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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Notoriousxpinoy on Tue, 13 September 2011, 11:09:23

Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Notoriousxpinoy on Tue, 13 September 2011, 11:09:23
I've read the faqs and the guides on which switches does what. I have decide to either try brown switches or maybe red... I have a few questions prior to deciding on the keyboard that fits for me.

Now the hard part is which brand should I go for? Now the three I am most interested at is:



Can anyone who has at least owned or have experience in 2 of the 3 brands explain to me which they felt better in terms of quality/response time/longevity?

---------------------------------
My other questions are:

1) Can your fingers really feel the difference between black and brown and even red switches? Like does black switch really feel like a "work out" for your fingers?

2) Are there any quality back lit mechanical keyboards(Not Razer Black Widow please..)? I'm trying to go with the red/black theme with my pc. Red LED would be nice.

3) Kinda like question #2.. but if there isn't any quality back lit mechanical keyboards.. Where do I get good quality red key caps?

I know.. I know.. I asked a lot of questions but I'm really picky lol...

Anyways thanks in advance for the answers!!!!!!

FORGOT TO MENTION THIS WILL MOST LIKELY BE FOR GAMING!!!
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: N8N on Tue, 13 September 2011, 11:15:12
0) other keyboards IMHO worth considering would be Filco and WASD

1) absolutely yes there is a huge difference.  Blacks are very stiff and linear, browns are light and faintly tactile, I imagine reds would feel similar to browns but without the tactility, but I have not had the opportunity to type on them.

2) can't answer that one.  Deck is supposed to be quality, but they have some funky looking keycaps.  Another option might be Mionix.  Ducky Shine supposed to be out soon.  Haven't really researched backlit.

3) WASD, if you like engraved.  If not, try qtan maybe?

good luck
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: squarebox on Tue, 13 September 2011, 11:18:08
1. If you are a heavy typist, difference between brown and red will most likely go unnoticed, and black will not be a work out.

2. Not at the moment. But you can get a black keyboard and add red keycaps.

3. KBC Red keycaps.
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Notoriousxpinoy on Tue, 13 September 2011, 11:20:30
Quote from: ripster;415495
Answered your question at your post at OCN.

Yeah I was PM'd by someone that I'd have a better answer in this site than OCN. lol
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Notoriousxpinoy on Tue, 13 September 2011, 12:18:26
Was curious though.. I thought Noppoo was a heavy favorite.. I guess I was wrong.. Is the quality bad or something? It looked pretty good when I looked at one in Ebay.
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Notoriousxpinoy on Wed, 14 September 2011, 00:48:32
After a lot of thought.. I decided to order Filco Majestouch-2, Tenkeyless(MX Brown) from Amazon.com.  After reading a lot of raving  reviews about Filco, I decided to just go ahead and take the plunge into the most expensive keyboard I've ever purchased.

Now can someone point me into the direction where I can get some cool key caps for my Filco?
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: daerid on Wed, 14 September 2011, 01:43:19
Great choice! I have that exact board. And it is by far my favorite. I'm actually just gonna order a new 104key version of it for work, since I need the 10key.
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Notoriousxpinoy on Wed, 14 September 2011, 01:54:08
Can you direct me where to find a similar quality key caps for this board? I dont want to buy some random key cap that either would feel differently than Filcos or just obviously is different than Filcos.. >.>
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: redpill on Wed, 14 September 2011, 13:48:29
Quote from: Notoriousxpinoy;415880
Can you direct me where to find a similar quality key caps for this board? I dont want to buy some random key cap that either would feel differently than Filcos or just obviously is different than Filcos.. >.>

Filco keycaps aren't exactly known for their quality actually.  You can look on eBay for PBT keys, or some of the vendors here sell them, and sometimes they do group buys for them.  Just make sure you get ones that fit Filco (which they usually do around these parts).
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: daerid on Wed, 14 September 2011, 13:55:56
Check in the groupbuy forum for KBC PBT keycaps, thread started by imsto.

I got 3 sets off him, and they're amazing.
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Notoriousxpinoy on Wed, 14 September 2011, 15:18:10
Ohhh I'll check them out then. Thanks again everyone!

And oh.. I just got an update... my KEYBOARD IS COMING TOMORROW!!!!!!! Wow that was fast shipping >.>
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 14 September 2011, 15:29:22
Quote from: Notoriousxpinoy;416148
And oh.. I just got an update... my KEYBOARD IS COMING TOMORROW!!!!!!!

Wow.  That's the first time I have ever heard of a keyboard spooging itself.  Usually the user does that.
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Lolcakes on Wed, 14 September 2011, 16:18:42
Quote from: Notoriousxpinoy;416148
Ohhh I'll check them out then. Thanks again everyone!

And oh.. I just got an update... my KEYBOARD IS COMING TOMORROW!!!!!!! Wow that was fast shipping >.>


Hi and gratz on the purchase! I have a TKL Filco as well, with blues, and I think they feel great.
Speaking of keycaps check out what litster did to his Filco - http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?21911-Dressing-Up-Keyboards-with-Keycaps&p=414724&viewfull=1#post414724

I think this looks AMAZING and I would like to try to achieve similar look if i manage to get my hands on keycaps like those ^^
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: NumberJ on Wed, 14 September 2011, 17:34:08
You can find red keycaps on the wasd keyboards website. They have pretty much every color you'd want, but I think that they're all unprinted.
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: Notoriousxpinoy on Wed, 14 September 2011, 18:08:12
Quote from: Lolcakes;416179
Hi and gratz on the purchase! I have a TKL Filco as well, with blues, and I think they feel great.
Speaking of keycaps check out what litster did to his Filco - http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?21911-Dressing-Up-Keyboards-with-Keycaps&p=414724&viewfull=1#post414724

I think this looks AMAZING and I would like to try to achieve similar look if i manage to get my hands on keycaps like those ^^

Yeah I saw that and drooled hence why I'm looking for those nice keycaps lol
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: thebilgerat on Wed, 14 September 2011, 19:10:40
Yeah, I have a Leopold TKL with Cherry MX Brown switches.  It feels german.  Kind of like a BMW.  Also, it feels like a keyboard.  A car keyboard. or a keyboard car.
Title: Deciding to jump on the mechanical keyboard scene..
Post by: HeavyArms on Wed, 14 September 2011, 23:49:55
Quote from: itlnstln;416154
Wow.  That's the first time I have ever heard of a keyboard spooging itself.  Usually the user does that.


i LOL'd.