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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: BigWopHH on Sat, 07 February 2009, 18:13:17

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: BigWopHH on Sat, 07 February 2009, 18:13:17

I'm still wasting money, trying to figure out which is my favorite keyboard, but wanted to make sure I was correct on the switch types for each.  Here's what I've got, and what I understand the switch types to be...

ABS M1 - Black Alps Copies
Solidtek ASK-6600U - Simplified Alps Copies (Color?)
Dell AT101W (non-clicky) - Alps Black
Das III Pro - Cherry Blue
Scorpious M10 - Cherry Blue
Unicomp Customizer 104 - Buckling Spring
Cherry G80-3000LSCRC-2 - Cherry Blue

Am I misunderstanding anything here?  Are there any details I'm missing?  Proper switch names, etc?

Thanks!

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: bhtooefr on Sat, 07 February 2009, 18:15:52

ABS M1 is simplified fake Alps, black.

Not sure on the Solidtek.

I may be wrong, but the AT101W is real complicated Alps, in black?

Everything else is right, although I'll add that the Cherries are specifically MX switches.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: zwmalone on Sat, 07 February 2009, 18:18:19

The SolidTek ASK-6600U has white ALPS.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: BigWopHH on Sat, 07 February 2009, 18:28:16

OK, cool.  So just to be sure here's the revised list with your input / corrections...

ABS M1 - Alps Copies (Black)

Solidtek ASK-6600U - Simplified Alps Copies (White)

Dell AT101W - Alps Complicated (Black)

Das III Pro - Cherry MX (Blue)
Scorpious M10 - Cherry MX (Blue)
Cherry G80-3000LSCRC-2 - Cherry MX (Blue)

Unicomp Customizer 104 - Buckling Spring

Almost forgot.  The Steelseries 7G, that is also an Alps Copies (Black) board, correct?

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: zwmalone on Sat, 07 February 2009, 18:30:11

I'm pretty sure the steelseries has high-force Cherry MX Blacks which are linear.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: lam47 on Sat, 07 February 2009, 19:08:10

7G has cherry mx blacks 100%

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: BigWopHH on Sat, 07 February 2009, 19:32:41

Great.  Thanks for the help everyone.  Ok, here's the final rev. if all is correct...

ABS M1 - Alps Copies (Black), Tactile, Non-Clicky

Solidtek ASK-6600U - Simplified Alps Copies (White), Tactile, Clicky

Dell AT101W - Alps Complicated (Black), Tactile, Non-Clicky

Das III Pro - Cherry MX (Blue), Tactile, Clicky
Scorpious M10 - Cherry MX (Blue), Tactile, Clicky
Cherry G80-3000LSCRC-2 - Cherry MX (Blue), Tactile, Clicky

Unicomp Customizer 104 - Buckling Spring, Tactile, Clicky

Steelseries 7G - Cherry MX (Black), Tactile, Non-Clicky

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: bhtooefr on Sat, 07 February 2009, 20:00:21

No, the black MXes are linear, so not tactile OR clicky.

And, the M1 is simplified (IIRC, all fake Alps are.)

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: BigWopHH on Sat, 07 February 2009, 20:03:58

Got it.  Quick follow up question.

Why is a linear switch not tactile?  As long as there is some resistance to a key press, aren't all switches tactile?

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: bhtooefr on Sat, 07 February 2009, 20:10:25

Get a hold of some Cherry browns or clears, you'll see what I mean.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: lam47 on Sat, 07 February 2009, 20:13:33

I was confused about this too.
The use of the term tactile is not strictly correct in keyboard circles.
Tactile in switches means you can feel a bump in the travel of the switch.
It can click or not click but tactile in switches is not the 'feedback' from the spring.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: BigWopHH on Sat, 07 February 2009, 20:16:46

That clears thing up.  I was under the impression that if the switch provided the key-press resistance it was tactile.  Thank for the clarifiation, I really appreciate it.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: zwmalone on Sun, 08 February 2009, 10:12:51

Quote from: BigWopHH;21122

Das III Pro - Cherry MX (Blue), Tactile, Clicky
Scorpious M10 - Cherry MX (Blue), Tactile, Clicky
Cherry G80-3000LSCRC-2 - Cherry MX (Blue), Tactile, Clicky

If I were you I'd get a Cherry G80 instead of either the scorpius or the Das.  The Scorpius has a high defect rate (broken traces, bad soldering, fixing stuff with glue, etc).  The Das has severe rollover issues and problems with the plastic and build quality of the case.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: skriefal on Sun, 08 February 2009, 10:34:57

I believe that's a list of the keyboards that he already owns.

Looks like the next purchase options might be a board with brown Cherry switches (or black, but those aren't well-liked) or a Topre or HHKB.  But on the used market there are many other options to try including real bigfoot white/blue Alps (old Northgate Omnikey 102, etc), damped Alps (Apple Extended II, some SGI), linear Alps (yellow/green), or even the less common switch options from NMB, NEC, etc.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: bhtooefr on Sun, 08 February 2009, 10:35:00

As I understand, he actually already owns all three. ;)

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: BigWopHH on Sun, 08 February 2009, 10:37:27

Quote from: zwmalone;21153

If I were you I'd get a Cherry G80 instead of either the scorpius or the Das.  The Scorpius has a high defect rate (broken traces, bad soldering, fixing stuff with glue, etc).  The Das has severe rollover issues and problems with the plastic and build quality of the case.

I actually do own all of these alreadly.  Some were samples, and others I wanted to try based on information I've read here.

And I know what you mean about the Scorpius.  I'm still waiting on the second one, becuase my first was defective.

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: zwmalone on Sun, 08 February 2009, 10:41:43

Oh, I didn't realize you'd already purchased all these 'boards.  What a collection!  Sorry about your scorpius though.  It seems to be a hit-and-miss situation with them, you either get a good one or it comes defective...

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: bhtooefr on Sun, 08 February 2009, 10:44:39

Mine was apparently one of the good ones, although it had no feet on it when I bought it. (Granted, I'm the third owner of it, and that was disclosed to me before I bought it.)

Title: Clarifications on my collection
Post by: BigWopHH on Sun, 08 February 2009, 18:38:42

Quote from: bhtooefr;21158

Mine was apparently one of the good ones, although it had no feet on it when I bought it. (Granted, I'm the third owner of it, and that was disclosed to me before I bought it.)

I only got to use my first scorpius for a day before I realized one key was broken and the space bar began sticking.  If the replacement is a good one, I have a feeling that'll be the board I end up using daily.  Either that or the G80-3000.  Getting to the point where I think the Cherry blues are my favorite, but this Solitek board is pretty nice to type on.  The ringing is another matter though...