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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ynrozturk on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:15:25

Title: Help me choose
Post by: ynrozturk on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:15:25
Guys, I'm stuck between ordering a Poker II and a Filco Majestouch TKL, both with MX Brown's. I'm kind of leaning towards the Poker II right now as it has PBT caps, and I've heard the Filco key cap quality is pretty crap. The detachable cable of the Poker II is also a nice option. But I always hear that Filco's are made extremely well and I am kind of torn between the two. And no, I can't get both. Not right now anyway.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:16:29
Depends more on the layout than the brand IMO. Do you want 60% or TKL?
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: ynrozturk on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:23:16
I've never used a 60% so I'm curious about that as well. I don't really need the arrow keys or the page up/down ones, either.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: JPG on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:24:46
Both are good keyboards, so you main decision should be based on layout. There are other differences, but the layout is the biggest one between the 2.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: ynrozturk on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:31:09
Do the PBT caps make that much of a difference between sound/quality/feel?
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:33:18
Very much so. I actually don't like PBT caps from anyone but Cherry.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: JPG on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:40:11
Do the PBT caps make that much of a difference between sound/quality/feel?

ahhh keycaps ... to, if I had to put the keycaps feature importance in order of importance, here would be my list:

1. Profile
2. Thickness
3. Material

My personal preference right now is: cherry profile, thick, pbt. But going this way, I would prefer thick cherry profile abs to anything else other than the same in pbt.

Like i said, this is MY personal preference, and this is like the switches, all our own favorite. But only considering the material in you keycap selection is probably not the way to go, and I must say that most stock keycaps, even pbt ones (I said most, not all) are not top quality. So if I was you, I would get the keyboard that's the most interesting without considering the keycaps, and focus on this aspect later unless you are 100% sure you will never change the keycaps on you keyboard.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:43:08
Totally agree with JPG. You should choose a board before you consider the keycaps. The caps you can always change. The board is pretty much something you're stuck with. Sure you can change the caps and switches but the PCB and other features will always be there.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: tricheboars on Fri, 20 September 2013, 15:52:17
never buy a board for its caps. that is a really short sighted decision. get the board for its layout, case, pcb, etc.  caps are easily replaced.

plus the poker II caps are ****ty even though they are PBT.

with all that said i say get a poker. the layout is amazing.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: ynrozturk on Fri, 20 September 2013, 16:03:42
Alright cool, I think I'll be going with the Poker II then. When I first started getting into mech keyboards I always aspired for a Filco, but the mystery has kind of worn out I guess the more I have read about them.

And it's not just the key cap quality I was curious about, but just the general quality of the board. Caps can always be changed if you don't like them I suppose.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 20 September 2013, 16:06:00
FWIW I have both a Filco and a Vortex (maker of the Pure and the Poker 2) board. I think overall, the Filco is a higher quality keyboard. I'm also a huge Filco fanboy. But they don't have a 60% layout.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: ynrozturk on Fri, 20 September 2013, 16:07:52
They have that Minila  thing but I think the space bar on that would just drive me crazy.
Title: Re: Help me choose
Post by: ynrozturk on Fri, 20 September 2013, 19:44:38
Just ordered. Found one with an extra blank space bar on mechanicalkeyboards.com.