Linear Vs Tactile

[ben90]

Hey, I'm I just registered on this forum because you guys seem to know a ridiculous amount on keyboards. As luck would have it, I managed to break my old dell quiet key keyboard, and am in the market for a new one.

Even before my dell was broken, I was looking at a DAS keyboard for the high quality cherry blue switches. Before spending over a hundred dollars on a keyboard, I found my way on this forum and decided a Filco would be a better fit for me.

Now I read this thread about the different switches and am debating between a cherry black and a cherry blue:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Mechanical+Switch+Keyboards+Sorted+By+Switch

I have used a model M and loved it, which is actually what got me looking at mechanical keyboard to begin with. But unfortunately I need something with N-key rollover since I'm a gamer and I don't believe the model M can handle a crapload of presses at once. The weight required to press the key doesn't really matter too much to me, but I hear that most people recommend the black for gaming.

What worries me about the black switch is that it is linear vs being tactile, so I don't know if the whole point of going mechanical for that feedback feeling is lost without a definite click.

So what do you guys think? Should I get the black or blue?

[gr1m]

I got a Cherry Black keyboard today in fact and I don't think the fact that it doesn't have  tactile feedback detracts from it's "mechanicality". The keys are very smooth and feel different from rubber-domes. You might want to look into Cherry Browns.

[washuai]

Sounds like your question should be Linear VS. Clicky.
Audible click is something you hear, not something you feel.  The click is tied into the tactile feedback of the switch, though, since there would be dissonance if the events occurred separately.
Cherry clears & browns are tactile, but not clicky.
As long as you don't hover on a key or care about fellow gamers complaining about your typing noise over the mic, then go ahead and get the cherry blues and get the audible click and tactility you sound like you're after.

[microsoft windows]

The only thing I really noticed about brown Cherry's is that they're smooth and low-force. They don't have as much tactility as the rubber dome I'm using now (Don't worry it's a good rubber dome from 1988).

[ben90]

Well thanks for your opinions. I decided to go for the blue as its a decent amount cheaper. No matter what it will be better than a rubber dome, and definitely better than what I'm using now. It has to be the worst keyboard Ive ever typed on in my entire life. It feels like sticky pudding.

I'm glad I stumbled across this site as I think a Filco will be a better for me than the DAS that I was originally looking at since I don't need the USB ports or a glossy keyboard to smear my grease all over.

[microsoft windows]

Good idea. Glossy keyboards also attract too much dust anyways.