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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: zoechow on Fri, 14 August 2020, 12:28:57
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Seeking keyboard, TKL layout (pick of exactly what I mean below). No gaming, just too much typing. Have problems with wrist pain and RSI in the past. Have been using an old membrane HP TKL for years, but it is wearing out and switches never as good even as a good laptop scissor (MS surface, apple scissors). I am trying a cheapo TKL mechanical, with MX browns (no o-rings). Something about it causes wrist pain over extended use. Too much travel? Just too tall? A kind of friction making for too much force necessary? Just a crappy board ruining good switches? Cheapo board doesn't have real Cherry switches maybe? I'm just not sure. But I can say that when I use a good scissor switch, it feels by comparison like relief.
I've been eyeing some low profile mechanical TKLs, including the keychron K1 also recommended by someone here. I'm happy to spring for the Logitech g915tkl, or whatever it is called -- happy to spend the money *if* it is typing relief. I'm happy to try these boards. But I'm really stuck on the fact that the best ones all seem to have options about switches, and I have no clue what is best in my situation?
I've tried a tester with full size Cherry red brown and blue. I see the appeal of blues, but at least the full size one seems to need far too much force required for me, I think (I can't actually type on a tester, so not sure, and I have no low profile testers). I rigged it up to batteries and LEDs and I can see that maybe reds activate too easily and would have a lot of mistakes? Not clear.
Anyway, in the low profiles, I'm not sure keychron has a good return policy, and Logitech is expensive. So I'd like to make informed switch choices. Logitech offers clicky / tactile / linear. Keychron offers LP red, blue, or brown.
Can anyone help?
thanks!
zc
ps
I am not interested in MS sculpt because I am only interested in this standard TKL layout:
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0059/0630/1017/products/Keychron-K1_v4-ultra-slim-wireless-mechanical-keyboard-87_keys-white-backlight-Gateron-low-profile-blue-switch_1800x1800.jpg?v=1593499366)
Here is the same enough layout in the old HP membrane I'm retiring:
(https://external-preview.redd.it/ZRRiYvmr4hdq644MYKs19bkh7RffFED_KMSXF5LMb3g.jpg?auto=webp&s=49c6406b0e61989f93cd95be1bbc601772535351)
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If you have RSI issues I think it would be better to move to Kinesis the normal QWERTY layout is not ergonomic friendly imo. Also do your wrists touch the desk when typing or are they floating? Maybe your typing wrong.
(http://www.personal.psu.edu/afr3/blogs/siowfa13/Screen%20Shot%202013-10-25%20at%202.34.16%20AM.png)
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Thanks. I agree it is overall better not to flex there. But it is a tradeoff with getting used to the layout (I type some of the keys with the "wrong" hand according to split keyboards; having to go back and forth to laptops that don't use it, etc.). I don't myself get issues if I have a good comfy switch in a standard TKL, so for now I prefer that.