Okay. Back to the grind, and a bit of time to write a review.
So first off, after typing on a HHKB for so long, the fatigue of typing on these Blue Alps was noticeable right away. They're not even that heavy, but my fingers have become adjusted to such a light switch.
I've been trying to figure out a way to describe them by comparison to other switches more common such that people who read it can try to have an idea, but that's very hard to do because these switches are very much in a class of their own.
First, they feel GREAT. I love clicky switches. MX Blues were my first, and what really absorbed me into keyboards was that clicking sound. These switches click, but they're very far from MX Blues. The click sounds more metallic, not plasticy like MX Blues, but not as pingy as Buckling Springs. It's a very nice sound. Much, much nicer than White Alps (XMs?). The feeling is also superior. I've also tried Matias Clickys as individual switches (not in a keyboard), and the clicking is superior to those as well. Unfortunately, that's pretty much the extent of my Alps experience, so not much else to compare them to. The weight, once I adjusted was actually nice. They seem to be heavier than MX Blues to me, which is a very nice plus. I've always thought that MX Blues with a slightly heavier spring would be superior (though in my year+ here, I've still never tried them... :/ ).
The negative, unfortunately, is that they're still Alps. I know a lot of people love these switches, and they do seem to have very many different types of switches with different feels from what I hear, but they've always just felt off to me. The fact that you have to be considerate of how you press them because pressing them at an angle causes the press to feel off puts me off of them.
But, as much as Alps aren't for me, I still keep one Alps board for my own historical reasons, and with everything being said, where I was planning on swapping in Matias Clicky switches to it, I'm actually considering trying to acquire a board with these switches to put into it instead. If you're a person who enjoys clicky switches with a little weight on them as much as me, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with these.
I'd like to finish off by thanking AKIMbO for making this happen. It's always nice for a community member to be willing to help out the community to grow and gain new experiences. I truly appreciate it.
