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Giving the SMK88 another try

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xsphat:
I am giving the black stemmed linear switches another day in court, as I mentioned I intended to do a couple weeks ago on some lost thread. I did say they were pretty crappy before but I am wondering if I gave them a fair shake. I'm still unsure, but I can see that Cherry switches  are actually quite different from my Alps, capacitives and buckling springs I have.

So I'm trying not to bottom out all the time and the switches feel pretty nice. I can't say for sure I like them yet, because they do hurt my arms after a bit, but I don't make many errors for getting used to a new 'board. Ultimately, I don't think this will be my perfect switch because I like to bottom out and be loud and the switches are too stiff for that to be anything but work.

I'll give this 'board a few more days and see if I get used to it. You see, if these switches grow on me, my options for keyboards open up significantly.

ashort:
I am back on an SMK-88 but this time with blue switches.  I know I am "wierd" in this group but I think I like black switches better.  A lot of force (by my standards) to actuate a key and this SMK is the new layout with eject-vol up-vol down-mute-Fn keys down the left side.  I think I home my left pinky to the left side of the keyboard and that extra row of keys throws me off.  I don't mind the noise as much as the layout and pressure required.

The good:  I am starting to get used to the layout and I konw I am bottoming the keys out far less than I would on black.  Giving it a few more days before I go back to the Matias Tactile Pro 2.  I've mentioned before that the amount of side to side play in the matias keys are a bit crazy, and speculated that it could be the lineage of the keyswitches (Alps derived).  By comparison, this SKM-88 is TIGHT.  almost no side-to-side on the keys at all.

iMav:
The blue cherries are my favorite keyswitches...but as I've mentioned before, the key layout and portability of the HHKB Pro trumps my keyswitch preference as the capacitive switches are still quite good.

I had an email conversation with the Das keyboard folks...proposing a Das III keyboard idea.  Going with a form factor and layout similar to the HHKB with the blue Cherries they currently use in the Das II.  They liked the idea...but I have no idea if they are tooled for such a thing.

If I was to create a keyboard to put out to the masses, that is exactly what I'd do.  The current Das II caters to the clicky and blank keytop fan...and the HHKB is a geek cult classic.  I think it would sell quite well.

xsphat:
I am with ashort on this one, the layout of the SMK88 is great and the mac keys are nearly all there. But I also have to go with iMav about the HHKB - it has all the Mac keys including the power button, which is something the SMK88 lacks.

I want to try out some new Cherry switches after this, too bad none of them are made anymore :P

xsphat:
If I want to try out the blues, I am stuck with either the M10 or Das II,or I could order that one from DataCal and hope Justin was right ....

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