a little help

[artus]

I have decided to take the plunge and buy my first mechanical keyboard it comes from using a compaq one a good few years ago and having fond memories of using it,  this forum has really helped broaden my knowlege on all things mechanical but would like some input on what I might buy.

Currently using a steelseries Merc Stealth but bought a Razer Nostromo to play my MMO's with  so want a keyboard thats going to last a while, look nice and a pleasure to type on.

The three I have been looking at are the Raptor K1 but it seems its only available in french or Germsn layout , HHKB Pro2 and the Filco Majestouch, Tenkeyless.  The last choice then brings the question of what switches I am thinking either blues or browns but not having tried either a bit nervous.  So any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[keyb_gr]

Location? Layout requirements? Budget?

[artus]

sorry Location is the UK, layout UK if at all possible and budget £100 to £120ish

[bugfix]

http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=804

I'd go with the Filco. Or if you're more into typing than gaming, a Topre or Unicomp.

[theferenc]

Can you even get a HHKB2 for that price? Given that the realforces for for about £160, I would expect the HHKB to be a bit higher.

Also, I really don't think it would be a good choice for an MMO player, simply due to the small number of keys present, as well as the layout differences from a "normal" keyboard. Especially since I don't think it even exists in other layouts, does it? It's a Sun Type 5 layout, which admittedly did have euro variants, but I've never seen a HHKB with anything other than the US variant.

Don't get me wrong, I have one and love it, but I'm a coder, not a gamer, so different requirements in a keyboard.

Personally, I would go with bugfix's suggestion, which is a brown filco. I personally don't like them, but people here love Cherry switches, browns especially, so it's a good starting point for most people, I would think.

Also, the Unicomp is only 2KRO, which for my purposes is more than sufficient, but may not be for you. It's also quite loud. I love it, but others don't like the noise. They are also kinda pricey to ship to the UK.

You might want to ask around, there might be other geekhackers in your area that might allow you to try the different switch types before you make a decision.