Dell AT101W vs SIIG minitouch

[notnay]

So I've been hunting around for a new keyboard to type on to try something interesting. Currently my first (and only) mechanical keyboard is a blackwidow. I like it fine, but some of the keys are acting a bit funky. I've also been wondering what it would be like to play on a different keyboard. After doing some hunting around I've come across both the Dell AT101W and the SIIG Minitouch as groovy looking boards. I do however have a few questions if you fine folks can answer them for me:

For anyone who's had experience with both boards, can you sort of describe how typing on each board feels compared to the other?

I've looked around ebay, and found a couple links with the minitouch going for pretty cheap and the Dell AT101W going for <30$ as well. These are both great, but I'm a little skeptical on purchasing keyboards off ebay nowadays since my last keyboard arrived with rubber domes when I was too ignorant to assume that they actually might not be mechanical switches even though the model number was the same. So if anyone could shed some more information on whether these boards are actually legit that would be much appreciated:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MiniTouch-Siig-mini-mechanical-clicky-keyboard-/320841732822?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item4ab3a852d6#ht_2920wt_1397
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIIG-Inc-Enhanced-80-key-Keyboard-PC-Mini-Touch-Plus-New-unopened-box-/310376776406?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item4843e5c2d6#ht_809wt_1140
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Vintage-Dell-WHITE-Clicky-Keyboard-ALPS-sliders-Model-AT101W-/260949744807?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item3cc1d11ca7#ht_2848wt_1397
There's also a link in great finds for a new siig minitouch going for 129$ or so. These seem to be much cheaper, so I assume that they are actually non mechanical and that I am not in fact a google wizard.

If anyone has any comments regarding the build quality of either board, please tell me as I am fairly clueless when it comes to determining these kinds of things.

If you've managed to read this far I appreciate it, here's a pic I saw on reddit that gave me the giggles:

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[demik]

[STRIKE]both your minitouch links are rubberdomes[/STRIKE]

nvm, clicked the second link twice on accident.

first is alps, second is rubberdome

[bazemk1979]

The link you have from the Dell AT101W that is brand new, I bought from this seller the AT101W new one and IBM model M new one. So I can speak of the DellAT101W as a first impression of mein,seems like a sturdy board,not as heavy as a buckling spring one, in person looks appealing kinda like a sweet milky cookie lol.

The typing part is really nice, you get that clicky and tactile feeling from it, seems that black alps dont need to much force to compress them, and some peeps think cherry MX blacks and buckling springs are too stiff while I think I could use more force to my fingers, but then I work in construction lol.

Overall I can only speak of the Dell, its a lovely board, not too big and definatelly not small, and I think its your best option because its BRAND NEW and you can bever go wrong with brand new, I guarantee for this seller he sod me 2 new boards without factory boxes but never the less the were brand new.

[bazemk1979]

both your minitouch links are rubberdomes

Demik if I stand correct the beige Mini touch is mechanical with Alps switches and the black one is rubber domes, right?

[BiNiaRiS]

both your minitouch links are rubberdomes

The first link is a legit Alps minitouch.

[demik]

crap i clicked the second link twice haha.

yeah first is alps, second is rubberdome.

i have the first one and i absolutely love it. the click isn't as smooth as a cherry blue but i still like typing on it.

[Magna224]

They are both extremely well built keyboards. What it really comes down to is layout and switch feel.

[notnay]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I'm kind of leaning towards the minitouch at this point, but from what I understand it is similar in terms of feel to cherry blues, so perhaps the Dell for a different experience.

Does anyone know of any other Black ALPS boards that are worth checking out? The wiki only listed the dell, and I'm not too familiar with ALPS switches in general.

EDIT: also, can someone tell me whether this is ALPS or rubber dome?: http://www.aztekcomputers.com/JKAB0211-SIIG-598979.html

[hashbaz]

I have a black Alps AT101W, and I'm not a huge fan.  Very grainy and rough feeling.  I also have a MiniTouch, and I wouldn't call the switch feel similar to blues.  They're both clicky and tactile, but tactile Alps switches feel more "crisp" than Cherries, if that makes sense.  Where tactile Cherry switches have a continuous bump that builds, peaks, and fades, tactile Alps switches just kind of stop moving until you "shatter" through them and the rest of the stroke feels even.  Imagine typing on Chex cereal.

[Brodie337]

Crisp isn't so much the right word as crunchy

[hashbaz]

Crisp isn't so much the right word as crunchy

OP will have to try them and decide for himself ...

Point is they don't feel much like Cherry switches.  And in case it wasn't clear from my other post, I really like both tactile Cherries and tactile Alps.  I would stay away from black linear Alps though.

[Magna224]

EDIT: also, can someone tell me whether this is ALPS or rubber dome?: http://www.aztekcomputers.com/JKAB0211-SIIG-598979.html

The Minitouch Plus is a rubber dome. The picture for that ad is a real minitouch though. Very tricky.