Custom PC Magazine keyboard review....

[Brian8bit]

So a chap on overclockers tipped me off to this. I've uploaded the file here. Spoiler: Filco came last. Against Cyborgs, Logitechs and Keysonics. Keyboard review starts on page 84.

[theferenc]

I'm wondering if that was a blue model, as they talk about the "clickety click".

Not sure I would trust anything they say though, as they describe it as less comfortable to type on, and that their fingers "took a punishment" from typing on it.

The primary reason I switched to mechanical in the first place is to avoid the bottom out smack of your finger tips to the back plate in the keyboard. Especially on short throw boards, like the chicklets, it's excrutiatingly painful.

[Brian8bit]

Maybe if you have hands like an arthritic grand mother.

[CodeChef]

Man, they called the Saitek Eclipse the best keyboard ever made. You KNOW they don't have a hope in hell.

[dish]

A bit of a foreword:  I am still using rubber dome keyboards.  This isn't mechanical keyboard fanboyism coming out play. I currently use a combination of $10 keyboards and $30 logitechs.  

Some of the worst reviews I have ever seen.  I've played multiple games at a very high level (WC3/CS/Gunz/SC2/QW/AoE1/WoW.)  Anything with "game" in the name is the opposite of a good gaming device.  

On the keyboard side there's no reason you'd want any of the following on a gaming keyboard (or mouse for that matter, razer naga I'm looking at you):

-LEDs of any kind
-Macro keys of any kind (useless gimmick)
-LCD of any kind
-Extra keys that enlarge its footprint
-Low key roll over or "gaming optimized" low key roll over
-Wrist wrest (inconvenient, no added comfort)

You'd want to avoid (if possible, but some of these are nice for general use):

-Number pad (never used in games, I have ~72 keybinds on mage in WoW and my binds don't go past the y/n keys)
-Any keyboard that is rubber dome and costs more than $25-$30 because you will be replacing it every 4-12 months or dealing with ridiculous inconsistency in keys that are often used
-Very short USB cables (inconvenient at lan)
-Headphone jacks, USB ports (cost; this is what your computer is for, and any well organized event will have 3 free USB ports or 2 free USB ports and 2 free PS2 ports)  

They slammed the filco for not having useless gimmicks and put no weight on what actually matters for a gaming device.  How responsive is it?  How consistent is it?  How cost effective is it?  The filco will win on every single front against the other keyboards they pit it against.  I can't confidently say it would win against a good $10-$25 keyboard, but it would at least hold its own.

Also, their mouse polling rate comparison is terrible.  A 500Hz poll rate is a 2ms poll rate.  It's 10ms/frame at 100 fps and 16ms/frame at 60 fps.  You can get a 500Hz  poll rate on any optical mouse EVER.  The default is not 500Hz but five seconds of prodding around and any mouse you own will function at 500Hz. 1000Hz is 1ms poll rate.  There is literally no difference with any current or last-gen tech.  If you were playing at 500fps with some super 500hz monitor then you'd maybe notice a difference, but you're not.

Their review is even worse if you take typing in to account.  On my logitech a good portion of the keys I type don't even come out because I type 140+ wpm sustained with much higher burst speeds while chatting on the internet.  I could rant for a long time about all the stupid gimmicks they have on "gaming" devices.  I plan on buying a tenkeyless with browns soon because it fits my needs almost perfectly (a tenkeyless with reds would be amazing for gaming.)

[laden3]

This is like telling us "don't buy Custom PC Magazine".

[JinDesu]

Mechanicals WILL punish you if you're used to rubber domes, though. It takes a long time to type properly on a mechanical keyboard (not bottoming out, which you'll be instinctively doing at first).

Unless you're naturally pounding on a keyboard, in which a rubber dome wouldn't deflect that much force anyways, bottoming out on a mechanical keyboard shouldn't really "hurt" more than bottoming on a rubber dome.. I'm still in the process of getting used to my MX blues, but I will swear to god that I don't get tingly fingertips like I used to with my G110.

[CodeChef]

@dish:

I agree with you on most stuff
I  disagree with you on some
but when you try to make your opinion seem relevant by saying you play games at a high level, type 130 WPM (which is kind of ridiculous, that's really quite high, even for GHers) just makes you look like you're bragging.

Anyways, I disagree that you wouldn't want a wrist rest, because they are *meant* for gaming. For proper typing, wrists should be kept hovering. The whole point of wrist wrests is that they are more comfortable for repetitive, sustained motions for long periods of time such as what you would find in a gaming environment. LEDs *are* quite handy when using a computer in the dark, but 99% of the time one turns on a light nearby, so that's kind of pointless.

In not wanting a keyboard above 25-30 dollars, I disagree. While I don't play games more than 4 hours a day (usually), I still am going to say that by the time you start feeling inconsistencies in your keys, you would probably be in the market for a new computer. You say it takes 4-12 months, I'm saying it would probably take closer to 2-3 years of professional gaming to create a different feel in the "gaming" keys as opposed to the regular "typing" keys. The whole point of high-quality key switches is their long life, consistency, and durability.

[woody]

I'm going to recommend everyone at OCN get a Cyborg.

Damn keyboard noobs are making it hard to buy a Filco these days.

I say we just begin ranting about Filco prices loud enough, and how unjustified they are. Should turn away the unwashed.

[ironman31]

I say we just begin ranting about Filco prices loud enough, and how unjustified they are. Should turn away the unwashed.

If we start doing that Majetouch will probably raise the prices even more

[woody]

Make a Wiki named "Current Best Keyboard for Gaming". Use simpler words and more pictures. Add a buying URL at the end. Link from OCN.

[dish]

@dish:
In not wanting a keyboard above 25-30 dollars, I disagree. While I don't play games more than 4 hours a day (usually), I still am going to say that by the time you start feeling inconsistencies in your keys, you would probably be in the market for a new computer. You say it takes 4-12 months, I'm saying it would probably take closer to 2-3 years of professional gaming to create a different feel in the "gaming" keys as opposed to the regular "typing" keys. The whole point of high-quality key switches is their long life, consistency, and durability.

I meant solely for rubber domes.  I don't think you'd have to replace a mechanical keyboard nearly as quickly. I agree with your 2-3 year estimate and would probably even extend it.

[CodeChef]

Oh, ok. Yeah, anything above 30 dollars for a rubber dome is just stupid. You shouldn't be staring at your keyboard's screen, you should be staring AT THE GAME!!!

[PRISONER 24601]

My real worry is that, with conversion rates and everything, Majestouch couldn't buy a proper review.

He should have thrown in some WASD keys, I bet Custom PC would rave about this "extra feature".

[Lanx]

i think the brits were having one too many pints while doing this review!
*edit*
nvm i read the review, just seems that brits have prissy hands, oops.

[msiegel]

Can't... stop... travel!

MUST. BOTTOM! OUT!!

[Twitchy]

They have a forum, I told them what I thought of their review a couple of weeks ago.

i think the brits were having one too many pints while doing this review!
*edit*
nvm i read the review, just seems that brits have prissy hands, oops.

:spy: We keep a list you know, every now and then we look at it and mutter impotently!

[Azuremen]

Bunch of wankers thinking they know things. I love how they discuss the Shift's swappable key set (at extra cost) but didn't mention the extra key caps you can get for the Filco.

I also like how they think having pictures for the hotkeys on the keyboard actually matters to serious gamers.