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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: zaferot on Thu, 29 August 2013, 10:59:04
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Hello Guys,
I am new here. And I've come here to hear your opinions. I am going to buy my first mechanical keyboard. I have no experience with mechanical keyboards for now.
I've already chosen a keyboard. It is going to be Filco Majestouch 2 Tenkeyless. And now I need to choose suitable switches for me.
I am a Linux user (and work as a Linux/Unix System Administrator). I do a lot of things in Linux console (terminal), write code (some scripts and other things), manipulate my desktop via shortcuts and so on. I am not sure whether it is a "pure typing". Will Blues suit in this case? Or maybe Browns?
I often need to double-click (or triple-click) a key (Tab, Esc, Backspace keys). Can Blues handle this behavior? As far as I know they are not so cool with double-click, am I right?
Are Blues so "clicky" and loud?
I've seen a lot of videos on YouTube and each video has different sound for the same Blues switches. So, some times the sound is great and some times is ugly. I suppose this because of the videos quality.
Does anyone has good sound (link or so) of Blues?
Is there a big difference in "tactile" feelings between these switches?
So, there is a battle inside me. My brain is telling me to choose Browns because the will suit me in all cases and on the other side my intuition is telling me to go with Blues as they are great.
Kindly share your thoughts regarding this matter.
Thanks in advance!
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The noise of the keyboard is dependent on many things. Keycap plastic type (ABS, PBT, thick PBT, thick ABS) as well as the force you use to type. The surface your keyboard sits on may also resonate sound more. Some cases resonate sound more. Strictly speaking blue switches aren't particularly noisy. The actuation "click" of the switch is pretty light in sound. Most of the sound you hear is the bottoming out of the keycaps against the switch housing and resonating through the keyboard and desk. You can dampen this effect with o-rings or switch dampening pads installed on each key.
There is a thread floating around here somewhere that compares the different o-rings that CPTBadAss wrote. It's a pretty decent read. If you're at all concerned about the noise, you may want to invest in o-rings regardless of which switch type you buy. I personally like brown and blue the same. They're both light switches with tactile bumps. It's just the blues have the audible click on actuation as well as the tactile bump.
The blue switches have a slightly more pronounced tactile bump than browns.
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CLEARS! or even better. ERGOCLEARS!
Go ergo if you still want to keep that light feel from the mx browns but want a better bump. Lube it to be pimpin
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For your purposes, I would say Brown.
I don't know why you would suggest something to someone they can't buy. The Majestouch doesn't come with clears. He'd have to buy different switches and replace them all himself. Which he has no reason to do as he won't even know if he'll like them or not. He may like Browns or Blues more.
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For your purposes, I would say Brown.
I don't know why you would suggest something to someone they can't buy. The Majestouch doesn't come with clears. He'd have to buy different switches and replace them all himself. Which he has no reason to do as he won't even know if he'll like them or not. He may like Browns or Blues more.
I was suggesting it as an option to maybe look at other keyboards.
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Never really had a hard time double tapping on blues but they are a lot louder than other switches.
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I would also say MX Brown in your case. Here's a few things to consider:
As for the noise, it is dependent on how loud your office is. There are people using MX Blue at my work but the fan noise from the vent is loud enough to cover most of the background noise. So in contrast the MX Blue isn't too noticeable.
I don't usually suggest o-ring because I find it kills the feel of the switch. And the whole point of buying mechanical keyboards is that it feels good.
As for double tap, I'd say MX Brown is noticeably easier to do quick taps. Yes people will argue that you can still double tap with MX Blue. But it's like saying you can still run with sandals, however if you have a choice you'd run with running shoes.
Personally I like Brown over blue because Brown feels more responsive and react faster to quick taps. Blue's reset point is about 75% fully lifted up, while Brown is about 50% fully lifted up.
That being said, it's still entirely up to you but chances are you won't end up with just one keyboard so don't worry too much about it. :P
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When I had to decide for either blue or brown switches I went to my local electronics shop and against all chances really found one keyboard sporting browns (a Logitech G710 or something like this) and one with blues (a Razer Blackwidow).
I tried both types of switches for a few minutes and have to say that I expected more from the browns. Maybe my conception of them was wrong, but I found them to feel much like a rubberdome board (but of course more defined and not as sluggish). But I totally fell in love with the blue's lively clicking. And it sounded much nicer in reality than in the videos. It really gave me a feeling of... freshness?
So if you want to have something totally different than your everyday rubberdome board I'd go with the blues because they really give you the feeling of being mechanical.
But if you like to stay with something more familiar I'd go with the browns, they nevertheless feel really nice but not so totally different than the blues.
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When I had to decide for either blue or brown switches I went to my local electronics shop and against all chances really found one keyboard sporting browns (a Logitech G710 or something like this) and one with blues (a Razer Blackwidow).
I tried both types of switches for a few minutes and have to say that I expected more from the browns. Maybe my conception of them was wrong, but I found them to feel much like a rubberdome board (but of course more defined and not as sluggish). But I totally fell in love with the blue's lively clicking. And it sounded much nicer in reality than in the videos. It really gave me a feeling of... freshness?
So if you want to have something totally different than your everyday rubberdome board I'd go with the blues because they really give you the feeling of being mechanical.
But if you like to stay with something more familiar I'd go with the browns, they nevertheless feel really nice but not so totally different than the blues.
The Logitech comes with dampening rings, so maybe is that you felt :s
If you like the click, blues are all about raw and savage satisfaction. :p
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Well Blues just sound a whole lot better in my opinion, and are much more satisfying to type on. However, I brought my board into work once and people really did complain about me roaring about at 100 WPM on my keyboard. So my next board will be for work, and I'll probably go Brown. I think it's the more sensible of the two for an office environment.
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The Logitech comes with dampening rings, so maybe is that you felt :s
Oh really, the Logitech comes with o-rings? This changes everything™!
I really have to try a brown board without those but I don't know where I could find one.
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(http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11111/111114474/3235118-why+not+both.jpg)
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Thank you very much!
Most likely I will go with Browns (I have not decided yet).
But today I've found a new keyboard CODE (from WASD). At first glance it is very interesting keyboard. Maybe I should look closer to it.
Does anybody know about a build quality of WASD keyboards? (in comparison with Filco).
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My WASD v2 board will hopefully arrive in a few days. I'd be able to tell you more then and maybe do a small review.
The CODE looks incredibly nice as well but it has clear switches. I don't know how these feel.
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My WASD v2 board will hopefully arrive in a few days. I'd be able to tell you more then and maybe do a small review.
The CODE looks incredibly nice as well but it has clear switches. I don't know how these feel.
Clears have that really definitive bump. The browns aren't noticeable compared to the clears and coming from using linear reds, it feels more like a scratch. It may seem heavy and stiff at first, but it is better for not bottoming out and you really don't need that much force to actuate the key. It really helps with avoiding the bottoming out.
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Thank you very much!
Most likely I will go with Browns (I have not decided yet).
But today I've found a new keyboard CODE (from WASD). At first glance it is very interesting keyboard. Maybe I should look closer to it.
Does anybody know about a build quality of WASD keyboards? (in comparison with Filco).
The quality should be the same as they use the same oem. CODE has more features filco is plain and elegant.
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Sooner or later you will get both, so either of them is good for a start.
Save your indecision and inner tear for another matter.
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Sooner or later you will get both, so either of them is good for a start.
Save your indecision and inner tear for another matter.
^ True story
I just bought my first a week and a half ago, and was thinking to get a second one for christmas, well it took me a week and a half to order my second one xD
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Long run, switch does not matter.
Short run, switch type gives some fun feel // novelty
Long run, Ergodox matters.
(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_098_.gif)
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I'm using browns at home and blues at work.
After a day of blues, going home to my browns I just feel like something is missing :(
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after having owned both a poker with blues and one with browns, I sold the browns one... but that's cause the "feel" of blues is more to my liking... my suggestion is to buy cheapo boards with different switches, as I did, to see what your preference is first before investing in the more expensive korean custom boards for instance with switches that you've never ever tried.... it's all personal preference... fool around for a bit and you'll find the one.... or two.... or three that suit you best, haha. good luck! :D