Just on a sidenote: Keyboards can be cleaned. It's not mandatory to get a new one every time they get dirty.
Just on a sidenote: Keyboards can be cleaned. It's not mandatory to get a new one every time they get dirty.
Wow, thanks for all the replies! So fast haha.
I think cleaning the keyboard would take too much work. The caps may be dirty, but 12 years of dirt has really taken it's toll down to the core. I'm sure I could clean it but if I am looking at 20 hours of soaking, scrubbing, and q-tipping I might be better off buying a new keyboard (it could make a fun side project however).
As for the Compaq...that is the perfect match. I just don't think I could ever bring myself to buy anything made/retailed by Compaq. The Compaq logo alone would haunt me in my dreams and wake me up at night.
The Topres do look nice, but I couldn't justify spending that much on a keyboard. The Keytronic keyboards look to be a nice replacement specifically looking at the Classic. What I might do, since, I cannot lie, is...shoot for that Limited Edition Majestouch White Otaku LOL. It's just too sexy, I have to touch it at least once in my lifetime otherwise I might regret it. In that case, if it turns out that the mechanical switches are not my thing, I could always get the Keytronic Classic and still be within the realm of reason cost wise.
I know the whole cherry thing has been talked about to death, but if I had the option of blue or brown, blue would closer to rubber dome switches than brown correct?
Show Image(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/155/422780886_22f11987aa.jpg)
http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-QUIETKEY-4780D-KEYBOARD-PS-2-NEW-IN-BOX_W0QQitemZ400076310538QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item5d2668080a
This would also work. I could get a new QuietKey and maybe splurge on one of those nice Otaku keyboards.
I have no experience with Cherry switches or mechanical keyboards, but how would the brown be more similar? From what I understand the brown is a very light switch that requires a very light touch to get any tactile feedback. And if I remember correctly the blue requires more down force to actuate which would give to more stiffness similar to my QK. Is it the actuation point of the brown switch itself that is more similar to a rubber dome keyboard?
And yes, I agree. My keyboard is friggen NASTY! :D The brown stuff...well it could be any number of things and I should probably spare you a hypothetical list LOL.
Wow, thanks for all the replies! So fast haha.
I think cleaning the keyboard would take too much work. The caps may be dirty, but 12 years of dirt has really taken it's toll down to the core. I'm sure I could clean it but if I am looking at 20 hours of soaking, scrubbing, and q-tipping I might be better off buying a new keyboard (it could make a fun side project however).
That's a good suggestion. Didja sells those for cheap. $5. (http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-AT101W-Clicky-Keyboard-ALPS-Mechanical-Sliders_W0QQitemZ190384299087QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item2c53c9dc4f)
And if anybody whines about his shipping cost I'm gonna shoot you.
The blue has more down force required for a key press than a brown, making it more similar to the QK.
Sixteen bucks? That's more than the insanely overpriced shipping on that Model M!
Highway robbery, I tell ya!
The last one I sold, paid ebay and paypal fees, paid for the box and shipping... I made under $2. The most I've made on ANY AT101W I've sold was under $5.
I'm actually about to donate the rest to a good will because it's not worth the hassle of selling and shipping them.
Do they just intentionally make the keys bottom out against the switch instead of the dome, in order to create the noise? I hope that made sense.
Ahh...I can't believe this is so complicated! From what I gather, the blue is more similar to rubber dome than the brown is. The blue does sound almost obnoxiously loud, but from every other aspect it seems than the blue would be more similar, at least on paper:
The blue has more down force required for a key press than a brown, making it more similar to the QK.
The blue has the "feel" of a faster resetting spring --even though supposedly it has the same spring, perhaps something to do with the switch mechanism and or the required weight to key press down.
The blue has the "feel" of more tact.
What I've read from reviews would point me in the direction of a blue. On top of the fact that I really hate mushy keys and the lack of tact on the browns gives me the impression that it is rather mushy. Nothing worse than a mushy keyboard. I think I will stick to do Keytronic as a backup but I really need a white Otaku KB :)
What keyboard are you talking about here?
Basic physics will say that if you smack two things together, it will make some noise.
Sixteen bucks? That's more than the insanely overpriced shipping on that Model M!
Highway robbery, I tell ya!
By the way, why do you always use that color for your posts?
Just on a sidenote: Keyboards can be cleaned. It's not mandatory to get a new one every time they get dirty.
The Quietkeys/Compaq has a major advantage though: It's easier to clean than any other keyboard I know. After unscrewing, the upper half of the case with all keys and sliders attached to it comes off. You can simply scrub it under the shower without having to remove the keycaps.
Besides, it's a really good rubberdome. I like it better than the mechanical Dell AT101W.