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geekhack Community => Reviews => Topic started by: chyros on Sun, 11 December 2016, 10:17:15

Title: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: chyros on Sun, 11 December 2016, 10:17:15

A lot of people have been waiting long for this one, but here it finally is: a beam spring review! Hope you enjoy it, this was quite a keyboard :D .

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: Sheepz on Sun, 11 December 2016, 11:51:59

beautiful sound!

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: klennkellon on Sun, 11 December 2016, 17:48:09

Now I never want to try beam springs because it will just make everything else feel awful.

Way to make SKCM Blue feel like MX Blacks.

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: digi on Sun, 11 December 2016, 18:01:42

I've been waiting for someone to do a video on a 3278 for quite some time. Brilliant review mate :thumb:

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: jacobolus on Sun, 11 December 2016, 18:18:17

Quote from: klennkellon on Sun, 11 December 2016, 17:48:09

Now I never want to try beam springs because it will just make everything else feel awful. Way to make SKCM Blue feel like MX Blacks.

Nah. Beam spring switches are neat, but nothing magical. Personally I like both clicky Alps switches and Model Fs better. Among similar switch designs, I like the Alps (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Alps_plate_spring) and Marquardt (https://deskthority.net/wiki/Marquardt_Butterfly) versions better.

Beam spring keyboards do have the best keycaps ever though.

Chyros: counting the solenoid sound when comparing volume is totally cheating. I could put a giant solenoid in a little metal box inside a rubber dome board if I wanted to

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: dante on Sun, 11 December 2016, 18:30:24

Thank you for taking the mystery out of these!

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: hanoipho on Mon, 02 January 2017, 07:12:03

Thanks for your review! :thumb:

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: orihalcon on Sat, 14 January 2017, 16:21:49

Are we sure about the 92 millisecond response time? Whatever it is shouldn't be different than the model F with an xwhatsit I wouldn't think since the chips used and the sensing is the same?

I have a friend that can type over 100wpm and my beamspring keeps up just fine, so I don't think typing speed should be an issue, but I don't have science to back it

Never really tried it for gaming though.

Title: Re: IBM 3278 review (beam springs)
Post by: chyros on Sat, 14 January 2017, 19:03:43

Quote from: orihalcon on Sat, 14 January 2017, 16:21:49

Are we sure about the 92 millisecond response time? Whatever it is shouldn't be different than the model F with an xwhatsit I wouldn't think since the chips used and the sensing is the same?

I have a friend that can type over 100wpm and my beamspring keeps up just fine, so I don't think typing speed should be an issue, but I don't have science to back it

I think you're misinterpreting the thing. What I mean is that after a keypress, the switch physically takes a very long time to pop back up, leading to long actuation periods. This has nothing to do with the converter, Under no conditions was I able to make a switch actuate for LESS THAN 92 milliseconds. This is not a delay, it's an activation period. If you're trying to make small adjustments, such as in shooters, roguelikes, or really anything that requires precision movement, this is an immediate loss, because it's not possible.