[UPDATE: bought and received !] Thinking about buying a mechanical keyboard...

[British]

Hello there !

I got to know this forum when browsing on overclock.net, and the whole mechanical affair quickly started to grow up on me.

So I'm kinda checking the market for what might suit me, taking into account that I'm nowhere near being in a hurry to make such a purchase (and this is *not* a money-related "issue").

Being french (sorry !), I've narrowed down my search to keyboard with a small left-ship key, because I'm sooo used to that pinky key.
It seems like keyboards with such a key are either french (amazing, isn't it ?) or english (read: from UK)... please note I didn't look for other countries which may have funky characters.

I use my [home] keyboard 98% for gaming, including FPS, so I thought MX Black would be in order.

So at the moment I'm torn between:

• G80-3000 (because you know... it's french and all)
  
• Filco Majestouch Linear

The problem with the Cherry, if I understood correctly, is that NKRO is limited to 2.
And the problem with the Filco is that the layout is english, thus I'll need to reorder the keys, which is pain (yes, I'm not *that* good at remembering all the keys, even after decades of practice).

Sooo, what do you guys think (advises are welcome of course) ?

[UPDATE] See here.

[washuai]

Money's really not an issue, then just get both and sell the one that doesn't do it for you or use it to convert others.  Odds are good you probably will just want to keep it, anyways.  You can always put the cherry keys on the filco.

As a gamer, while there are plenty of games that don't require NKRO, it is hard to advice against it unless FPS is your least played game genre.

What keyboard do you currently use?  Is it lacking NKRO?  Is that causing you problems in games?

Personally, I'd say get the blank Otaku.  You'd be surprised how much you already know and how quickly you really learn the keys, when you have a blank board.  You can crutch through with your current board and/or a printed legend, but that will only slow down the learning.  You'll be faster and more confident typist, in the end.

[zeph]

Argh, board ate my post.

Do you "hover"? That is, do you hold keys down halfway so that they can activated quicker when you need them to be?

If you do then MX Blacks are probably a good idea. I've tried them out on a Steelseries 7G and if I was still playing lots of FPSs those would definitely be the keys I'd want on my gaming keyboard.

If you don't then you can easily get away with Blues/Browns. I play mostly RTSs these days and my Das Keyboard with Blues has been absolutely fine for Starcraft 2 and Heroes of Newerth.

As far as other Black keyboards go there's the aforementioned Steelseries 7G and there's also a Gigabyte gaming keyboard with them. I'm not sure if there's anything with a native french layout though.

[itlnstln]

Being french (sorry !)

Wait, I'm confused.  Are you French, or are you British?

[Mental Hobbit]

Steelseries 7G is a good idea. Cherry MX black, full NKRO, excellent build quality, and it's available in French layout.

Btw, in case you decide to customise some MX based board, I have white French keycap sets for sale.

[British]

Money's really not an issue, then just get both and sell the one that doesn't do it for you or use it to convert others.  Odds are good you probably will just want to keep it, anyways.  You can always put the cherry keys on the filco.

What I meant was that money is not the reason while I'm not in a hurry to buy a new keyboard.

What keyboard do you currently use?  Is it lacking NKRO?  Is that causing you problems in games?

I've been using DELL Quietkeys for like 10 years, and though there are some games that are a bit troublesome (like those FPS where you have to crouch, lean, zoom and whatnot), the whole matter is more about trying a new feel.

Personally, I'd say get the blank Otaku.  You'd be surprised how much you already know and how quickly you really learn the keys, when you have a blank board.  You can crutch through with your current board and/or a printed legend, but that will only slow down the learning.  You'll be faster and more confident typist, in the end.

I knew people would bring that up, and that's why I put the "disclaimer" in my penultimate paragraph.
But still you insist so I'll answer :
I can do some "streaks" while not looking at the keyboard, but at some point I'll just mess it up and have to make a quick glance at the board to reorder myself... or I just hit and miss until I got it right, but it's a bit counter-productive.
So yes, I'd rather have the regular characters.

Do you "hover"? That is, do you hold keys down halfway so that they can activated quicker when you need them to be?

To be honest, I have no idea.
Given the keyboards I use, I guess it's safe to say I never had the technical capability of trying that.

As far as other Black keyboards go there's the aforementioned Steelseries 7G and there's also a Gigabyte gaming keyboard with them. I'm not sure if there's anything with a native french layout though.

Steelseries 7G is a good idea. Cherry MX black, full NKRO, excellent build quality, and it's available in French layout.

Steelseries 7G is indeed available in french, but that prominent wrist rest thingie is so huge I won't be able to cope with it (and it doesn't seem to be removable).

Btw, in case you decide to customise some MX based board, I have white French keycap sets for sale.

Thanks, but I'll first have to make up my mind about *any* keyboard, and then it will have to be the "right" time, so you keycaps might have died of old age by then :wink:

Wait, I'm confused. Are you French, or are you British?

The caps, you are doing it wrong ! :biggrin1:
I'm British and I'm french, so I'm not british :dance:

[British]

Steelseries 7G is indeed available in french, but that prominent wrist rest thingie is so huge I won't be able to cope with it (and it doesn't seem to be removable).

Or is it... ?
Some pictures on Steelseries' website made me wonder.

[zeph]

Or is it... ?
Some pictures on Steelseries' website made me wonder.

Yes, it's absolutely optional. It can easily be removed and without it the keyboard is just a normal rectangular shape; very similar to the Filcos.

[British]

Hmmm thanks for the details, it may then be an interesting (and lazy, so to speak) choice.

Unless some people have a bad experience with the 7G... ?

[Mental Hobbit]

I have a 7G and think it's an excellent board. Very similar to Filcos, but actually quite a bit heavier - which is a good thing. Haven't heard anything bad about them either. Without the wrist rest it's the same size as a Filco.

[Infinite north]

Wow I just now noticed that the wrist rest on the 7g is removable. It looks like it must take up a lot of space in your closet.

[Arc'xer]

Hmmm thanks for the details, it may then be an interesting (and lazy, so to speak) choice.

Unless some people have a bad experience with the 7G... ?

7G wrest is removable it's actually a big piece of plastic that is kinda cheap by some who've used it, it's not solid doesn't have much heft. There is the 6Gv2 which is a bit cheaper at around 80 euro.

I'm unsure if the 6gv2 has different layout, 7G has two different layout for territories; Euro(SWE)(backslash is next to the left shift(reduced size)) and US(modified SWE)(backslash is next to the backspace(reduced size)and shift normal size).

The only negatives I've read of is a few people *****ing and moaning about how the switches are too heavy to type on or they feel weird and stiff. Many people incorrectly name the mx black as stiff they aren't stiff more like resistive like a spring, it's why they are so sensitive despite what people describe, it could be me.

But most of these people are just complaining that they spent 100+ on a keyboard and most of the ones who've complained are just ignorant computer users with absolutely no research on anything. They don't even know it's a mechanical keyboard or people who think it's a rip and must complain on it just to drum up hate.

There have been some legitimate quality control issues with them. I know some people have said the key caps pop off easily. And a few issues with here and there but seems like most who have it are happy it.

[British]

For what I can remember, the 6Gv2 is a crappy regular keyboard (aka not mechanical), so not worth the money.

I will probably go for the G7, and if I find myself complaining about it, so be it !
This will be some twisted version of an enlightenment path.

[Otterclock]

For what I can remember, the 6Gv2 is a crappy regular keyboard (aka not mechanical), so not worth the money.

I will probably go for the G7, and if I find myself complaining about it, so be it !
This will be some twisted version of an enlightenment path.

I'm fairly certain that the 6G is mechanical. I think it's just a 7G without the handrest or AV and USB ports.

[Arc'xer]

For what I can remember, the 6Gv2 is a crappy regular keyboard (aka not mechanical), so not worth the money.

I will probably go for the G7, and if I find myself complaining about it, so be it !
This will be some twisted version of an enlightenment path.

No all the SS G-type keyboards used mx black. I believe you might be mistaking the 6Gv1 with it's 3-4-KRO, which was a negative.

There's also Keyboardco with UK style layout http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=647. Though it doesn't have the AZERTY layout just QWERTY with small shift/backslash and upside-down L enter.

[Mental Hobbit]

I'm unsure if the 6gv2 has different layout

As far as I know, the 6gv2 has a double size (=normal) backspace key, which would be a big advantage. From what I've read, the only other difference to the 7G is the lack of headphone/microphone sockets. If it's available in French layout, it would probably be a much better deal. I've never seen a 6gv2 myself though.

[Otterclock]

http://www.guru3d.com/news/steelseries-6gv2-gaming-keyboard/

[washuai]

The only negatives I've read of is a few people *****ing and moaning about how the switches are too heavy to type on or they feel weird and stiff. Many people incorrectly name the mx black as stiff they aren't stiff more like resistive like a spring, it's why they are so sensitive despite what people describe, it could be me.

It is for these complaints that there are cherry reds.  Admittedly they are much harder to come by.  I'd probably have a board with reds for gaming, supposing I ever found the browns, PS3 controller or speed pad insufficient, or just had extra cash, but I have different needs.  I'm probably gonna end up with clears first, because I like completely unnecessary glowing in a keyboard.

I had forgotten you can remove the 7G wrist rest and that it's cheap plastic (#@!.  

It sounds like so far, the 7G has the best combination of layout, NKRO & blacks to meet your needs.  It also has USB hubs, if that makes a difference.

I know you were indicating you had no intention of going blank, but I thought it was worth a shot.  I didn't think I would ever give up my non letter keys, either.  Only way to finally do it, was cold turkey and it sucks for a few weeks. Of course different boards require different layouts.  I know a few hunt and peckers than can type every bit as fast, and somewhat faster, than the average touch typist, too.

[British]

No worries, washuai :smile:

Now I'm a bit reluctant about the 7G because of that tiny backspace key.
And I'm also reluctant about the 6Gv2 because there's no real review or deconstruction out there.

Regarding USB hub on the 7G, it was never my plan to use a keyboard on USB (and I have a Roccat Apuri anyway) :wink:

[British]

Here comes the update...

I think I found a potential black switch on eBay: G80-3499LPCBE-0.
Looking at the wiki, it should be black switches and the layout is perfect for me.
Though that bastard takes 15€ to send to France from Germany :doh:
Seems like a good enough introduction to the mechanical world, and I'm very close to pulling the trigger.

Now though, I've also been doing some research on browns, to broaden my experience, so to speak.
Problem is, they don't seem easy to come by in a layout I could use (thus european, 104 or 105 keys), besides the LXCEU itlnstln has, which is a corean product, if I'm not mistaken.
The only other one I can see is the Filco Majestouch FKBN105M/UKB, which is not be available before july... my natural pessimism would add "at best".

Anyone here that could have experience on browns availability with those layouts ?
Oh, and what about reds ?

[itlnstln]

The LXCEU I have is a US, ANSI layout with an extra Euro symbol on the 5 key.  Cherry calls this the "EU" layout (hence the EU in the name), but for all intents and purposes, it's a US layout.

[British]

Ah damn, my bad, missed that.

So well, even less browns to choose from...

[British]

Anyone able to share his/her knowledge on browns/reds for the old continent ?

[Mental Hobbit]

To my knowledge, there is no keyboard with browns or reds in ISO, much less French layout.

[British]

Well, I'm not after a french layout specifically, but rather european ones.
UK, FR, BE, DE... anything with short left shift and one more left pinky key (and thus if I got it right, that always implies a reverse L-enter).
I think they're all 105-keys, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

It's been discussed a bit in this thread, and it's a bit disheartening :sad:

[British]

OK, so said trigger was pulled last week, and I received the piece yesterday.

Here goes a partial shot...
Please try not to drool over the very famous KeySonic ACK-3700C lying on the left.


Also, if we were on some forum I'm not gonna name, I'm sure I would get a cute "How do you press ESC ?" comment...

Here's the answer !


The key was professionally ripped off with my very own Key Puller of Awesomeness™


Not much to say about the switch... first time I use a mechanical keyboard, so I guess I'll have to get used to it one way or the other.
And I don't type much at home, to boot.
I still would like to try browns though :sad:

[Henry]

To my knowledge, there is no keyboard with browns or reds in ISO, much less French layout.

Isn't the G80-3000 LQCDE widely available in Germany?

[Mental Hobbit]

it is, but Q stands for clears, not browns.

[British]

Looks like this thread makes people flee, so I will probably put my concerns about browns (and reds) in a brand new thread... someday :pout:

[lmnop]

steelseries 6gv2 sample was already reviewed by Asians.








not much to say. looks like it has a finish on it. no resistor or led changes but they did put condoms on top of the led to dim them.

[lmnop]

steelseries 6gv2 sample was already reviewed by Asians over a month ago at least.








not much to say. looks like it has a new finish. no resistor or led changes but they did put condoms on top of the led to dim them.

[lmnop]

ribbed for her pleasure.

[apachi1]

steelseries 7g has got an ps2 adapter

[Henry]

it is, but Q stands for clears, not browns.

My bad. I had been confused by previous threads about those G80-3000 LQC** keyboards. Next time I'll trust the wiki. :smile: