Help with choosing my first mechanical keyboard

[mereblood]

Hello all,

I just recently stumbled upon mechanical keyboards and was instantly interested. I work in IT and am always on a computer all day, so I figured why not spend all my time typing on a nice keyboard instead of the crappy ones that come from the manufacturers. I like the clicky noise that the Cherry MX Blues make, and also would like the keyboard to have a ten key. Nkey rollover is not that important to me, I do play FPS and RTS games but I rarely am pressing more than 4 buttons at once. I want something that is well built and will last me years to come. I don't need any fancy features like back lighting or media controls, but they would be a plus if they were properly implemented and didn't subtract from the overall keyboard quality.

I have been lurking on these forums for the past few days trying to make a decision, but some input would be welcome. The keyboards I have seen that seem to fit my criteria are the das ultimate model S, the wasdkeyboard, the steelseries-7g, and the one that probably has caught my attention the most on this forum is the filco, but I can't seem to find it anymore, has it been discontinued and replaced with Leopold?

Any input would be appreciated.

[noodles256]

wlcm

[Urglifast]

The Das is a winner in my book.  i thoroughly enjoyed mine, the only reason i don't have it anymore is because i needed more space on my desk so i went tenkeyless

[itlnstln]

You can get Filcos on Amazon.  They are a storefront for The Keyboard Co. who is a vendor from the UK with a subforum here.

[czarek]

Model M - after that any other keyboard will feel like a wanna be :rockon:

[woody]

Model M - after that any other keyboard will feel like a wanna be :rockon:

Wanna see deathmatch between Model M and Topre devotees, should be fun.

[mereblood]

Does the Model M have the same clicky sound that a Cherry MX Blue switch will make? Another thing I noticed is the das has a 2 port usb hub on the side, do the Filco or Model M have anything like that? I could really use an extra port for my headphones, since I play on a large TV and sit far away from the computer.

[duncan]

Does the Model M have the same clicky sound that a Cherry MX Blue switch will make?

The Model M's buckling springs produce a loudly "clicky" sound so they are the same in that regard but it is a different noise to the MX Blue so they are different in that regard.

If you are planning to use headphones will you even notice the noise?
How much noise isolation do your headphones provide?

Another thing I noticed is the das has a 2 port usb hub on the side, do the Filco or Model M have anything like that? I could really use an extra port for my headphones, since I play on a large TV and sit far away from the computer.

No the Model M is pre-USB so it doesn't even know that it exists - you'll need a convertor to plug it into a USB port. This may well be an argument not to get one.

The Filco's do not have a USB hub.

Think hard about how important it is for you to have that hub as opposed to a simple USB extension lead plugged straight into the machine instead of loading up your board with doing things other than key entry work. The more features you add the more complexity you add and the less purity. I prefer to use one USB point per device whenever possible to keep things simple and robust (but you needn't agree with me - it's your system).

I'd suggest that a USB hub may be less important to you in use than it seems right now. But, if a hub is the big factor for you then perhaps the DAS is the answer for you.

[Lanx]

model m's are 30ish to 50ish on the low and common side on ebay (some can be had for even less if you search ebay), so imo model m's are cheap and especially good if you like click. they are super vintage tho (unless you count unicomp), but they sound and feel the best to most ppl.

[mereblood]

How much noise isolation do your headphones provide?

They don't provide much isolation at all, and I will only have them on while using Ventrillo in games.

Also you may be right on the hub. So it looks like i'm narrowed down between a Filco and Das now.

Thanks guys!