Some help when considering the first mechanical KB

[Tristate]

Hi.

First off, i gotta say that im sure there's 500 other threads like this but i still wanna ask the questions.

Im pretty new to the whole mechnical keyboard thing, but ever since i tried a Qpad Mk 85 with Red switches i really liked the feeling.
At first i was pretty sceptical, because the keys felt so different, but ofc they do since adapting to keyboards takes some time.

I came from a Logitech Illuminated which is a low profile keyboard, and i always liked the low profile ones because the rubber dome with higher keys always felt so mushy. But actually Logitech's so called "perfect stroke" system makes difference, it feels much nicer to type on than regular rubber dome ****.
I've tried Red, Black, and Blue switches. I find red pretty good, although i would like a pretty pronounced tactile feedback, but the blues are just too loud. The Blacks are way too stiff for me so thats why i am thinking about browns.

So my question comes down to - is MX Brown the switch that is closest to the feel of a rubber dome keyboard (of the black,blue,red and brown) ?
Some people say that brown is almost linear and some people say that they have a very noticable bump, i guess that depends on how you press the keys down. But will i still tell a big difference between Reds and Browns ?
Unfortunately there's no place here where i live where i can try out browns, so i just have to ask people, EVEN although that doesnt let me know to a 100 %.

I'll use it for typing, gaming and actually all sorts of stuff.
I would really appreciate some help.

[jellowiggler]

If you like the blues the best, but don't like the tick, the browns are the key for you.

I tried blues, reds and blacks. I settled on reds, which is just a lighter black. The blacks hurt my arms after a while. Then I ordered another keyboard for work that has browns in it. (just like a blue, but without the audible feedback)

[iBro]

Although I feel that jellowwiggler is being sincere, his advice has some flaws in it.

A brown switch is not just like a blue switch but without the click. A blue switch takes more force to actuate, thus causing the bump to be far more noticeable than in the browns. Blues switches also reset at a different point than they actuate. All exact differences between the two switches can be found here .

So now that you understand that brown switches are not cloned blues without the click, we can explore the debate around brown switches. Some people, like myself, believe that the tactile bump in the brown switches is barely noticeable and virtually useless in acknowledging whether or not the key actuated during fast typing. Others swear by this bump and believe that it helps them very much during the typing process. It seems to be a personal preference.

The blue switch tends to be the most liked out of all the cherry switches. But I'll have to admit I've only tried blue and brown switches so can't speak to red, black, or clears. But I am very interested in trying out the reds since I don't see much value in the tactile bump of the browns.

[jellowiggler]

Sorry, was just trying to keep it simple.

Everything is detailed in the wiki with the force graphs.

[Tristate]

Okay guys, thanks for your help!
Im gonna try to look up a store or maybe find someone who's using an MX brown KB so i can try it out. But like iBro, i've heard that the bump in the browns are just not really that pronounced when you're typing pretty heavy and bottoming out.
If i cant find it, i will go with the reds and buy a Mk-85 Pro because it feels great and looks really awesome!

[pitashen]

why do you want to look for a mechanical keyboard that feels like a rubber dome?

My hones recommendation to that would be "keep your rubber dome." lol

Mean joke aside, brown is usually a pretty safe choice for mech board newb. Borwn is a very balanced switch thats good for both typing and gaming.