Author Topic: How does the Dell QuietKey Keyboard compare to... (Read 19310 times)

daniel0731ex · « **on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 14:16:03 »

Hello, I have been reading this forum for a while now and is really curious about how all these fancy keyboard your guys talk about really feels like.

I currently own an old Dell QuietKey keyboard and is the best keybaord I have ever typed on (I have also tried an Apple Extended Keyboard I before). I thought that this might be a good reference for me to imagin how the Cherry MX switches feel like before deciding to buy a good one.

Could anyone here help me on this?

Thanks.

Daniel

kill will · « **Reply #1 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 15:55:56 »

I would say the Dell quiet keyboard is a very good keyboard to be a favorite. It isnt exactly quiet though. I would compare it to maybe white alps or maybe browns. i cant say they are very similar though.

You MAY enjoy topre. you may enjoy something else entirely.

daniel0731ex · « **Reply #2 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 16:43:48 »

Thanks for the reply! But I was actually asking about what the switches feel like, rather than which of them my keyboard feel similar to...

I was expecting answers like "the XXXX switches have similar tactile bump to the Quietkey but is much lighter and could be a little mushy", or "yyy switches have the same actuation force as the Quietkey, but the tactile feels is less apparent", etc.

I guess I wasn't stating my question clearly, but thanks for your answer anyways

But I'd still like an answer about these though....being a bit more specific:

1. How does the Cherry blue feel like compared to the QuietKey?
2. Brown?
3. Black?
4. Topre?

keyb_gr · « **Reply #3 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 16:56:15 »

I'd say your reference points so far are not sufficient for anyone to give you a good idea. That, and old QuietKeys aren't as common here as, say, boards with blues or Model Ms. I suggest you try one of the latter at least.

wanabe · « **Reply #4 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 17:08:02 »

yeah quietkeys are nice when new, but they turn mushy pretty quickly. it's kind of tough to use that as a starting point for comparison.

your quietkey (or any ole rubber dome) feels most like a topre. except that topres are smoother and have a softer landing.

everything else (cherry mx, alps, buckling springs), feel totally different from a rubber dome. in general, they have a sharper "bump" and that's where the difference starts for me.

Pylon · « **Reply #5 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 17:21:53 »

Depends on the model you have.

RT7D5JTW (Thailand models) are very good. I used a super-worn model of one and that's among the best rubber dome boards out there.

SK-8000 and SK-1000REW are mediocre.

Daniel Beaver · « **Reply #6 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 17:32:12 »

I use a QuietKey in my graduate student lair.

For what it's worth, they are significantly different from cherry blues or BS boards. The actuation feel is much more gradual.

daniel0731ex · « **Reply #7 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 21:55:28 »

Thanks for the quick response guys....

I checked the back and it does say RT7D5JTW, Made in Thailand

So I guess I really have to buy one myself to try it out eh?
Thank's a lot guys!

(P.S. how about Unicomp??)

quadibloc · « **Reply #8 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 22:23:58 »

Quote from: daniel0731ex;298066

(P.S. how about Unicomp??)

By all accounts, it's virtually identical to the classic Model M, despite a few minor cost saving engineering changes.

theferenc · « **Reply #9 on:** Sat, 19 February 2011, 23:28:30 »

I love my Unicomp. It's just such a great keyboard. I'm actually thinking of ordering another one, and selling my bolt modded Ms (including my 1397000 terminal emulator).

Native USB is a huge bonus, as is the ability to have an alternate layout in the firmware for a modest fee. This last bit is really the kicker, for me, since I prefer an alternative layout.

whiteweazel21 · « **Reply #10 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 02:22:56 »

I have a RT7D5JTW Dell Quiet Key as well, I've been using it as my only keyboard for over 12 years easily. It has a great, quality feel, and I've gamed like a pro on it for a long time. However, it has gotten to the point where it has gotten really bad. It degraded so slowly it was hard to recognize. I would love to try and find a new unused one on ebay to replace it, or I have been thinking about trying a mechanical. The problem with the mechanicals from the perspective of a quality dome user, is that they are all rather light with nowhere near as much tactility as the QK.

whiteweazel21 · « **Reply #11 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 02:30:01 »

In fact, I just followed my own advice and bought a factory sealed, RT7D5JTW QK for $30 off Ebay. Guess I won't be needing another keyboard for 10 years lol (but maybe I will try a mechanical at some point)!

Edit: If you want to try the feel of a mechanical, try signing up for the Switch Try Numpad. Has all the main switches. I wrote my impressions of the different switches focusing on gaming from the perspective of my QK: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=12519&page=6

bugfix · « **Reply #12 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 04:01:28 »

Quote from: theferenc;298092

This last bit is really the kicker, for me, since I prefer an alternative layout.

I couldn't find an image of your Unicomp, could you point me to one? I'd really like to see how it looks like.

theferenc · « **Reply #13 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 10:06:48 »

Here's the main block.

It's basically the same layout as the UNIX layout keyboard in my sig, actually.

bugfix · « **Reply #14 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 10:16:07 »

Quote from: theferenc;298237

It's basically the same layout as the UNIX layout keyboard in my sig, actually.

Looks good.

theferenc · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 10:26:55 »

Thanks! It's much more colorful nowadays. Purple and red, where the grey and white are normally.

microsoft windows · « **Reply #16 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 11:47:15 »

Quote from: daniel0731ex;298066

Thanks for the quick response guys....

I checked the back and it does say RT7D5JTW, Made in Thailand

So I guess I really have to buy one myself to try it out eh?
Thank's a lot guys!

(P.S. how about Unicomp??)

The RT7D5JTW Quietkeys are some of the best keyboards out there. They feel much nicer than Cherry Brown and Cherry Black switches. I'd only say that only the IBM buckling spring keyboards (and maybe the Topres, but I haven't use those) feel better than Quietkeys.

The RT7D5JTW Quietkeys also last virtually forever. The keys will get shiney after a lot of use, but I don't think it's really possible to wear out the keyboard itself. Mine's been through 15 years of hell and still works wonderfully.

daniel0731ex · « **Reply #17 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 12:24:54 »

I saw a stack of them in the old storage room at my school. Should I take them all?

theferenc · « **Reply #18 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 12:33:44 »

Ask first, at least.

daniel0731ex · « **Reply #19 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 20:27:35 »

Alright, I just tested the key weighting on my Dell Quietkey using Canadian coins, and I realized that the actuation force is roughly 72.5g±5g. Are you guys' Quietkey also like this?

Pylon · « **Reply #20 on:** Sun, 20 February 2011, 23:33:57 »

I recall my Model M (which averages 70g) was stiffer than my RT7D5JTW.

mbs · « **Reply #21 on:** Mon, 21 February 2011, 02:29:23 »

Dell TH836/DJ425 have been quite good to me over the years. I prefer my buckling spring at home but I'm not gonna risk bringing a $80 peripheral to work.

romevi · « **Reply #22 on:** Thu, 06 August 2015, 16:43:13 »

Future here.

Ordered my first Topre: Realforce 55g. Have been using a QuietKey RT7D5JTW at work. Is there much of a difference?

BrewCaps · « **Reply #23 on:** Thu, 06 August 2015, 18:15:08 »

It's no Topre.

romevi · « **Reply #24 on:** Thu, 06 August 2015, 18:29:48 »

Quote from: BrewCaps on Thu, 06 August 2015, 18:15:08

It's no Topre.

Oh, my gosh. You're absolutely right.

All this time...

EscapeVelocity · « **Reply #25 on:** Thu, 06 August 2015, 19:15:35 »

The Cherry MX Clears will be most like a Dell Quietkey RT7D5JTW.

romevi · « **Reply #26 on:** Thu, 06 August 2015, 19:33:10 »

Quote from: EscapeVelocity on Thu, 06 August 2015, 19:15:35

The Cherry MX Clears will be most like a Dell Quietkey RT7D5JTW.

Sweet. Haven't tried them yet and was going to do Ergo Clears next. Glad to hear!

davkol · « **Reply #27 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 03:40:46 »

Quote from: romevi on Thu, 06 August 2015, 16:43:13

Ordered my first Topre: Realforce 55g. Have been using a QuietKey RT7D5JTW at work. Is there much of a difference?

I don't get these questions. So, (1) why did you order the new keyboard in the first place, and (2) why don't you wait for it to arrive? Seriously, are people too lazy to even form their own opinions on their own these days?

romevi · « **Reply #28 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:23:45 »

Quote from: davkol on Fri, 07 August 2015, 03:40:46

Quote from: romevi on Thu, 06 August 2015, 16:43:13
Ordered my first Topre: Realforce 55g. Have been using a QuietKey RT7D5JTW at work. Is there much of a difference?
I don't get these questions. So, (1) why did you order the new keyboard in the first place, and (2) why don't you wait for it to arrive? Seriously, are people too lazy to even form their own opinions on their own these days?

How is that being lazy? Obviously I informed my own opinion by ordering my own board. I'd be lazy if I hadn't ordered it yet and wanted someone else to make the opinion for me.
I just wanted to know if anybody else had both as I eagerly await my Realforce.

Also, in a hobby where trying out switches can be expensive, it couldn't hurt to ask for informative opinions.

jdcarpe · « **Reply #29 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:26:40 »

A better question would be, why necro a 4.5 year old thread, when you could start a new thread?

Also, check out this recent thread...

romevi · « **Reply #30 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:36:38 »

Is starting a new thread better than resurrecting an old one?

Yeah, I think I posted in that one.

jdcarpe · « **Reply #31 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:38:51 »

Quote from: romevi on Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:36:38

Is starting a new thread better than resurrecting an old one?

Yes. Especially when the forum gives you a warning that the thread is old, and do you REALLY want to make a new post? Maybe you were on Tapatalk, and didn't get that, though.

Quote from: romevi on Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:36:38

Yeah, I think I posted in that one.

Yes, you did.

davkol · « **Reply #32 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:52:50 »

Quote from: romevi on Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:23:45

I just wanted to know if anybody else had both as I eagerly await my Realforce.

…and the related selective-perception bias.

romevi · « **Reply #33 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 10:03:07 »

Quote from: jdcarpe on Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:38:51

Maybe you were on Tapatalk, and didn't get that, though.

I was on Tapatalk, to be truthful. I find it best to navigate multiple forums on my phone. I'll give a scrutinizing eye to the dates before posting from here on.

Quote from: davkol on Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:52:50

…and the related selective-perception bias.

Nah. Just wanted to know if anyone else had one so I had an idea of what to expect, as the only immediate boards I have are the Dells and a Unicomp.

davkol · « **Reply #34 on:** Fri, 07 August 2015, 10:11:38 »

Quote from: romevi on Fri, 07 August 2015, 10:03:07

Quote from: jdcarpe on Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:38:51
Maybe you were on Tapatalk, and didn't get that, though.

I was on Tapatalk, to be truthful. I find it best to navigate multiple forums on my phone. I'll give a scrutinizing eye to the dates before posting from here on.

FYI https://freevps.us/thread-16404.html

Quote from: romevi on Fri, 07 August 2015, 10:03:07

Quote from: davkol on Fri, 07 August 2015, 08:52:50
…and the related selective-perception bias.
Nah. Just wanted to know if anyone else had one so I had an idea of what to expect, as the only immediate boards I have are the Dells and a Unicomp.

Yeah, exactly.

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Author Topic: How does the Dell QuietKey Keyboard compare to... (Read 19310 times)