Das Keyboard vs. Unicomp Customizer?

[microsoft windows]

Emacs?  You should see what GEEKHACK does to your fingers!

Has my freakish handicap scared everyone away from this thread?  It's ok.  I'm comfortable with my extremely short, crooked fingers.  You can come out of the woodwork.  iMav, it's too bad that I can't simply wave my deformed hands in front of the kids and get them to quiet down like this!

Did you injure your hand or have arthritis?

[bladamson]

Woah, I figured it was photoshopped. :3

[typo]

guys, i have a serious question though.

for most people does abs get shiny well before pbt? i have not kept actual tabs on wich lasts me longer. i am not talking about the legends wearing but the pebble grain getting smooth.

i just thought this question was useful since the unicomps are pbt and the das is abs.

thanks

[jpc]

New Unicomp keys should have a lifetime measured by geological time period.

I have a Model M from 03AUG87. Mine since 1996. I've used it on and off over the years. The key caps still have most of their texture.

I've seen Model M's with shiny key caps. Lord knows what happened to them. They must have been employed in some ****ensian data-entry mill.

[typo]

i have worn m,f,topre,unicomp. i think it did take longer though.

you can obviously get the idea from those pics. they are worn. he said it didn't take that long either if i remember correctly. ripster, why only your spacebar? i tend to always wear out the wasd first and i don't game. my spacebar is the one key that doesn't get shiny! that is strange.

i can see what keys i use the most but it does not make sense to me. maybe i type too hard afterall plus i have nails but they certainly are not long. i do feel myself hitting the keys with my nails. maybe that is the whole problem i am having with every board.

i am certainly not the best typist by any means but i just type a lot.

if it helps explain this any i also wear out the finish on decent mice. plus i just noticed my business phone handset i use a lot is shiny and that is my palm! i just don't get this. obviously it is me but i don't know what i am doing wrong. before you joke my hands and the rest of me are kept clean. so thats not it. i rarely use lotion or cologne either.

confused (:

[microsoft windows]

Do you have long fingernails? People with fingernails wreak havoc on keyboards.

[typo]

i don't know how to explain the length of my fingernails. i do feel that is what is hitting the keys first. a standard clipper will not cut shorter without pain. i refuse to bite them lol.

if this was my problem all these years.....damn!

i don't know what other kind of clipper there is and i can't really see them being shorter. i guess they are flush with the top of the rounded part of the skin on my fingers. maybe a a 50th of an inch beyond. the fact remains they are hitting every key every time. darnit!

as for the phone i think that just got shiny because it has been in heavy use since the 80's. that probably has nothing to do with what is happening to the keyboards i use. afaik, my hands do not sweat at all in the office. i do have rough skin. i figured that would cause less damage than lotion to the keys.

i am seriously looking to you guys to figure this out. i have no problem otaku but i like the look of the fonts. there is some reason i have wrecked all these boards. i got a model f at goodwill about 2 years ago. i am sure it saw a ton of use due to it's age. it looked darn good when i got it and cleaned it up. i wore it down in 4 months!

so, is it the rough skin and fingernails? i don't know of a different nail clipper and i figured lotion would damage keys worse. what to do?

thanks

[woody]

Do you have Aliens among your ancestors?

[bladamson]

Do you have long fingernails? People with fingernails wreak havoc on keyboards.

Not anymore.  When I moved back to this one-horse town, I had to start dressing like a normal person.

Now I bet you're wondering if I'm kiddinig or not, huh?  You'll never know, mua ha ha.

[bladamson]

Try 12" FROM WEBCAM DOOOOOD!

I'm getting to it!

I inherited a crappy webcam a couple of hours ago, so I'm going to see if I can get it working as soon as I get all my forums surfed and spam^H^H^H^Hemail responded to...

[bladamson]

Wow, this camera sucks. :s  Sorry.  These are a little better.

A heavily worn key:


A moderately worn key:


An unworn key, purely for reference of course:


Shininess:

[bladamson]

I never thought much about it. :3  Indeed, before I came here I didn't realize there was anything hurculean-seeming about wearing down dye-sub stuff.

Since y'all seem to like it so much, maybe I'll keep using them and see if the legends ever wear all the way off...  I was going to replace all my caps with some newer-looking ones dyed all black. :3

[typo]

i think i figured this out. my spacebar is not shiny because i hit it with the side of my thumb. it has to be my darn nails that wreck all the other keys. i hit the keys head on with my nails and not my flesh. so, i guess that explains it.

i could not see cutting my nails shorter. so i will live with the worn down keys.

for reference. the white at the end of my clear nails is about 1/10th of an inch. i do not feel comfortable cutting them shorter. trust me, i have and it hurt for weeks.

you guys have no nails or what? well, it also might be my typing style. i do not hit the keys with the flats of my fingers but the top. this is my idea of touch typing. i hit the keys very lightly. maybe much more wear on the keyboard but i think a lot less on my hands. which is important to me.

i also use my nails on the mice which wear out quickly. at least i know what is going on now.

i am still looking for a dyesub or double shot i wore out for a pic. i seem to paint them or use a marker when they have had it.

[bladamson]

Yayyyy.  Is there free food?

[msiegel]

i do not feel comfortable cutting them shorter

maybe if the edges were rounder?

[bladamson]

I must....  Stop...  Wearing...  My...  Keys!  ...  Spock!

[eherzog]

Woah, I figured it was photoshopped. :3

iMav smashed my hand when I touched one of his keyboards without permission.  This was the best the doctors could do.

[msiegel]

keeping sweet, sweet keyboards out in the open... it was a trap!

[RoboKrikit]

My thumbnails do this to space bars.



I do tend to tap the keys with my fingernails, especially the lower row.  Usually the M, N, and C keys are the first to go.

[typo]

i could join him in that contest even with double shots! i kid not. i can't find one so i guess i lose by forfeit

[typo]

i realised something after rereading the key wiki. the das is one of those keyboards where they put a bunch of the paint/epoxy above the laser cut indents. they do this as a "teaser" obviously. so you will see very high contrast when the board is new. if you type a lot this will quickly rub off. leaving the low contrast typical lasered keys. like the way cherry boards come new. so what i am seeing now is actually typical lasered keys. i do maintain it has worn beter for me than dye sub, but not than ds. the keys have lost their pebble grain and become very shiny. so has every keyboard i have used. pbt takes longer but eventually ends up looking the same for me. i feel the das is a very nice keyboard overall. it does still have it's fonts. just not with as much contrast but that should be expected by anyone i think. i prefer the cherry switches to the buckling springs. i personally do not prefer the unicomps. ymmv.

now a question: isn't a unicomp just a membrane keyboard with a spring actuating the membrane instead of a rubber dome/cup? i understand it has a different feel and is tactile. however isn't the actual "switch" the same thing? hence the 25 million cycles just like a keytronic. it is not capacitive like a topre afaik.

[biziclop]

I'm actually using this to reduce the length of my nails:

[typo]

i am dumbfounded! i seriously don't know why i never thought of a emry stone/board. duh! i just never thought of using one for some odd reason. i figured as short as the clipper would safely go was it. man i feel stupid. plus my nails would look nicer too. gee whiz.

you know what though, my keys are not scratched up. they just wear down like if i took 2000 grit sand cloth. i will go get an emry stone! i am guessing it is actually the aligator skin i have which the emry stone will also take care of.

a lot of men just don't pay enough attention to their skin/hair/nails including myself i guess.

[msiegel]

:lol:

"scotty, you've just earned your pay for the week!" XD

[typo]

i was wondering if there are any double shot keys readily available that will fit this keyboard for all keys. i love this keyboard so i would do that.

thanks

[typo]

thank you ripster. i am going to get to work on this. this keyboard is my favorite i ever had it justs needs more robust keys for me. the keys should be more than good enough for most folks though.

[typo]

i didn't edit because i wanted ripster to see this.

wow ripster! i have seen that before i did not know you were the author! nice!
thank you for the work.

here is the amazing thing: i actually know where there is one of those pos boards in a closet pile. i am hoping the people will be elated to take $25 or $50 for it.

asuming i snag the board the das will be what i always dreamed of. yeah, i don't know why i like it so much but i just do.

thanks ripster!

[typo]

i have arranged to get the cherry pos keyboards tomorrow. they would not take any money! i am asssuming these do not simply plug right in. well the stabilizer keys at least. i figure to allow a couple hours or so. this is going to be fantastic. i really wish i liked my topre or f,m's better but this board just seems to have the perfect blue action for me. the filco is also from costar but i like the looks of the das. i am very happy. i just hope this does not change the action i like so much.

thanks ripster

[db_Iodine]

I swapped the key caps of my Das Ultimate to those thick Cherry doubleshots (except front row), and I think the feel of the keys is so much nicer than the original blanks. I don't think the feel of the switches changed much, but definitely the keys feel much nicer on your fingers.

[typo]

done. ahh, thats more like it. i was afraid it would change the action in a non pleasing way. nope. the solid thunk is much appreciated. i wish they would sell this keyboard this way for say $300usd and try to compete at the top level. i'd buy one. this is darn near perfect now. the realforce and buckling springs will not be seeing my fingers for some time

[msiegel]

is this the first anti-otaku das??

we want pics! *clanks empty tin cup against bars*

[typo]

look right above. other people already have them.
i think i actually want to go otaku though now after all ahh. my cherrys are already shiny but of course the legends are all there. keys with legends just look like poop wehn they are worn at all imo. are the caps on elite keyboards abs or heavy duty?

[db_Iodine]

is this the first anti-otaku das??

we want pics! *clanks empty tin cup against bars*

I did it a month ago, and posted results in ripster's anti-otaku thread. You can also find one picture from my sig.

[eherzog]

A serious answer to your inquiry...it's not photoshop, it's a genetic mutation thing - a form of brachydactyly with some other stuff involving bone structure.  Sometimes painful, but could be a lot worse.  At least it's not a heart defect.  I can't always reach change in vending machines, but at least it's not cutting my life short.