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Author Topic: Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on  (Read 10143 times)

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Offline Lethal Squirrel

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:08:03 »
My friend'm mom who works at an office, just gave me a pretty generic looking rubber dome keyboard that they were going to throw out at her work. At first I was like "oh thanks :ohwell:" But when I took it home and tried it I was very surprised. the thing feels awesome! the keys feel pretty much exactly like dampened browns, and the keys sound just like topre keys. I really really like this keyboard. I'm quite enjoying typing on it. Just thought I'd share my little experience.

The keyboard  is a Compaq sdm4540ul

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 28965[/ATTACH]

*DISCLAIMER*
This is the only rubber dome keyboard I somewhat like.
I still %100 prefer typing on mechanical keyboards.
I was just surprised is all :P
« Last Edit: Tue, 18 October 2011, 20:55:22 by Lethal Squirrel »
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Offline fohat.digs

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:16:10 »
Those are very good boards. I used to have a couple of them. Drivers are hard to come by for the extra keys, unfortunately.

I liked the SK-2800s even better.

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 28967[/ATTACH]
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"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline Lethal Squirrel

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:21:30 »
I still prefer mechanicals 100% :P
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Offline RColinTaylor

  • Posts: 1118
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:28:17 »
Well fine, if nobody is going to step in and do it...

HOW COULD YOU LIKE A RUBBER DOME?! THEY ARE GARBAGE! MECHANICALS ARE SO MUCH BETTER! Y ARE YOU SO STUPID?!

:D <3 Glad you found a good one; I had an old Compaq rubberdome when I was a kid that I adored.
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I like my Browns more than my Blues.

Offline StaCT13

  • Posts: 52
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:31:19 »
Quote from: ripster;434016
The LAST guy that posted how good his rubber dome was got called some pretty good names.

I actually felt bad for him..
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ErgoDox Classic Aluminium (MX Reds) | Leopold TKL Otaku (MX Browns) | Rosewill RK-9000 (MX Blues) | Dell AT101W (Alps Black)

Happily typing in Dvorak

Offline fohat.digs

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:36:44 »
I will buy an IBM KB-8923 at a yard sale or thrift store if it is under $2 to "upgrade" somebody I know from a truly garbage keyboard.

The Compaq SK-2800 compares favorably, until I lost my attraction for the "extra" keys (they feel good, however, size and texture) and the excess size associated with them.

So far, I have not given away any mechanicals outside of family members because I am too cheap, and because I can usually sell them on ebay.
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"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline SmallFry

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:42:31 »
Im glad it feels good, but why does it have to be so ugly?
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Offline kingqway

  • Posts: 46
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:44:09 »
Quote from: ripster;434027
Yeah, believe it or not I am pretty polite to people under 10 posts.

It's the Senior Members that all hate me.  They keep emailing iMav to shut down my subforum.

Ripster, you are a unique mystery to me, who is new to this forum. I have no idea if they are "inside-joking" or serious. I just know that wiki of yours helped me tremendously. Still reading from it day-by-day :D

Anyways,

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 28974[/ATTACH]

Some of the libraries at my university use this keyboard and its not bad, surprisingly. I can't say I would use it over a mechanical keyboard, but its not as appalling as some of the dells at the other libraries.
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Das Professional Silent || White Filco TKL MX Blue || Leopold FC500R MX Brown

Offline pitashen

  • Posts: 1200
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 19:56:27 »
Quote from: ripster;434027
Yeah, believe it or not I am pretty polite to people under 10 posts.

It's the Senior Members that all hate me.  They keep emailing iMav to shut down my subforum.

kingqway, at first, you might find Ripster's "jokes/sarcasms" funny. Eventually you'll start to realize sometimes he's just threadcrapping and off-railing the topics (from my personal observations). After that, hating him or liking him will be your choice.
« Last Edit: Tue, 18 October 2011, 20:03:43 by pitashen »
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\\\\ DSI Mac Modular Keyboard (Brown) w/ Leo  Blank Keycaps //
\\\\ Leopold 87keys Keyboard (Brown) w/ Black CherryCorp + SP DoubleShots //
\\\\ Filco Majestouch 2 NINJA (Black) w/ White CherryCorp + SP DoublsShots //

Offline ishtob

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 20:06:14 »
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 28976[/ATTACH]

my favorite rubber dome, especially useful the few days after thanksgiving.
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Offline StaCT13

  • Posts: 52
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 20:19:04 »
Quote from: ishtob;434055
(Attachment Link) 28976[/ATTACH]

my favorite rubber dome, especially useful the few days after thanksgiving.

^ This just made my day.
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ErgoDox Classic Aluminium (MX Reds) | Leopold TKL Otaku (MX Browns) | Rosewill RK-9000 (MX Blues) | Dell AT101W (Alps Black)

Happily typing in Dvorak

Offline fohat.digs

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 18 October 2011, 20:33:37 »
Hey Ripster, load up some nickels on that thing and figure out the activation force.

Also, where is the tactile point, vs bottoming out?
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"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline Tycn

  • Posts: 20
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #12 on: Sat, 10 March 2012, 16:42:38 »
I thought people bought good rubber domes to emulate Topres, not the other way around...
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Offline fohat.digs

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Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #13 on: Sat, 10 March 2012, 19:04:06 »
I thought people bought rubber dome keyboards to replace the ones they got free with their computer systems, which eventually died.

Some rubber domes are better than others, and early Compaqs are some of the best.

$1-$2-$3 values at yard sales can be OK, but with shipping at about $10 minimum, I would not order one!
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"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline oldCrow

  • Posts: 12
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #14 on: Sun, 11 March 2012, 07:13:27 »
As far as rubber domes go, I think Compaq made some pretty good boards. I picked up a new-in-box one at an electronics recycling place a few years ago - when the guy showed it to me I said no, don't really need a keyboard - then I tapped on a few keys and it was solid, not mushy, has a pleasant sound to it, just felt great. Sold! It was $15, I think.  After a couple days though, my wife said it was way too loud, so I stopped using it and eventually donated it to the swap shop.
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Offline Tony

  • Posts: 1189
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #15 on: Sun, 11 March 2012, 07:16:47 »
I use Keytronic keyboards before buying first mech keyboard and they are very good to type on, though mushy.
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Layout: Colemak experience, speed of 67wpm

Offline Ursadon-n-Pals

  • Posts: 7
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #16 on: Sun, 11 March 2012, 15:14:52 »
Nice!
I also think the qsenn is a rubber dome keyboard that feels a lot like a mechanical keyboard. Of course it doesn't have the same great feeling of a mechanical sqitch, it comes quite close. A lot of Korean Brood War players swore by this keyboard

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=qsenn&_sacat=See-All-Categories
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Offline mr626

  • Posts: 214
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #17 on: Sun, 11 March 2012, 22:22:24 »
My Dell QuietKey is quite nice to use. Although the name is pretty ironic given that it is one of the louder rubber dome boards I've used.
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Offline suprsmo

  • Posts: 232
  • Sydney, Australia
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #18 on: Mon, 12 March 2012, 02:40:19 »
Quote from: ripster;542193
I don't think this keyboard will EVER get you laid.

Compaq SDM4540UL
(Attachment Link) 43535[/ATTACH]

Anybody check if it has individual domes like mine?

OOOOooo- Topre clones!
(Attachment Link) 43536[/ATTACH] (Attachment Link) 43537[/ATTACH]

I used to own one of those bad boys, the 2nd compaq pic.. it ruled! Now I know why..

I swear I asked about these in another thread when I first joined..

Does that bottom Compaq have an Orange PS2 Adapter? If so, which model is it? Because I most definitely owned one of those.. Infact still have it somewhere.. mmmmm
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Offline nar

  • Posts: 254
  • Location: Tokyo
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #19 on: Mon, 12 March 2012, 05:11:37 »
The engineering department in my university has Keytronic keyboards in almost every lab. One of the only rubber domes I can stand after getting used to Topres.
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Keyboards: Topre HE0100 | REALFORCE 103UB & 104UB-DK | FILCO Majestouch 2 Ai Cherry MX Blue | CHERRY G84-4101SPAUS

Offline shogrran

  • Posts: 264
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #20 on: Wed, 14 March 2012, 05:24:39 »
Quote from: ishtob;434055
(Attachment Link) 28976[/ATTACH]

my favorite rubber dome, especially useful the few days after thanksgiving.


Gee.... how many nickels for this to actuate?
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Offline Pylon

  • Posts: 852
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #21 on: Wed, 14 March 2012, 17:05:21 »
I had that keyboard about a year ago (got it for free). It was pretty decent, though the arrow keys were pretty bad IMO (and mushy), and it did have a few bugs (can't recall which ones specifically). I gave it away to Goodwill since I was forced to clear out some stuff.

It did have individual domes. However, the arrow key domes were different from the other ones and mushier.
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Offline pitashen

  • Posts: 1200
Best Rubber Dome I've Ever Typed on
« Reply #22 on: Wed, 14 March 2012, 17:09:28 »
lol, this thread reminds me that OP took my 15 bucks and never sent me the keycaps he promised. I will kindly consider it as a charitable donation for his college fund. Let me add that to my next tax return filing.
« Last Edit: Wed, 14 March 2012, 18:54:17 by pitashen »
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\\\\ DSI Mac Modular Keyboard (Brown) w/ Leo  Blank Keycaps //
\\\\ Leopold 87keys Keyboard (Brown) w/ Black CherryCorp + SP DoubleShots //
\\\\ Filco Majestouch 2 NINJA (Black) w/ White CherryCorp + SP DoublsShots //
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