Want some help on first mechanical keyboard (Sweden, EU)

[someone]

Hello everyone!

Short background:
I am 16 years old and have never really been interested in keyboard, at least not for the performance. So, a few days ago, I was at this LAN with my friends, and I met this guy that used a mechanical keyboard, and he let me use it. I was blown away.

What I want:
As said, I am looking to buy my first mechanical keyboard. I don't know much about keyboards, I have read through the wiki-guide you guys have created but it hasn't shed the greatest of lights on my situation. What I really am looking for, please don't laugh, is a keyboard with pink key-caps. Even better, I would like to get a few sets of different colors so I can mix it up myself

This, for example, is what I dream about at night:
*Pic wont load* link: http://imgur.com/Pj7HI


My budget goes up to ~150, really tops 200 dollars including shipping, which would be to Sweden.

Sorry if the post is bad but I'm not good at writing posts, and English ain't my native language, and sorry for bothering you, but I need help and you all seem so nice

Thanks for your help!

[Broach]

If you want a keyboard with coloured keycaps, check out wasdkeyboards. A fully customized keyboard, including shipment to Sweden, would fit your price range.
If you prefer an Swedish layout, choose 105-key ISO layout in "Custom Keyboard Designer". And then - choose whatever symbol or colour you want for each keycap.

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Wow, a keyboard made of Swizzlers ;-) Looks tasty. Mmm fizzy keys.

I don't suppose there's any way to ask this dude what he was using and just buy one the same? If you start considering the other options … well, that way lies madness. You have reached The Asylum.

The good news is that if you get a Cherry MX keyboard (FILCO, Das, Leopold, etc) there's lots of opportunity for replacing the keycaps, though I must say I've never seen Swizzler keys before – normally the colours are a lot bolder. (I find this Lego keys look pretty tasteless – I like subtlety, or carefully applied insanity, like the BBC Micro's flame red function keys and olive drab editing keys. I want a set of soothing blue-green function keys, like on the Acorn Archimedes A3010.)

[Glissant]

These are the exact same keys that are shown, at least color wise. Link to keycaps on eBay
Pretty nice price for a keycap set, but as you can see it will be a fair buck to get a good keyboard and the set, especially sent to Sweden.

Good luck on your first buy =)

[whiskerBox]

You can buy that exact set of rainbow keys like the ones in the picture you linked to. Also finding a keyboard based on your budget shouldn't be hard. Maybe think about a cooler master quick fire that way you would have enough for the board and the rainbow keys

[Daniel Beardsmore]

OK, so then his next question … See, those are ANSI keys. Sweden is ISO, 105-key. Keyboardco do Swedish FILCOs, I believe Das comes in ISO, and Qpad, in Sweden, do a branded X-Armor.

So, ISO or ANSI?

[someone]

I had this recommendation from a friend that I should go for the Qpad 50 (http://www.corporate.qpad.se/modules/news/index.php?storytopic=11) and I wonder, can I buy that keyboard (with Swedish ISO-keys) and get these keys (http://www.ebay.com/itm/104-PBT-Rainbow-engraved-keycaps-for-MX-cherry-Switches-keyboard-Filco-Noppoo-/300662466894?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item4600e1294e#ht_2631wt_1220) and just switch some of the keys?

Thanks for all the answers so far!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Yes. The QPAD/X-Armor keyboards use Cherry MX switches, so they'll take Cherry MX keycaps. You can definitely swap all the letter/number keys, function keys, esc etc – all the 1× width keys basically.

What will cause problems:

ISO vs ANSI – you have one more 1× key in Sweden than the US, so you'll be one 1× keycap short

Height and row angle – do the keycaps match the height and angle for each row of keys (e.g. the non-swapped keycaps)? Can't say for sure

Key width – QPAD/X-Armor have a wider ctrl and alt and narrower windows logo key, vs FILCO and Leopold where ctrl, win, menu, alt/alt gr are all equal width, so extra keycaps that won't fit

[huttala]

First of all I have to say that your english is really good for being an 16 year old from Sweden, cudos to you, didn't think of that about the Swedish kids these days (I'm from Sweden as well).

Now, on topic:
If you have no problems with writing without looking at the keys, and don't use the "<>" signs that much then buy ANSI, you can get every keyboard availible in ANSI and switch keycaps as you want with ANSI, I've had a lot of problems with ISO keyboards when I've bought new caps for them, so I've gone over to ANSI because of that. And really, I don't make that much <3 <3 <3 signs so ANSI is no problem for me, and if ur not a programmer then you should be fine as well.

I hope this helps.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

ANSI vs ISO isn't about what's printed on the keys, it's about physical layout – long vs short left shift, horizontal vs vertical enter, and the fact that ISO has one more key. It's annoying reaching for \ (in Sweden, ) and hitting shift instead, and in the UK, if I connect a US keyboard to my PC, \ disappears from the keyboard completely, as ANSI is one key short. In Sweden, I guess will disappear instead.

Some people prefer simply moving to US layout, which of course is an option. Not for me though.

[huttala]

ANSI vs ISO isn't about what's printed on the keys, it's about physical layout – long vs short left shift, horizontal vs vertical enter, and the fact that ISO has one more key. It's annoying reaching for \ (in Sweden, ) and hitting shift instead, and in the UK, if I connect a US keyboard to my PC, \ disappears from the keyboard completely, as ANSI is one key short. In Sweden, I guess will disappear instead.

Some people prefer simply moving to US layout, which of course is an option. Not for me though.

Took me 30min to get used to the different layout, it's not like learning dvorak or anything, the buttons just differ a little bit.

[someone]

Thanks for all the answers, you guys are so nice

edit: How do you feel about the Filco Majestouch? (http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=623) It seems good, especially with those loud blue switches

[Daniel Beardsmore]

If you intend to remain with it, yes, but if you move between computers where the rest are ISO, then it will annoy the hell out of you. Typing is painful if you have to keep stopping and thinking about where keys are.

The worst one on the face of the planet is where # is where the left side of backspace is: if you use the left side of backspace, then when you try to erase something, you get #, and the instinct to erase that mistake yields another #, and another … WTF man?

OK, no, the truly worst is the one with power/suspend/? where insert/home/pg up are. Thank goodness those keys didn't work on that computer, else I'd spend all day rebooting.

[Ixus]

So how's it going ? You got your keyboard yet? Funny that I have the same problem. Really wanted a Slayers'Taeja keyboard but I dont know if it will disturb me to change the layout.

[Abbeman]

The person is liquid taeja and his keyboard is a filco(dont know what switches he has) and the keycaps are from wasd.

[shaippen]

The keycaps are not from wasd, they can be bought on ebay.