Cherry blues vs Alps (mac related shenanigans)

[simon_C]

ive got an AEXII with the real alps switches and i absolutely adore it, but i was looking into getting a new keyboard. Cherry blues seem to appeal to me because im looking for a sligtly clickier keyswitch. how do the blues compare to the alps switches? and is there a 'board with blues i should look for with good mac compatibilty? its not in the budget for a $100+ keyboard though, so id like to keep budget in mind. Ive also got an interesting old keyboard here, from an old piece of tekelec network test equipment, it has really stiff clicky alps switches on it. and some of the switches have different numbers on them. im assuming different weights for certain keys.
so what do you folks think?

[REVENGE]

Hi, welcome to GH! IMO, Cherry Blues have a very different click with respect to both pitch and volume compared to any variety of ALPS type switches. In addition, the key feel can also be substantially different and vary dramatically from board to board. If you're on a budget and like ALPS, you may want to give the Ducky DK1008XM a shot. Otherwise, there are a few boards with Cherry Blues available for around $70 such as the Razer Blackwidow and Qtronix Scorpius.

On a side note, it would be great if you could post some pics of the old keyboard you found.

[simon_C]

heres the old tekelec keyboard with the really clicky alps keys. completely different sound and feel to the softer alps in the apple keyboard above it. it has a strange layout that is a little bizarre to get used to with dvorak. i replaced the thick, coiled AT cord that fit into that slot at the top with a standard PS/2 lead from a cheap ibm rubber dome keyboard.



also, do you know what the key profile for the razer blackwidow is? i found a backlit edition for very cheap but i type dvorak, would i be able to swap the backlit keycaps and not have a funky geometry mismatch like i would with my AEXII? i touchtype dvorak anyway, but having the keys backlit with the "wrong" keymap would bug my OCD...

[REVENGE]

That's a sweet board with a good layout, I like it. Seems its design was shared with some of the earlier portable computers.

With regards to the Black Widow, you would indeed not be able to switch the key caps around without messing up the profile. Only a flat profiled board like the TG3 / Deck would allow you to do that with no consequence, but the flat keys are another issue entirely. You could go for clear key caps, though I imagine the blue back lighting would blind you anytime you looked down.

[simon_C]

if i got smoked keycaps it would be pretty cool, you find a source of them?

[Ascaii]

Hi, would you mind posting a few more pics of that tekelec board? The layout is identical to my Demand 9002 board, and im interested to see how the cases differ, since I assume the pcb must be the same.

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 24370[/ATTACH]

[simon_C]

tekelec looks a lot like what youve got there. some minor case differences really, but the rest looks identical. ill get more pics in the daytime, its 3:30am here.

heres some stuff i found online


http://cgi.ebay.com/Tekelec-Chameleon-Open-933-1005-07-Analyzer-ATM-SVC-/330520929569#ht_1085wt_771

[The Solutor]

ive got an AEXII with the real alps switches and i absolutely adore it, but i was looking into getting a new keyboard. Cherry blues seem to appeal to me because im looking for a sligtly clickier keyswitch. how do the blues compare to the alps switches? and is there a 'board with blues i should look for with good mac compatibilty? its not in the budget for a $100+ keyboard though, so id like to keep budget in mind. Ive also got an interesting old keyboard here, from an old piece of tekelec network test equipment, it has really stiff clicky alps switches on it. and some of the switches have different numbers on them. im assuming different weights for certain keys.
so what do you folks think?

If you want you can made your actual board moderately clicky cutting the "ears" of the leaf spring or very clicky swapping the leaf with the one taken from a donor board, or from some spare switches, no soldering needed for the operation.

[simon_C]

ugh ive had these switches apart, id rather solder them. what a miserable experience trying to get them put back together.

[simon_C]

so im considering the razer black widow unless someone can come up with a better alternative for a blueswitch board. otaku style would be best, but im willing to swap out keycaps for blanks later on.

[PlayerZero]

Razer BW gets a pretty bad rap around here.

[The Solutor]

ugh ive had these switches apart, id rather solder them. what a miserable experience trying to get them put back together.

Actually it's really easy, the hard part is keeping the coiled spring in place when reassembling the switch, you can use a drop of grease inside the slider, or just reassembly the switch with the keyboard upside down.

[Magna224]

After using ALPS, MX Blues feel 'weak' is the only way I know how to put it. Very different feel to the tactility of ALPS, which feel more solid to me. I have never tried the dampened ALPS
though.

[REVENGE]

Hi, would you mind posting a few more pics of that tekelec board? The layout is identical to my Demand 9002 board, and im interested to see how the cases differ, since I assume the pcb must be the same.

(Attachment Link) 24370[/ATTACH]

Dayum, I like this one even better (it has Windows keys).

Razer BW gets a pretty bad rap around here.

You're not from Spring, are you?

For $60 - $70 you get your money's worth from the BW. A G80-3000 with Blues would cost around the same and have better quality control, but I think you will prefer plate mounted Blues over PCB mounted, especially if you're coming off of ALPS. But then again, I think the Lexmark Model F springs are king, so...

[REVENGE]

Razer BW gets a pretty bad rap around here.

You're not from Spring, are you?

For $60 - $70 you get your money's worth from the BW. A G80-3000 with Blues would cost around the same and have better quality control, but I think you will prefer plate mounted Blues over PCB mounted, especially if you're coming off of ALPS. But then again, I think the Lexmark Model F springs are king, so...

[simon_C]

well i like the alps switches in the apple keyboard, but i kind of want something with a bit more of a "snick" feel. the cherry blues 'sound' like they fit the bit. i also think i bottom out the alps a lot. (what kind of alps are in the extended II anyway, theyre white.. i think theyre some form of the complicated style. theyre quiet and feel kind of soft compared to the alps in the tekelec keyboard, which are stiff and very clacky. from what ive seen, the cherry blues have that lighter tactile click im looking for, kinda like a mouse button. am i right in thinking this? im not looking to find soemthing like my extended II, just looking for the best typing experience.

[The Solutor]

If so The Keyboard Company and a Filco Zero with Simplified ALPS Type 1s is what you want.  Cheap, loud and pingy as hell. Just like I like my women.

Am sure that a board with XM's filled with the polyurethane foam like the Redpill's one could become a nice keyboard. Tactility is not bad, sound could be greatly improved.

[flashstar]

I just got the Omnikey 102 in that I ordered and I am very impressed with the complicated whites it comes with. I'm confident that with some cleaning and lubing, they will handily beat any Cherry Blue MX board. The problem with the cherries is that they are not quite as refined in my opinion. While complicated ALPS have 11? components, cherries only have a few. I cannot say the same about simplified ALPS though.

[N8N]

well i like the alps switches in the apple keyboard, but i kind of want something with a bit more of a "snick" feel. the cherry blues 'sound' like they fit the bit. i also think i bottom out the alps a lot. (what kind of alps are in the extended II anyway, theyre white.. i think theyre some form of the complicated style. theyre quiet and feel kind of soft compared to the alps in the tekelec keyboard, which are stiff and very clacky. from what ive seen, the cherry blues have that lighter tactile click im looking for, kinda like a mouse button. am i right in thinking this? im not looking to find soemthing like my extended II, just looking for the best typing experience.

The big difference that I feel between the AEK2 and the Cherry Blues is that the blues' tactile point is slightly lower in the key stroke, and also the force falls off less dramatically when you get past the bump.  I find the blues easier to not bottom out on.  I've also just recently tried ergo clears which have a longer "bump" that starts almost as high as the Alps but on those the bump is smoother and longer if that makes any sense, and also again the force doesn't fall off as dramatically as the Alps, again making it easier to not bottom out.

If you like the crisp tactile bump, I don't think you're going to find anything as crisp as the Alps in Cherry-land.  Blues are probably as close as you're going to get.  The AEK2 should have rubber dampers in the switch, which is why it fees softer than the undamped Alps.  They work both ways, if I understand this correctly (both to soften bottoming out and silence the noise of topping out.)

[simon_C]

haha no im not from the uk
im from new england here in the us.

i think id like to give the cherry blues a shot before i go for another alps board, if for nothing else than expanding the number of different ones ive tried. that and the higher pitched click sounds so good <.<