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Author Topic: Dell Quietkeys SK-8000  (Read 10641 times)

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Offline vibe

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 10:37:24 »
I've now tried every model of Dell Quietkeys and I am convinced the SK-8000 is the model I like (it's the poor person's "good enough" keyboard, certainly better than anything at walmart).

They are $18-$20 shipped on fleabay - let me know if you'll just take shipping and a dollar or two - more if it's in really good condition. Optionally I can just email you a shipping label for usps or ups if you are feeling generous.

The problem is they fail fast, I go through one every two years - so please make sure all your keys work, it's not a mechanical thing but electrical - the plastic sheet that records the signals seems to wear out - I have plenty of spare mechanical parts, just not the plastic sheets.

If you have a stash of them, I have a Model M in fair condition I can trade?
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Offline vibe

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 10:48:50 »
Well technically the ones I have are at least six years old, I think.

The rubber dome membranes should be old and worn out -

but their feel, to me, is quite decent. It's just that a few keys have gone dead on all of them.

Disassembled completely and tried cleaning them several times and got one to work again for half a day but same keys went dead again.

People here (was it you?) claimed they liked the SK-1000REW the best but I cannot stand it - maybe mine is just worn out, I only have one of those.

Working on a Thailand RT7D5JTW right now. It's decent, but to me it's no SK-8000, I can feel the difference even though I cannot explain exactly why. I think it's the initial pressure required to make contact, but the "bounceback" (?) is okay. (Sorry I have to go lookup the correct technical terms for all that). Also I think the keys are much thinner, have thin stems and rattle a little on this compared to the sk-8000 which has nice thick walls on the keys and the stems are like lego-block thick (is that what "sliders" means?)

I am sure y'all laugh at such keyboards but if it's of any help I could disassemble one of each model and show the difference side-by-side in photos someday.
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Offline vibe

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 11:00:40 »
ah it's Pylon who is the quietkeys "expert"  http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:11672

That's exactly what I am using now as a substitute.

But you start typing fast and rattle rattle.

My sk-8000s don't rattle probably because they are all on the same single-sheet rubber dome.

He's right though, the "Key force" is definitely high on this, probably what I have a problem with over the sk-8000 but the "tactile snap" is surprisingly excellent.
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Offline Pylon

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 14:22:15 »
Quote from: vibe;423407
ah it's Pylon who is the quietkeys "expert"  http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:11672



Sorry, I had some wrong info on the SK-1000REW earlier. They do not use dedicated sliders on all keys. Or possibly only some models do. I've only seen about 2.

SK-8000 IMO is among the worst. I've tried 3. The keys are very wobbly (like most late 90s/early 2000s Silitek boards it seems like) and the feel is average. The domes are all molded into a sheet and it's okay.

I'm also nowhere close to a Quietkey expert. I don't have any right now and I've only tried three models, and I've kept an RT7D5JTW for about 3 months. I got it free from the school, which was retiring a bunch of old computers. However, I might have violated their computer policy taking it so I gave it back(since they might redistribute the keyboards). Got thrown out later unfortunately, and in their place are a bunch of cheap SK-2885s (not the best boards IMO).
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Offline vibe

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 14:24:43 »
My 1000REW had individual contacts, not a single solid membrane like the sk-8000 - when I took it apart the first time I did it badly and they fell everywhere. Mine is mush now and intolerable, but I never liked it even when it was years younger.

If I liked the sk-8000 and the RT7D5JTW, what would y'all recommend in a mechanical?

I keep concluding cherry browns and may try one someday if I can get something cheap enough for a test run.
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Offline N8N

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 14:29:58 »
I've never tried an SK-8000 but I thought the feel of the RT7D5JTW was closer to clears than to browns.  But of course any of the Cherry switches will actuate at a higher point than the Dell boards, so there's a huge difference in the typing experience right there (and a big selling point of a true mechanical IMHO.)

If you just want to try browns out of curiosity, there's plenty of used 'n' cheap boards if you just want to try them out before committing.  The Compaq MX-11800 and the rawko POS boards come to mind.  I prefer the latter, just because of the more standard layout - I use my arrow keys and the nav block a lot and can't warm up to having them anywhere other than in the standard position. Unfortunately, I don't find browns particularly tactile, and they only get less tactile with age.
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline vibe

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 14:34:13 »
What used boards typically come with clears? Are they fairly quiet?

I remember looking at the rawko on ebay and I think the huge size scared me off.

Are Cherry White and Cherry Clear the same thing or different? Oh wait they are the same?

Is it sacrilege to link to another site for info? This is a good list:
http://www.overclock.net/keyboards/491752-mechanical-keyboard-guide.html#post6009482
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Offline N8N

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 14:47:22 »
Only ones I've personally seen are the rawko boards or the even uglier ones with the integrated touchpad :(

They are the quietest mechanical switch I've ever used.

Such a wonderful switch, and so hard to find in a decent keyboard.
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline vibe

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 14:53:03 »
Ah so those big ugly brown 8100's on fleabay are white/clears eh?

Ah I see if I am insane and would spend $175+ on a keyboard I could get this:
http://www.deckkeyboards.com/product_info.php?products_id=95

Oh duh, here is the local cherry guide: http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Cherry+switches+and+boards

I think I am stuck with quietkeys for awhile. Too broke to justify even $50 right now :-(

Maybe I'll find someone who really likes model Ms and will trade for mine.
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Offline N8N

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 15:41:11 »
no, they're not all clears - you have to check.  Rawko calls clears "whites" but don't let that confuse you, they're clears.

What Model M?  1391401?  I'd consider trading for a Rawko board, if your M is nice.  The one I want to get rid of has browns though not clears.  It *is* cleared of most of the board chow though, and since I was using it as a switch try board for ergos, when I put it back together with the browns, I cleaned and lubed all the sliders, so it feels pretty good for a beat up POS board.
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline vibe

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Dell Quietkeys SK-8000
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 29 September 2011, 15:48:22 »
My model M is old but for the time I owned it, that part is almost never used (too loud for me).

It does have a few keys replaced with some kind of generic white replacement key - not main keys but like a few functions keys, I'll have to take a photo.

I've never cleaned it so keep that in mind too.

This is the label but you'll have to copy and paste because the last time I tried to post this in the other thread it got auto-moderated

img689.imageshack.us/img689/4471/label1.jpg
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