I am very glad to be able to make this post. Since this journey began, I have been able to test many keyboards that interested me from years past. I mainly stuck to the Cherry MX line of switches, and was able to test the Blue, Black, Clear and Brown switches over the past few months. I never did get to test a Topre, but maybe its better that I don't need to. Considering I bought each of the boards I was interested in, that would have been an expensive trial.
Since my last update, I tested the Deck Legend Frost in MX Clear, the Kinesis Advantage in MX Brown, and the Leopold Otaku in MX Brown. While the Deck's MX White was ok, it just didn't have the balance and speed that I was looking for. The Kinesis Advantage was truly a kb of a different color. The ergonomic style did take some getting used to, and ultimately I decided I didn't like the keyboard. All was not lost on that design however, as I learned something very useful. I *loved* the MX Brown switch! So much so that the only thing I could think of was A) Could I get the brown in a tenkeyless design? and B) Could I find a keyboard with an all black design?
So what becomes of a search for a MX Brown, Tenkeyless, and preferably all-black design? Hell of a question, with even better timing, as I looked up the Elitekeyboards website. The Leopold had a release date and better yet, they were taking pre-orders. Hell yes! I immediately put in my pre-order and a few weeks later a Leopold Otaku showed up at my door.
So looking back at my original post, I was looking for:
The things I was after was, in this order:
- mechanical switches or buckling springs
- all black (dark grey would have been ok)
- blank keycaps (i'm a touch typist, who plans to learn Colemak and keep Qwerty skills)
- It was very subtle design with no really bright lights.
- Hearkening back to the M, I thought I wanted audible and tactile feedback. More on this in a bit.
Check, Check, Check, Check, Check.
I can say that as both a gamer and a typist, I absolutely
LOVE this keyboard. It is extremely quick, very elegant, and carries a large quantity of quality that I am able to enjoy with every keystroke. The sound the thing makes is fantastic and whether I bottom out the keys or not, it feels great.
To anyone searching for a keyboard the truly nails the areas of typing speed, typing efficiency, quality construction, and gaming ability, then look no further than this keyboard. This thing is an absolute dream.
Thank you GH, thank you EK. I would not have found it without your help.
I like to end my articles with a sense of irony, so here's a couple bullet points to that order. The Leopold Otaku ended up being the last keyboard I would test, and had the added benefit of being the least expensive keyboard of all of them. Also, the Deck Legend that I fell in and out of love with ended up being my wife's keyboard. She absolutely loves it.