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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: antaeus on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:15:19

Title: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: antaeus on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:15:19: Ok, everybody, I'm gonna take the plunge into a mechanical keyboard. I have been researching quite a bit and I am currently down to 2 boards:

Filco with mx blues or a Unicomp spacesaver m.

I tried the blues yesterday and I really liked them. I have yet to try the buckling springs.

I don't play games, but I do write code.

I have a bit of an interesting twist. I am trying to learn to touch type, but I have a birth defect that has affected both of my ring fingers. As a result, they are not well suited for typing. Anyone type without them by chance?

I have developed my own weird hybrid of touch typing and hunting and pecking.

I was thinking the blues might be better because of the ease of action.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:28:41: I would consider myself a "hunt and peck" typist. I never properly learned how to type in elementary/middle school and to this day I still type with mainly my pointer and middle fingers.

That being said, I am very fond of both buckling springs and MX blues. It is almost impossible for me to choose between the two.

My advice: try buckling springs first. My first mechanical was an IBM Model M, and I still love typing on it to this day (I typed this post on it actually).

Either way, I don't think you will regret your choice. Both are great keyboards.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: SmallFry on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:33:40: I agree with CLiB, two very solid boards. Model M's will last a lifetime, just see our signatures. Filco's are also really nice boards, totally heads or tails at this point.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: antaeus on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:37:24: Thank you for the taking the time to give your input. I'm glad to know that I am not the only 'hunt and peck' typist. :)

Tactility and click is a must for me, and I understand the BS to be more pronounced in both arenas?

At least that's what I gathered from YouTube videos.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:44:22: This should help a bit:

(http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818im_/http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=10887&stc=1&d=1276135896)

More info can be found here at the archived version of the old GeekHack Wiki:

http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818/http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=START+HERE+--+The+Geekhack+Mechanical+Keyboard+Guide+-+Includes+Glossary+and+Links (http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818/http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=START+HERE+--+The+Geekhack+Mechanical+Keyboard+Guide+-+Includes+Glossary+and+Links)
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 20 August 2012, 16:46:40: People will debate about force and sound and build quality and all that, but I doubt that there is any question that a buckling spring keyboard is the most "satisfying" of all in terms of certainty and reward when you have registered your keystroke.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: N8N on Mon, 20 August 2012, 17:42:59: I would check eFlay for a 1391401 and try that, you can hopefully pick one up for about $30-40 or so, and if that doesn't work out get something nice w/ blues. You don't need to buy a new Unicomp to get buckling spring goodness; honestly, those things last forever, there is nothing wrong with a used IBM board.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: sth on Mon, 20 August 2012, 17:52:43: Quote from: fohat.digs on Mon, 20 August 2012, 16:46:40
People will debate about force and sound and build quality and all that, but I doubt that there is any question that a buckling spring keyboard is the most "satisfying" of all in terms of certainty and reward when you have registered your keystroke.

I actually find model Ms to be one of the least satisfying boards to type on. something about the combination of the travel and the amount of force required...
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: antaeus on Mon, 20 August 2012, 19:14:26: Quote from: fohat.digs on Mon, 20 August 2012, 16:46:40
People will debate about force and sound and build quality and all that, but I doubt that there is any question that a buckling spring keyboard is the most "satisfying" of all in terms of certainty and reward when you have registered your keystroke.

I have heard this as well. I have been leaning towards buckling springs, the 'clack' sound is very nice.

In the end, I'm sure I'll get both over time :P
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 20 August 2012, 19:27:17: Quote from: antaeus on Mon, 20 August 2012, 19:14:26
In the end, I'm sure I'll get both over time :P
Spoken like a true GeekHacker.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 20 August 2012, 20:31:17: My comment regarding satisfaction was with respect to "certainty" and "reward" when registering the keystroke.

Overall typing satisfaction is not necessarily tied to the criteria above.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: antaeus on Tue, 21 August 2012, 00:27:22: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 20 August 2012, 19:27:17
Quote from: antaeus on Mon, 20 August 2012, 19:14:26
In the end, I'm sure I'll get both over time :P
Spoken like a true GeekHacker.

It would seem as though I have officially caught the bug!
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: dorkvader on Tue, 21 August 2012, 09:34:55: Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:44:22
This should help a bit:

Show Image
(http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818im_/http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=10887&stc=1&d=1276135896)

More info can be found here at the archived version of the old GeekHack Wiki:

http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818/http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=START+HERE+--+The+Geekhack+Mechanical+Keyboard+Guide+-+Includes+Glossary+and+Links (http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818/http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=START+HERE+--+The+Geekhack+Mechanical+Keyboard+Guide+-+Includes+Glossary+and+Links)
Or you can read our new wiki article, which looks like it needs some more formatting, unfortunately, but is better written, more clear, etc.
http://wiki.geekhack.org/index.php?title=Mechanical_Keyboards
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: antaeus on Tue, 21 August 2012, 13:02:55: Quote from: dorkvader on Tue, 21 August 2012, 09:34:55
Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 20 August 2012, 15:44:22
This should help a bit:

Show Image
(http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818im_/http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=10887&stc=1&d=1276135896)

More info can be found here at the archived version of the old GeekHack Wiki:

http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818/http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=START+HERE+--+The+Geekhack+Mechanical+Keyboard+Guide+-+Includes+Glossary+and+Links (http://web.archive.org/web/20101117205818/http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=START+HERE+--+The+Geekhack+Mechanical+Keyboard+Guide+-+Includes+Glossary+and+Links)
Or you can read our new wiki article, which looks like it needs some more formatting, unfortunately, but is better written, more clear, etc.
http://wiki.geekhack.org/index.php?title=Mechanical_Keyboards

Thank you for these resources, guys! Very useful.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: Keyboarder on Tue, 21 August 2012, 18:10:03: Used to type on rubber domes (didn't we all?)
but just a few months ago i found geekhack and now i have both cherry mx blues (razer blackwidow) and a model M

Assuimg OP used to type on rubber domes, the feeling of typing on buckling springs just cannot be imitated by anything else. If OP is used to bottoming out on his previous keyboards, then moving to a model M may be more "similar" to what you used. Not that there's anything wrong with MX Blues, but after using both, buckling springs are definitely the way to go.

Just a warning to the OP though, buckling springs are LOUD so if you need silence where you plan to use your keyboard, buckling springs and MX blues may not be the right switch for you.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 21 August 2012, 21:18:35: Sound/noise can be attenuated significantly for both switches. And a rubber mat under the keyboard also helps, as well as keeping it from sliding around on the desk.

The dental floss mod for buckling springs and the O-ring mod for Cherries (the pad mod is similar but more "mushy" which is not necessarily all bad) both reduce the actual number of decibels, but, perhaps more significantly, they cut back on the pinging/ringing resonance that carries down the hallway and keeps the rest of the family awake at night.

Neither impairs the action of the switch in its useful range, so the touch/feel loses none of its sensuality.

I heartily recommend these mods and use them myself.
Title: Re: Help me make a decision - 1st mechanical!
Post by: PointyFox on Tue, 21 August 2012, 23:21:37: I like mx blue much better than buckling springs due to less force and shorter activation. It feels better to me.