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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: phoebus on Thu, 10 April 2014, 01:52:25

Title: Silent replacement for unicomp?
Post by: phoebus on Thu, 10 April 2014, 01:52:25
I have been using IBM M and unicomp for ages now and I love them. I love long key travel and the tactile response of buckling spring. I also love clicking but I'm not alone in the office anymore so I can't use it anymore because it's too loud.

So now I'm looking for reasonably-priced (!) full-size silent mechanical keyboard with _standard_ windows UK layout similar to buckling spring. Would MX clear be the best replacement?

which keyboard would you suggest? I don't need illumination or "gaming-features"- it's for programming.
"CODE" keyboard looks nice but it's a bit on expensive side.... what would you suggest?
Title: Re: Silent replacement for unicomp?
Post by: hoggy on Thu, 10 April 2014, 02:03:14
Have you tried using floss to quiet the keyboard down a bit?  It won't make it silent, but it's an easy first step.
Title: Re: Silent replacement for unicomp?
Post by: jacobolus on Thu, 10 April 2014, 02:03:39
The most tactile quiet switch you’re going to find is the Matias “quiet” switch. That’s not going to feel like a Model M, but it’s in many ways closer than MX clear. (With the caveat being that Alps/Matias switches have the actuation point much higher up than buckling spring or Cherry MX switches, with lots of post-actuation travel; some folks like this, others don’t)

Their UK reseller (only way to get a UK layout) has them available here:
http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/matias-quiet-pro-for-pc-uk.asp

Does £99.00 ex. VAT count as “reasonable price”? (Everyone has a different idea of reasonable.) :)

About the sound level, specifically, check out: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=56648.0