I will try to keep this brief.
First off, I am a heavy typist and a light gamer-so that's the perspective you'll be getting.
Some of you know me, most of you probably don't.
When I first joined geekhack, my goal was to find "the perfect keyboard". That's easy, right? Little did I know... wow.
Needless to say, three years have passed since my foray into the growing world of modern mechanical keyboards; what a journey it's been!
After extensively testing hundreds of keyboards--both mechanical and rubberdome--through millions and millions of keystrokes, I have come to a few simple conclusions:
1. And this has to do with plate-mounted, Chinese made Cherry MX 'boards: performance-wise, Most all of these 'boards are imho created equal. Base your purchase decision on whatever you want, but don't expect a Filco with browns to perform any better than a Leopold model with browns and similar specs. It all comes down to personal taste (or if you're like me, you value customer service and favor merchants who are knowledgeable and responsive).
2. The IBM Buckling Spring is timeless, and the Model M2 could have been a world-beater.
3. Simplified ALPS (specifically fukka/xm/strongman clones) are leagues better than most complicated ALPS (save for the Apple/SGI 'boards with rubber dampers. Those were boss). Why? They're CRAZY tactile and actuate right at the top of the keystroke. Crisp.
4. Cherry MX BLACK is the best all-around switch. Blue comes in a close second. If you're unsure about what type of features you're looking for, go with the old standby: Black MX with NKRO. Don't be surprised when it doesn't "click"- your keyboard is a TOOL, and the Black MX switch is the best tool for the job.
5. Unicomp is working on a USB version of the classic M space saving keyboard. It will be out in a few months. Email them for details, because I don't know much.
6. Keyboard nerds are WAY ahead of their time.
