Cherry Browns, backlit, uk layout. Having a laugh?

[Broosta]

I currently have a 5 yr old ZBoard with a shift key that needs to be pressed really hard to register so I decided to look for a new keyboard and being the geek I am and needing to reserch EVERYTHING before buying it wasn't long before I found you guys!

I only game now and then and mainly FPS, otherwise just normal keyboard use, not an essay writer or anything.

My requirements are:-

 - illuminated keys
 - cherry browns
 - full size
 - uk layout

I'm open to all sorts of ideas but so far the above is what I think I need. My room is pretty dark and annoyingly I think a backlit keyboard is a major requirement although it limits choices massively.

Cherry browns because I don't have specific requirement in keys and it seems like the obvious all round choice.

Full size as I figure its normal and I don't need anything abnormal and I don't see I would gain anything by going tenkeyless, space not an issue.

Uk layout as I'm from uk in uk. Supose its not essential but...

Seems to be a real shortage of mech boards here in uk, let alone backlit mech baords, and then there's the cherry browns!

Blackwidows are all out of stock here or I would probably have just got one anyway, seriously not a single shop has them in.

Keep thinking about getting a MS Sidewinder X6/X4 just to have a new keyboard but now I'm aware of mech boards exist I need one.

Decks look nice but not cherry brown and difficult to get hold of and gonna be expensive to ship or return if faulty.

Xarmour - not available here and so expensive to ship or return.

I'm all out of ideas now, but guess I'm gonna be about here for a while now, so hi!

P.s. Dt770 Pro 80 ohm user!

[keyboardlover]

Welcome to GeekHack! I'm a bit out of ideas too. Since you game FPS, you'll want a board with 6-kro and I don't know of one that meets your characteristics (mainly because of the backlit keys). Good luck!

[.XL]

P.s. Dt770 Pro 80 ohm user!

Someone's been lurking in the headphone thread...

You list a lot of things that will make it tough to find the right keyboard for you.

You want brown, yet you state you want a Blackwidow, so may I assume you're okay with any tactile key? If so, grab a Deck with clears. I've rarely heard a bad thing about Deck, seems you're in good hands if you get one.

If that's too expensive, and you want the backlighting and 6kro, go with Xarmor. The U9BL-S was just released on Amazon with cherry browns.

Your other option is the Black Widow, but I think for the prices they charge for a Black Widow over there you might be better off going with a Deck (Black Widows are ~$150USD in Europe, right?).

Finding anything with UK layout will be hard. I don't know off the top of my head any retailers that make mech kbs with UK layout and Cherry Brows + backlighting. But I still say grab the Deck, seeing as no matter which of the keyboards you buy you'll have to pay a premium you might as well throw a few extra dollars/pounds on there to make sure it's top-notch.

[Broosta]

Hey thanks for the welcomes!

Yeah I did have brief look at the headphone thread, and I used to go on Head-Fi quite a bit but I spend too much time online as it is so need to keep focussed on keyboards!

I wasn't really after a blackwidow when I found out they were cherry blues but beggars can't be choosers and all that.

FYI UK prices:

Blackwidow Ultimate = $200
Logitech G19 = $211
Blackwidow non ultimate = $120
Filco Majestouch full size = $185
Filco Majestouch tenkeyless = $175
Zowie Celeritas = $170
Topre Realforce full size = $312
Das Keyboard = $166
Microsoft SideWinder X4 = $55
Microsoft SideWinder X6 = $65
SteelSeries 7G = $177

Suppose since thats bassically all I can get here, I should go for a Filco and forget the backlighting. Dunno, still thinking and hoping something new becomes available here.

[keyb_gr]

Suppose since thats bassically all I can get here, I should go for a Filco and forget the backlighting.

Pretty much so, yes. (At least those are also available with NKRO.)

Assuming you have at least some ambient lighting, a set of light grey or beige Cherry G80 keycaps or ideally some of their beige doubleshot predecessors should get readability sorted, too.
If it doesn't, you've got a good reason to do something about the lighting situation. FWIW, I have a 23 W 6500K Philips CFL in a floor lamp as ambient lighting about 4' from the keyboard (high-contrast lettering only), and still feel I could use a second light source for it. OK, I do need more light and see less in general.

[arc2]

Hey thanks for the welcomes!

Yeah I did have brief look at the headphone thread, and I used to go on Head-Fi quite a bit but I spend too much time online as it is so need to keep focussed on keyboards!

I wasn't really after a blackwidow when I found out they were cherry blues but beggars can't be choosers and all that.

FYI UK prices:

Blackwidow Ultimate = $200
Logitech G19 = $211
Blackwidow non ultimate = $120
Filco Majestouch full size = $185
Filco Majestouch tenkeyless = $175
Zowie Celeritas = $170
Topre Realforce full size = $312
Das Keyboard = $166
Microsoft SideWinder X4 = $55
Microsoft SideWinder X6 = $65
SteelSeries 7G = $177

Suppose since thats bassically all I can get here, I should go for a Filco and forget the backlighting. Dunno, still thinking and hoping something new becomes available here.

That's what I did, as a gamer 6KRO was massively more important to me than backlighting when it came down to it.

[Broosta]

Ok I think I've come to what you may see as a crazy decision!
I'm going to get a MS Sidewinder x6!

Reason is since I need something now and what I really want does not yet exist I don't want to spend much money on something I may not like or keep.
Also I can take off the numberpad to see what all the tenkeyess thing is all about, and also I get to scratch that illumination itch I've got.

I've never even touched a mech keyboard before so I can handle the rubber dome keys, and at the end of the day i can get a mech keyboard later without having wasted too much money on this one.

[.XL]

Ok I think I've come to what you may see as a crazy decision!
I'm going to get a MS Sidewinder x6!

Reason is since I need something now and what I really want does not yet exist I don't want to spend much money on something I may not like or keep.
Also I can take off the numberpad to see what all the tenkeyess thing is all about, and also I get to scratch that illumination itch I've got.

I've never even touched a mech keyboard before so I can handle the rubber dome keys, and at the end of the day i can get a mech keyboard later without having wasted too much money on this one.

I think you'll regret it. You have the itch to try something new, just scratch it, or face buyers remorse and order a Filco in a month

I face the same dilemma, bought an Arctosa, and a couple weeks later I went to buy a Filco from Elitekeyboards but they were sold out. So I waited. And waited. And the waiting killed me, so I just bought the Filco tenkeyless of Armygroup, and I'm much happier now! It's worth every penny, I know you'll love it

[arc2]

Absolutely, I went from Lycosa (utter garbage) to sidwewinder X4 (6KRO via usb) to cherry browns (compaq mx11800) to cherry blues (Filco) to Cherry Blacks (Thermaltake) all in a couple of months lol.

The mechanical keyboards are vastly superior to any rubber dome.

[keyb_gr]

Ok I think I've come to what you may see as a crazy decision!
I'm going to get a MS Sidewinder x6!

Nooooo....! :O

These suckers are unreliable as all hell. Neat concept with the detachable numpad and all, but in use soon keys start failing. If you want to go cheap, get a G80-3000LSCGB (-2 for black or -0 for light grey).

[neverlast74]

@Broosta
Interesting journey - however I recommend you start with the best board you can get - not bottom up - I looked it up on http://www.keyboardco.com/ it seems they some UK version - did not check if they meet your requirements.

However, I started with a Original IBM model S (too loud) -> rubberdome IBM Rapid speed II (mediocre) -> cherry sissor switch (somewhat ok) -> g80 clear (too hard for me) -> zowie celeritas brown (perfect) and I now I really think I found what I need.
Pure by chance it is the first modern mechanical keyboard in my list - maybe this is not a coincidence ...

[Ekaros]

I don't regret buying my Filco with browns, even as it was freaking expensive, on other hand I never have seen the point of backlighting, for the little I need monitor provides. And some level of blind typing isn't too hard to aquire. Even if you keep making mistakes all the time...


From MS Internet keyboard the jump to Browns was huge. Next was IBM Model M which I use on my other computer. Nice, but I prefer browns then 6G(no v2) for testing blacks, didn't like it much but will save it for collecting purpouses.

Just beware next you are buying more boards(Clears and Blues when I find suitable priced one in ISO), keycaps (100€ for those) and then if things get bad Topres and Japanese stuff...

[Broosta]

Most of the reviews I've read say the x6 is better than the x4 if you don't need NKRO, which I don't, so thats why I went with the x6.

I'm kind of hoping I will get like many people have when they bought backlit keyboards - they say they never use the backlight any more. So then I can ignore that requirement and there will be a better selection out there for me!

So, all you guys who have had loads of keyboards, what happens to the old ones?
Do you still use them and keep changing them over?
Or do you sell them?
Or do you just have them in the back of a cupboard, never again to see the light of day?

[ch_123]

I would have gotten a Sidewinder X4.

The FIRST NKRO over USB keyboard.  AND it works with OSX (unlike the PLUM OEM keyboards - Noppoo and Ducky G2).

I thought NKRO is pointless?

[db_Iodine]

I thought NKRO is pointless?

Compared to 6kro, it certainly is. Just my opinion though, since some people with 26 fingers might disagree.

[keyboardlover]

Asian dance games require full NKRO.

What? Moogle plays them.

[Ekaros]

Compared to 6kro, it certainly is. Just my opinion though, since some people with 26 fingers might disagree.

What if I play some old-school game like molez, slick and slide and such with 3 of my friends?

Ofc, I do have multiple keyboards so this is bit moot point anyway...

[db_Iodine]

What if I play some old-school game like molez, slick and slide and such with 3 of my friends?

Ofc, I do have multiple keyboards so this is bit moot point anyway...

This made me lol seriously, because I started thinking me with two of my friends playing a game on one Noppoo.

[Ekaros]

This made me lol seriously, because I started thinking me with two of my friends playing a game on one Noppoo.

You see 105 key layout is superior atleast at one thing

[Culinia]

Regarding the reason why you want backlighting - leads me to believe you cannot touch type.
Therefore, my personal opinion if you can't touch type then you will not fully appreciate the mechanical keyboard - so what's the point of you getting one?

This is because when I got my first mechanical keyboard (Filco Majestouch MX Blue) I seriously considered sending it back because it did not have a serious effect on me. I was kind of disappointed with it and thought it was a waste of money.
However, I took this opportunity to learn to touch type (and even learnt a different layout) and enjoy typing more on my filco than any other (non-mechanical) board.

So in conclusion, if you can/want to learn touch typing - get a mechanical keyboard and learn it on there, you will appreciate it better and you will be more accustomed to the switch.

PS: no offence to people on these forums who can't touch type, these are my personal opinion and make sense at the time of writing towards giving advice to the thread starter. Thanks.

[Broosta]

Well I did learn to touch type in about 1989, and was never amazing at it but could do it, and since then I've had long periods of not needing to type much so now I sort half touch type and certainly need to look for the non letter keys.

I think even if that wasn't the case I'd like to try a mech keyboard anyway as I like to experience different things, especially different things that are said to be awesome. And I like having awesome stuff!:cool:

[Broosta]

Hi again!
Yeah so my Sidewinder X6 'o' key is becoming reluctant to help out, so I'm looking again for a new keyboard.
Not too upset with the Sidewinder though as it was about £45 lasted 2.5 yrs. And yes I do like the backlighting thing.

Actually a £40 kb lasting 2.5yrs doesn't seem that great when I think my last kb (Zboard) was £20 and lasted about 5yrs.
How long do mechs last?

Better selection for me now with the same criteria.
My short list is:

Ducky Shine 3 (£140)
Cooler Master CM Storm Quick Fire TK (£70).

I think I'll get the CM as it's cheaper (x2!) but just wanted to ask if there is any big problems with the CM? I mean I'm pretty sure the Ducky is better but I just want a nice solid kb which ticks all the boxes for me for as cheap a price as I can get, which seems to be the CM Storm QF TK.
Any opinions guys?

[Oobly]

The CM Quickfire TK will do the job just fine.

I would go for one with brown switches, since those are my favourite all-round switch, so just an opinion. They have some tactility so you know when the switch actuates and light springs. The reds are also light, but no tactile bump. Blues are clicky, the actuation and release point are different since they have a sliding piece inside, not so easy to double tap, but great for typing.

Compared to an X6 it's a major upgrade, although I still use my X6 now and then, too.... but only when I have to. I don't think you'll regret getting a mechanical board