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geekhack Community => New Members => Topic started by: jamster on Tue, 06 January 2015, 06:29:47
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Hi all,
I'm returning to mechanical keyboards after many years of using rubber domes (but pretty good ones- a remarkably good Wyse branded full size and a Thinkpad Ultranav USB). I'm pretty amazed at how bad keyboards that come with new PCs are these days.
My old boards are a couple of IBM Model Ms (US and UK layout) and a Northgate Omnikey, the last with it's really awkard key layout. I had to give these up now that I have wife- the IBMs are the best boards I've ever experienced, but they do sound rather like distant machine gun fire.
Looking to try a TKL board on my home PC so as to try the "get the mouse closer to the centre of the desk" thing, so it's good to see that mechanical boards have come somewhat into play again. I'm probably going to end up with clear switches, perhaps swapped out to silghtly lighter springs, as soon as I can confirm that this won't simply turn them into Browns.
I'm extremely impressed with the geek quotient of geekhack.org :)
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Welcome to the (G H),
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Welcome on board!
Good choice choosing the TKL route. Looks like you know what you want with the switches. If you are looking for something "closer to the center of the desk" also consider 60%. With the right fn layer, they got everything a normal keyboard has with an even smaller footprint.
Its unfortunate you had to give up your Model Ms, I just got one and I see the beauty in them.
Good luck with your search!
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Welcome to GH!
so do you still have the old boards just put away somewhere? because you could sell them to fund a new quieter board.
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Welcome to Geekhack!
Are your ears blocked? My Model M sounds like fairly close gunfire to me :p
Clears are similar to browns, in that they are tactile but silent switches. I believe the clears have a slightly bigger bump, at least my switch tested seems to support that hypothesis. Unfortunately unless you find a PCB-mounted keyboard, you will be up for a lot of desoldering a resoldering in order to be able to open the switches to swap springs.
Actually that sounds like a cue for someone to build a custom board with custom switches ;)
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Hi all,
I'm returning to mechanical keyboards after many years of using rubber domes (but pretty good ones- a remarkably good Wyse branded full size and a Thinkpad Ultranav USB). I'm pretty amazed at how bad keyboards that come with new PCs are these days.
My old boards are a couple of IBM Model Ms (US and UK layout) and a Northgate Omnikey, the last with it's really awkard key layout. I had to give these up now that I have wife- the IBMs are the best boards I've ever experienced, but they do sound rather like distant machine gun fire.
Looking to try a TKL board on my home PC so as to try the "get the mouse closer to the centre of the desk" thing, so it's good to see that mechanical boards have come somewhat into play again. I'm probably going to end up with clear switches, perhaps swapped out to silghtly lighter springs, as soon as I can confirm that this won't simply turn them into Browns.
I'm extremely impressed with the geek quotient of geekhack.org :)
If you want the mouse closer to the desk why not go for a 60% or even a 40%?
Unless you need them arrow keys then stick with a TKL. Welcome to Geek Hack!