My Ducky One Non-Backlit with MX Whites arrived today:
This is the rather fantastic deal I posted about
here in Great Finds. For $81.24 Canadian (the equivalent of around $59 U.S.), with free shipping, you get a full-size Ducky board with orange-on-black double-shot ABS keys and one of Cherry's rarest switch varieties.
In Asian keyboard forums, MX Whites are called "MX Milk" because MX Clears—which are actually a translucent white—were often referred to as "White". So boards marketed in both the East and West usually show both names:
I'm really digging these
these switches. At 80 Cn, they're firm, there's no doubt about that—but with this kind of resistance, it's super-easy to type lightly and quickly without bottoming out. (By contrast, I can't
not bottom out on lighter Cherrys like MX Reds or Browns.) The click and tactile feedback help you quickly get a feel for the amount of pressure you need—and if you give it a bit of time, and avoid working harder than you have to, it soon it feels like you're gliding across the key tops, hardly typing at all.
Switches this firm aren't for everyone. If you're one of the many who prefer bottoming out, you'd probably find Whites tiring. But if you're intrigued by the idea of typing quickly and smoothly by playing
against key resistance, switches like these needn't seem intimidating; they're an advantage.
There's been much discussion about how MX Whites vary from MX Greens. On the surface, they seem identical: clicky, tactile, identical firmness. I've just typed a bit on my MX Green board to compare them. The White's click is supposed to be softer. I hear no difference—but I'm probably not the best judge of that, as my upper-frequency hearing isn't what it used to be. :?)
The Whites do feel smoother. The tactile bump isn't as pronounced. I'd describe the Greens as more "clattery"—which can be a good thing, of course, depending on your mood. They're both quite enjoyable. If I were to choose one to use regularly, I think I'd go with the Whites, if for no other reason than they'd probably be less annoying to anyone around me.
The ABS caps are pleasingly textured, with a slight silvery sparkle (or SSS, as we say in the trade) when the light hits them a certain way:
(Zoom in for the full effect—and at the same time, please pardon my wimpy phone photography)
If you've been around here for a while, you'll know I'm a big advocate of washing one's hands before sitting down to type. Grime is abrasive, and I think that dirty fingers are more to blame for key wear than anything else. I have pad-printed keyboards I've used for years that still don't show any significant signs of wear—so I suspect it'll be quite some time till these caps lose their nice texture (hint, hint).
This is a
very well built board, as heavy and solid as my Filco Majestouch. And for a 108-key board (with 4 extra keys over the number pad—Calculator, Volume +/- and Mute), it's quite compact. The detachable micro-USB cable is excellent, and like all Duckys, it includes a rigid transparent cover.
I figure the reasons this great board is so inexpensive are:
- Most MK users want backlit boards. (Personally, I try not to look at my hands when I type, so lighted boards have always seemed like a distraction.)
That said, only this orange-on-black version is double-shot; the others are dye-sub. Considering that sets of high-quality MX DS caps start around $30–40 U.S., this seems like an even more remarkable deal.
This thing'll last forever—or at least a lot longer than I will! It makes a great companion to my buckling-spring Model M's and F's, which are in the same league in terms of firmness, but at the same time feel completely different.
If you're looking for a little tank of a board by a major MK maker, and you don't care that it doesn't light up like a carnival, it seems like it'd be hard to find a better deal right now.
Ducky also makes a
TKL Ducky One Non-Backlit , apparently
only in this orange-on-black DS scheme. Ducky's page shows one with Japanese sub-legends, which would be cool:
(It also says, "Ducky One is powered by an ARM M3 micro-controller. This powerful controller allows advanced functions as well as stunning backlighting effects." Oops—a bit to much copying 'n' pasting, Ducky-san!) But I have no idea how they're priced, or if they're even available in the West. If you know, feel free to chime in.
