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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: htw00 on Tue, 06 December 2011, 11:33:44

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: htw00 on Tue, 06 December 2011, 11:33:44

hey dudes & dudettes?,

i read alot about keycaps yet.
Q1:. pom, pbt , abs? does any other "keycaps" exist ?

Q2:. can some1 please describe the feeling on them and where is the diffrent ?
e.g i had in the past a ss 7g - what keycaps have they been - they felt pretty standard ?!
and there were 8 "special" keycaps wasd , larrow rarrow uarrow darrow - i felt in love with these , they felt like "gum"

thx for help

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: dorkvader on Tue, 06 December 2011, 19:15:43

1. Someone told me that the KBC clear ones were PMMA (acrylic). I also read somewhere in the wiki that the Zowie Celeritas has Nylon ones. You can get aftermarket Metal (aluminium and titanium) keycas on Taobao (ebay for china)

2. It has to do with the molud, but also seems to be related to the plastic used. The thickness of the keycap can also have an effect, and will change the bottom-out sound slightly.

For example, my ABS keys from WASD are pretty smooth. I don't like them nearly as much as the righer PBT keys from unicomp. The PBT keys I got from Signature plastics are also a little rougher, and feel much better to my fingers. The ABS doubleshot keys I got on my WYSE are somewhat less smooth, but they don't feel rough, more like a river-smooth stone, or a pebbly creekbed shrunk down.

I still think it has more to do with the shape (for example the top of the SP PBT key seems a little smaller than the others, which I like. It also has a sharper angle at the top, which is pretty cool.

I'm gonna try to order DVORAK PBT alphanumeric keys sometime soon, so I'll be able to compare them.

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: pitashen on Wed, 07 December 2011, 01:09:44

A:  I believe those are the most common plastic u will see being used in keycaps... i doubt there is other ones? the thickness and surface finish will also have a lot to do with the feel of the key when touch and typing.. so it is hard to tell you about the differences of keys based on their materials.

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: htw00 on Wed, 07 December 2011, 07:38:55

the special keys from steelseries 7g
the "gray" one ... what model are these?...

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 08 December 2011, 02:18:20

Quote from: ripster;465435

The McRip Effect (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?23217-Announcing-the-LATEST-Ripster-Keyboard-Theorem-The-quot-McRip-Effect-quot-!).

Not McRip: I measured it.

If you notice, SP keycaps are different than WASD/filco....

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: ishtob on Fri, 09 December 2011, 01:47:10

I don't care as much bout material, I think cap wall thickness plays a bigger role

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/icbob/7c73284d.jpg)

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: Gin on Fri, 09 December 2011, 02:46:19

I'll go with what ishtob said. The thickness of the key seems to be the most influential when it comes to key feel. Also, it would not make a lot of sense if the material really affects the feel that much. Unless you type on keys made out of rubber versus plastic.

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: htw00 on Sat, 10 December 2011, 05:53:29

http://picfront.de/d/8rcn
http://picfront.de/d/8rcs
http://picfront.de/d/8rcr

what keycaps are these ?

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: Gin on Sat, 10 December 2011, 06:07:38

Quote from: htw00;467647

http://picfront.de/d/8rcn
http://picfront.de/d/8rcs
http://picfront.de/d/8rcr

what keycaps are these ?

Those are generic rubber dome keycaps.

Very blurry pictures, but you can tell from looking at picture 2.

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: htw00 on Sat, 10 December 2011, 06:33:38

nonono ignore the keyboard in the background.
the keycaps i showing in my hand are from steelseries 7g . when i purchased they ve been 8 of those gray keys
they feel like gum. on pic u can see its normal keycap with coated with this "gum"

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: Gin on Sat, 10 December 2011, 15:51:53

Oh. That's weird. I've never heard of any of those being made for cherry MX switches.

Title: where is the diffrent between keycaps ?
Post by: TheProfosist on Sun, 11 December 2011, 05:38:03

I have had a couple 7Gs since release they have never come with keycaps like that.