geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: cryticfarm on Tue, 16 March 2010, 11:59:24
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I live in Canada, Ontario and im' looking for a new keyboard. I game occasionally but I don't really need nkro. I would prefer it to be USB natively (my computer doesn't have PS/2) but I can get a converter if it's a must. I would probably like it to be light because it gets a bit chilly here on winter mornings and I can't move my fingers that well.
So far I'm considering the m10 for the cherry blues: http://www.ergogeek.com/ione-scorpius-m10-mechanical-key-switch-keyboard-usb-ps-2-black.html
But apparently, it has terrible build quality and I don't want to go through he trouble of RMAing it and paying 25+ for shipping Canada to US. (which could have been just be spent on buying a better keyboard. )
I am also considering the I-Rocks KR-6230 with cherry browns:
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/217102/I_Rocks_Technology/KR_6230/
It looks quite decent, but it's a tad on the expensive side for me (90 dollars shipped)
My last choice is the ABS M1:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823224001&Tpk=abs%20m1
*Note that all sites ship to Canada*
I heard their switches are the worst of the three, but still decent. In the end, I could just look around my city for model Ms cheap.
Any thoughts?
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If you've got a tight budget, give Ebay a try.
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If the ABS M1 is an option, you'd probably be better off getting a NIB Dell AT101W off eBay and a $10 USB adapter.
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If the ABS M1 is an option, you'd probably be better off getting a NIB Dell AT101W off eBay and a $10 USB adapter.
Agree- AT101W is quite a nice keyboard. It was my first mech. switch keyboard (besides my model M a long time ago) and it's pretty darn nice. And inexpensive.
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Sorry I forgot to mention, eBay will probably be ill-suited for my situation. To be honest, I'm young enough that I don't have a credit card so I have to use my mother's, but not only is my mother skeptical of eBay, but also the fact that on eBay, all the products have almost double the shipping as the price of the product itself.
I also forgot to mention, I'll be doing a lot of rhythm games (stepmania, etc.) on it, if that changes anything.
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Sorry I forgot to mention, eBay will probably be ill-suited for my situation. To be honest, I'm young enough that I don't have a credit card so I have to use my mother's, but not only is my mother skeptical of eBay, but also the fact that on eBay, all the products have almost double the shipping as the price of the product itself.
I also forgot to mention, I'll be doing a lot of rhythm games (stepmania, etc.) on it, if that changes anything.
Just go to a dump or scrounge around your school for an IBM model M or KB-8923.
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Just go to a dump or scrounge around your school for an IBM model M or KB-8923.
My school dumped all their IBM stuff a few years back for some cheap Microsoft keyboards and MDG computers.
Rhythm games are one of the few applications that would benefit from at least 6-key rollover. Two person coop on one keyboard would be the the other but I find that pretty silly when consoles rule.
Nah, when I play with friends my friend or I just play with another keyboard. It's inconvenient any other way because fitting four hands on one keyboard and playing properly is nearly impossible because of elbow space, pinky room, etc.
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Haha, yeah the credit card problem. If you have your own bank account you can setup paypal with it.
Takes a little while to transfer funds, and occasionally some merchants don't accept echecks would be the only down sides.
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My school dumped all their IBM stuff a few years back for some cheap Microsoft keyboards and MDG computers.
Yeah, our school just did it recently (I got all the good stuff anyways). You missed the treasure boat! Many Model Ms have been destroyed because you did not rescue them in time... they now scream as their ABS shells incinerate.
Heh, you could always get one of those cheap microsoft keyboards. Billy G. loves your money.
Frankly, I checked around in other places than dumps, and, there virutally are NO model Ms going for sale locally. They're all in the states! Pack your bags and move to Ripster's house (I'm sure if he can store all of those legos and vintage keyboards, he must have a few spots for occupants).
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Yeah, our school just did it recently (I got all the good stuff anyways). You missed the treasure boat! Many Model Ms have been destroyed because you did not rescue them in time... they now scream as their ABS shells incinerate.
Hahahaha, stop making me feel bad!
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agreed with the model m
or Haata can get you a nice board from japan and carry on a luggage. just need to wait til he goes home
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agreed with the model m
or Haata can get you a nice board from japan and carry on a luggage. just need to wait til he goes home
Well it just so happens I'm going to Japan this summer.
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Might want to save up =P
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To be honest I don't have a job (I couldn't be bothered to find one), and all my money comes from celebrations, and all the celebrations happen to be AFTER I got to Japan. I have a bank account with a bunch of savings in it, but it would be difficult to explain to my mother why I'm spending over 1/5th of my savings on a keyboard.
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Ah, the days when my parents could still do that... Thankfully they stopped long before I got into good keyboards.
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Haha, lol. My parents (especially my mom) would freak if I told her how much I've spent on computer stuff, not including keyboards (that's probably only around $500-600).
Which is why I don't tell them (what they don't know, can't hurt them, well usually).
Enough of the bad advice, go get yourself a job, or tell your parents you want to buy a keyboard and that you'll work for it. Though asking to get a uTron probably wouldn't bode to well...
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My mom already spends tons on computer stuff. She has cooler **** than I do (not keyboards, though).
HP laptop w/19" screen (pretty good specs, but I don't recall what they are)
iPod Classic 120GB
iPhone 3GS
She pirates DVDs from Netflix.
My mom is a tech junkie. She's way more of a geek than I am.
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With games like Stepmania, you'll definitely want NKRO... the IBM matrix won't cut it.
I'd say try the Adesso linked to before. It's essentially the same as the iOne Scorpius M10, but with NKRO. And those keyboards appear to have had their QC issues resolved. I think it's the cheapest commonly board with NKRO, and it has Cherry MX Blue switches which are nice as well.
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Wait a sec, the IBM matrix cannot hold the keys A, S, K and L together simultaneously?
I'm trying to lean toward the m10 because I just had word that shipping into Canada is free. And is there a source or something for your QC claim? I'm just very skeptical after reading many other reviews about broken solder joints, etc., and my mother would freak if I told her it broke and that we would have to ship it back.
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asklklasklasklas
The IBM Matrix can handle the entire home row simultaneously; but once you go off home row it's anyone's guess if it will work or not.
The info on the M10's build quality is second hand from Manyak, who generally knows what's up. He seemed fairly confident; it was a statement of fact, not an "I heard that it's maybe a little better, possibly." But he didn't bother to leave a source.
Remember though, the M10 uses the IBM matrix as well I believe. If that will work for you, then go for it, if not look for NKRO boards.
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Japan is great for keyboards, I bought mine 2 days ago from Kurebarri (Cleverly) and its well worth waiting. Good prices there.
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What did you buy?
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Don't worry, she lives on Ruby Ridge.
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asklklasklasklas
The IBM Matrix can handle the entire home row simultaneously; but once you go off home row it's anyone's guess if it will work or not.
The info on the M10's build quality is second hand from Manyak, who generally knows what's up. He seemed fairly confident; it was a statement of fact, not an "I heard that it's maybe a little better, possibly." But he didn't bother to leave a source.
Remember though, the M10 uses the IBM matrix as well I believe. If that will work for you, then go for it, if not look for NKRO boards.
That's what I thought, you see, instead of play stepmania with the arrow keys like normal people, I play spread, which means you use the keys A, S, K and L for the arrows.
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With games like Stepmania, you'll definitely want NKRO... the IBM matrix won't cut it.
I'd say try the Adesso linked to before. It's essentially the same as the iOne Scorpius M10, but with NKRO. And those keyboards appear to have had their QC issues resolved. I think it's the cheapest commonly board with NKRO, and it has Cherry MX Blue switches which are nice as well.
Huh? Are you sure about that?
ALL of the IBM keyboards I have can hold *any* lettered keys (I use my keyboard sometimes as a piano -- I should invest in an M-Audio USB keyboard haha).
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to be honest i don't have a job (i couldn't be bothered to find one), and all my money comes from celebrations, and all the celebrations happen to be after i got to japan. I have a bank account with a bunch of savings in it, but it would be difficult to explain to my mother why i'm spending over 1/5th of my savings on a keyboard.
lolwut?
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Hmm.
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okay rotfl
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lolwut?
i always do that, 1980 is a habit dating from when I first got the internet
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i always do that, 1980 is a habit dating from when I first got the internet
O_O
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O_O
i was quite young, so I was scared if I told my real age i'd get raped by a pedo (that's what my mom told me at least)
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Well, at least you're not a 30 y/o who's mammy tells him what to do with his money...
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(http://cronicaszombi.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/8norman-bates.jpg)
May I have an M1, mother?