I just got this in the mail today, and the switches are nice, but one is dead. I bought off this guy and it took him since June to ship it, and I finally get in my hands and the switches are great - a little on the springy sounding side, but this keyboard ha one greivious problem - the f key is dead. Other than that, the thing is great. But with a dead f key, my favorite word becomes uck, which seems to lack some prowess.
I'm going to have to contact Alps and see if I can get a switch for it. My buddy can swap them out for me, so I could use this ...
The thing gives nearly the same spring sound as the Model M, and has a lighter touch than the SMK 85, and is all around a good feeling keyboard, but the much newer SMK 85 is a superiour keyboard. These keys need to pressed a lot more deliberately to register, but I do like it.
This f key, though I could fix it witht eh MacBook keyboard, just cripples me, so for now, it's going in the closet.
Alps sliders I have:
2 blacks, one new one old
One pink
and now one orange.
I guess I have to buy the SMK 85 with whites to fill out my tactile Alps switch collection.
Later.