Author Topic: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions  (Read 1249005 times)

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Offline jamster

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4850 on: Sun, 10 May 2020, 21:40:26 »
Yeah, I mean that was literally the conversation we were having just now. Hahaha.

What keyboard reviews btw say there's a proper way to type? I hate that crap. That's the kind of stuff I like geekhack for. Very much a forum for those who just like keyboards and like what they like and nobody cares.

As for typing on buckling spring without bottoming out, yes it's possible. I have discovered, despite my typical protestation, that I don't bottom out on some keys I type on my right hand with my Model M, or I do it so softly so to not notice it even when trying to feel it. I typically don't bottom out on the backspace key, for example. Hard to believe since the actuation point is so close to the bottom out point and the tactility is such that one would expect it, but here we are.

I was just reading a review of Hako Clears. The writer freely admits that he bottoms out, that a lot of people bottom out, but that the 'proper' way to type is to avoid bottoming out, and that certain switches are designed to help people type 'properly'.

I've come across a surprising number of keyboard enthusiasts over the years (I work in tech), and whilst we have talked about, compared, and lent each other boards, not once do I recall ever talking about whether the 'correct' way to type involves bottoming out switches. I have probably mentioned something along the lines of not liking Clears or Blacks because I prefer to bottom out, but that would have been the extent of it.

This is the specific example, but I've seen this argued one way then other on GH as well.

https://topclack.com/textclack/2017/11/27/input-clubs-hako-clear-switch-review-by-quakemz

Hm, you're right about it being more nuanced on a board though. I just realised that I don't bottom out on certain keys. Backspace, or spacebar but only if I'm going to hit it a bunch of times in a row.
« Last Edit: Sun, 10 May 2020, 21:43:47 by jamster »

Offline rxc92

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4851 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 05:20:10 »
I can’t say for Hako Clears since I haven’t tried them, but I've used plenty of stock MX Clears and usually don’t bottom out with them, mostly since they’re designed to do that, in addition to my typing technique being rather refined. And when using my Hako True board, it’s actually hard to bottom out since the force increases so rapidly after actuation.
Not bottoming out seems extremely difficult on standard switches that have linear force increases, and rather pointless considering there’s not a significant difference in force between actuation/bottoming. It’s much more achievable on switches where the increase is more exponential or just very heavy in general.  If you’re typing at any decent pace on MX Greens or other 70g+ switches and bottoming out on every press it’ll really wear your fingers. Hence, it took quite some time to becoming accustomed to Trues but after doing so, typing on them is very pleasant (still not as good for typing as Topre or Clears, I’ve found).

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4852 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 08:49:47 »
I'm sure it's been mentioned in this massive thread already, but I've been reading switch reviews again and keep coming across the attitude of "the only proper way to type is without bottoming out" which is just so bloody condescending and annoying.

Yeah, that's just nonsense. Ignore it.

Offline Polymer

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4853 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 16:19:05 »
I'm sure it's been mentioned in this massive thread already, but I've been reading switch reviews again and keep coming across the attitude of "the only proper way to type is without bottoming out" which is just so bloody condescending and annoying.

I enjoy bottoming out, it's simply a pleasant tactile sensation with all of my keyboards. In fact, I'm not even sure it's possible to type on bucking spring without bottoming out- perhaps it is, but it would be extremely annoying.

Some people bottom out, and apparently some people don't. Really no idea why someone would insist that there is only One True Way to type. It's like insisting that only Dvorak, DSA, or TKL are 'right' and that everything else is therefore 'wrong'.

I don't know where this started but people got it in their head that you're not supposed to bottom out..and that the tactile bump for a switch was there to tell you fingers when to stop so you could react and stop bottoming out...It is all BS.

If you want to type without bottoming out, you can do that..and plenty of people do but I think people have to keep in mind, they're giving up speed in doing so. 

The number of crazy ways people have learned to type so they wouldn't bottom out is shocking and while they can do whatever works best for them, I certainly would not want to give up a huge amount of speed to attain someone's else's ideal typing style. 

Sure, there are benefits to not bottoming out super hard and trying to go as lightly as you need but anytime anyone says the right way to type is not to bottom out or you type faster if you do, I just have to laugh because it is absolutely untrue.

Fortunately, there are fewer people saying this right now....

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4854 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 17:00:25 »
If you’re typing at any decent pace on MX Greens or other 70g+ switches and bottoming out on every press it’ll really wear your fingers. Hence, it took quite some time to becoming accustomed to Trues but after doing so, typing on them is very pleasant (still not as good for typing as Topre or Clears, I’ve found).

I bottom out with box navies, and type pretty fast. That's never bothered me with a 90g bottom out. I actually find it easier on my fingers with heavier switches than lighter ones, at least until I adjust to the lighter ones.


Offline Polymer

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4855 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 17:16:58 »
If you’re typing at any decent pace on MX Greens or other 70g+ switches and bottoming out on every press it’ll really wear your fingers. Hence, it took quite some time to becoming accustomed to Trues but after doing so, typing on them is very pleasant (still not as good for typing as Topre or Clears, I’ve found).

I bottom out with box navies, and type pretty fast. That's never bothered me with a 90g bottom out. I actually find it easier on my fingers with heavier switches than lighter ones, at least until I adjust to the lighter ones.

Yeah..and greens take a significant amount of force just to overcome the bump....the bottom out force is only slightly more than the bump. 

And I agree, bottoming out on heavier switches is actually easier on your hands..heavier switches in general take more energy and will tire you out if you're not used to them..but heavier switches tend to resist bottoming out more as well....

Offline rxc92

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4856 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 20:45:39 »
I don't agree, it physically doesn't make sense that using more force would be better on your fingers. Gaming in general is a chore on heavy switches, as is typing; I'm not even sure what the appeal of them is. 

Offline funkmon

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4857 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 21:11:25 »
The same appeal of using a normal switch at all as opposed to you just mashing on a 5g rubber dome with your fingers.

Offline rxc92

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4858 on: Mon, 11 May 2020, 23:42:19 »
If you don't know what you're talking about, don't reply.

Offline Polymer

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4859 on: Tue, 12 May 2020, 00:25:46 »
I don't agree, it physically doesn't make sense that using more force would be better on your fingers. Gaming in general is a chore on heavy switches, as is typing; I'm not even sure what the appeal of them is.

More force in general to use the switch..but the amount of net force you hit bottom with is probably less given the higher weight to achieve that.....That's how I interpreted what he said given what he said about light switches, but I could be wrong.

Offline Bonsa

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4860 on: Tue, 12 May 2020, 04:30:03 »
ortho is the future

Offline chyros

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4861 on: Tue, 12 May 2020, 05:01:09 »
ortho is the future
People will stop using physical keyboards before that day xD .
Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4862 on: Tue, 12 May 2020, 08:50:22 »
I don't agree, it physically doesn't make sense that using more force would be better on your fingers. Gaming in general is a chore on heavy switches, as is typing; I'm not even sure what the appeal of them is.

More force in general to use the switch..but the amount of net force you hit bottom with is probably less given the higher weight to achieve that.....That's how I interpreted what he said given what he said about light switches, but I could be wrong.

Correct. You're counteracting the force of the spring (and tactile event with clickies and tactiles). The overall weight of the switch is irrelevant if all we're talking about is the effect of bottoming out hard. When I go back to MX reds, I slam the plate hard, with more force than I even expect, and I have noticed discomfort as a result. I don't know about anybody else, but I don't think that I could even manage to forcefully bottom out box navies in a normal typing position. By the time I hit the plate, the impact is actually quite light.

I think this just comes down to adjusting to the switches that you're using, and I agree when people say that heavier switches (somewhat counteracted by stiffer tactility) actually usually make it easier to prevent bottoming out at all, although such a goal is entirely arbitrary.

Gaming in general is a chore on heavy switches, as is typing; I'm not even sure what the appeal of them is. 

That much I do agree with, besides the fact that it would possibly break immersion. I use MX reds for gaming, though that's only because I don't care so much about having something better in a gaming board.

ortho is the future
People will stop using physical keyboards before that day xD .

Yeah, I don't see that happening either. It seems at odds with the natural movement of a human being's fingers. What do I know though? I'll probably never try one.
« Last Edit: Tue, 12 May 2020, 09:10:15 by Maledicted »

Offline arock0627

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4863 on: Tue, 12 May 2020, 11:55:19 »
I'm sure it's been mentioned in this massive thread already, but I've been reading switch reviews again and keep coming across the attitude of "the only proper way to type is without bottoming out" which is just so bloody condescending and annoying.

Yeah, that's just nonsense. Ignore it.

How does one properly THOCK without bottoming out?

Insanity, I tells ya.

Offline jamster

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4864 on: Sun, 17 May 2020, 08:25:45 »
You don't need more sets of keycaps than you have keyboards.




Backstory- I recently discovered a totally unused and forgotten JTK Sophomore set stashed in storage. 4 years later I look at it and wonder what I was thinking at the time. On any one of my boards, I have kept the original caps, or changed them at most once.
« Last Edit: Sun, 17 May 2020, 08:37:03 by jamster »

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4865 on: Mon, 18 May 2020, 10:17:01 »
You don't need more sets of keycaps than you have keyboards.

Agreed. I usually, at least so far, leave whatever garbage came on a board or swap them out once to better compliment the characteristics of the switches and/or looks of the case.

Offline funkmon

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4866 on: Mon, 18 May 2020, 10:20:02 »
I have 2 sets of keycaps for the Cherry MX boards. Both are SA. Both are on boards. When a new board enters rotation, those keycaps go on the new board.

Offline alphabirth

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4867 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 09:46:54 »
I prefer the feeling of typing on light switches with o-rings, as it makes it feel a little more squishy when I bottom out.

Offline Sepharis

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4868 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 14:12:54 »
I only ever use my left shift key to alt + tab on steam, I'd much rather WKL boards just cut the left shift  ;D

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4869 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 14:25:37 »
I only ever use my left shift key to alt + tab on steam, I'd much rather WKL boards just cut the left shift  ;D

I would almost agree, but left shift is pretty useful for sprinting, etc, in some games as well, and various other hotkeys. Otherwise, with normal typing, I never use it either.

Offline Sepharis

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4870 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 15:26:26 »
Quote
I would almost agree, but left shift is pretty useful for sprinting, etc, in some games as well, and various other hotkeys. Otherwise, with normal typing, I never use it either.

I never really played MMOs growing up, I started PC gaming with a MOBA so I sat my hand on qwer + spacebar, as such I found the wad+shift position awkward and uncomfortable, so whenever I play games with sprinting as shift i either re-map it to f or a mouse button.

In fact in FF XIV I used software to make my mouse buttons Toggle shift and Alt for more spell usage

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4871 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 15:30:58 »
Quote
I would almost agree, but left shift is pretty useful for sprinting, etc, in some games as well, and various other hotkeys. Otherwise, with normal typing, I never use it either.

I never really played MMOs growing up, I started PC gaming with a MOBA so I sat my hand on qwer + spacebar, as such I found the wad+shift position awkward and uncomfortable, so whenever I play games with sprinting as shift i either re-map it to f or a mouse button.

In fact in FF XIV I used software to make my mouse buttons Toggle shift and Alt for more spell usage

I hate MMOs. I don't play them. How many MMOs even have sprint? I imagine it wouldn't be a majority. Shift has been the standard sprint key in all genres for decades. Never even heard of qwer + spacebar, but I don't play MOBAs either.
« Last Edit: Wed, 20 May 2020, 08:13:10 by Maledicted »

Offline Sepharis

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4872 on: Wed, 20 May 2020, 05:01:14 »

Quote
I hate MMOs. I don't play them. How many MMOs even have sprint? I imagine it wouldn't be a majority. Shift has been the standard shift key in all genres for decades. Never even heard of qwer + spacebar, but I don't play MOBAs either.

No, No I meant that MMOs using shift as a modifier is a requirement, so the default hand placement is AWD + Shift. Which is where I think most people learned it from, based on talking to friends.
In MOBAs the spells by default are either on qwer or 1234, the natural hand position one would acquire if they simply attempted to put their 4 fingers on those keys would align the thumb with spacebar.
Having said all this my first game was a MOBA and I didn't play a PC game until I was 18 so maybe I'm a weird exception

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4873 on: Wed, 20 May 2020, 08:39:51 »

Quote
I hate MMOs. I don't play them. How many MMOs even have sprint? I imagine it wouldn't be a majority. Shift has been the standard shift key in all genres for decades. Never even heard of qwer + spacebar, but I don't play MOBAs either.

No, No I meant that MMOs using shift as a modifier is a requirement, so the default hand placement is AWD + Shift. Which is where I think most people learned it from, based on talking to friends.
In MOBAs the spells by default are either on qwer or 1234, the natural hand position one would acquire if they simply attempted to put their 4 fingers on those keys would align the thumb with spacebar.
Having said all this my first game was a MOBA and I didn't play a PC game until I was 18 so maybe I'm a weird exception

The vast majority of games that are not a point and click (are a significant percentage of MOBAs point and click?) use WASD for movement, and if there's a sprint function in the game, that's almost always mapped to shift. If we were talking about using a modern console controller, it would be like removing one of your analogue sticks entirely, which is a no go in just about all first person games, and most third person games that aren't just an overhead view, point and click. There's a reason, with the popularity of 3D titles, that the second analogue stick showed up on the Playstation's dual analog controller in the 1990s, and never left. F is already usually melee/knife.

Offline ddrfraser1

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4874 on: Thu, 21 May 2020, 13:51:31 »
You don't need more sets of keycaps than you have keyboards.




Backstory- I recently discovered a totally unused and forgotten JTK Sophomore set stashed in storage. 4 years later I look at it and wonder what I was thinking at the time. On any one of my boards, I have kept the original caps, or changed them at most once.

Agreed but there are so many nice keycap sets and I have to have them all  :eek: They are cheaper than boards too so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Offline jamster

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4875 on: Fri, 22 May 2020, 01:15:18 »
Agreed but there are so many nice keycap sets and I have to have them all  :eek: They are cheaper than boards too so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hah, unless you've been spoiled by GMK quality :)  After my post about superfluous keycap sets, I was still tempted to look for a Honeywell set. Problem is, I know that any of the cheap Chinese sources are going to be a noticeable step down in quality from the GMK Carbon on the current board, and a replacement set from the same manufacturer is going to be $180 + international shipping.

Offline Sintpinty

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4876 on: Fri, 22 May 2020, 08:00:56 »
Quote
I would almost agree, but left shift is pretty useful for sprinting, etc, in some games as well, and various other hotkeys. Otherwise, with normal typing, I never use it either.

I never really played MMOs growing up, I started PC gaming with a MOBA so I sat my hand on qwer + spacebar, as such I found the wad+shift position awkward and uncomfortable, so whenever I play games with sprinting as shift i either re-map it to f or a mouse button.

In fact in FF XIV I used software to make my mouse buttons Toggle shift and Alt for more spell usage

Left ctrl is uncomfortable. Use z to crouch instead!  Also esdf or tfgh are a nice touch

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4877 on: Sat, 23 May 2020, 12:31:12 »
Those copies of Honeywell are nothing near the real thing. I think the only company that could pull it off cheaply is Tai Hao. Although EnjoyABS could do it as a mid-priced set.

Offline jamster

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4878 on: Sat, 23 May 2020, 12:42:10 »
Those copies of Honeywell are nothing near the real thing. I think the only company that could pull it off cheaply is Tai Hao. Although EnjoyABS could do it as a mid-priced set.

Huh, nice. Where'd you get yours (assuming your avatar is your board)?

Two of my three boards are populated with GMK and Tai Hao.

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4879 on: Sat, 23 May 2020, 12:49:34 »
I got mine on Black Friday, 2018, from Originative.

It was the 2017 Set of the Year edition, so it had been sitting there for months, I guess. It was originally $199, but they bumped it down to $179 for BF. Still very expensive when you consider shipping to Canada + customs/duties/taxes.

Classic GMK quality, if you ask me. The keyfeel was perfect, the legends are crisp and extremely high-contrast, lettering is amazing.

I heard that some sets had trouble with QC. 'Burnt stems,' according to photos. But my stems are fine.

RN it's sitting on a Leopold that has Ergo Clears. It sounds very deep for a board with Cherry switches. Honeywell is such a striking set that it is actually distracting, though, so I have been switching to darker, lower-contrast sets.

Offline jamster

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4880 on: Sat, 23 May 2020, 23:24:13 »
RN it's sitting on a Leopold that has Ergo Clears. It sounds very deep for a board with Cherry switches. Honeywell is such a striking set that it is actually distracting, though, so I have been switching to darker, lower-contrast sets.

I know what you mean. It looks gorgeous, but it's a bit too distracting for a generic office setup. My work board has Tai Hao Dolch on it. My ridiculously nice GMK Carbon set is being used on a kid's computer at home :/

Offline mode

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4881 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 01:04:46 »
It looks gorgeous, but it's a bit too distracting for a generic office setup.

I use SA Dasher at work, people regularly paused when they came over to talk to me to be completely bowled over by how gorgeous the set is. No such thing as "too distracting" imo, people get used to it.

Offline derpdederp

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4882 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 07:07:05 »
  • I think the ergodox layout is sub-optimal and made even worse when the keyboard is properly tented.
  • I hate Model Ms.  I think they're overrated and mediocre feeling in comparison to MX, Alps, and Topre.  Model Fs are the only buckling spring boards worth using...and that includes the SSK being in play.
  • Alps>MX>Mathias Alps.  Mathias Alps, while not bad, just do not feel anywhere as nice as Green, Blue, or Orange Alps.  Even Salmon and dampened Cream Alps are nicer.
  • Orange Alps are as good as Topre and dramatically cheaper.  They're also easier to mod.
  • I think SA profile is literally the worst key cap profile I have ever tried.  I'd rather use slick and shiny halfway worn through SP DCS caps than an SA set.
  • I think 40% keyboards are silly and a gimmick that creates more work to use than it's worth.  I'd prefer to create a palm sized chorded keyboard and learn how to chord keys than use a 40%.
  • 75% keyboards provide an interesting middle ground between 60%, TKL, and fullsize, but I think every single one of them looks stupid and all have weird layouts.
  • Every keyboard should have a winkey.
  • Full sized keyboards should all be made with the num pad arrow keys, and so on on the left hand side.
  • Plate mounted Topre boards like Realforce and the FC660C are horrible feeling and you might as well just buy a rubber dome keyboard like a Dell Quietkey or DT-35 and mount it to a metal plate with a layer of insulation between the plate and the PCB.
  • I hate blank key caps.  They're like spinners on cars to me.

I had some more, but they're less about keyboards and more about how people treat keyboards and caps.  And this is unpopular opinions, so I expect a fair amount of disagreement.

Would be useful in this thread to add what you think is the best (switch/keyboard) - so we can contrast our experiences.

Offline derpdederp

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4883 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 07:10:37 »
1. MX Brown/clear switches are worse than linear switches, and that's saying a lot because...
2. Linear switches are an unpleasant experience and they shouldn't exist.
3. Topre is overpriced and over hyped.
4. ABS as a keycap material is fine, even more so if they're doubleshot.
5. Full sized keyboards are the best.
6. "They don't make them like they used to." The standard build quality on vintage keyboards is better than 95% of the crap being mass produced today.
7. I'd rather have a CMStorm QFR than your $800 Korean TLK 'custom' riced-out kawaii whatever.

Bring on the hate ;D

Doesn't make sense considering the CMStorm QFR uses Cherry switches... So if 1&2 are both true, then what switch is the best. Confusing.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4884 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 14:03:00 »
1. MX Brown/clear switches are worse than linear switches, and that's saying a lot because...
2. Linear switches are an unpleasant experience and they shouldn't exist.
3. Topre is overpriced and over hyped.
4. ABS as a keycap material is fine, even more so if they're doubleshot.
5. Full sized keyboards are the best.
6. "They don't make them like they used to." The standard build quality on vintage keyboards is better than 95% of the crap being mass produced today.
7. I'd rather have a CMStorm QFR than your $800 Korean TLK 'custom' riced-out kawaii whatever.

Bring on the hate ;D

Doesn't make sense considering the CMStorm QFR uses Cherry switches... So if 1&2 are both true, then what switch is the best. Confusing.

I would guess the switches were replaced with something less mundane.

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4885 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 16:42:51 »


I know what you mean. It looks gorgeous, but it's a bit too distracting for a generic office setup. My work board has Tai Hao Dolch on it. My ridiculously nice GMK Carbon set is being used on a kid's computer at home :/

Yes, exactly. For me, it's not necessarily that it being a striking keyset is distracting, but the bright white alphas on a black board draw attention away from the screen. Other attractive colourways don't always present this problem.

As for Carbon, that's especially popular among gamers.



It looks gorgeous, but it's a bit too distracting for a generic office setup.

I use SA Dasher at work, people regularly paused when they came over to talk to me to be completely bowled over by how gorgeous the set is. No such thing as "too distracting" imo, people get used to it.

It's really the high-contrast of Honeywell that I found distracting. Ironically, I replaced Honeywell on one board with a Dasher/Dancer-inspired set, and it works fine.

Offline fliz

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4886 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 17:21:07 »
I love my hhkb. The layout is perfect for vi.

I've owned mx brown and blue and enjoy the feel of the topre more.

If you're doing office work or gaming, I get why you may not like the layout, but for software development, it's perfect.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4887 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 18:33:50 »
I love my hhkb. The layout is perfect for vi.

I've owned mx brown and blue and enjoy the feel of the topre more.

If you're doing office work or gaming, I get why you may not like the layout, but for software development, it's perfect.

I think that MX blue and brown are actually relatively unpopular switches once people explore other options, although they have their champions. I haven't tried Topre yet, but I imagine I would prefer that to them as well, although I'm not usually a tactile guy.

Offline fliz

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4888 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 18:40:48 »
What would you say are the most popular? One online reviewer said neon green Alps were close in feel to the topre, but the actuation point was higher. They feel great, imo, but it's so rare to be able to try them out without forking over the cash.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4889 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 19:02:05 »
What would you say are the most popular? One online reviewer said neon green Alps were close in feel to the topre, but the actuation point was higher. They feel great, imo, but it's so rare to be able to try them out without forking over the cash.

That depends on the type of switch.

For tactiles, probably Topre, Zealios (and variants), Holy Pandas, and MX clear (and modifications thereof). I'm sure I'm missing some, but we're talking the most popular after all.

For clickies, Kailh box thick clicks and Gateron MX clones, with even Outemu as a wild card. Not sure how Matias stacks up, but I would imagine that most would consider them better than MX blue as well, once compared. If we include vintage switches, since those are usually considered the best, then you're looking at IBM's beam spring, both buckling spring variants, and SKCM Alps. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more people on here using IBM Model Ms and Unicomps than genuine Cherry MX blues.

Speaking of which, I have some heresy to add to this thread: Matias switches feel and sound close enough to SKCM Alps to not matter. I could easily use them interchangeably with my SKCM and capacitive buckling spring boards, if it weren't for the chatter I have already experienced on a brand new board.

Offline funkmon

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4890 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 19:05:19 »
Speaking of which, I have some heresy to add to this thread: Matias switches feel and sound close enough to SKCM Alps to not matter. I could easily use them interchangeably with my SKCM and capacitive buckling spring boards, if it weren't for the chatter I have already experienced on a brand new board.

I'll double down on the heresy. I agree with you completely, except no chatter in my case.
« Last Edit: Mon, 25 May 2020, 03:21:36 by funkmon »

Offline ddrfraser1

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4891 on: Mon, 25 May 2020, 18:42:25 »
Speaking of which, I have some heresy to add to this thread: Matias switches feel and sound close enough to SKCM Alps to not matter. I could easily use them interchangeably with my SKCM and capacitive buckling spring boards, if it weren't for the chatter I have already experienced on a brand new board.

I'll double down on the heresy. I agree with you completely, except no chatter in my case.

Interesting. I've actually never tried them as I thought it wouldn't be worth it. This makes me want to give it a shot. Tbh, I'm still pretty skeptical  ^-^

Offline treeleaf64

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4892 on: Mon, 25 May 2020, 19:03:52 »
I hate the double bump of those Matias switches, feels awful. Not so bad on the linear (or tactile depending how you want to view them) switches but it feels like two distinct bumps on clicky/tactile.
I do not like them, Sam I Am. :)
treeleaf64: https://discord.gg/rbUjtsRG6P

This is the cat and pat!!!!!!!!

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4893 on: Mon, 25 May 2020, 19:13:33 »
Speaking of which, I have some heresy to add to this thread: Matias switches feel and sound close enough to SKCM Alps to not matter. I could easily use them interchangeably with my SKCM and capacitive buckling spring boards, if it weren't for the chatter I have already experienced on a brand new board.

I'll double down on the heresy. I agree with you completely, except no chatter in my case.

Interesting. I've actually never tried them as I thought it wouldn't be worth it. This makes me want to give it a shot. Tbh, I'm still pretty skeptical  ^-^

I don't blame you, so was I. I haven't had any chatter since the first half hour out of the box, so maybe that was a fluke.

I hate the double bump of those Matias switches, feels awful. Not so bad on the linear (or tactile depending how you want to view them) switches but it feels like two distinct bumps on clicky/tactile.
I do not like them, Sam I Am. :)

I think that I can just barely perceive what you mean, if I type a single key really slowly. You mean at the tail end of the upstroke? It seems to me that SKCM Alps have it too comparing them again, just that it is even more slight with Alps.

Offline funkmon

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4894 on: Mon, 25 May 2020, 19:23:47 »
I think he means the initial tactility, and then, if you get near bottoming out there's a slight second tactile bump, less even than Browns. You normally plow right through it considering the first bump is so tactile. You kind of have to be looking for it to notice.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4895 on: Mon, 25 May 2020, 19:26:33 »
I think he means the initial tactility, and then, if you get near bottoming out there's a slight second tactile bump, less even than Browns. You normally plow right through it considering the first bump is so tactile. You kind of have to be looking for it to notice.

I am looking for it, and I can't find it. Are we all talking about the clickies, or the dampened switches?

Offline funkmon

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4896 on: Mon, 25 May 2020, 19:47:58 »
Clickies. Unsure about dampened, but I think the click leaf is the same, just the slider is different, so I think it would have the same secondary tactile bump.

I literally do not know how to read these, but I think that these show it a little bit.

https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=15278

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4897 on: Mon, 25 May 2020, 21:12:07 »
Clickies. Unsure about dampened, but I think the click leaf is the same, just the slider is different, so I think it would have the same secondary tactile bump.

I literally do not know how to read these, but I think that these show it a little bit.

https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=15278

I don't know how to read them either, honestly. All I feel is what feels like bottoming out.

Offline atarione

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4898 on: Tue, 26 May 2020, 01:19:06 »
I do not care how good a board is if it comes from the PRC I don't want it...

ROC , Korea.... anyplace other than china yes...  100% **** Chinese made boards....

100% **** china in general

Taiwan is not China...



Offline Maledicted

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Re: Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
« Reply #4899 on: Tue, 26 May 2020, 10:08:14 »
I do not care how good a board is if it comes from the PRC I don't want it...

ROC , Korea.... anyplace other than china yes...  100% **** Chinese made boards....

100% **** china in general

Taiwan is not China...

I admire your stance, and I imagine that an inkling towards it, at least, is not unpopular.
« Last Edit: Wed, 03 June 2020, 13:44:08 by Maledicted »