot of force to activate. Keyswitches requiring more force and that have the potential of getting fingers tired relatively faster will probably scare some away. Now, you may not agree with me, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you don't, I would appreciate your point of view.

[wellington1869]

I have been reading this forum for a while now, and the general feeling I've got (and based on my experience), the keyswitch to recommend to a newbie is probably the Cherry MX Blue. To me, it has the right compromise between tactility and audible feedback. You can feel the click bump and hear it very well, and they keys don't require a lot of force to activate. Keyswitches requiring more force and that have the potential of getting fingers tired relatively faster will probably scare some away. Now, you may not agree with me, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you don't, I would appreciate your point of view.

you can also get them relatively cheaply (M10, g80), around $60 range. So ya, it'd be a good one to give to a beginner I suppose, someone transitioning from rubber dome may not find it too stiff or too loud.

[ch_123]

I would say buckling spring. Seems like a lot of people around here start on old IBMs or Unicomps before progressing onto more fancy switches like Cherry browns or Topres.

Black Alps are another possibility because of the cheapness of new Dell AT101Ws, but I think they're somewhat mediocre compared with BS and Blue cherries. Still better than alot of the crap that passes off for keyboards these days.

[lal]

I'd recommend buckling springs to n00bs.  It's highly unlikely they'll be disappointed (have you ever heard of one?) and I think it's better to start with a strong switch and maybe later learn that you like the lighter ones better.  And they'd support Unicomp instead of some huge Asian OEM or an obscure German switch making company (that doesn't need to beg for your support of course > ).

[ironcoder]

Yes, the buckling springs are very positive and you can type pretty fast on them. I think it's a good start. And you may never need a different keyboard.

[itlnstln]

And you may never need a different keyboard.

Right.

[IBI]

I'd recommend buckling springs to n00bs.  It's highly unlikely they'll be disappointed (have you ever heard of one?)

Well I didn't like them for a start. I think the blue cherries are a good recommendation as they're the only one widely availible new and are supposed to be relatively inoffensive.

and I think it's better to start with a strong switch and maybe later learn that you like the lighter ones better.  And they'd support Unicomp instead of some huge Asian OEM or an obscure German switch making company (that doesn't need to beg for your support of course > ).

Speak for yourself there, I dare say some of the Europeans would rather support a German company that assembles their keyboards in Germany and the Czech republic than an American company.

[itlnstln]

I would probably recommend Cherry blues, too, or even Alps.  From there, you can go heavier or lighter, click or no-click, etc.  If you start with the heaviest or lightest switch, a novice might get the wrong impression that all mechanical switches have a similar feel and get turned off. I think starting from the middle and working your way up or down is the best approach.

[lal]

Well I didn't like [buckling springs] for a start.

Interesting.  Well that's one then.  Has it been your very first mechanical board?  And that part about supporting Unicomp instead of Cherry was a joke (well, partly at least.  Seriously though, Cherry doesn't seem to *need* support by a geekhacker minority...).

But besides IBI I can't remember anyone ever being disappointed by a buckling spring board as a first Real Keyboard(tm).  But I was quite surprised by some people here complaining about the "annoying high pitched sound" of blue Cherrys...  That's just what I remember.  I may be wrong in my impression that more n00bs aren't satisfied with blue Cherrys than with BS.

Edit: as you may guess, I'm probably quite biased

[itlnstln]

I think why people might like buckling springs as their introduction to quality keyboards stems mainly from two sources: nostalgia and hype. A lot of us, myself included, had fond memories of using Model Ms when we were younger, and purchased one out of nostalgia and liking the feel of buckling springs. This became the "gateway drug," causing us to search out other mechanical 'boards. For another group of users, listening/reading the all the hype on the web and living vicariously through others' nostalgia prompted them to buy an M.
 
I would imagine that if you removed those two phenomenon, that many users might find buckling springs too heavy, especially if they are aware of other alternatives. These days, since I have been using Alps and Cherrys, I find buckling springs heavy and fatiguing. A nice switch, to be sure, but not one that fits my everyday typing needs.

[wellington1869]

A lot of us, myself included, had fond memories of using Model Ms when we were younger, and purchased one out of nostalgia and liking the feel of buckling springs. This became the "gateway drug," causing us to search out other mechanical 'boards.

lol, thats precisely what happened to me.

These days, since I have been using Alps and Cherrys, I find buckling springs heavy and fatiguing. A nice switch, to be sure, but not one that fits my everyday typing needs.

I think i'm still figuring out if my daily driver needs to be a bit lighter or not. Problem is it seems to me there's a 'resistance gap' in the choices of  mechanical keyboards out there, "jumping" from 45g to 65g, ie from too light to kinda heavy. (I suppose the "all 55g" korean topre board fits nicely in the middle -- if you have a god-awful 350 bucks just to try it out. Dont think i'll ever have the chance. And it seems to be the only one filling that middle range.)

[itlnstln]

I think i'm still figuring out if my daily driver needs to be a bit lighter or not. Problem is it seems to me there's a 'resistance gap' in the choices of mechanical keyboards out there, "jumping" from 45g to 65g, ie from too light to kinda heavy. (I suppose the "all 55g" korean topre board fits nicely in the middle -- if you have a god-awful 350 bucks just to try it out. Dont think i'll ever have the chance. And it seems to be the only one filling that middle range.)

It just depends on your needs.  If I didn't type so much, I would still be using my Ms.  At work, though, I type a lot, so over time, I found the M to be overly fatiguing.  Now, I found that the brown Cherrys are perfect for my daily needs.  YMMV, of course.

[itlnstln]

That washable mouse looks wrong.

[ironcoder]

I think why people might like buckling springs as their introduction to quality keyboards stems mainly from two sources: nostalgia and hype.

snip
 
I would imagine that if you removed those two phenomenon, that many users might find buckling springs too heavy, especially if they are aware of other alternatives. These days, since I have been using Alps and Cherrys, I find buckling springs heavy and fatiguing. A nice switch, to be sure, but not one that fits my everyday typing needs.

I started coding back when the buckling springs were standard in my line of work and I grew to love them without ever knowing what they were until recently. They are so positive and I could really rip out the code on them. Over the years we moved off the terminals and started using PCs and the keyboards were never the same and I never understood why, I thought like everything else it was part of the general decline of quality in the world.

I guess if you come from a world of modern membranes or PC keyboards the buckling springs may feel harsh or heavy, but that solid feel is exactly what I liked about them. I never ever found them too heavy or slow, it was a just-right feeling.

I think it depends what you're going to use it for. For coding, buckling springs are hard to beat. For almost anything else, errors are not critical. If you're a writer you can run a spell checker over your work. If you're a home desktop user nothing you're going to do is that critical that a mistake costs you real money. For a gamer, nobody would recommend a buckling spring. But for coding, the positive action and high feedback level of a b/s keyboard let's me know if I did it or missed it and they saved me a lot of time over the PC keyboards I transitioned to over the years.

[ironcoder]

Transmitting keystrokes, transmitting torque, what's the diff? :sick:

Now they can put their own keyboards in their test vehicles.

[patrickgeekhack]

Very interesting input from all of you. I should have said that when I said "newbie" I meant someone starting with mechanical keyboard today, someone who has never known anything than a rubber dome.

In this case, like Ripster pointed out, the "newbie" won't have any idea what a buckling spring keyboard is, and may even find them to require too much force.

[itlnstln]

Very interesting input from all of you. I should have said that when I said "newbie" I meant someone starting with mechanical keyboard today, someone who has never known anything than a rubber dome.

So you're buying a new keyboard for your daughter?

[patrickgeekhack]

So you're buying a new keyboard for your daughter?

No, not at all. She's too young for that although she played with the arrow keys when I put her on my lap. Besides, I have 5 keyboards she can choose from. Who knows, maybe in the future she will have more to choose from.

[IBI]

Interesting.  Well that's one then.  Has it been your very first mechanical board?

It was yes. The feeling seemed decent, if a bit harsh. The main problem I had with it was that I couldn't get on with the noise. I've seen other threads from people asking for a quiter alternative too. While the reason usually given is that it's too loud I wonder if people are just finding it unpleasant like I did.

  And that part about supporting Unicomp instead of Cherry was a joke (well, partly at least.  Seriously though, Cherry doesn't seem to *need* support by a geekhacker minority...).

I don't know, Cherry have even fewer non-linear mechanical models than Unicomp.

I would probably recommend Cherry blues, too, or even Alps.

Yeah, I think Black Alps or Brown Cherries would be ideal as they're both quiet and precise. Unfortunately, I don't know of any keyboards selling in the UK that have them, except for the second hand AT102Ws and a month or more can pass between them showing up on ebay.

[timw4mail]

As a fairly new user of mechanical keyboards, I really hesitate to suggest either the Cherry Blue switches, or the Buckling Spring switches.

With the heavier keystroke on the Model M, I feel more sure about which key I actually pressed. With the Scorpius M10 I bought for work, I sometimes stumble with my fingers to reach the correct keys.

So, by a small margin, I guess I would recommend the buckling springs over the Cherry Blues.

[Repoman]

I think to recommend the right switch to a newbie, sit down with them and get an idea of what they do and do not like about their current board. That'll give you more than enough info to suggest the right kind of switch

[Repoman]

OK - balls to it.

Black cherries. Everyone loves 'em

[itlnstln]

OK - balls to it.
 
Black cherries. Everyone loves 'em

Black cherry soda is good.  I like that.

[Repoman]

Better in my beverage than my keyboard.

Which is much better still than beverage in my keyboard. Look it up.

[patrickgeekhack]

I think to recommend the right switch to a newbie, sit down with them and get an idea of what they do and do not like about their current board. That'll give you more than enough info to suggest the right kind of switch

True. It's always nice to get an idea of what the newbie wants to get him or her on the right track.  Some might not need another keyboard at all, and don't read forums on keyboards LOL. Others, on the other hand, might want to try other keyboards. I know for a fact that I would have stayed with only a Customizer 104 if I did keep reading this forum :-)

[Repoman]

Yes! Logitech. DiNovo.

You know you want one.

[Repoman]

And I thought you were all about the weird-boards webwit...

[Repoman]

Sounds great! How about a trade?

I'm sure I still have that pos Saitek thing...

[watduzhkstand4]

Cherry blues FTW! They are nice, clicky, and tactile. Also, they're light =]

[nerp]

I came to the buckling spring out of nostalgia and I've never looked back.

[keyb_gr]

I came to the buckling spring out of nostalgia and I've never looked back.

Anyone else spot the (unintentional) irony in this sentence?

[itlnstln]

Anyone else spot the (unintentional) irony in this sentence?

Excellent observation.  I laughed.

[wellington1869]

Excellent observation.  I laughed.

hilarious, sig worthy

[itlnstln]

hilarious, sig worthy

Done.  Sorry, bigpook, you got bounced.

[wolf]

Bit of a thread-dredge, sorry, but it has some great observations and humour in here.

I used (and tore apart for cleaning) a number of different keyboards in my early days on computers - old IBM buckling springs and what must have been (going by what I've read on here) some of the older Cherry switches.  Now all the boards I've had access to of late have had rubber dome switches.

I can cope with rubber domes but they are not remotely ideal.  Buckling spring, I recall, were way too firm for my tastes.  I type a lot and I found them tiring back then, I'd feel them even more tiring now.

I can't recall much about the older Cherry switches and I'm trying to find some of the modern ones - especially the browns - to try out as they seem quite promising, as do the black ALPS.

And while we're on One True Faiths and Cherry Sodas...

Dr Pepper FTW!

[erricrice]

Bit of a thread-dredge, sorry, but it has some great observations and humour in here.

I used (and tore apart for cleaning) a number of different keyboards in my early days on computers - old IBM buckling springs and what must have been (going by what I've read on here) some of the older Cherry switches.  Now all the boards I've had access to of late have had rubber dome switches.

I can cope with rubber domes but they are not remotely ideal.  Buckling spring, I recall, were way too firm for my tastes.  I type a lot and I found them tiring back then, I'd feel them even more tiring now.

I can't recall much about the older Cherry switches and I'm trying to find some of the modern ones - especially the browns - to try out as they seem quite promising, as do the black ALPS.

And while we're on One True Faiths and Cherry Sodas...

Dr Pepper FTW!

If buckling springs were too stiff for you, the black ALPS won't be much better, they are a little less stiff but not by much.  

Give cherry blues or browns a try, blues if you like clicky, browns if you want a little more silent.

[wolf]

cheers, erricrice.  

I used some old Lite On keyboards years ago that had ALPS switches - white IIRC - but cannot recall whether I found them more or less comfortable than others.

What I do know is that I'm sick of the inconsistency of rubber domes - I don't mind the linear feel so much, though tactile would be a vast improvement, but the fact that the commonly used keys on my keyboard already feel different to the others - after only 3 months' use - is rather annoying.

Used so many different sorts of keyboards over the years, some of which more comfortable than others - at least in the short term - that I can't reliably recall which was which.