Author Topic: New Keyboard (totally new to this) (Read 11631 times)

USAgent · « **on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 10:51:21 »

Hey all,

Completely new to the forums, read around and watched YouTube a bit and I still am not sure what to do. I currently have a standard MS Media 3000 keyboard and was looking to get a 'gaming keyboard'. My issues with this one is that the F keys don't seem to work in games (F1-12 that is). I like the aesthetic of it, clean and simple. I don't like those crazy gaming keyboards with buttons all over the place, but looked at the Logitech G110 and it's a pretty simple design. I wanted something a little on the quiet side, not sure if it was Cherry Blue or Brown for mechanical as I'm new to it all. Just looking for some suggestions and appreciate the patience from you guys as I try to figure this out.

noodles256 · « **Reply #1 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 10:58:50 »

spolia optima · « **Reply #2 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:01:03 »

MX Brown switches are silent (tactile)
MX Blue switches are loud (clicky + tactile)
MX Black/Red switches are also silent (linear)

You want to check out Leopold, DAS, Filco, and WASD to begin with.
Looks like you're in the right place, too. Mechanical keyboards are known for their sleek, modern appearance. Most of us can't stand flashy, plasticky keyboards that basically look like toys.

spolia optima · « **Reply #3 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:01:36 »

Also welcome to GH!!! Enjoy your stay and GIRD YOUR WALLET

USAgent · « **Reply #4 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:04:29 »

I will check those out, just to make it easier:

Preferences:
Smooth typing as I don't use a headset and in games I typically type
Quiet is better than loud, I can't see it being too important, but I feel like the smoothness is nice
At work I have a Bloomberg keyboard (mini one) I'm guessing it's mechanical but I can find out, it is a little stiff

Also, has anyone tried the new BlackWidow Stealth and Stealth Ultimate?

peda · « **Reply #5 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:04:32 »

Welcome.

Have a look at http://www.keyboardlover.com for a general overview of mechanical keyboards.

Or click ripster's signature for a more in depth knowledge base.

USAgent · « **Reply #6 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:09:27 »

That is a nice sig. I'll do some reading

RColinTaylor · « **Reply #7 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:10:48 »

It would be a stretch to consider MX Browns as 'Silent' but I like them for gaming; they fit in as that sort of middle man for typing and gaming comfort.

RColinTaylor · « **Reply #8 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:12:23 »

Oh, and as a side note: What kind of gaming are you looking at doing?

spolia optima · « **Reply #9 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:23:04 »

The blackwidow is good (and cheap) but generally not the same kind of high-quality that you'll find in a leopold, filco, or das.
That's not to say I wouldn't recommend them. I HIGHLY recommend the blackwidow to anyone new to mechanical keyboards who might be on a budget.

Mind taking of a picture of that "bloomberg" keyboard? Just take off a keycap and snap one of what's underneath.

USAgent · « **Reply #10 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:36:37 »

I'm mostly FPS, probably play Diablo 3 when it comes out, maybe try the new Star Wars: Old Republic. I'd imagine(and for wallet's sake) my MMO days are behind me.

peda · « **Reply #11 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 11:45:30 »

Quote from: USAgent;432796

I'd imagine(and for wallet's sake) my MMO days are behind me.

This is also true for me but I don't think that I will be able to resist guild wars 2...

B-)

USAgent · « **Reply #12 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 13:07:57 »

I'm curious about the BlackWidow Stealth edition, has anyone used it? I saw the reviews for the non-stealth one and wasn't sure if this new one uses a different Cherry? I'm liking the DAS but I don't really like the glossy look. I feel like the Razer might be a good choice since I also have some Best Buy giftcards it will cost me little to nothing out of pocket.

RC-1140 · « **Reply #13 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 13:12:27 »

Well, in that case the Black Widow Stealth seems to be the right option. It uses PCB Mounted Brown switches (ergonomic, tactile, non-clicky). It might not be of the same quality as a Filco or a Leopold, but if you could get it cheap, why not.

In the case you like it, you could still look for a keyboard with a higher build quality and plate mounted switches. But I for myself am quite happy with my cheap Cherry boards, so it really depends on yourself.

Mazora · « **Reply #14 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 13:38:32 »

Diablo 3: I would go with a ten key less keyboard. There's not so much keyboard spamming in this game (its mostly on the mouse) so I guess a clicky switch keyboard would be good.

USAgent · « **Reply #15 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 13:45:25 »

I checked under the key on my bloomberg keyboard it's a weird combo

but I think I'm gonna try for the BlackWidow Stealth, just need to find a place to buy it from.

RC-1140 · « **Reply #16 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 13:55:49 »

Indeed, these switches seem strange to me too, but I'm far from being an expert. But from the first glance these seem to be some strange Rubber Domes.

Mazora · « **Reply #17 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 14:00:47 »

I'm using the exact same bloomberg keyboard at work. It's a terrible keyboard, very very sucky, one of the worst I ever typed on.

USAgent · « **Reply #18 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 14:08:21 »

It's like they combined the worst things of a laptop keyboard with an attempt at mechanical keyboard. The wobbliness of the keys drives me nuts.

kingqway · « **Reply #19 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 18:14:20 »

Not sure if you would like the blackwidow if you don't like the Das for its gloss. Blackwidow is pretty much a glossier das keyboard.

StaCT13 · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 19:12:51 »

I don't really know if I can agree with that 'sleek, modern appearance' part. But most modern mechs tend to steer away from unneeded features.

But on a more helpful note, if you want a really high quality, no bells-and-whistles board for a reasonable price, look into Leopolds. They're on the cheaper side, but match the amazing reputation of Filcos.
Good 'ol Filcos...

SmallFry · « **Reply #21 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 20:39:16 »

A cheap starting board would be a Model M, but they are quite loud. So, I'd find what switch sounds most pleasing, then browse the Classifieds. There are usually a few nice cheaper either Pokers or Leopolds on there. Again, like everyone else, WELCOME TO GEEKHACK!

flyball · « **Reply #22 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 20:45:18 »

buy something new enough to have a windows key

Lmnr · « **Reply #23 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 21:14:15 »

TOPRE REALFORCE haha if you want to try them out they start at 200 and up also very high quality keyboards that have their own type of switches called topre switches and its constantly debated over if its worth the money and if its not and my answer to that is if you have the money itll be worth it, I also had the same issue moved from trying to get a filco,ducky,leopold,wasd all of them seemed ok but the topre constantly gets good rep for the people that have them and used them for a while... then again 200+

Pretendo · « **Reply #24 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 21:45:52 »

Welcome to GH!

I'll continue my praise for the Rosewill RK-9000. Cheap, attractive and high quality. That logo may knock off a couple sleek points though...

If you want to go completely anti-sleek but type on pure heaven, you could adopt a Model M. Grey and beige keyboards will come back in style some day, just you wait!

That process could be sped up significantly if somebody knocks Snooki out with one on live TV. Any GH members live in Jersey?

TheProfosist · « **Reply #25 on:** Mon, 17 October 2011, 21:54:04 »

pick up this up its a great deal for a new board http://tinyurl.com/345slza

USAgent · « **Reply #26 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 05:52:30 »

I cashed out some credit card reward points and loaded up on Amazon giftcards, but now I see that the BWU Stealth is not currently for sale. I'll have to go to the store and see if I can play with the non-stealth one and see if how I like the sound and feel.

juanito89 · « **Reply #27 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 07:20:00 »

Hey Agent.

I've also been looking into Blackwidows as an option for my first mechanical keyboard.

As far as I understand, the main (only?) 2 differences between the Original and the Stealth are:

A) Original uses Cherry Blue switches - Stealth uses Cherry Browns. These two switches have different sound and feel, so that Original in the store will be very different from the Stealth.

B) Stealth has a black matte finish, Original has a black glossy finish, which most people hate because they're very hard to keep clean and free of fingerprints.

USAgent · « **Reply #28 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 07:35:59 »

Yeah that's why I'm leaning towards the Stealth, I don't know why they are completely unavaible

Harlequin · « **Reply #29 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 09:08:05 »

DO NOT GET Razer Black Widow(Cherry blue switch) keyboard. especially Ultimate one. It has so many problems, the most common problem is that if u press some key, it hits other keys.
my problem was XCV keys. I pressed V and C came up together and so on. so annoying. u can fix it but it's not worth doing this.

Get FILCO or Leopold.

If you play FPS, i heard that black switch is good. SteelSeries 6GV2 has black switches. It's just solid simple nice keyboard.
A lot of pro FPS gamers use this keyboards.
MMORPG, i suggest either brown or blue.

spolia optima · « **Reply #30 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 10:33:48 »

Quote from: Harlequin;433521

DO NOT GET Razer Black Widow(Cherry blue switch) keyboard. especially Ultimate one. It has so many problems, the most common problem is that if u press some key, it hits other keys.
my problem was XCV keys. I pressed V and C came up together and so on. so annoying. u can fix it but it's not worth doing this.

Get FILCO or Leopold.

If you play FPS, i heard that black switch is good. SteelSeries 6GV2 has black switches. It's just solid simple nice keyboard.
A lot of pro FPS gamers use this keyboards.
MMORPG, i suggest either brown or blue.

I take it you're talking about ghosting?
Also, where did you get this scandalous information about Razer's quality control?

USAgent · « **Reply #31 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 13:06:53 »

Something about the font on the keyboard caught my eye, also the matte finish on the stealth really looks a lot better. Seriously though, no one is willing to take my money for this thing, cannot find it for sale.

Mazora · « **Reply #32 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 13:12:27 »

financial professionals should go for Topre Realforce 87-UW...see that gosu integrated numpad ?

juanito89 · « **Reply #33 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 13:13:09 »

Quote from: USAgent;433675

Something about the font on the keyboard caught my eye, also the matte finish on the stealth really looks a lot better. Seriously though, no one is willing to take my money for this thing, cannot find it for sale.

Have you tried emailing the Razer store to ask when it will be available again? I was considering that...but now my interest is swaying into the Leopold brown tenkeyless or even the Noppoo, so I probably won't.

kingqway · « **Reply #34 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 13:37:21 »

Quote from: Harlequin;433521

DO NOT GET Razer Black Widow(Cherry blue switch) keyboard. especially Ultimate one. It has so many problems, the most common problem is that if u press some key, it hits other keys.
my problem was XCV keys. I pressed V and C came up together and so on. so annoying. u can fix it but it's not worth doing this.

Get FILCO or Leopold.

If you play FPS, i heard that black switch is good. SteelSeries 6GV2 has black switches. It's just solid simple nice keyboard.
A lot of pro FPS gamers use this keyboards.
MMORPG, i suggest either brown or blue.

eh, I don't hear good reviews about razer products on a general level (like my cousins, online forums, etc). But having seen the normal blackwidow (mx blues) it seemed perfectly fine. Personally, I don't like razer's flashy approach to gaming accessories, so I avoid their products at all possibilities, and that's about the only reason. As for the blackwidow, one of my friend's got it and he enjoys the keyboard a lot (ultimate).

I would just like to warn people who get blackwidows to watch out for their slight change in key setup. The macro keys to the left of the keyboard, and the Fkeys along the top are different. Personally, I found this extremely aggravating to adjust to when I was playing on his computer (starcraft 2), as I take quite a bit to adjust to new keyboard setups once I've settled down with the standard. Just keep it in mind when you buy one that you will need to adjust slightly to their change in format.

EDIT: Corrected some huge mistakes

USAgent · « **Reply #35 on:** Tue, 18 October 2011, 13:48:58 »

I did email the Razer store, will let you know what I hear back. In the meantime I started looking at the Deck Legend with MX Clears, heard the Blacks are really stiff.

edit: forgot to mention, steel series looked ok, but the left windows button not being a windows button I heard this may be an issue?

USAgent · « **Reply #36 on:** Wed, 19 October 2011, 11:41:08 »

I started playing around on WASD customized keyboard layouts, anyone have a WASD with Cherry Browns it looks like what I want!

enoy21 · « **Reply #37 on:** Wed, 19 October 2011, 12:15:59 »

I have it in blues and I use it here at work. I love my Filco brown that I use at home too. They are both of excellent quality.

TheProfosist · « **Reply #38 on:** Wed, 19 October 2011, 15:09:22 »

I have a Custom Blue WASD very good build quality and great support.

Meekis · « **Reply #39 on:** Wed, 19 October 2011, 18:26:36 »

I have a WASD Custom in brown, I love it!

N8N · « **Reply #40 on:** Wed, 19 October 2011, 18:33:46 »

If you think that you may want a WASD go for it. I also have one in blues and love it. Currently typing this on a Noppoo Choc Pro/browns that I actually bought WASD keycaps for. The new laser printed caps are fantastic. The only reason I'm not using the one w/ blues is that I really don't like the click of the blues. I bought the board with the intent of modifying it to clears, but ended up liking it as is and couldn't bear to cut it up. So I have an extra keyboard

(it occasionally sees some use at home, as the browns really do feel pretty good, I'm just not a big fan of the click.)

WASD is pure concentrated evil for people like me who are snobbish about their equipment and also somewhat frustrated graphic designers... for a mere $60 you can completely change the character of your keyboard

Right now of my three favorite keyboards only one of them (the WASD) has the keycaps that it came with out of the box. (the other two would be this Noppoo w/ WASDs and my hacked-up Filco with MX clears and Cherry doubleshots.)

USAgent · « **Reply #41 on:** Wed, 19 October 2011, 18:55:31 »

I'm really itching now, think I might get an all black with lime green WASD blank.
Sidenote: If anyone wants a logitech store code, I got 20% off because I just recently got the Wireless Gaming G700, god it's so smoooooth.

Bry · « **Reply #42 on:** Wed, 19 October 2011, 20:12:58 »

Welcome.
You might be a good candidate for a Leopold with browns (tactile light spring), reds (linear light spring), blacks (linear heavy spring), or possibly clears (tactile heavy switch).
Leopolds seem to be a good value, and if you want to pay a bit more I'd check out Filco and WASD (fully customizable keycaps).

Good luck!

TheProfosist · « **Reply #43 on:** Thu, 20 October 2011, 00:15:26 »

Quote from: USAgent;434864

I'm really itching now, think I might get an all black with lime green WASD blank.
Sidenote: If anyone wants a logitech store code, I got 20% off because I just recently got the Wireless Gaming G700, god it's so smoooooth.

If your just going to modify the WASD get a semi custom. I personally recommend o-rings to dampen bottoming out. I wount use a cherry mx keyboard long without them.

duncan · « **Reply #44 on:** Thu, 20 October 2011, 02:31:40 »

Quote from: TheProfosist;435036

If your just going to modify the WASD get a semi custom. I personally recommend o-rings to dampen bottoming out. I wount use a cherry mx keyboard long without them.

+1

asassdsd · « **Reply #45 on:** Thu, 20 October 2011, 03:07:16 »

It is said and mostly believed that Cherry MX Black switch are the type of switches to play on an FPS game.
Cherry Blacks are a bit stiff but DEFINITELY quite as OP likes.
Im currently typing on a Ducky 1008 bought from PChome. If your on a budget it is good to start with a Ducky , it cost about $78 shipping included to US.
But if you have some loose money in your hands. You can definitely buy a steelseries 6GV2, It is about $100 everywhere and uses Cherry Black switches. Steelseries seems make lots of think for FPS players so im sure that will interest u a bit. If that doesnt satisfy you, You can also try the Das, and the slightly better Filco/Leopold, they all have Cherry black versions.

Also, don't but Blackwidow non-stealthed if you like quite keyboards, Cherry blues are LOUD.

duncan · « **Reply #46 on:** Thu, 20 October 2011, 03:33:09 »

Quote from: asassdsd;435068

Cherry Blacks are a bit stiff but DEFINITELY quite as OP likes.

I assume this was meant to be "quiet"?

This is only true if you don't bottom out. If you bottom out a non-dampened MX Black then they are plenty noisy.

A bottomed out Black can be (seem?) louder than a non-bottomed out Blue and the provision of a tactile bump in the Blue can help prevent bottoming out. So much depends on how things are used.

TheProfosist · « **Reply #47 on:** Thu, 20 October 2011, 04:27:40 »

Quote from: duncan;435082

I assume this was meant to be "quiet"?

This is only true if you don't bottom out. If you bottom out a non-dampened MX Black then they are plenty noisy.

A bottomed out Black can be (seem?) louder than a non-bottomed out Blue and the provision of a tactile bump in the Blue can help prevent bottoming out. So much depends on how things are used.

O and I must say I much prefer the sound of PBT bottoming out that ABS. Bottoming out ABS is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

TheSoulhunter · « **Reply #48 on:** Thu, 20 October 2011, 04:58:42 »

Silent and smooth typing?
Id go for a board with Cherry reds, if possible PCB mounted!

duncan · « **Reply #49 on:** Thu, 20 October 2011, 05:12:24 »

Quote from: TheSoulhunter;435104

Silent and smooth typing?
Id go for board with Cherry reds, if possible PCB mounted!

+1
And add o-rings to the keys (see the WASD Keyboards site) to make it even nicer.

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Author Topic: New Keyboard (totally new to this) (Read 11631 times)