dual-detent keyboard attempt - not successful

[Allthunbs]

This has been going on for several months now. When I was working key capture way back when, I used a keyboard that had a "notch" at the point that the character was registered. Beyond that, the key would slow down the finger and gently reverse the movement of the finger. This meant that I could lighten my touch. The actual stroke of the key was about 2 mm until the 'notch' and the rest was over-travel designed to reduce finger fatigue .

I tried to recreate this with the purchase of a "daskeyboard" professional model "S". Not even close. I then added WASD blue "O"rings. That quieted the keyboard, reduced travel but still a hard bottom and no finger comfort. I then added some EliteKeyboard soft pads. These were not useful. I found that the website did not seem to describe the product adequately. When the pads arrived, they were a sheet of foam, 1.5mm thick (approximately) and slightly less than 4" by slightly more than 4.5". These were not a unique solution but were a different take on the "O"rings. I tried using them with the "O" rings and it reduced the key travel too much and didn't provide any "soft bottom" characteristics. I tried just the pads and they might as well not have been there. I tried doubling them and still no soft bottom.

I'm now open to suggestions. When I bought the pads I thought them to be the same size as the key cap and would provide some dampening effect. No such luck.

Ideally, I press down the key. At the point that the character is registered there is a slight increase in the resistance of the key and the key continues to travel. As it approaches the bottom of the stroke, there is a further resistance, usually the gradual increase in spring resistance. The objective is to double or even triple my current typing speed. if you have any suggestions as to how this might be achieved, I welcome your comment.

[IvanIvanovich]

If you want to stick with MX... then I think clears are going to be the closest solution for you. Otherwise I think MX is not what you are looking for.

[Allthunbs]

Hi Ivan:

Perhaps. I look at the characteristics of the clear. But, I've recently ordered the MiniLA from Filco with the brown switch. They do not offer the MiniLA in clear, only brown, blue, red and blac (If I remember correctlly.)

Well, at any rate, I'll put up a commentary when it finally arrives. At the moment it's on back order.

Allthunbs

[jdcarpe]

If clears aren't stiff enough for you, there's always tactile greys ("light" greys).

[Allthunbs]

I'm getting closer. I managed to get a hold of a Diatec Majestouch MINILA Air US67 key Blue switch, model FFVT67MC/EB.

Firstly, this keyboard is one solid little sun of a gun. It is chunky, solid, slightly heavy --- but it isn't heavy, and it handles perfectly in use.

The layout is somewhat different than most keyboards but it is close to the old production key capture keyboards. If you replace the pg up. pg dn etc. keys with numbers then you'll be closer.

It does have the typical dead bottom Cherry MX key switches that I've modified with the WASD O-Ring Switch Dampeners. The dampeners make the keyboard more functional but the o-rings are too stiff. Now, if they could be increased to 5mm and a progressive rubber formulation, you'd be closer but still not as productive.

It seems that WASD has recognized the problem and is attempting to resolve it.

I tried the Elite soft-landing pads but as soon as I get another set of WASD o-rings, I'll remove the Elite offering. It seems that Elite feels that the objective is noise and WASD recognizes that the objective is finger travel and resistance. I've also tried doubling up the Elite offering but that is still too much of a shock.

I originally ordered this keyboard with the MX Brown switch, thinking I might get a slightly different feel but there were supply problems at Cherry's end.

I'm sorry if this feels a bit disjointed but my mind is elsewhere at the moment but I'm trying to pass on experience, not entertain.

Allthunbs

Addenda March 29, 2015

The MiniLA keyboard has an omission. I routinely type in several languages and I'm in the habit of using the alt+number keypad to access accented keys rapidly. The absence of the number keypad means that the accented characters are not available. The function was not duplicated on the number 4 row where the typing numbers are located. This will definitely inconvenience people used to easily accessing accented characters. This will require them to constantly switch between their standard key layout and a specialized one, something I'm not about to address at the moment. I use WordPerfect so I don't need to switch keyboards. I can key in a separate number sequence instead of the windoz one.

Allthunbs