Backlit mechanical UK layout keyboard?

[Dobbs2010]

Hi everyone, just joined the forum.

I've spent the last 3 days reading through the info on this website.  I have quite a good knowledge of computer hardware, and build pc's on a regular basis.  However I still seem to learn something new everyday.  

I'll be honest it was the announcement by Razer that they were releasing a mechanical keyboard that sparked my interest.  I like many have fallen into the trap over the years of buying gaming keyboards, thinking that they were it, the best you could get.  After reading this site, I realize how wrong I could be.

On Friday just gone I purchased a Razer Lycosa, my first Razer keyboard.  What a disappointment that POS was, poor build quality, media keys that only worked in certain applications, sticking keys and looked disgustingly dirty within 24 hours of use due shiny finish picking up every mark going.  Today I took it back and got a refund.

Like I said I've spent hours reading the info on here.  I've seen a couple of keyboards I like, however.  Can someone please tell me of a backlit mechanical keybaord that has a UK layout, cos I can't seem to find one anywhere.

Thanks

[exhuma.twn]

I am currently on the lookout for something similar as well. But from my (short) experience, it seems harder (but not at all impossible) to find non-US layouts for mechanical keyboards. But once you add "backlit" to the formula, the number of available models dwindle to near nothing.

The only manufacturers that produce backlit mechanical keyboards I have found so far (with the gracious help of this forum I might add) are:

• X-Armor
  
• Deck
  
• Razer
  

None of them have a UK layout though. At least as far as I can tell...

Is the UK-layout a must for you? I also love the UK layout (primarily for programming), but live in Luxembourg where the de-facto standards you find in shops are either Swiss or French. For the past decade, I am working on such a keyboard, but just changed my OS setting so it uses a UK layout. I have become so accustomed to this that I barely need to look at the keyboard anymore. Getting a board which fits my layout would only be a move of courtesy to my coworkers

The US and UK layout are not very different, so it might work well even if you had the need to look at the board.

EDIT: Note that the Razer BlackWidow also has a shiny finish and will most likely look dirty very quickly as well! I am with you on this

EDIT 2: Here's the link to my previous thread which eventually led me to the three choices above. It does contain a lot of useful info: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=12129

[Dobbs2010]

Thanks for the reply. I'm starting to think I may need to forget about backlight. The keyboards I quite like the look of are

Das professional model s Uk (Cherry blue)
Steelseries 7g Uk (Cherry black)
Filco Majestouch Uk (Cherry brown)

Which leads me to my next problem. This is my first mechanical so which switch will I prefer Blue, black or brown.

[tonyklo]

probably brown or blue :/

[Brian8bit]

This is my first mechanical so which switch will I prefer Blue, black or brown.

That's entirely subjective. Some say X, Y or Z for A, B and C, but I prefer X for A, B and C so everyone else is wrong.

[Dobbs2010]

I'm really leaning towards the Das, could be ordered by the end of the day.

[exhuma.twn]

tl; dr: I agree with brian8bit. It's a matter of taste. You have to answer this question yourself.

The decision is not an easy one as the boards tend to be expensive. Too expensive to buy and then realize you don't like the feel/sound. If you're lucky, you can find some in stores lying around. But it's rare. All shops I've been to told me they don't have them on stock/display because the majority of people don't see the point in paying more than 20-30 bucks for that. Because, after all: "It's only a keyboard."

And they also are not very fond of the idea of ordering one for you to try, if you don't give them the guarantee that you'll buy it. They are worried that they won't find another buyer.

If you want to make a rough decision, think hard about what you like/dislike on boards. What are the things that you find really annoying, and what are the things that you would really like to have. Draw on you previous experience! Armed with that knowledge, feed on the wiki articles. Combining the information you find therein, with your experience should yield a rough answer.

The only thing else I can tell you is my experience: I switched from Rubber Dome to Cherry MX-Black when I bought the Steelseries 7G. At the time I bought it, I did not know anything about the difference between the different mechanical and rubber dome switches. So I really did not understand why it had such a hefty price tag. But in the articles I read, it was louded as "T3h 1337" keyboard. So i bought it. My first reaction was something along the lines "WTF is this sh**"? The feel pressing the buttons was very different from what I was used to. I forced myself to like it, only because I did not want to admit that I payed that much money for something that I did not like. Friends had a pretty uniform reaction: "You payed how much?!? But... it does not have anything special? See, My G15 even has a builtin display and costs less..." - It made me feel very naïve for "falling" for the media announcements.

Now after I found this forum and read through the impressive wiki entries, I feel enlightened, and not naïve at all. The Steelseries 7G is a good board. It just happens that I don't like the linear feel of the Cherry MX-Black.

From that experience, I would say that I should go for something tactile. And as I prefer things quieter, something non-clicky. Next, I like to clean my boars often, so if I can remove the caps easily, that's a bonus. All this led me to go for Cherry MX Brown. It's got all the mentioned qualities. However: I have not yet found a board to my liking with Browns. So I am willing to take the risk and try out Blues. Which have everything of the above, but are clicky.

I am still on the hunt...

[ichirichi]

I just wrote a really long message but unforunately I got jumpy '(cos I am writing this at work ) and misclicked on my mouse, losing everything.

Cut it short:
You will like all of those keyboards you have mentioned, regardless of the colour of switches in my opinion - especially when comparing to Razer LIEcosa (see what I did there?).  Whether spending £100 + is worth it for such a keyboard is another matter

By the sounds of things, you like your hardware, you like your PC, you're pretty geeky (a compliment :peace:) if you managed to find a "geekhack" forum, and you are worried about the switches of your keys which (lets be honest, just make letters appear on the screen) then I believe you are one of us... and most likely this isn't going to be your first and only mechanical keyboard in the next 12 months..

Lets face it, when you get your blue switch, you're gonna' want a brown switch (ya' know so it's not so noisey when you need it to be quiet), and then ooo.. you know want a blacks switch (ya' know for gaming!) to complete the collection and oooo you know you want a backlit one (cos ya know, those guys just made one!) and oooo lets get a blank set (cos ur all pro now), and then tenkeyless  (cos ur running out of room from the other keyboards) and then....and then..and then.. you find you have a room full of keyboards for (at most) 2 PC's........

Get a blue for home so your girlfriend can use it, a brown for work, and a black for gaming ..

On a serious note, I bought a Razer Lycosa, had it for 1 week and sent it back to Amazon, because it was an out-of-date, poorly manufactured and designed piece of poo.  I even preferred my G11 keyboard or this £10 Dell keyboard I have here at work.  I have a Filco Brown to replace it, and I even waited 1 MONTH 'cos they were out of stock at keyboardco.com - when I received it, I thought I wanted to get a refund 'cos of the wait.  Once I opened it however, I changed my mind immediately, and when I plugged it and started using it, I noticed it was a HUGE difference in comparison to Razer's CR*P.  Admittedly, it's a little louder 'cos I bottom out alot and you don't use it to the full potential unless you really can touch type without thinking and looking - it isn't useful for the nodding bird typer, and it ain't useful for the 3 fingered troll tapper....  

For your first, get Blue or Brown.
Get some red W,A,S,D keys, and get a blank keyset...... makes it look HOT muhahaha...

[ichirichi]

P.S. Glowing lights is really ugly in my opinion (think of those Vauxahall Nova's that kids pimp up with lights and huge speakers - yuck) ....  Turn the light off and I can still type /game without a problem - *** cos real pro's go Filcos ***

[exhuma.twn]

Wow... I never expected - nay imagined -  to witness the potential start of a flamewar about keyboards.

The internet these days... full of surprises...

Let me stress the word "potential"...

Edit: @ichirichi: Did you notice the "Edit" button? It may come in handy sometimes...

[ichirichi]

Wow... I never expected - nay imagined -  to witness the potential start of a flamewar about keyboards.

The internet these days... full of surprises...

Let me stress the word "potential"...

Edit: @ichirichi: Did you notice the "Edit" button? It may come in handy sometimes...

All personal opinion, you could just ignore it or you could choose to be emotional and pedantic.  If things still suprise you on the Internet then welcome to the Internet kid.

Edit button? I did, but I didn't realise I was getting charged.

[ichirichi]

Oh No! I double posted again.  I'm sorry, seriously.

[ch_123]

Alternative solution - get the US layout one, learn the US layout. It's very similar to the UK one.

[ichirichi]

Or get a £5 US layout keyboard to test with first!

[exhuma.twn]

@ichirichi: Let me apologize. My post may have been out of place. I am sorry for that. As you said. I just should have ignored it.

[ichirichi]

It's alright, I didn't read too much in to it. Let's hug and be friends.

[Dobbs2010]

Thanks for all you help guys. Ichi you pretty much hit the nail on the head with everything you said. The only thing really putting me of a US layout board is the fact there's no £ sign. A UK layout has the courtesy to include a $ sign.

[itlnstln]

We're just self-centered, that's all.

[ichirichi]

We're just self-centered, that's all.

haha..

[Dobbs2010]

Think I've made a decision.  I'm going to get the Das model S Professional UK Layout.  Just need to wait till payday (Friday) before I can order.  Think I may need to get my hands on one of those Geek Hack red keys to replace escape key. :-)

[ichirichi]

Think I've made a decision.  I'm going to get the Das model S Professional UK Layout.  Just need to wait till payday (Friday) before I can order.  Think I may need to get my hands on one of those Geek Hack red keys to replace escape key. :-)

Cool! Note this though, unless you already know, although Das claims it is labelled Model S Professional Silent Keyboard with a "Soft" sound, it isn't.  Just need to warn you incase you expected it to be "Silent".  Cool keyboard though.

[Dobbs2010]

Cool! Note this though, unless you already know, although Das claims it is labelled Model S Professional Silent Keyboard with a "Soft" sound, it isn't.  Just need to warn you incase you expected it to be "Silent".  Cool keyboard though.

Thanks for the tip.  It is my understanding that the "Silent" one uses Cherry Browns, and the standard model S professional uses Cherry Blues, this is the one I'm going to order.

[Rajagra]

We're just self-centered, that's all.

But not self-¢-ed! Why doesn't the U.S. layout include a cent sign? Must've been designed by rich folks.

Use Colemak. Has £$¢ and probably lots of others I haven't learned.

Or look for the U.S. International layout without dead keys.

[ichirichi]

Thanks for the tip.  It is my understanding that the "Silent" one uses Cherry Browns, and the standard model S professional uses Cherry Blues, this is the one I'm going to order.

Oop! Misread, sorry! :-) Well enjoy whatever you get! Welcome to the forums once again.

[HaaTa]

Use Colemak. Has £$¢ and probably lots of others I haven't learned.

¥ :tongue1:

Useful for when I was quoting prices in Akihabara 6 months ago.