Are mechanical keyboards worth a divorce?

[Internetlad]

Thread header is kind of a joke. I've been thinking for a while about getting a mechanical keyboard, however, as my limited experience into it  makes it hard to justify the 100 dollar pricetag for a "budget" new mechanical keyboard, my wife, who fully doesn't understand why somebody would pay 100 dollars for a keyboard really isn't pleased with the idea of me buying one. (and in all reality, right so. that price would shock most anybody off the street who was looking to buy a keyboard.)

I compare it much in the same vein as to how I don't understand why she needs a 1000 dollar wedding ring, just to give you a window into my mind. Either way.


TBH i've been looking for two keyboards with different purposes. First would be a keyboard for gaming on my home machine. It is a multipurpose machine but mostly play FPS titles with RTS elements (Nuclear Dawn is the current). I believe what i'd be looking for is a tenkeyless cherry brown (tactile, not clicky) keyboard with either winkeyless or the switch ala g15 to disable windows key (I do use the windows key in my OS for shortcut commands, but tabbing out is such a pain.)

Seconly would be a board for at work, To feel important i'd want a clicky keyboard, because I like them. Probably would consider a Cherry Blue switch for that one. Would prefer one with the tenkey and winkey.

The big issue here is that other than working a little bit with a 5181 (Alps complicated white clicky tactile)  I recently acquired, I don't have much experience with the different switches first hand. I can read all i want but only touching the board would give me the feel for it. Problem is I live in wyoming, so that means no big tech stores nearby, closest thing would be a best buy (:/) in Billings, MT, and i'm not even sure if they CARRY mechanical keyboards, never mind demo them.

I don't mind buying gently used if the discount is worth it, and I have checked out the classifieds on this board (nothing caught my interest thus far, but there are some good deals there.)

TL;DR, any suggestions for a mechanical keyboard buying n00b ? (Brands/Prices/What to avoid)

Current keyboard I use is whatever is laying around at work (I work as a computer janitor AKA technician) and my personal board is a Logi G15 from like 4 years ago.

[noodles256]

panchan

[N8N]

It's not hard to justify at all.  How much time do you spend using a keyboard?  Why shouldn't you have something better than a $10 rubber dome?  Look at it this way, would you try to cook a gourmet meal with a knife set from K-mart?  Sure, you can do it, but why would you?

[enoy21]

They make them heavy for a reason. Just make sure that you hide it when she's angry with you.... Pull out the Poker for those occasions... That way...... Wait, what was this thread about again ?

[enoy21]

It's not hard to justify at all.  How much time do you spend using a keyboard?  Why shouldn't you have something better than a $10 rubber dome?  Look at it this way, would you try to cook a gourmet meal with a knife set from K-mart?  Sure, you can do it, but why would you?

My fiance' learned real quick not to give me a hard time about my periodic obscene toy costs... Otherwise she would have to stop buying $300 jeans , $250 purses .... and don't get me started on the shoes.  My only response is " Nope I don't need this any more than you need 4 closets worth of clothes.... "

[Internetlad]

lol i love this board.

I had to check what "high WAF" was, when i googled it, it came up with a whole bunch of stuff about induction charging and frequencies, I then googled WAF and it came up with the wikipedia article for "Wife Acceptance Factor"

facepalm

[Findecanor]

Here are two arguments that you can use with your wife:
- Cheap keyboards are consumables. They break after a while. If they don't, then the feel deteriorates. There is nothing wrong with buying quality products that last.

- If you type a lot in your line of work, then a keyboard that is too stiff could be detrimental to the health of your hands and wrists. I work as a programmer and experienced RSI from typing at stiff Dell keyboards, and then I switched to one with Cherry Browns and have been much better. (I could have used Blues, but I did not want to disturb my coworkers too much)

What the right keyboard is for you is a lot about taste and preferences. There are good and bad mechanicals just as there are good and bad rubber dome keyboards. But you seem to already know this.
Is there no store in your area that caters for computer gamers? Most new mechanicals are made especially for that market.

Mechanical switches do also deteriorate. I have had a Cherry MX switch break. The tactile bumps inside Blues, Browns and Clears wear down and become more linear with use. IBM Model M keyboards are the ones best known to last a long time -- the feel does not deteriorate per switch, but things can break inside of them.
Except for the different feel, the big difference, I think, with mechanical keyboards is that they can be repaired, while rubber dome keyboards often can't.
(Cherry MX boards are also nice for those of us who love to tinker with things ... :-) )

[Wihl]

From looking at their website, Best Buy does seem to stock the Razer Black Widow which has blue switches. They also have the Steelseries 6Gv2 with black switches. Sadly they dont have any Zowie Celeritas (brown). Since they sell a lot of Corsair stuff they'll probably have the new CorsairVengeance  keyboard with red switches when that gets released (release this month). So they do stock keyboards with black, blue and red. Even if you're not interested in those keyboards you'll at least be able to try a few of the different switches at the store.

[alaricljs]

Is there no store in your area that caters for computer gamers? Most new mechanicals are made especially for that market.

In the US this is highly unlikely.  Even internet game arcades/cafes don't bother stocking any hardware.  You'd think personal interface hardware (kb/mouse/controller/???) would be a good idea there.  The stores that 'cater' cater to the uninformed or uneducated... you know, the people that are easily parted with their money.

... Best Buy does seem to stock ...

Yeah, on-line.  None of the Best Buys I've swung by ever have stock in these unfortunately.  There was once one that had a designated location with label... but no KB.

BTW, Wihl - your avatar is hilarious.

[Paulie]

I had to check what "high WAF" was, when i googled it, it came up with a whole bunch of stuff about induction charging and frequencies, I then googled WAF and it came up with the wikipedia article for "Wife Acceptance Factor"

I propose a variation on the above for us un-married individuals: GAF. (Or BAF, each to their own.)

Reasoning: my other half gave me plenty of agro over the cost of my Filco. But now she's using it (and my computer, grrr...) to play Sims 3. All is good in the world.

[Internetlad]

In the US this is highly unlikely.  Even internet game arcades/cafes don't bother stocking any hardware.  You'd think personal interface hardware (kb/mouse/controller/???) would be a good idea there.  The stores that 'cater' cater to the uninformed or uneducated... you know, the people that are easily parted with their money.

*cough* Brick and Mortar apple stores with "genius" bars. . . *cough, hack*

[N8N]

My fiance' learned real quick not to give me a hard time about my periodic obscene toy costs... Otherwise she would have to stop buying $300 jeans , $250 purses .... and don't get me started on the shoes.  My only response is " Nope I don't need this any more than you need 4 closets worth of clothes.... "

IMHO don't try to fight fire with fire...  just sayin'

then again, my ex gave me crap about all my cars, and then when she bailed she realized that she needed something to drive... and bought a BMW... (facepalm)  guess all those years of driving decent cars must have taught her to recognize quality.

And maybe that's why she...  nah, let's not go there.

[StaCT13]

The Best Buy I go to is fairly large, and always has Razer products displayed. Still in box, yes, but Razer has a thing for clever packaging and letting possible buyers actually feel and see their products. What I'm saying is, if that BB near you is a decent size, they'll probably have some Blue switches to try (and maybe some Browns, in the form of the new BW Stealth).

[Internetlad]

as a reference, the best buy "near me" is in the next state and about a 2 and a half hour drive, and that's literally the closest big box tech store I can think of.

I might swing in next time i'm heading through though.

[Lanx]

pretty much show her images of limp wristed rsi/cts ppl and say, do you want to take care of that? that is what i'm trying to prevent.
I'm sure she doesn't know about rsi/cts, educate her
and if your mech board isn't for rsi/cts, make sure that is your reasoning from now on...why? you really can't argue against it.
I'm not saying go out and spend 1,000's in keyboards but it's no different than if you had a kitchen wooden chair at your computer desk for 6hours a day... you really should head to staples and like... buy anything else lol, use the same theory here, you'll be spending (or already do) spend lots of hours at the computer, why make it untolerable? and worse, why make it a medical disaster later on in life? rsi/cts is horrid to suffer from and images should be enough.
If you don't know about rsi/cts, head on over to the ergo section, no one goes there anyway, lol.

[Quarzac]

Just keep a little list of the difference in price of things you both buy. Like your $12 pair of jeans versus her $50 pair. Your $50 pair of shoes versus her $200. You'll be able to justify your keyboard with budgeting in no time!

[enoy21]

Just keep a little list of the difference in price of things you both buy. Like your $12 pair of jeans versus her $50 pair. Your $50 pair of shoes versus her $200. You'll be able to justify your keyboard with budgeting in no time!

\


+11ty billion

[TheSoulhunter]

$200 shoes? $1000 rings? Not allowing you to buy what you want?
Sounds a lot like this TV show with Ed O'Neill...

[duncan]

How much do the games you are playing cost?

Two fairly new games would easily cover any top end board (Torpe excluded) where I am. A Rosewill is less than a single new release game.

If she doesn't complain about spending money on things that simply eat time (games) then it makes no sense she should complain about something that will make your life better. You may even find yourself doing some more real work and less gaming when you have a decent tool to work with and miss buying a game or two in the coming year and, overall, save money.

Also, make one of the first projects on your new board to sit down and write her a good serious love letter or poem. Regardless of whether she cares a jot about the board it's a good investment in the relationship bank and really good karma too.

[TheProfosist]

My advise is to Man Up and buy a Rosewill RK-9000.  They had a special not long ago - dirt cheap and high WAF.

And if your wife does something rash don't blame me.
(Attachment Link) 29162[/ATTACH]

they still have a special on both the blue and red

[Jago]

If the person understands computer hardware in general, mechanical keyboards are trivial to rationalize. If you actively game on a PC, you essentially want a new 200$ videocard every 2 years or so. This videocard is something you only fully utilize during actual gaming and it will sit idle most of the remaining time. A good keyboard is used ALL the time when you use your PC, not just when gaming and it's a purchase that can easily serve you for a decade. High quality input peripherals are a no-brainer.

[Tony]

Keyboards just are the mere reason at hand. without keyboards the topic starter would fight with his wife on another matter.

Filco, Ducky and Topre would be proud to be the reason of divorces of geekhackers.

[enoy21]

If the person understands computer hardware in general, mechanical keyboards are trivial to rationalize. If you actively game on a PC, you essentially want a new 200$ videocard every 2 years or so. This videocard is something you only fully utilize during actual gaming and it will sit idle most of the remaining time. A good keyboard is used ALL the time when you use your PC, not just when gaming and it's a purchase that can easily serve you for a decade. High quality input peripherals are a no-brainer.

This, Although some would argue (as I did before actually trying it ) that the money on a keyboard is better spent on a quality mouse and or a piece hardware that directly effects game performance.  Keyboards don't inherently effect performance (like a HDD or GPU/CPU) but they do effect the comfort and feel.   I personally find that I WANT to type more than game now that I have such a great feeling board.

[keyboardlover]

In a word, yes.

[enoy21]

Also , it's very likely that like my Fiance' she will be glad you did it if she spends any time on the keyboard. After trying my new blues out , my fiance' wants one of her own now but in ergo clears.

[flyball]

it's your money, use it when you need it

[Lanx]

Also , it's very likely that like my Fiance' she will be glad you did it if she spends any time on the keyboard. After trying my new blues out , my fiance' wants one of her own now but in ergo clears.

That's a keeper, she wants the most customized cherry ha, having done 2 boards in ergo whites, one desoldering and changing and resolder, and one was pcb... i think i might be happy with the last board being a brown, ha.

[bootstrap]

Toys (like my $XXX DT225) help me to stay productive (so I can pay the credit card bills), happy (not depressed), and healthy (no RSI). All these things help to maintain harmony in a marriage. I'm glad my wife's been understanding so far... :laugh:

[Zamorph]

If your wife refuses to understand a purchase you made, you may need to have a serious talk with her.
Dont let her control you .

[cactux]

if is a low end board like the poker no, but a high end board yes ;-)

[Hak Foo]

Maybe you can use the "single invoice" trick.  Slip t alongside a more expensive item, with some price elasticy then toss the receipt before the individual item price is revealed.

I. e. a $350 invoice (encompassing $250 video card and $100 keyboard) may raise fewer eyebrows than a $100 standalone purchase.

[whiskerBox]

get a logitech sticker and put it on whatever you buy. tell her it was $12 @ walmart

[Internetlad]

$200 shoes? $1000 rings? Not allowing you to buy what you want?
Sounds a lot like this TV show with Ed O'Neill...

Love and marriage, love and marriage. . .

Lol and it seems there are a lot of people on the board who either didn't read the original post, or are just blowing it out of proportion. There is little chance i'll actually suffer a divorce, even if I went out and bought a mech keyboard under 200 bucks right now. I'm just saying that she doesn't understand why I want a keyboard so expensive. We're not yelling at each other about it, she pretty much just made a weird face when i said i wanted one. TBH I'm using a G15 at home, which, although not mechanical, and is a few years old, is still pretty nice IMO. There's nothing actually wrong with it.

The notes about RSI/CTS are good, I had never known a mech keyboard would actually help prevent that.

I let her type on an old mech keyboard i keep at work and she thought it was nice, but still didn't get why it was worth the cost.

Anyways, thanks for the input everyone, I'm sure at some point i'll end up getting at least one new mech keyboard. Also is the deal with the rosewills still on? AFAIK they're at the standard 100 dollar price on Amazon. I want something decent, nothing cheap plasticy and bargain basement.

I did just come off of spending ~500 on my mobo/RAM/CPU/Case so I can see why she'd be put off by me wanting more toys.

[slueth]

You could just tell her that a divorce would cost more then if she would just let you buy the keyboard.

[Internetlad]

You could just tell her that a divorce would cost more then if she would just let you buy the keyboard.

Now THAT'S the kind of thinking she'll understand! I like it!

[blert]

You could consider telling her (I know I would) that buying a keyboard is the only thing keeping you for buying a boat, motorbike, tiger, leprechaun, antfarm, meth lab, etc..  Whatever demonstrates that the keyboard is clearly the lesser of (at least) two evils.

Also, a clicky keyboard will be an easier sell, since it more obviously sounds different.  I like what ripster said --  go for the Rosewill RK-9000.  Very solid, and if you get it on sale it almost feels like stealing.  (Not just saying this 'cause I have one.)  Otherwise, some kind of clicky tenkeyless would be awesome, and would also stand out from the Cheap Keyboard field.

[blert]

Maybe you can use the "single invoice" trick.  Slip t alongside a more expensive item, with some price elasticy then toss the receipt before the individual item price is revealed.

Good one.  Very hepful technique (assuming our OP has the need and means for more goodies).  (Not that I'd ever do such a thing.)

[TheProfosist]

You could consider telling her (I know I would) that buying a keyboard is the only thing keeping you for buying a boat, motorbike, tiger, leprechaun, antfarm, meth lab, etc..  Whatever demonstrates that the keyboard is clearly the lesser of (at least) two evils.

Also, a clicky keyboard will be an easier sell, since it more obviously sounds different.  I like what ripster said --  go for the Rosewill RK-9000.  Very solid, and if you get it on sale it's almost feels like stealing.  (Not just saying this 'cause I have one.)  Otherwise, some kind of clicky tenkeyless would be awesome, and would also stand out from the Cheap Keyboard field.

I just got a rosewill with blues today solid as a rock! though the key are a bit rough unlike my wasd and I think may need some lubing. I cant wait for my red board.

[blert]

I just got a rosewill with blues today solid as a rock! though the key are a bit rough unlike my wasd and I think may need some lubing. I cant wait for my red board.

Yeah, I do need to grease the spacebar on mine.   It's not so horrible that I can't keep putting it off.  From reading the forums, seems like wasdkeyboards really pays more attention to this kind of thing than most.

[enoy21]

Love and marriage, love and marriage. . .

Lol and it seems there are a lot of people on the board who either didn't read the original post, or are just blowing it out of proportion.

Blowing it out of proportion is the most fun of the thread.  

And like said above , my fiance' was the same way until she typed a little type racer on it. Now she wants one with ergo clears.   Of course she's not finding the fact that I want a THIRD one in a matter of a couple months so thrilling.