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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ideus on Tue, 17 March 2015, 18:23:39
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Describe the highlights on your journey up to your holy grail keyboard.
It would be very educative for us newbies to learn the keyboard choices you, seasoned keyboard aficionados, have made since you began your search for your perfect keyboard. What?: Brands, switch type, layouts, key cap sets, materials, custom made boards, and so.
Why you made such selections? Would you do it differently?
How much? Money invested, re-sale experiences.
:thumb:
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Swords are way cooler than keyboards.
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I started out listening to conventional wisdom and going with a Ducky w/Browns. Then, I quickly got a Leopold with Blues, a Cherry with Clears, a Filco w/Blacks, and a Model M. Plus, a SIIG with "fake" alps. And out of curiosity I had to have an HHKB pro of course. Lastly, I got a Code with greens. It's been fun and educational. I have learned that you absolutely have to try them all for yourself for two main reasons: 1. The majority of suggestions from others are not based in experience, but rather in what has been suggested elsewhere or from what they have read. 2. Everyone is different and what one person likes you may not like.
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Swords are way cooler than keyboards.
I agree. But we would not be well accepted at the office using one.
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Also, I've had no trouble selling boards that were in good shape and priced right.
I'd guess I've spent maybe $1,500 - $2,000 on boards and related paraphernalia. That's over a few years though.
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Swords are way cooler than keyboards.
Lightsabers are cooler than swords
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Bought a Monoprice MX Blue as my first mechanical keyboard three years ago (well the first since tossing out the old 1980s IBM computer back in the day).
A few months later, I bought a Type Heaven because I thought it looked cool and I had accumulated 150 dollars worth of Amazon credit. Was immediately blown away by Topre.
Subbed to /r/mk.
A few months after that I bought a Poker II... because /r/mk.
Realized I loved the 60% form factor but hated the Poker II layout.
Joined GH.
Then it snowballed out of control and I started buying and selling keyboards like there was tomorrow. I can't even remember what has passed through my hands...
Eventually ended up rolling with the big boys after buying an HHKB Type-S on a whim. Traded it (+moneys) for a GON HHKB, then traded that in for a Duck Viper, then bought another HHKB Type-S because I realized there really isn't anything better out there for me.
Around this time, I won an artisan cap giveaway and now my collection of artisans is, while still modest, is at least somewhat substantial.
Then a month after saying that I found my favorite keyboard of all time (I thought the HHKB would be my one and only), I bought one of Bro's old RF87s (a Type-S modded with uniform 55g domes). Then splurged on a Digilog case for that. Now I'm polygamous with the HHKB as my first wife and the RF87 as my second wife.
Then Bunny announced Hyperfuse GMK and I just had to buy an MX board. Ended up buying a used CMStorm QFR with MX Reds for cheap. Great little keyboard but a bit underwhelming. Decided I needed a Korean custom to house the Hyperfuse GMK. Spent a couple of weeks deliberating between the TX1800, the TX87, the Duck Orion V2. Joined the TX1800 buy last minute because I realized that I like the 1800 layout better than TKL.
And now I'm here typing this wall of text.
The end.
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I'll let you know when I find it :(
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Early in my journey I found Geekhack and the Model M/F
I have bought many dozens of keyboards of all flavors in various salvage/2nd-hand/clearance scenarios and at least a dozen "new" or "modern" at the going rate on ebay and elsewhere.
What is important is that you take them apart and really understand their inner workings.
At least once a week I am astounded by comments/questions/observations posted here that make it painfully obvious that the poster has no idea what is going on "inside" ....
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I've always been into PC games and the whatnot. Even if I'm not playing games I'm usually still typing. Decided to get a mech and tried out a few switches and decided on Browns, found all you wonderfully geeky guys here on GH and found a well priced Filco TKL on the classifieds. Had that for at least a couple years and ended up selling it for a poker 2 with the same switches as I travel around frequently and liked the portability. Heard about clears and I just had to try them, got a 5 pack from mk and fell in love. Ended up learning how to solder and replaced the Browns on my Poker with clears and had that for 6 months before feeling like I needing a numpad/arrows. Eventually got a lightsaver v2, tactile greys and put spirits 85g Springs in them. I feel this is endgame, but down the road I plan on building a handwired 60% with Bluetooth and hopefully some vintage blacks.
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Ergodox.. Because everything else needs to be cut in half...
(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/4412144b.gif)
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My very first mechanical keyboard was a Filco MJ2 with reds back when those were considered "rare" switches. Since then I've been through more boards than I care to count with just about every switch type imaginable. I think I've found the two that I'm going to stick with long-term, though. The WASD CODE with browns has everything I could want in a keyboard for my use at home - light switches, white backlighting, dip switches to enable a native Mac layout, and more. My only real complaint is the fact that I have to lube the stabilizers myself because most of them rattle, and the backspace key squeaks - not cool on a $150 keyboard.
I've thought about selling the HHKB Type-S I have at work, but it feels and sounds so great that there's no way I could part with it. Instead, I'm going to supplement it with at least one, if not two more keyboards that I can rotate through when I feel like it. I have one of those new Royal Kludge Topre clones on order (45g, non-RGB), and I'll probably also add one of WASD's barebones to put on one of the GB keysets I have on order.
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As for which is my perfect axe? I'm still not sure. I thought it was the WASD with greens, but I'm fondling my SSK more than any other board these days. The "switches" are actually lighter than greens and the shorter key travel is nice. I'm definitely a more proficient typist with this little baby right now. Tomorrow, who knows...
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If I were just starting out - before I would buy anything I would have:
A) Waited until a Keycon / keyboard gathering to try out all the different boards/switch configs and pick peoples brains.
B) Made a trip to MechanicalKeyboards.com and spent some time during their slower hours.
The key (no pun intended) is - you need to try multiple switches on multiple boards to get a feel for what you will like. Cherry MX [insert switch here] can feel and sound radically different on different boards with different keycaps.
Have I found the perfect keyboard? **** NO. My desires change sometimes just out of boredom.
The KBParadise V60MTS series and IBM M2 are as close as I have come to satiated.
Only sticking around MX due to Gaterons. hehe!
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1: Bought a Ducky G2Pro.
2: Turned it into my ultimate keyboard, ergonomic and efficient.
I have spent time refining my tastes in terms of small changes in character layout, switch mods and keycaps, etc, but those are just icing on the cake.
I have also spent some time building "better" boards to use at the office (standard layout 60%) and will probably end up using my Writer's Portable board there when I finalise it, and later version 2 of my ergo.
Standard boards do not interest me any more.
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Lightsabers are cooler than swords
Swords don't need nucleonic pill power cells that are so hard to find these days. Not to mention spare parts, especially Ilum crystals.
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At the end of the road all warriors have to have an object to focus the powers the universe has endowed him with.
Never ending power, or powerless: Do you like wireless mechs?
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I remember seeing a mech interest group gathering photo on /r/mk, with self-forged custom swords
After seeing those creations, many of the kb's started seeming like toys, including mine
I'm a newbie too, but I thought I would share mine, It's a heavily modded WASD V2 with green's, with the original keycaps, as I moved past the looks, I returned to the original keycaps for their simplicity and sound dynamics, couldn't stay away from the clicks for long, they were only manageable with these keycaps and some mellow o-rings, even after all those mods to suppress the pings.
Really enjoying this setup, I will give the infinity a swirl when it arrives tho
[attach=1]
(I also noticed that I need to lube my actual sword, it's showing signs of rust)
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I remember seeing a mech interest group gathering photo on /r/mk, with self-forged custom swords
After seeing those creations, many of the kb's started seeming like toys, including mine
I'm a newbie too, but I thought I would share mine, It's a heavily modded WASD V2 with green's, with the original keycaps, as I moved past the looks, I returned to the original keycaps for their simplicity and sound dynamics, couldn't stay away from the clicks for long, they were only manageable with these keycaps and some mellow o-rings, even after all those mods to suppress the pings.
Really enjoying this setup, I will give the infinity a swirl when it arrives tho
(Attachment Link)
(I also noticed that I need to lube my actual sword, it's showing signs of rust)
Both of your swords are awesome!
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Both of your swords are awesome!
Thanks <3
I really enjoyed reading the crusades of others, looking forward for more
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Both of your swords are awesome!
Thanks <3
I really enjoyed reading the crusades of others, looking forward for more
Yeah, this is an awesome reading, and it is also very educative. I have been learning a lot with these short narratives on fellow's journeys.
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Nice reading so far! :thumb:
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zomg. S Words?
I have always liked Salubrious.
Salutiferous, is also great, mainly because how it sounds.
Sanctimonious, is always useful, and fun to say out loud to someone.
Scapegoat is a nice word, and very useful too. Although Scapegrace is a little more fun.
Schemata and Schematism are interesting words to think about.
But I have to say that, even though I rarely get to use it, Schmegeggy, might be my favorite S word.
Or maybe Schadenfreude.
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I bought a Model M out of a bin for $1 when I was a student and needed a cheap replacement keyboard. It was heavy, bulky and not what was being sold with new computers. I used it. And used it. And I moved it from one new computer to the next, until one day, I didn't have a PS/2 port.
It was at this point that I went searching for some kind of solution and discovered that apparently the thing I owned and loved was Some Kind of Thing for other people too. This started me down the dark path, wherein I learned that there were OTHER mechanical keyboards, and some of them had pretty keycaps, and backlighting, and were smaller (60%), and were programmable!
My first not-a-Model-M was a non-backlit Pure with MX Blues, as they seemed to be closest in general to the buckling spring. Then a short while later I picked up a backlit Race, and a bit after that I added LEDs to my Pure.
Soon I discovered I could design and build my own stuff! I bought a GH60... sort of. I bought an ErgoDox... and lost interest in it. I built a GHpad, then I picked up a Ducky Shine 3. I decided I didn't need the keypad attached, so I bought a Code TKL with MX Greens. Lastly, I just finished building my replacement for the Pure & Race. (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=69978.0)
At this point, I don't have a use for the ErgoDox, Ducky, Pure or the Race, but I haven't quite reached the point where I've decided to sell them. They're just sitting there... in case of emergency. That just leaves the Model M. Ill never let that go.
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I'm a lightweight compared to most of you guys. Sure I had a Model M back in the 80's when I was younger with my first few PCs - never really gave it much thought at the time. Fast forward to a couple years ago, after having used rubber dome keyboards not knowing any better - I stumbled across a picture of a Das blank black keyboard somewhere and thought it looked cool.
Did a bit of reading online and discovered the wonderful world of mechanical keyboards on Geekhack. Bought a new Unicomp and swapped the caps to the blank blue / black config in my avatar / signature - because I recalled the Model M I had years ago and I still liked the look of a blank board.
Always heard great things about Model F's compared to M's, but I never thought I could get used to the arrow pack on an F122. XTs didn't have a layout that was very useful, ATs were missing the arrow / 6 pack, there were no more Kishsavers. When the opportunity arose to pick up a 4704 F107 - I jumped. It had enough barrels to build a near ANSI layout with a reverse T arrow pack. Spent entirely too much time (months) and money (5x the cost of the board) rebuilding it - but it was a labor of love. It is now my daily driver and I couldn't be happier.
So that blue / black Unicomp 101 and my rebuilt 4704 F107 are actually the only two mechanical boards I own (hence my lightweight comment). I do have plans to build a GH122 (like stupidly overbuilt / heavy / industrial - something that looks like it was designed to survive the nuclear holocaust) and I want to build a ~62 key-ish custom Model F (made possible by wcass work on the XTant and xwhatsits work on a USB capsense controller). But those are just project boards - my F107 I think will always be my main board.
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I've sort of come "full circle" too. I like my other boards for a change of pace, but if I had to stick with one I would take my SSKs without a second thought. I really want to try the new Matias Ergo doe.
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That just leaves the Model M. Ill never let that go.
So, why haven't you gotten real and moved on to the Model F?
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i am yet to find a better keyboard than the fc660c,
everything topre i have purchased since that board just felt like a waste of money.
MX is meh
hence why i have moved onto customs and gaterons, surely there must be something better out there?
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It truly is an endless battle. I have, in my head, this idea how what the perfect keyboard would feel and sound like. I have yet to find it, and I'm not sure I ever will.
I don't really think that any of the mainstream keyboards are the end-game boards for anyone. The most common end-game boards seem to be: HHKB/87U (Topre boards), Model M/F (buckling spring), ergo-MX clear boards, or some form of alp keyboards.
I've just recently discovered Hi-Tek Space Invaders... certainly a great switch. Someone should obtain the patent and fire up the factory again. ;)
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In the war field.
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That just leaves the Model M. Ill never let that go.
So, why haven't you gotten real and moved on to the Model F?
Well, in all seriousness, if I could get model F (or even M) internals into my own layout and frame with programability, I would do that. As it is, I love my Model M because of the history I've had with it. In the meantime, I'll play with these Cherry MX switches and figure out my ultimate layout, so that when the time comes and this becomes a reality, I can build the ultimate keyboard using a combination of early 80's technology, and a sprinkle of The Future.
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Describe the highlights on your journey up to your holy grail keyboard.
It would be very educative for us newbies to learn the keyboard choices you, seasoned keyboard aficionados, have made since you began your search for your perfect keyboard. What?: Brands, switch type, layouts, key cap sets, materials, custom made boards, and so.
Why you made such selections? Would you do it differently?
How much? Money invested, re-sale experiences.
:thumb:
Good question. I have had many keyboards over the years.
So my advice is, just get the keyboard you feel the most comfortable with, and use it.
My choice is very obvious. Your choice may not be the same as mine.
Don't fall for something that isn't practical for your needs. Be sure it's what YOU want.
That's the bottom line. You will be the one using your keyboard. Not So-And-So Recommend Itz.