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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: DamienG on Thu, 08 November 2007, 14:56:31
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I've been using my Apple wired scissor-switch keyboard (the one with white keys on an aluminium base) and I'm pleasantly surprised.
The keyboard is incredibly quiet, even more so than a rubber membrane, and quite nice to type on once you get the idea of letting your fingers just brush over the keys.
I was previously using a Das Keyboard 2 at work and had complaints from my team that it was just too darn loud, it's still my keyboard of choice for where noise isn't a concern tho ... and therefore what I use at home.
I put my opinions on these and my Mattias Pro and Model M up at my blog (http://damieng.com/blog/2007/09/11/in-search-of-the-perfect-keyboard) a while ago.
[)amien
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I tried one of those out at an Apple dealer and I found it to be identical to my MacBook's keyboard. I could type fairly well on it, but I really like my mechanicals, so I didn't buy it. the keyboard is nice but it feels kind of flat and stubby compared to my HHKB and Alps keyboards, and I didn't like the quiet part either.
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$50 is a small price to pay for a keyboard that feels good and allows you to log significant time without pain.
I think, as far as laptop keyboards go, the MacBook keyboard is decent. If I was spending $50 on a keyboard though, I'd want something different though.
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Where noise is not an option my Das Keyboard 2 is my favourite although I'd prefer it more if the plastic was less cheap and hard feeling and more rubbery like a Thinkpad enclosure).
[)amien
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Where noise is not an option my Das Keyboard 2 is my favourite although I'd prefer it more if the plastic was less cheap and hard feeling and more rubbery like a Thinkpad enclosure).
[)amien
Do you mean where noise is not a problem?, because i thought the blue switches have that clicky and loud noise.....
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Just ordered a DAS II Keyboard EU 105 keys, after searching for a blue switches cherry keyboard, i only found this one being sold in Europe.
Il try to post a review later.
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Karlito, you should start building blue switch minis ...
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Karlito, you should start building blue switch minis ...
lol and i'll call it... Übermensch keyboard
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cal it mud for all I care, I'd buy it.
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Well, I went back and looked a little closer at this (http://kojiroh.a6.idv.tw/html/td_01.htm) Taiwanese site (it helps to use the Babelfish (http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr) translator), and what he's doing is taking a keyboard with the black (linear force) MX switches and swapping out brown (reduced-force tactile- apparently called "tea axis" in Chinese language markets) sliders into the switches, without unsoldering and swapping the whole switch. He just pops the top off the switch and then exchanges the slider (and maybe spring) from loose brown slider MX switches. In this picture you can see the enter key's already been doctored, but the ] key still has the black slider, and the \ key is being worked on:
(http://kojiroh.a6.idv.tw/img/td_01/11.JPG)
Mouser Electronics has blue-slider MX switches (http://www.mouser.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=MX1A-E1NWvirtualkey54010000virtualkey540-MX1A-E1NW&Mpc=Cherry+Electrical+Products+Keyswitches&Mpcn=54004) at 58˘ each, if you order 100-249 (it drops to 53˘ for 250 or more) which works out to $60.32 (plus shipping) for 104 switches. I'm not sure how much the switches weigh- maybe 2 lbs for 104? so I couldn't figure exactly what shipping would be- around $7-8. So, for ~$70 you could change any MX keyboard to a clicky keyboard. I've also e-mailed Mouser about the possibility of ordering just the slider- I'll post their reply when I get it.
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I found them on froogle.com for as little as 40 cents (no stock, albeit). So I think they can be had cheaper. It seems like it's cheaper to buy a Scorpius M10 and butcher it.
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So, for ~$70 you could change any MX keyboard to a clicky keyboard.
Or you could get an iOne Scorpius M10 for around $50 (shipping included).
Edit: Whiskey beat me to it. Just too quick for me.
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So, for ~$70 you could change any MX keyboard to a clicky keyboard.
Or you could get an iOne Scorpius M10 for around $50 (shipping included).
Edit: Whiskey beat me to it. Just too quick for me.
D'oh! For some reason, I had it in my head that the Scorpius ran quite a bit more than that.
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So, for ~$70 you could change any MX keyboard to a clicky keyboard.
Or you could get an iOne Scorpius M10 for around $50 (shipping included).
Edit: Whiskey beat me to it. Just too quick for me.
yea but then you have double the unsoldering work lol.
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So, for ~$70 you could change any MX keyboard to a clicky keyboard.
Or you could get an iOne Scorpius M10 for around $50 (shipping included).
Edit: Whiskey beat me to it. Just too quick for me.
yea but then you have double the unsoldering work lol.
Or you could just buy the M10, use it as is, and forget about the rest.
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Or you could just buy the M10, use it as is, and forget about the rest.
Stop the sanity!