TOPRE my friend. You will never look back.
Oh dear. We should get Elrick in here to give you a grilling.TOPRE my friend. You will never look back.
No backlit options :/
If you're a touch typist then personally, I'd go with a non-backlit board and use a lamp until you get the number row down. I feel you, the number row is the one thing between me and Otaku, but once that led inevitably goes out then it turns from a feature to a defect. If you've got the money to spend, you might want to go with a Realforce 87U. As well, you might want to check out cherry mx browns since they're close to linear but still have a bit of a bump and no click. However, if you are set on LED's (which topre does not have), then there are plenty of options. I have heard good things about the ducky shine and I have owned a CODE TKL and Varmilo VA87MC. I had to return the Code twice due to defects and ended up preferring the Varmilo which I would recommend and regularly shows up on Massdrop. Hopefully this helps.Thanks for pointing out dead LEDs. I completely looked over that. I will probably go without backlighting then, because one of the problems with my Cherry MX Blue right now is the keys that are either worn down or sticky, which feels a bit like a defect. Ill take a look at your recommendations and keep checking massdrop as I already do.
TOPRE my friend. You will never look back.If you can mail me out a TOPRE switch that I can test then I might consider, I bought my MX Blue keyboard blindly and it ended up not being the best fit for me.
If you're a touch typist then personally, I'd go with a non-backlit board and use a lamp until you get the number row down. I feel you, the number row is the one thing between me and Otaku, but once that led inevitably goes out then it turns from a feature to a defect. If you've got the money to spend, you might want to go with a Realforce 87U. As well, you might want to check out cherry mx browns since they're close to linear but still have a bit of a bump and no click. However, if you are set on LED's (which topre does not have), then there are plenty of options. I have heard good things about the ducky shine and I have owned a CODE TKL and Varmilo VA87MC. I had to return the Code twice due to defects and ended up preferring the Varmilo which I would recommend and regularly shows up on Massdrop. Hopefully this helps.Thanks for pointing out dead LEDs. I completely looked over that. I will probably go without backlighting then, because one of the problems with my Cherry MX Blue right now is the keys that are either worn down or sticky, which feels a bit like a defect. Ill take a look at your recommendations and keep checking massdrop as I already do.TOPRE my friend. You will never look back.If you can mail me out a TOPRE switch that I can test then I might consider, I bought my MX Blue keyboard blindly and it ended up not being the best fit for me.
Hands down, Ducky shine if you want a backlit TKL.I've decided against backlit. Do you have a hands down for that?
Hands down, Ducky shine if you want a backlit TKL.I've decided against backlit. Do you have a hands down for that?
TOPRE my friend. You will never look back.
No backlit options :/
Listen to this man!TOPRE my friend. You will never look back.
No backlit options :/
If you are looking for "a more permanent keyboard" Topre is the only way. 87U 55G is what youwantneed.
I honestly don't know which stabs are in my board, but I know that they are not cherry. Since this will only be my second keyboard I cannot say what feels better to me. but I know that the stabs on my CM Quickfire Rapid are finicky when it comes to replacing keycaps.Hands down, Ducky shine if you want a backlit TKL.I've decided against backlit. Do you have a hands down for that?
I would say still Ducky if you prefer Cherry stabs, though they are not clipped. However the pro 9002 line has very nice PBT caps.
Other wise if you prefer Costar stabs Filco are nice. Some people complain about them with ping, but I don't hear any with my wife's TKL with blacks.
I honestly don't know which stabs are in my board, but I know that they are not cherry. Since this will only be my second keyboard I cannot say what feels better to me. but I know that the stabs on my CM Quickfire Rapid are finicky when it comes to replacing keycaps.Hands down, Ducky shine if you want a backlit TKL.I've decided against backlit. Do you have a hands down for that?
I would say still Ducky if you prefer Cherry stabs, though they are not clipped. However the pro 9002 line has very nice PBT caps.
Other wise if you prefer Costar stabs Filco are nice. Some people complain about them with ping, but I don't hear any with my wife's TKL with blacks.
Best keyboard purchase I've made so far. HHKB incoming soon though...Listen to this man!TOPRE my friend. You will never look back.
No backlit options :/
If you are looking for "a more permanent keyboard" Topre is the only way. 87U 55G is what youwantneed.
I'll have to read up on the Realforce 87U 55g since so many people have mentioned it. I'll also do my homework on Topre since I cannot say I am a Cherry fanboy.So topre right?
As a very happy owner of a Realforce 87U 55g, I can't advise against it. However, it sounds like you need to try before you buy and I definitely wouldn't recommend plunking down exorbitant amounts for a Topre board without having first tried the switches (I bought my 87U blindly but was lucky enough to end up loving it). However, if you're super interested in Topre, there's also the option of the Coolermaster Novatouch TKL, which is more than $50 cheaper than a Realforce and is quite a nice, simple rectangle. It also uses 45g Topres, which are the lighter variant.Too bad I don't have a way to try Topres. They seem popular and I would rather buy them directly than try another switch type in between.
However, if you just want a good tenkeyless with Cherry Reds or Blacks, I'd recommend you take a look at the Das Keyboard 4C or the WASDKeyboards.com board, which you get to customize with keycaps of any color/pattern you want. You could also check out the Corsair K65 (has a slightly more "gaming" look but it's done fairly tastefully), or even another CM Storm.
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)The HHKB is too minimal for me. I like my arrow keys.
(Attachment Link)The HHKB is too minimal for me. I like my arrow keys.
Too bad I don't have a way to try Topres. They seem popular and I would rather buy them directly than try another switch type in between.
I'll keep practicing my number row. I'm about an hour out from Miami -- I'm in Palm Beach -- but thanks for the offer. The only MX boards that I have tried are red and blue, with red feeling a bit better to me, albeit a little strange after being used to the tactile feedback, it's just something I would need to use for a few days.Too bad I don't have a way to try Topres. They seem popular and I would rather buy them directly than try another switch type in between.
Learn the number row ! &$#$&*. Are you in the Miami area? I have an HHKB and a Realforce (about to be sold, I hope) that I can let you try if it comes to it. I also have other MX boards you may want to try because there's always a progression to Topre.
We must all achieve oneness with cup rubber. Didn't you know?
Another question for anyone who might stumble across this thread still. I have tried reds, and I like the smooth feeling, but they are a bit too light and sometimes it feels like I press two keys at once even if not to the actuation point. How much of a difference will blacks make? I am currently used to bottoming out blue keys, and I have pretty heavy fingers, so I like to press with the weight needed to get over the bump. I feel like blacks would be better with that in mind.
That is where I got my information from. Though the force needed to bottom out a blue is more than 50cn, which is why I think that blacks might be better, then again, I suppose switch choice is more about feeling it for myself. I've gotten a decent number of suggestions from this thread, so I'll just continue my own research.Another question for anyone who might stumble across this thread still. I have tried reds, and I like the smooth feeling, but they are a bit too light and sometimes it feels like I press two keys at once even if not to the actuation point. How much of a difference will blacks make? I am currently used to bottoming out blue keys, and I have pretty heavy fingers, so I like to press with the weight needed to get over the bump. I feel like blacks would be better with that in mind.
You will notice a significant difference since cherry mx reds have a 45cN actuation force where blacks have a 60cn actuation force (heavier than blues). Might want to take a look here for the differences between the various switches:
https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX)
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1405 PBT front printed, though lock LEDs are on the key themselves but very nicely done.Thanks for those, and thanks for putting up with me for two days. :D
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1546 Backlit double shot ABS, lock LEDs where you want, probably cherry stabs (the only other ducky I have bought was cherry but that was a full size with PBT caps) but pre order only, Estimated arrival end of March.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1405 PBT front printed, though lock LEDs are on the key themselves but very nicely done.Thanks for those, and thanks for putting up with me for two days. :D
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1546 Backlit double shot ABS, lock LEDs where you want, probably cherry stabs (the only other ducky I have bought was cherry but that was a full size with PBT caps) but pre order only, Estimated arrival end of March.
What about a Kul ES-87? Decently priced, sturdy board, TKL, (I think) Cherry stabilizers, and decent keycaps. Only downside is no lock key and that it's currently OOS @ EliteKeyboards.I'll keep an eye on that one too. I guess they lock lights aren't too important, I just didn't want to worry about how they would look with custom keycaps, but I just covered my current board with a solid keycap which has on-key lock lights and it looked decent enough.
https://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=keyed_up_labs,tenkeyless&pid=es87u_c1_bbb_al