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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:51:03

Title: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:51:03: And whilst strolling through the gaming peripherals I spot the "Razer BlackWidow Ulitimate 2013 Elite Mechanical Gaming Keyboard" (catchy name). I've been looking at it for literally three seconds when an employee runs up to me telling me how he has two (why?), it sounds amazing to type on, it's the second coming of Christ, etc, etc...

"Wow," I think, "Must be pretty friggen' sweet."

I knew the board had MX blues in it from reading online. Mind you, I've never touched a Cherry MX board before, only buckling spring (favorite=Model F XT), so I was excited when I saw that this particular product had exposed keys for the shopper's testing convenience.
More
(http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviewimages/razer-blackwidow-ultimate/razer-blackwidow-ultimate_box.jpg)

So I reached out, depressed said keys and...

:-\

Threw up in my mouth a little bit.

It sounded cheap. Like stepping on a McDonalds kid's meal toy. It felt cheap. Like a rubber dome with some sand or grit stuck in the slide. Confused and disappointed, I think: "These are the MX Blues everybody's talking about online?!"

So now I have to ask, was this board a fluke? Are all Cherry Blues like this? Is this simply more of Razer's "gaming-grade" garbage? Or am I just completely spoiled by buckling springs?
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Tym on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:52:49: There is a Hitler style hatred of that board on this site. We dare not speak its name.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: thegunner100 on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:54:35: How dare you doubt the second coming of christ?!
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: CPTBadAss on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:54:50: Lol, We can't tell you what you're going to feel when you touch something. If you think they're bad, then they're bad for you. Now you know.

I like AT F switches more than the Cherry Blues, but Blues are my favorite Cherry switch.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: fohat.digs on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:55:19: Quote from: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:51:03
Mind you, I've never touched a Cherry MX board before, only buckling spring (favorite=Model F XT)

Or am I just completely spoiled by buckling springs?

Every keyboard in the universe is cheap plastic after a Model F - even a Model M.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Halverson on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:55:54: The way you compare blues to BS is accurate. They are little plastic toys compared to BS. Perhaps you would prefer greens, the heavier blues.

Although I do enjoy using blues.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:59:58: Quote from: fohat.digs on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:55:19
Quote from: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:51:03
Mind you, I've never touched a Cherry MX board before, only buckling spring (favorite=Model F XT)

Or am I just completely spoiled by buckling springs?

Every keyboard in the universe is cheap plastic after a Model F - even a Model M.

I'm beginning to notice that... Kinda funny that the first mechanical keyboard I ever pressed down on was an F... It's all downhill from here I guess, haha...
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: linziyi on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:00:34: I am about to get a green switch board within days, soooo excited!! Hope they have comparable actuation force to BS!
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: alaricljs on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:02:04: If you have BS-using man-hands then just stick to BS :)
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:02:32: Quote from: Halverson on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:55:54
The way you compare blues to BS is accurate. They are little plastic toys compared to BS. Perhaps you would prefer greens, the heavier blues.

Although I do enjoy using blues.

I'd certainly like to try the greens. I do think part of my problem with the blues is that they feel too light. I'm also guessing that if the switches were mounted in a better platform than the "RBWEMGK2013" that would help...
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: CommunistWitchDr on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:04:02: Quote from: fohat.digs on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:55:19
Every keyboard in the universe is cheap plastic after a Model F - even a Model M.

Even the Space Cadet (and similar lisp boards) with hall effect switches? Or beam springs? Or steno machines?

There's a few insane quality boards out there alongside the f.

But seriously, if someone made a self contained f switch somehow, I'd totally direct wire an edox type board with it.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:04:27: Quote from: thegunner100 on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:54:35
How dare you doubt the second coming of christ?!

Haha, I know. All I could think was: "That dude paid $260 for a double-dose of this?!"
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: fohat.digs on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:06:38: Quote from: CommunistWitchDr on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:04:02
Even the Space Cadet (and similar lisp boards) with hall effect switches? Or beam springs? Or steno machines?

Right, I am speaking out of ignorance. I have not used those rare esoteric boards you mentioned.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: CommunistWitchDr on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:10:11: Quote from: fohat.digs on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:06:38
Quote from: CommunistWitchDr on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:04:02
Even the Space Cadet (and similar lisp boards) with hall effect switches? Or beam springs? Or steno machines?

Right, I am speaking out of ignorance. I have not used those rare esoteric boards you mentioned.

Ha, yeah, the lisp boards are damn near impossible to get and beams are anything but easy.

Steno is easy to get. They just cost like three grand.

Also, what if the employee just gets money when he makes sales so he has two of everything in the store if someones looking to buy it?
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:18:07: Quote from: CommunistWitchDr on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:10:11
Also, what if the employee just gets money when he makes sales so he has two of everything in the store if someones looking to buy it?

It's possible, but I had a friend who worked at best buy a couple years ago and they didn't get any sort of commission then...
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: viatical08 on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:30:30: Quote from: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:51:03
Threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Not going to lie, that hurt a little bit.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:39:59: Quote from: viatical08 on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:30:30
Quote from: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:51:03
Threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Not going to lie, that hurt a little bit.

Hey, I'm not saying that all blues are bad (I wouldn't know, tbh). All I know is that that Razer board was... Double plus ungood.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: nsrexler on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:40:12: You should look into Clears if you're not already completely turned off to Cherry MX switches. I find them to be a nice complement to a buckling spring board because although they're not nearly as tactile, they're much quieter.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Grim Fandango on Thu, 20 June 2013, 16:44:42: Quote from: Tym on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:52:49
There is a Hitler style hatred of that board on this site. We dare not speak its name.

haha

Though to be fair, you can not really judge the way a keyboard feels unless you actually get to type on it. Also, there are different switches available, different people like different things.

My girlfriend loves her chiclet style keyboard on her laptop, not only that , but the is a blazingly fast typist on it, reaching 80 WPM when I asked her to check her speed on 10 fast fingers. No doubt she can do faster with a couple more tries. I struggle to get past 75 on my fancy mechanical keyboards. Different people, different things.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Danule on Thu, 20 June 2013, 17:42:35: If you ever get a chance try a topre board some time :)
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: daerid on Thu, 20 June 2013, 17:56:27: He'd probably hate it lol
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Thimplum on Thu, 20 June 2013, 18:27:57: Quote from: Dimswitch on Thu, 20 June 2013, 15:51:03
Are all Cherry Blues like this?

Sorta. It does make a difference if you have a set of good quality keycaps or not, but they still don't feel as solid as BS switches.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: calavera on Thu, 20 June 2013, 18:31:23: So I walked into Best Buy today...

I stopped reading right there.

Just kidding :D
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: boost on Thu, 20 June 2013, 18:35:18: Imo, its just a bad keyboard but if I found one for $30 ill just harvest the switches. Lol.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: rootwyrm on Thu, 20 June 2013, 18:57:34: The Razer stuff has the delightful combination of cutting every single corner, every single cost, throwing any attempt to produce a decent product out the window, and spending all that money on marketing. If they could find MX Blue knockoffs cheap enough, rest assured, it would be "Cherry MX Blue*" with "* - or equivalent as determined by us."

So no. Real keyboards don't feel like that at all. Razer is not a real keyboard. Especially when they're stupid enough to leave the keyboard exposed, where gods only know how many filthy hands have touched it, drooled on it, and hit it with hammers. (BestBuy for some inexplicable reason, still gets a decent amount of traffic. So presume lots.)
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Danule on Thu, 20 June 2013, 19:10:39: Quote from: daerid on Thu, 20 June 2013, 17:56:27
He'd probably hate it lol

I dunno if he likes solid feeling keyboards then realforce is super solid and silky smooth.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: do_Og@n on Thu, 20 June 2013, 19:22:38: I started using my FK-2001 w/Simplified White ALPS again and I'm having a hard time understanding why I stopped (maybe because it is full size).

The only way I can explain it is, "It's like typing on ten MX Blues at the same time with one finger"

The click is as intense as a buckling spring minus the size of the keyboard.

Pure gold....I highly suggest it to anyone and everyone!!!
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 20 June 2013, 19:42:50: I don't give a flying f. if it feels cheap... as long as it's an ergodox
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Rafen on Thu, 20 June 2013, 21:16:43: I have never used BS, but I hate the way the switches feel on the Black Widow switches weather they are the browns or blues. The board for some reason just makes the switches feel really cheap.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Danule on Thu, 20 June 2013, 22:09:32: Quote from: Rafen on Thu, 20 June 2013, 21:16:43
I have never used BS, but I hate the way the switches feel on the Black Widow switches weather they are the browns or blues. The board for some reason just makes the switches feel really cheap.

I had the black widow ultimate stealth (browns) and it felt pretty good. the caps were thicker because of the backlighting. I tried the non backlit version and the caps were super thin and flimsy.
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: TimIsABat on Thu, 20 June 2013, 22:54:01: One time I walked into a best buy hoping to find some type of board that had Cherry MX switches (I was new okay...), and I asked if they had any mechanical keyboards...the worker looked at me like I had five heads.

Never...Again...
Title: Re: So I walked into Best Buy today...
Post by: Dimswitch on Fri, 21 June 2013, 01:00:02: Quote from: Danule on Thu, 20 June 2013, 17:42:35
If you ever get a chance try a topre board some time :)

I'd love to. Unfortunately they're a bit above my pay grade at the moment. :-[

Quote from: rootwyrm on Thu, 20 June 2013, 18:57:34
The Razer stuff has the delightful combination of cutting every single corner, every single cost, throwing any attempt to produce a decent product out the window, and spending all that money on marketing. If they could find MX Blue knockoffs cheap enough, rest assured, it would be "Cherry MX Blue*" with "* - or equivalent as determined by us."

So no. Real keyboards don't feel like that at all. Razer is not a real keyboard. Especially when they're stupid enough to leave the keyboard exposed, where gods only know how many filthy hands have touched it, drooled on it, and hit it with hammers. (BestBuy for some inexplicable reason, still gets a decent amount of traffic. So presume lots.)

Yeah... My first and only Razer purchase resulted in my computer being infected with a nasty virus - by downloading the latest official drivers from the official site... I had to reformat my PC. Needless to say I returned the mouse and swore off Razer products for good. http://www.geek.com/news/razer-driver-downloads-include-a-trojan-912111/ (http://www.geek.com/news/razer-driver-downloads-include-a-trojan-912111/)