SuperN00b Question: Ducky DK1008XM : Need info

[shogrran]

Yeeaaap! You guessed right! Didn't read the wiki

For the first time in forever someone posted a Ducky mechanical keyboard locally. And they posted it at approx 58USD -- FYI the cheapest mechanical keyboard I could find locally 2nd hand keyboards included. You can Imagine how interested I am.

I did google and I did do a search in geekhack but came up with either sites in Chinese/Taiwanese or a thread that talks about other things aside from the keyboard itself.

I did try and search for information about alps switches here particularly the green ones but that still sort of came out empty since I even got more confused with the complex and simple alps and clicky and tactile and clicky but not tactile blah blah. To a newbie like me that wiki is like reading a Russian Trigonometry book upside down. My guess is the "1008" part is the model number and the XM is the switch type it uses? I am not sure. And besides if the XM is a switch type where does it fall in the wiki? Is it a complex switch? Is it an simplified one? To me perhaps everything is complex. I actually only guessed it was alps because every time I did a search for ducky it came up with alps and besides I haven't heard of a cherry mx green switch.

I hope someone would point me in the right direction.

• I need specs and pics.
• I also need non-technical information like how soft does the keys feel.
• How is it different from the 1087XM that I have seen a video posted by someone here? Is it only different to the 1087 because the 1087 is without a number pad? Again I don't know.
• How much force is required to press a key? Is it softer than the mxblues? Is it softer even than the mxbrowns? More importantly is it softer than the mx reds -- becase that is the next switch type I'd like to have.
• The retailer said he has 2 verisons available, a green and a black. I've read somewhere the blacks are the silent ones and the greens were the ones that have a loud click. (I listened to the video though and the black ones give a loud click anyway)

I have an Razer BW with mxblue and a CMStorm Quickfire rapid mxbrown, but I am planning to sell the Razer BW for this Ducky. (is it going to be worth it?)

Thank you in advance to the people who will reply on topic and with information. To those who will post non helpful replies -- well... thanks anyway for "up"ing the thread.

[shogrran]

Maybe not.

[Reptile]

Maybe not.

Do some searching. Lot of threads about the ducky 1087xm. I bought one for a friend; Feels like stiffer blues with a more pronounced click.

[shogrran]

Do some searching. Lot of threads about the ducky 1087xm. I bought one for a friend; Feels like stiffer blues with a more pronounced click.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. I was asking about the 1008 not the 1087.

The 1087 isnt available as well. only the 1008 and a 9008 i think.

[Hak Foo]

The 1008XM feels a lot like Blues; much more than the super-heavy ALPS switches of old.

The build quality is "okay"- lasered caps, detachable cable, NKRO.

However, 58 USD is not a bargain if you're willing to go through the process of ordering from PCHome, it will show up (if you're like me) in under a week, and cost about 55 USD depending on exchange rates.

The 1087 is a tenkeyless, the 1008 is a full 104 plus three media keys and a calculator key.  They are moderately awkward to redefine-- ordinary tools like Sharpkeys seem to not identify them.

[shogrran]

The 1008XM feels a lot like Blues; much more than the super-heavy ALPS switches of old.

The build quality is "okay"- lasered caps, detachable cable, NKRO.

However, 58 USD is not a bargain if you're willing to go through the process of ordering from PCHome, it will show up (if you're like me) in under a week, and cost about 55 USD depending on exchange rates.

The 1087 is a tenkeyless, the 1008 is a full 104 plus three media keys and a calculator key.  They are moderately awkward to redefine-- ordinary tools like Sharpkeys seem to not identify them.

Thank you for the information. I am not going to order from PCHome. One retailer from my country advertised on his page that he has ducky keyboards available. 58 dollars is his price for the Ducky 1008. Should I expect the 1087 to be cheaper since it is a 10-keyless version?

I am going to get rid of my razer blackwidow. The switches feel so nice but it doesn't work so well with my desktop computer. I will get mx blue switches sometime again in the future. But for now I am pretty much satisfied with the mx brown switches of my cm storm. Cheap is the way to go for me as of the moment and the ducky offered at 58USD is the cheapest mechanical board I can find locally

I watched a video of the 1087XM and I really liked the sound of the green alps. It didn't sound so stiff. I read in the wiki that the green alps require about 55 grams of force so that is a bit stiffer than my mx blue razer. I am not sure how stiff it would be though in comparison. I just got my mx browns last week and the mx browns are rated for 45g of force.... and yet it feels stiffer than my mx blue switches? - not sure if this is only because the switches are still new. So I am guessing as 45g and 50g doesn't really feel much different, 50g and 55g shouldn't feel much different as well.

I hope the retailer has an open box for testing. I would really like to test the product first before I buy it.

[IronDoc]

The 1087 is a tenkeyless, the 1008 is a full 104 plus three media keys and a calculator key.  They are moderately awkward to redefine-- ordinary tools like Sharpkeys seem to not identify them.

I managed to redefine them pretty easily using PassMark KeyboardTest and autohotkey, but, as you said, not every key test application detected them.

[shogrran]

I would really appreciate if someone can provide me with the details on how stiff the switch is the green XM alps are? That is really the deciding factor on if I will get a ducky 1087 or 1008 version. If it is stiff and hard to press like the mx black cherry switches I will not get it since I prefer the soft switches.

[elbowglue]

Whatsup shogrran,
I have the 1087XM with clicky green alps, use it as my daily home driver.  The Green XM alps are reasonably light, I think they are a tiny bit heavier to actuate than cherry blues.  The keyboard is loud as all hell.  Compared to say, a Siig Minitouch with White XM alps, the ducky 1087 is much lighter.  There is no off-center press binding.  From light to heavy (from a totally non-measured, objective point of view) I would rate it as such:

Cherry blues (light) > Green Clicky alps > Buckling springs from model M spacesaver > White alps (xm) from siig minitouch (heaviest)

I would really appreciate if someone can provide me with the details on how stiff the switch is the green XM alps are? That is really the deciding factor on if I will get a ducky 1087 or 1008 version. If it is stiff and hard to press like the mx black cherry switches I will not get it since I prefer the soft switches.

I highly recommend the Green XM alps switch, the only thing is you'll never be able to type silently with it.

[Grimey]

I would really appreciate if someone can provide me with the details on how stiff the switch is the green XM alps are? That is really the deciding factor on if I will get a ducky 1087 or 1008 version. If it is stiff and hard to press like the mx black cherry switches I will not get it since I prefer the soft switches.

I have fairly wimpy hands that prefer a softer switch and Green XMs from Ducky feel nice to me.

[shogrran]

Whatsup shogrran,
I have the 1087XM with clicky green alps, use it as my daily home driver.  The Green XM alps are reasonably light, I think they are a tiny bit heavier to actuate than cherry blues.  The keyboard is loud as all hell.  Compared to say, a Siig Minitouch with White XM alps, the ducky 1087 is much lighter.  There is no off-center press binding.  From light to heavy (from a totally non-measured, objective point of view) I would rate it as such:

Cherry blues (light) > Green Clicky alps > Buckling springs from model M spacesaver > White alps (xm) from siig minitouch (heaviest)

I highly recommend the Green XM alps switch, the only thing is you'll never be able to type silently with it.

Thank you for that comparison you made. I am familiar with the mx blues so I can pretty much imagine the stiffness of the switch. I have never used alps switches before so this will be a welcome change. Hopefully it's not a stiff as the mx blacks since I didn't like the mx blacks.

I will wait for the 1087XM version when it comes. It may even be cheaper than the 1008XM that is already available.

The noise it will make when I type is not going to be a problem. That is actually what I am after. I will use it at work to irritate my coworkers.

[shogrran]

I have fairly wimpy hands that prefer a softer switch and Green XMs from Ducky feel nice to me.

We are the same in wanting softer switches. The softer the better for me. It just feels better to type on a soft switch. No wrestling a key down involved. I'll get the green alps 1087 when it arrives.

[Wildcard]

RTFW? Lol...

I prefer white alps, unless you find some old school orange.

[shogrran]

Yep.... this was your problem right here:

Actually that was supposed to be a snarky joke. I did read the wiki as I said in my early posts. Unfortunately didn't find much info on the green alps, or not just the info I was really looking for.

On that note however if you are curious to know I did vote for you somewhere about two or three months back...

[shogrran]

Oh, in that case let me give you the link:

http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Keyboard+Peak+and+Activation+Forces#Green+XM+Simplified+Type+II+Clicky

Please note that this RipOmeter is NOT approved by Webwit at Deskthority.net.   Something to do with The Netherlands being the only country below sea level so the gravitational pull is stronger.

actually i haven't tried your ripOmeter. Our currency is just too non standard. We have chewed out coins, bent coins and chipped coins. So 55g for the green alps in 1008XM? -- i guess i won't buy the board after all. I am looking for something even lighter than cherry reds. (if there exists a switch like that)

[alaricljs]

I am looking for something even lighter than cherry reds. (if there exists a switch like that)

Only one I've heard of - Topre 30g