What do your coworkers think of your keyboard?

[biszarerabbit]

I have a cm storm quickfire with blues, my roommate is really good about it and claims it doesn't bother him much, though I'm sure its annoying for him lol. One of the reasons I'm thinking my next keyboard should have black or red switches

[Typhaeon]

My partner at work wants a Realforce 87U because of me, as well as a few other people I've worked with.  I let her use it something like every other day with the Rosewill with Reds on off days, since I like to switch things up.  Another woman I sit 2 down from has offered to buy the Rosewill used off of me if I ever consider selling it; I keep linking her to Newegg deals, but I don't think she wants to pay the mech keyboard premium.

Blues haven't gotten me any complaints yet since the woman I sit next to really doesn't care how much noise I make; even the Unicomp Customizer I've been using has been well-received.  It's odd since we're in a pretty quiet office, too.

Can't wait to see what a Poker/Pure will elicit.

[Kazen]

ive had no remarks so far in school. (i'm in what you can call a technical college, aimed at computer networking and system managment).

But its not strange considering my class is filled with geeks, and blank keyboards are definetly not the weirdest thing they saw people bring to school..

my Girlfriend was annoyed by the blues at first, but right now she got used to it.

[OPR8R]

I use a TKL board w/browns at work.  It's badass white with white and gray keycaps, in an "old school" layout.  No one has said a word.

[boost]

^ Change to blanks and use other layout  and he will never touch your board again ;-)

Lol. This is true

Sent from a phone...

[Encryptor]

I've had a few people ask about my Deck legend, and where to get one like it, since they liked the backlighting.  When I tell them the price, they're pretty shocked.  I've mentioned it was "mechanical" but nobody really understands or cares - they just like the LEDs.

[sth]

A few people in my office have mentioned it. Less so when using WYSE keycaps rather than blanks.

[darksakul]

My co-workers think I am an idiot for spending more than $12 for a keyboard, except for the few hard core gamers.
And out of those, they think Logitech or Razer is the way to go. "What a $150 keyboard with no LEDs, media keys or macros?" "Are you nuts"

I did not even realize how much I enjoy a mechanical keyboard until I was force to get my old Logitech G11 out of mothballs when I ruin a perfectly good Deck Legend (don't ask, modding fail).
Then I realize how much I hated my old G11.

[cactux]

^ Just tell them that there are hundreds of idiots like you here ;-)

[AsthmaAttack]

My co-workers think I am an idiot for spending more than $12 for a keyboard, except for the few hard core gamers.
And out of those, they think Logitech or Razer is the way to go. "What a $150 keyboard with no LEDs, media keys or macros?" "Are you nuts"

I did not even realize how much I enjoy a mechanical keyboard until I was force to get my old Logitech G11 out of mothballs when I ruin a perfectly good Deck Legend (don't ask, modding fail).
Then I realize how much I hated my old G11.

Then they find out your using $1000 headphones that aren't Bose or Beats.

[astr0s]

Then they find out your using $1000 headphones that aren't Bose or Beats.

I am glad, that I just finished my morning coffee before opening this topic. Chuckled a fair bit.

Just give them a chance to try out a mechanical and if they don't see a difference, don't bother explaining any further

[HolidaySHRIMP]

Leopold TKL mx browns and mx blues here.  They love them and two of them went out and bought mechanical keyboards (blackwidow mx blues).  Not a fan of the model they bought, but to each his own.  Just glad to hear more click clacks here at Microsoft. =)

[fossala]

Leopold TKL mx browns and mx blues here.  They love them and two of them went out and bought mechanical keyboards (blackwidow mx blues).  Not a fan of the model they bought, but to each his own.  Just glad to hear more click clacks here at Microsoft. =)

You work for microsoft? How do you sleep at night?

[HolidaySHRIMP]

You work for microsoft? How do you sleep at night?

With my handsome paycheck of course.  

The perks are pretty awesome too.  22% off Verizon with $20 true unlimited data (http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5176/129882776.png), money off my apartment rent/parking, and MSDN access (10x licenses on all MS software).

[Netdewt]

I haven't found the right one yet, but soon I will. They will just roll their eyes at me like they always do. I'm the "office nerd."

[itlnstln]

With my handsome paycheck of course.  

The perks are pretty awesome too.  22% off Verizon with $20 true unlimited data (http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5176/129882776.png), money off my apartment rent/parking, and MSDN access (10x licenses on all MS software).

Damn, that's pretty solid, especially the rent/parking subsidy.  The Verizon plan isn't too shabby, either.

[emptythecache]

With my handsome paycheck of course.  

The perks are pretty awesome too.  22% off Verizon with $20 true unlimited data (http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5176/129882776.png), money off my apartment rent/parking, and MSDN access (10x licenses on all MS software).

this might be a weird question, but what do you work on at microsoft? because if it's StreamInsight, we need to have a talk.

[emptythecache]

I'm the newest employee at my job, been here three months. In that time I've gone from a filco, to a realforce, to a different filco, to today I brought in my Poker. So clearly, everyone thinks I'm too much of a weirdo to say anything to me about my revolving door of keyboards.

[Surly73]

I did not even realize how much I enjoy a mechanical keyboard until I was force to get my old Logitech G11 out of mothballs when I ruin a perfectly good Deck Legend (don't ask, modding fail).
Then I realize how much I hated my old G11.

I've also found that the real appreciation of good mech boards takes place when you're forced to go back.  Even people who didn't think much of a mech board when trying it grew to appreciate it when they had to go back.

[itlnstln]

I've also found that the real appreciation of good mech boards takes place when you're forced to go back.  Even people who didn't think much of a mech board when trying it grew to appreciate it when they had to go back.

I prefer just beating people relentlessly until they agree with me that mechanical keyboards are far superior to the trash they have on their desk...



or I just let them use the trash on their desks unless they happen to ask about my keyboards.

[Snarfangel]

I prefer just beating people relentlessly until they agree with me that mechanical keyboards are far superior to the trash they have on their desk...

True, Model M's have a nice heft, which helps when whacking someone. They can take a fair amount of abuse, too.

[itlnstln]

Just don't break the rivets.  The Northgate Evolution is a much heftier keyboard; full-metal base.

[ekw808]

In a way this is like dealing drugs, since the point is to get them hooked and unable to stop!

[rknize]

Breaking the rivets invokes a nut-and-bolt mod, which makes the keyboard an even more deadly weapon.  XD

[whiskerBox]

So I did take the HHKB in on my first day at the new job, no one seemed to even notice lol. Probably because they put me in a tiny little cubicle and isolated me like the plague hahaha.

[phormality]

There is now only one guy on my shift without a mechanical keyboard.  We are trying to make as much noise as possible.  I'm using a DasKeyboard with MX Blues.  The guy next to me is trading off between a Unicomp and one with Cherry MX switche.  The other guy has an old IBM Model M from 1991.  Our new guy tested out the Unicomp and won't give it back, so he'll be buying his own shortly.

Most people on other shifts think we are crazy for spending what we did on the keyboards, but still think they're awesome and try to play with them.

[hoggy]

They think I'm a loon - the keyboards are just a symptom...

[HolidaySHRIMP]

this might be a weird question, but what do you work on at microsoft? because if it's StreamInsight, we need to have a talk.

I'm under the Office365 umbrella.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Daniel Beardsmore]

They think I'm a loon - the keyboards are just a symptom...

I've been tempted to get one of these for my desk at work. Unfortunately I'm sufficiently anal that before I can do this I would need to research all the illnesses listed so that I know which I should be ticking.

I'm under the Office365 umbrella.

Do us all a favour – take a mechanical keyboard and cave in the skulls of all the mental midgets and outright retards in the Windows 7 office who managed to absolutely destroy the keyboard navigation in Windows 7. Yeah Win+B works better now, but there are control panels where you don't even get a focus ring, let alone the alt underlines. Windows 7 succeeds in being far, far more horrible to operate with a keyboard than XP ever was – the only marginal improvement is Win+B for the tray icons (but still no "Focus the active balloon" key).

I actually want to have everyone's mice taken away at MSFT for a week, and watch the secretaries sobbing and the C-level execs heads exploding, and all the techies committing hara kiri from the resulting overwhelming guilt and shame ...

Yeah I don't take too kindly to having to reach for the mouse to perform the most trivial operation because Microsoft don't know what a keyboard is any more.

(Fix this, and I might even forgive Explorer being castrated and sodomised, or all the places where you can't elevate, or how Windows Update on brand new Dells self destructs in minutes ... One more "unknown error" and I will start killing kittens)

TLDR:
nerdrage!!

[Fluxiantor]

Can't say about people at my college because I have no need to bring my keyboard with me
But my friends that know I have the BWU and am ordering another mech soon think it's stupid.
They say the keyboards with different keycaps look stupid, and I'm paying way too much money for something that doesn't feel better (apparently low-profile keys have a "click" and are therefore as good as mech)

[edit]
They also think it's even more ridiculous that I'm ordering another keyboard. To them it must just be a necessity, whereas to me it's about comfort and enjoyment.

[Sifo]

Hm... I should consider bringing my keyboard to school. It's still looking a bit ugly right now though, gotta get a 37 key set. Questions I'll probably get are why is it blank, why are there keys missing (starcraft player ritual), what's with the custom keys.

[Fluxiantor]

Hm... I should consider bringing my keyboard to school. It's still looking a bit ugly right now though, gotta get a 37 key set. Questions I'll probably get are why is it blank, why are there keys missing (starcraft player ritual), what's with the custom keys.

missing keys?

[Sifo]

missing keys?

Some players prefer to remove the caps lock and left start keycaps in case of accidental hits when trying to press shift/ctrl. I use the right ctrl as well so I remove the menu keycap.

[sth]

Can't say about people at my college because I have no need to bring my keyboard with me
But my friends that know I have the BWU and am ordering another mech soon think it's stupid.
They say the keyboards with different keycaps look stupid, and I'm paying way too much money for something that doesn't feel better (apparently low-profile keys have a "click" and are therefore as good as mech)

[edit]
They also think it's even more ridiculous that I'm ordering another keyboard. To them it must just be a necessity, whereas to me it's about comfort and enjoyment.

Philistines.

[Fluxiantor]

Some players prefer to remove the caps lock and left start keycaps in case of accidental hits when trying to press shift/ctrl. I use the right ctrl as well so I remove the menu keycap.

ah right. I've had the problem of pressing the caps lock key a few times in SC2, but don't really play it enough any more to justify changing my keyboard for it.

[Autolyze]

B-b-but, you still have a chance of hitting the switches without their keycaps!

I prefer to just, you know, press the keys I intend to press, but I'd use AHK if I were planning to press keys I didn't intend to press.

[500_pts]

I feelk like this thread has happened before, but yeah, i get some questions. I rotate to a different keyboard almost every day, so they get really confused.

[Sifo]

B-b-but, you still have a chance of hitting the switches without their keycaps!

I prefer to just, you know, press the keys I intend to press, but I'd use AHK if I were planning to press keys I didn't intend to press.

I wish I were as perfect as you. Also, when I go to tournaments, I'd be banned if I tried AHK. This is just a really easy way to get around that. Removing the keycap lowers the chances of me accidentally hitting the wrong key, which could cost me a game. I haven't accidentally hit a switch yet

EDIT: Just realized I explain this to more people online then in irl situations

[HolidaySHRIMP]

I've been tempted to get one of these for my desk at work. Unfortunately I'm sufficiently anal that before I can do this I would need to research all the illnesses listed so that I know which I should be ticking.



Do us all a favour – take a mechanical keyboard and cave in the skulls of all the mental midgets and outright retards in the Windows 7 office who managed to absolutely destroy the keyboard navigation in Windows 7. Yeah Win+B works better now, but there are control panels where you don't even get a focus ring, let alone the alt underlines. Windows 7 succeeds in being far, far more horrible to operate with a keyboard than XP ever was – the only marginal improvement is Win+B for the tray icons (but still no "Focus the active balloon" key).

I actually want to have everyone's mice taken away at MSFT for a week, and watch the secretaries sobbing and the C-level execs heads exploding, and all the techies committing hara kiri from the resulting overwhelming guilt and shame ...

Yeah I don't take too kindly to having to reach for the mouse to perform the most trivial operation because Microsoft don't know what a keyboard is any more.

(Fix this, and I might even forgive Explorer being castrated and sodomised, or all the places where you can't elevate, or how Windows Update on brand new Dells self destructs in minutes ... One more "unknown error" and I will start killing kittens)

TLDR:
nerdrage!!

LOL I agree.  Win7 keyboard shortcuts for quicklaunch are gone.  Win+1-9 switch to tabs instead of launching quicklaunch bar links and there is no way to remap them natively in windows.  -___-

[dfxdx]

Loads of my colleagues have commented on my 'retro keyboard' while there have only been two people who have recognised my G80-3000 as a 'Cherry' keyboard. No-one has said anything about the noise, yet.
Keyboard:
Black Cherry G80-3000 with MX blue switches. I've got a red Esc key, purple arrow keys and I've replaced the alphabet keys with Cherry black on white DS keys. I'll be replacing with mods with the black on RGBY set when they come through.

[koralatov]

Mine aren’t exactly thrilled with my “new” Dell AT102W’s noise level, but they haven’t complained about it too much…

[Fluxiantor]

Loads of my colleagues have commented on my 'retro keyboard'.

OMG yes, my friends say I'm a hipster that's just going for a retro look.

Y U NO REALISE HOW GOOD MECHANICAL KEYBOARDS ARE 4?!

[Pyretti]

I'm having my internship at a place where about 90% of my co-workers type with 2 fingers.

...So kind of naturally I've got a lot of praise about my typing speed... Surprisingly no one's annoyed by the sound of the Filco TKL Blue here ^^

[Surly73]

Well, after getting tired of seeing my boss using a RD IBM/Lenovo board that came with his work computer 3 or 4 computers ago that's so badly worn there are divets in his space bar and enter key, I loaned him a Leopold w/ browns for a while.  He called it more "sensitive" than the RD board.  After a week or so he really settled into it and pictured having a really hard time going back.

On Thursday I swapped my Leo for my Realfoce 86U variable.  More than a year ago I had a RF 103UB 55g and I left him try it briefly and he was completely nonplussed.  A total "meh" reaction - "It's not bad, but I like...blah blah Logitech..blah blah media keys blah blah brushed aluminum.. blah blah to match my stereo".

After 15 minutes with the Realforce he specifically came to see me to tell me how much he loved it.  He tells me I can keep my "black keyboard" (the Leo) as long as I want now that he has the RF.  Apparently he's instantly clicking with the RF touch.  He says "it's like I'm driving a BMW with this one [86U] and the black one [Leo] was an Infiniti".  He also said "This one costs even more doesn't it???  What are you doing to me!?".  I told him the 86U was more like a Bentley.  I haven't had the heart to bring up EK and show him how much an 87U would cost if he wanted to buy a new RF TKL board.

I forsee having to recover my 86U with much difficulty.  At least when I loaned him the Leo he listened to me when I described that you need to give yourself at least a week to adapt to see how different switches work for you.  I described all of the different Cherry MX options to him and he kind of glazed over.  I let him try a WYSE board with Cherry blacks and he really didn't like it.  Dead and mushy was his description.

I have a Filco w/ browns at home and I have to say that the Leo somehow feels different (and not as nice).  I have a bad feeling for my wallet that I'm going to end up keeping a Realforce for the office.  Of course then I'll be watching out for an "affordable" 10th anniversary edition.  Sigh.

On a related note, I do receive some looks of concern when I can go to my filing cabinet and produce samples of Cherry brown, Cherry black, buckling spring, ALPS boards, dye sub, DS keys etc... whenever someone starts to talk about keyboards.  I also had a dumpster set of WYSE DS caps soaking in a tupperware container with H2O2 in my office which resulted in a "WTF" from one or two people.

[JaccoW]

This thread is just too much fun to read. XD At my internship I got fed up with the €7 HP keyboard that must have been recycled for at least a few years.
When I bothered tech support, most didn't know what I was talking about. One guy seemed to have something like a Unicomp.

Showed them pictures of the KBC poker, they were like: "How the hell are you supposed to use that?"
When I told them the price of a Deck Legend in Europe they were like WTF!? (I paid €240 for that one)
"No media buttons or anything?"

Let's see how they react when I actually show up with one.

[Solanin]

"WTF is this keyboard? Why it is so heavy? Damn the caps are so high,? You bought a broken keyboard, it keeps clicking when I type" blah blah bla blah facking blah!!!!! Morons. . . .
I swear they will call 911 if I do try to tell em the price though.

[zirb]

Thanks Surly73 for sharing that story, you have an awesome boss

[Tony]

Bosses know when you give them a keyboard of high quality to try. They will heartily thank you later.