The crazy part is most of these newest cherry mx compatible switches are so new there's no long term data to know how they'll last, assuming someone actually uses their keyboard for any length of time.
Then there's so much more to consider besides switches, keycaps (material, printing method), board build quality (case and plate material), layout, etc.
Personally I've settled on silent reds at work and 45g topre at home both on Leopold 980 boards.
I think you get to a point where you decide to try everything or you decide you're done trying things at least for a while.
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It's nice to have options and improvements, but the arms race on switches seems to be so fast lately that it confuses the market (or maybe just me?!?) since comparisons can't really be made by the individual.
When I first got into mechanical keyboards, I only knew of Cherry MX switches, and, of those, only the popular four: blues, reds, blacks, and browns. A few years later, I found out about Buckling Springs. Then I found out about Matias, Alps switches, and all the other variants of Cherries.
Then the Cherry MX clones started hitting, mostly exact copies of the Cherries with nuanced differences. Then it seemed as though Zealios were the big popular thing, and then MOD switches tried to compete with Zealios. Now there seems to be a never ending deluge of Kailh variants and even BOX variants now.
How can anyone possibly keep up with these?! I JUST got around to a Zealios build a couple months ago. If you plan a build and purchase parts ahead of time (or just when they're actually available), your fancy switches are out of date by the time your custom keyboard ships.
It's nice to have options and improvements, but the arms race on switches seems to be so fast lately that it confuses the market (or maybe just me?!?) since comparisons can't really be made by the individual...
Take MX/clones, for example… what's out there? Linear switches are simply linear with different springs and amount of smoothness/wobble, that's it. Well, that and optional damping, alright. Then you have clicky MX switches, those are all the same again, except for spring rate and clones may be a tad bit louder/crisper. You can jailhouse them. Then Kailh clickbar. And finally, non-clicky tactile switches: they're all somewhere between MX Brown and MX Clear, with different spring rates and a slightly different bump on the stem.
Umm, what about no?Take MX/clones, for example… what's out there? Linear switches are simply linear with different springs and amount of smoothness/wobble, that's it. Well, that and optional damping, alright. Then you have clicky MX switches, those are all the same again, except for spring rate and clones may be a tad bit louder/crisper. You can jailhouse them. Then Kailh clickbar. And finally, non-clicky tactile switches: they're all somewhere between MX Brown and MX Clear, with different spring rates and a slightly different bump on the stem.
Don't forget the "speed" variant of all these
I think you get to a point where you decide to try everything or you decide you're done trying things at least for a while.Well said--and I think most of us float in between indefinitely. ;D
The best thing I found was to go to a meetup. Everyone has different tastes and rather than buying a board with every single switch type you want to try, or trying to work out if you like a switch form one key on a switch tester, if you go to a meet then you will be able to type on potentially hundreds of different boards with different keycaps, switch types, cases, mods, everything! No two boards are the same (after a certain point) and you'll waste a lot of money buying loads of switches you wont likeI agree that this is the best way--plus you get to meet some awesome people at the same time. :cool:
Competition is good for progress. The quality of switches has been increased significantly in the last 2-3 years. I feel like the variety and innovation has been exciting to watch. And since the majority of these parts are interchangeable, the combinations of switch parts for a 'personal custom' has gotten a little out of hand. But the fact remains that its fun and it keeps these companies that are paying attention supplied with ideas for a new switch options.I agree. Initially when I joined GH, there were just a handful of custom combinations. Now, I think it would be just interesting to see how many mathematical combinations are possible and see if there is a switch type for every person on the planet yet or not. :eek:
I just saw OfTheWild's Doorbell build--AMAZING! I'd so buy one of those for my house so long as the switch could survive the elements. :thumb:
There is no race..
Everyone is trying to capitalize on the flavor craze.
No one has meaningfully improved switches except logitech..
Everyone else has simply named their slight variation like weed dealers with a new (alleged) variety every week...
Actually theres been quite a lot i think!
Kailh is definitely at the forefront with the sealed box switch and the click-bar switches. Cherry silent switches are also innovative.
What's innovative about Cherry MX Silent compared to Alps SKCM Damped Cream from the 1990s?
So far its been great! I just swapped on a nice festive green/purple cap for the holidays. The only thing im planning for is changing the gat green out for a kailh box white since they are sealed to the elements it should last longer outside in the damp NC summer.That's awesome! I didn't even think about the fact you can swap keycaps for seasons or whatnot. I guess even artisans could be used. :D
I'm with you on this. It's like saying nothing really new has happened with cars until Tesla when there have been small tweaks and changes that have brought gasoline cars to where they are today.What's innovative about Cherry MX Silent compared to Alps SKCM Damped Cream from the 1990s?
same concept, different switch and outcome. I see what you're saying and I'm sure theres a far fetched analogy but i will just say that prior to the Box (which is actually a different mechanism) and the Silent and Speed switches... there had been to the best of my knowledge, no changes to the cherry MX switch in over 35 years..
So yeah, the last 16 months have been pretty progressive in terms of mechanical keyboard switches.
No changes to Cherry MX in 35 years? Cherry changed some materials and sliders in the 1990s (for example, springs were a different alloy steel or MX Brown is from '92 or so); MX Red is even newer, if a spring swap can be considered an innovation.
The Box switch sealing or clickbar could be innovative, but I'm not even sure about that tbh.
It's like saying nothing really new has happened with cars until Tesla when there have been small tweaks and changes that have brought gasoline cars to where they are today.Well, the industry was arguably regressing since the economic crisis, moving in a wrong direction for a decade before that, and even before that there were times of stagnation.
...How can anyone possibly keep up with these?! I JUST got around to a Zealios build a couple months ago. If you plan a build and purchase parts ahead of time (or just when they're actually available), your fancy switches are out of date by the time your custom keyboard ships.
It's nice to have options and improvements, but the arms race on switches seems to be so fast lately that it confuses the market (or maybe just me?!?) since comparisons can't really be made by the individual.
The best thing I found was to go to a meetup. Everyone has different tastes and rather than buying a board with every single switch type you want to try, or trying to work out if you like a switch form one key on a switch tester, if you go to a meet then you will be able to type on potentially hundreds of different boards with different keycaps, switch types, cases, mods, everything!...
Competition is good for progress. The quality of switches has been increased significantly in the last 2-3 years...
There is no race..
Everyone is trying to capitalize on the flavor craze... No one has meaningfully improved switches except logitech...Everyone else has simply named their slight variation like weed dealers with a new (alleged) variety every week...
How about a 'medium' profile height switch from Kailh?Show Image(https://gd3.alicdn.com/imgextra/i2/430978572/TB25T_IfTnI8KJjy0FfXXcdoVXa_!!430978572.jpg)
How about a 'medium' profile height switch from Kailh?Show Image(https://gd3.alicdn.com/imgextra/i2/430978572/TB25T_IfTnI8KJjy0FfXXcdoVXa_!!430978572.jpg)
Is that really a thing? If so, it just seems like abusing the market for switches because they know people will want to buy something new. If anything, I'd like a taller switch; as far as clickies go, I think a bigger switch would have the potential to provide better feel and sound.
Shopping for switches reminds me a lot of my time collecting fountain pens. A lot of fountain pen users are ink-aholics and have to sample every possible brand and color that they can get, and review them, and debate which ink is "better behaved" or "lower maintenance" or more saturated or more lubricated or more waterproof or bleeds and feathers less or shades or sheens better, etc. And then there are the die-hards who insist on mixing inks to get that perfect combination of traits.Silly humans and their ridiculously enthusiastic hobbiesting.