Help me select a keyboard?

[CheddarTrek]

Hey guys,

Currently I am using a scissor-switch style keyboard -- specifically the Rosewill RK-7300 -- but I spilled coffee on it and some of the keys have ceased to work (plus my 'N' key came off and I can't get it back on b/c I broke something on the keycap).  Given that it was a cheap placeholder keyboard anyway, I'm looking to upgrade.

I am not remotely interested in any rubber-dome style keyboards.  I have quite enjoyed the scissor-switch as a cheap-alternative (and this is one of the best scissor-switch keyboards I've used that wasn't part of a Thinkpad), but I'd like to get a mechanical I think.  If I can't find one that I want then perhaps I'll just pick up another scissor-switch for under $15.

My problem is that while I've read up on mechanical keyboards I haven't gotten to type on any in a long time.  I think we used to have Model-M ones at school, but that's been a while.  My biggest problem is that there is no where I can find within even 150 miles to test out any of the thrice-danged mechanical keyboards I'd like to try (I had hoped to be able to test out the different kinds of switches and see what I preferred then purchase something online).  I don't know the difference in feel of the different kinds of switches though -- I wish I did.

Since I can't find anywhere that sells these things so I can test them out, and my friends don't tend to own nice keyboards, I am loathe to spend a lot of money on a keyboard when I'm not sure of what kind I really want.  Are there any reasonably cheap Mechanical keyboard options out there?  If I felt like I got a really good price and I'm not happy with whatever I pick I won't feel like I spent way too much on it at least.

I neither need nor want a lot of fancy stuff (lighting, pictures, etc.) on it, so don't worry about that.  Just something pleasing to type on with perhaps a few media keys or something added in.

Sorry for the long-ish post.

[reaper]

I was gonna say welcome to Geekhack but then saw you've been here since February. lol  Don't post much do we. =P  Anyway, what's your location so perhaps we can point out the closest place to you to try (or buy) your new mech keyboard.  Oh and also how much is a lot of money to you?  I mean for some, $100 - $150 is acceptable but for others, this might be too expensive.  Let us know your budget so we can help you decide.

[CheddarTrek]

I'm in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  

Houston and Atlanta are both about 6 hours away, and I am likely to be visiting both sometime in the next 6 months, so if nothing else I could probably find somewhere in those cities to test out keyboards.  I'd rather not count on that though, since I'm not sure I'll be going or when.

Thanks for the welcome -- yeah, I joined in February when I built my Desktop (my *first* desktop) and read a lot of posts.  I ran low on money so bought a cheap keyboard instead of a nice one, but now I'm back to remedy that.  

Edit:  I'd be willing to spend $100 for something I was fairly confident of being close to what I wanted (I.e. if I got to test it, or if it was praised everywhere for being the best mechanical keyboard, etc.).  Otherwise probably looking at $40-50 for something I'm less sure of.

[bienc]

Do you have a Best Buy in your area? They MIGHT have a Razer Black Widow Ultimate that you can try out. It has a cutout for the arrow keys so you can get a feel (and hear the sound) for the MX Blues. If you can't stand the click, Browns are your best bet. They are light, have a tactile bump that is subtle (too subtle for some) and do not have a click.

There's not a lot (read: none) that are in the 40-50 range as far as I know, but I'm still a noob so maybe some of the other people here can prove me wrong. If you want a mechanical keyboard, you'll have to drop at least $80. The nice thing with a mechanical board though is that they do not lose value very much, if at all. You buy a $100 board, you can sell it (especially around here) no problem for $80-90 in most cases.

[CheddarTrek]

There is a Best Buy but last time I went by they didn't have any Mechanicals.  

Glad to know that I could probably resell here at a good price though, thanks.

[CheddarTrek]

Just found out I'm going on a trip to Tennessee in a week or two.  What are some stores other than Microcenters that are supposed to have a selection of this stuff?  I can see if I'll be driving past one.

[bhtooefr]

Here's the other thing... good mechanicals tend to be easy to resell.

Best Buy is your best bet for finding a BW in person, other than Micro Center.

[bienc]

I don't know of any other commercially available keyboards than the Razer Black Widow. If they have some crazy stock, you might be able to try a Corsair keyboard with MX Reds. Other than Microcenters (lucky you! I want to live near one for computer parts =P), Best Buy or electronics stores that carry computer parts may have Black Widows or Corsairs. Anything else I've seen has to be ordered online.

[CheddarTrek]

Okay -- thanks guys!

Sounds like I'll have to schedule a visit to Microcenter next time I'm in Houston or Atlanta, and in the meantime I'll try Best Buys to see if they have these things in stock (the local one doesn't).

Otherwise I'll probably try to buy something used -- maybe a Brown since someone suggested that, though I hope it won't be too mushy.

Awesome forum dudes

[digichaos]

If you enjoy scissor switch keyboards, I would highly suggest the Logitech Illuminated keyboard. They are very comfortable and are fairly inexpensive. You can find deals on them everywhere.