I decided to sell all my MX stuff so that I can bring a RF to work with me too. This poses a new question.
I know I like the 55g. But should I be bold and get a 45g or a silent? It's the spice of life right? I realize I may be turning a blind eye to all the searching I just did, concidering how much I love the 55g switch, but I have to admit curiosity often gets the better of me. I've never tried a 45g or a silent model, very curious.
Someone talk me into a decision.
Thanks
Ah yes, it's a quandary. I have my new 55g 87U that I've been using for the last four days. Just today, I switched back to my 87U variable silent that I've had for five months. I must say, I like it as much, maybe even better.
The variable it obviously lighter, but still has tactility. It's buttery smooth to type on. You have to adjust your typing style on the variable. Hard to explain, but less deliberate. With the variable, you can relax and tickle the keys.
As for speed, I'm the same on both, which isn't fast. I switched to Colemak three months ago and am currently about 60 - 65 wpm. Maybe if I were a faster typist, I would appreciate the 55g more.
I like both boards for different reasons. The variable is effortless to type on, and I don't have any problem with accidentally actuating keys. You can relax your fingers and let them barely touch the keys and the words pop out. I hate the gritty feel of Cherry MX switches, and the buttery smooth Topre switch is more apparent on the variable.
The 55g is crisp and snappy. It's also more stressful on the fingers. I don't have any RSI issues, so that's not an issue for me. I'm just still on the fence as to which typing style I prefer. Typing on the silent variable is almost a Zen thing. I can understand why a lot of guys don't like it, as it requires a much lighter touch. It took me a good week to adjust my typing style on the variable so that I wasn't pounding the keys. I took an hour or so each day and worked on technique with the 10fastfingers basic typing test. No punctuation or caps. Just simple words, allowing me to concentrate just on technique. Only after the adjustment did I really come to appreciate the variable. I'm also 56, so maybe age has something to do with my preference for the lighter, less deliberate typing style.
Hopefully, the 55g will continue to lighten up. Currently, it's too stiff for me. I'll give it a two or three weeks. If it doesn't loosen up to my liking by then, you may find it in the GH classifieds.
Many here say the 55g plate mounted Topre switches are pretty much the same as the 45g PCB mounted HHKB Pro 2. I would respectfully disagree. My HHKB is about a month old, and the 55g 87U is noticeably stiffer. The key resistance on the HHKB is perfect. In fact, at this point, I'd say it's closer to my variable than the new 55g.
But like I said, I'll use the 55g as my daily driver for a couple weeks and see how it is when it fully breaks in.
On a side note, my 27 year old son is in school on a CS major. He sat down at my computer a few days ago and effortlessly popped out a 106 wpm on typeracer first attempt, no practice, no warm-up. He never uses any typing sites. If he did, he'd be 130 - 150. He much prefers the variable over the 55g. His favorite Cherry switch is brown.
