Who here actually likes typing on linear switches? (MX Black / Red)

[irjoe]

Just wanted to see who here actually enjoys typing on Black / Red switches.

The general consensus I've been getting is that they're good for gaming, but what about for those who are trying to type?
What is it about linear switches that deters people from using them for typing purposes?

I see a lot of hype for the Reds; why the Reds over Blacks, when they are both linear with the only difference being the operating force?

[Aranair]

Caveat: I don't own a red board (but have tried one for 10-15mins)

I think the tactile bump allows them to bottom out less by letting the fingers know when to stop applying force and go to the next key.
Red and black being linear, don't have that benefit.... Another potential problem is that it may be easy to make mistakes because it might be too light. (I don't find it a problem myself though)

Black on the other hand, lacks both the lightness (to lessen fatigue) AND the tactile bump associated with better touch typing ..

[megnin]

I like typing on Reds, a very close second to Browns.  They just feel smooth and "fast".  You just have to take a little time to get used to the feel if you are used to a more tactile or clicky keyboard.

[Elissar]

Blacks are stiff. Linear basically gives no touch response for when a key is registered either, so you bottom out regardless ( Which isn't a problem as much if you're a typist who bottoms out anyways). Blacks for typing can cause more fatigue as they seem a lot heavier, but some people enjoy that. For me I didn't.

With clicky feedback you can more successfully touch type without the need to bottom out to know that you have actually registered the key. There in lies the benefits for blues/browns (more so blue as the bump is more pronounced and unmistakable.)

Browns are lighter but provide an almost silent click, making it useful for gaming and typing.

Reds over black is simple, operating force. This is huge in both typing and gaming. People may not want to adjust to the high resistance of blacks and in that case reds would be more for them. On the other hand, in terms
of typing fatigue, Reds would allow for a more weightless and effortless typing experience if you are a seasoned typer who consistently bottoms out.

I prefer to type on blues over browns as, despite my bottoming out tendancies, they allow me to lift up before i bottom up after training myself to use the click as a point to move to the next key.
They are teaching me to touch type more so, whereas my browns I just bottom out constantly as it feels more appropriate.

I haven't tried reds for a prolonged period but I am confident that if I get them I will have to fall back into the habit of always bottoming out.

All in all; Switches are and always will be based on personal preference.

[Saviant]

I have been using reds as my main keyboard for about 2 months and even though I bottom out a lot I still prefer them over the browns I used to use. I do data entry for customers so a lot of typing and imputing numbers as well. I think it more comes down to what you are comfortable with.

[Autolyze]

I like typing on them, although I usually prefer tactile switches for typing. The smooth feeling can be a nice change at times. It does often result in more bottoming out though.

As for Reds vs Blacks, it seems like most people just prefer lighter switches, particularly for typing.

[fstop]

I like my reds more then anything else. I have weak fingers, years of piano and guitar stressed them out to a point where they hurt if I use them for extended periods of time.

If you don't bottom out on reds, its a very light, clean switch. Or if you add o-rings it becomes a soft landing. Typing and gaming on them is fantastic, although I do agree that you end up making more mistakes then you normally do. Especially if you try to not bottom out - sometimes you press so lightly that the switch doesn't even trigger and you miss letters. But even still its my favorite switch. I type faster with more mistakes, but its a more comfortable experience.

Reds have become the superior switch for me, browns a distant second, and blues/blacks far, far behind.

[stingrae]

I enjoy reds much more after having extensive time with blues where the tactile point becomes muscle memory and as such I bottom out less on the reds.

I still think I like browns the best but don't know when i'll get a brown board again. My blues are what I use the majority of the time the feel and feedback are nice. Reds sorta fall into the my hands are tired or I need a break saying that i'd have no real issue parting with them.

For me having the experience of a stronger tactile switch has drasticly helped with typing on the linear reds where the generally feel very soft when using them which can be a nice change.

The two switches are so different though..

[Gawkbasher]

I mainly use my Reds when I want to type in a room full of people and not annoy anyone (basically when I want to work on the couch while friends are over).  Or if I want to play a game where I really plan to abuse the **** out of the keyboard.   That's really it as far as the reasoning goes for me.

Haven't tried blacks or browns so I can't say much about what everyone else is...but for actually typing anything I have a significant preference for Topre 45g or Blue switches.

I would like to try out some Blacks at some point.

[irjoe]

@fstop, is it something with your joints? I play guitar, and one of the biggest fears I have is getting tendinitis: Do you think that the tendency/habit of bottoming out to contribute to joint problems?
(shouldn't worry about typing, as I press WAY too hard on the strings, and that in itself is a problem for both my fingers and my frets :X)

Glad to see there are plenty in GH.

As for noise level, are Reds generally more quieter than the Browns? I'm trying to find out if a red is worth bringing to a lecture to take notes on. My brown switches makes a lot of 'clatter' noise, since i haven't trained myself to touch-type yet, and although I don't try to bottom out, I don't like to use them in public as they do still make enough noises for people to find them distracting in certain settings.

I will most likely be O-ring modding it if I do get a reds, so factoring that in, how will the noise level be (compared to browns)?

[irjoe]

lol, gawkbasher just replied while I was writing my review. thanks for that input, that was what  I needed.

What about in small lecture rooms to quiet libraries? How do the reds fare?
Touch typing on reds = ninja typist in libraries?

[GeorgeStorm]

I'm currently typing on my Poker with reds, and I've grown to like it. Started with blues, then tried browns (for literally a couple of days) before coming back to blues.
Then got my Poker, and while it's taken me a while to get used to it (mainly for the lightness of touch rather than anything else) I know enjoy it. Find blues difficult to type on for a while each time I use my brothers keyboard now (my old Ducky with blues)

If you don't bottom out, reds are very quiet, but I love the sound of bottoming out, so I don't bother trying

[captain]

I like my reds more then anything else. I have weak fingers, years of piano and guitar stressed them out to a point where they hurt if I use them for extended periods of time.

If you don't bottom out on reds, its a very light, clean switch. Or if you add o-rings it becomes a soft landing. Typing and gaming on them is fantastic, although I do agree that you end up making more mistakes then you normally do. Especially if you try to not bottom out - sometimes you press so lightly that the switch doesn't even trigger and you miss letters. But even still its my favorite switch. I type faster with more mistakes, but its a more comfortable experience.

Reds have become the superior switch for me, browns a distant second, and blues/blacks far, far behind.

911!  Someone call the grammar police!  THAN not THEN!  Look up the words so you can use them correctly, and so the appearance of some modicum of intelligence won't be mitigated by this travesty.  ;-P

You are correct about Reds being light and smooth. To me, they are the smoothest of the Cherry MX line. I like a good solid click though, so Blues are my preference, even though they don't feel a solid as Reds. Browns are just a bastard stepchild of the two, and Blacks are old school, like reds from the ghetto, hardened and tough. They are ALL better than the marshmallow of rubber domes though.

O-rings are a waste of money. They reduce the travel by up to 1/3!, and are counter productive. Bottoming out is almost guaranteed with o-rings. It's much better to just learn how to type on mechanical switches.

[stingrae]

You really shouldn't be worried about noise that much reds should behave like blacks and thus really not be noticeable.

[pitashen]

I find both brown and black likable. I use both regularly. The stiffness of the black switch helps me not bottom out and the solid rebound feel kinda nice. It doesn't really cause fatigue to my fingers, since I don't bottom out. And I got girly looking Asian fingers too, lol.  People say blacks are tiresome mainly because they are looking for some sort of sonic feed back, and for linear switches, reaching the bottom would be the only way for them. In the end you get tired fingers after typing for some times.

I have had brief experiences with red as well, also nice to type on. Quite different thought despite being linear as well.

[squarebox]

I love using Red as much as Brown.

[Aranair]

I love using Red as much as Brown.

for typing? heh. I should go buy one and try it for a few extra days sometime...

[royalsego]

I like to bottom out, plastic on plastic, especially thin ABS caps. I have a red board, I have a brown board... in all seriousness, if I didn't know about browns having tactile bump, I would have never found out. Sure there's a bump, but it's so insignificant, it doesn't prevent me from bottoming out.

Reds FTW!

[sth]

Buckling spring > Reds > Blues

I use blues at work. They're nothing compared to buckling spring... it's like a novelty knock-off. That said, I don't hate them, but I definitely won't  be buying another board with blues.
I modded my poker from blues to ghetto reds... lovin' it. I bottom out far less often on it than on my board with blues and I don't really have a problem with missing characters.

[jonnybastard]

Don't like reds for typing what so ever, magic for games though.  I feel like I'm drunk when I type on red's these days, my text ends up all slurred

[sordna]

I like typing on both reds and black switches... prefer them both to browns for sure.

[jblack801]

This is interesting to read. I don't have a whole lot of experience behind me, as I've only been using a mechanical keyboard for about a year now.

I started out with a brown switch, and decided I liked the tactile feel and wanted to try out blues. When I ordered my Poker on ebay, I received one with black switches. I figured while I sorted it out with the guy on ebay, I'd give them a try while I had them in my possession.

After a couple days of typing on them, I thought they were just okay. I feel I may enjoy them better if they had less force required to actuate the keys (I wouldn't mind trying reds).

It seems it's a general consensus that it's all about not bottoming out. I'm not really sure why, it seems that it would slow you down a tad and would just be quieter. I could understand if you have your mechanical keyboard in a library often, then you might want to learn to not bottom out but I definitely seem slower when I've tried and I don't really see a huge benefit. Hell, I have some co-workers with their 6 month old rubber domes that are as loud as my blue switches, just not as high pitched.

I would like to try out reds sometime, but I'm pretty content with my current setup.

[BigDov]

My one and only mechanical keyboard has blacks in it, and it's just fine for typing to me. I have larger than typical hands as it is, and the keystroke weight / travel seems to be just about right to me.... maybe I'm just a ham-fisted button-masher or something.

[sordna]

Black switches have a bad name really. They are way lighter and smoother than a lot of rubber dome keyboards out there.

[BigDov]

Black switches have a bad name really. They are way lighter and smoother than a lot of rubber dome keyboards out there.

I would definitely agree with you on that one......they've just got a bad rap for some reason. I have an aluminum Apple keyboard on my iMac here at work, and it just feels WEIRD and pathetic in comparison. I've also got an old WYSE terminal keyboard at home that is rubber domed, and it feels light years beyond this Apple thing, and really is pretty pleasant to use, even after using the blacks 100% of my time at home. Dunno, I guess I'm not a super keyboard connoisseur :/

[captain]

Are you sure that your Wyse board isn't Cherry MX Blacks?  That's what I have in my Wyse.

In a switch-shoe analogy, Blacks are work boots, Reds are running shoes.

I have this theory that Blacks' stronger spring force actually reduces the bottoming out force, and could actually make typing faster. On the other hand, they require more force to depress. Reds, on the other hand depress with less force, and don't "push back" as hard, so one might bottom out more heavily...however, the force exerted to depress the switch is less, so one learns to type with a lighter touch. When the human is accounted for, the formula becomes more complex.

Personally, I like my piano action very light, and I like my keyboard switches light and clicky. Blues FTW.... Oddly, I like BS too. In that case, I think it's the extreme tacitly and definite feedback from the CLICK that makes them a joy to type on.

Alas, I'm typing this up on a piece of rock hard Gorilla Glass, and I'm learning to just lightly tap it to mitigate bone spurs forming in my fingertips. :-P

[fossala]

The misses likes typing on mx blacks. I don't see what she sees in them.

[gigibecali]

The misses likes typing on mx blacks. I don't see what she sees in them.

Women. They're all a weird bunch.

[guilleguillaume]

I love MX Red for typing.

[reaper]

Most of my keyboards including the imported ones have Cherry MX black on them so that ought to tell you something. =P

[GODJOEY]

First 2 mechanical keyboards I got recently, I went with filco Black first. Thinking 20+ years of forearm training and 20 years of just typing no way could keys fatigue my fingers... I was wrong lol. I got used to it but still I found reds to be much better. I then went for the Leopold red the Filco went back. I felt the reds are great to type on and especially to game on. Black wasn't bad but if I wasn't typing on the black at all times I would have to adjust all the time feeling the fatigue first. One day I would like to try the browns. Love typing on the reds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0qfmp5gaJc

[boost]

I like red for gaming and use blues/brown for typing ^_^

[andrewjoy]

I have never used ether i want to try reds on  KBC but getting hold of one in the UK is like trying to find a shard of the true cross

[irjoe]

wow, what a read, thanks to all who responded.
Noise level isn't something that bothers me, but I want to make sure that if I'm going to purchase a poker/pure for outside purposes, I want it to be something that doesn't cause too much issue around others.

In all cases, I can purchase a red and see whether I like it or not, and sell it afterwards. It seems that reds have a pretty good resell value around here.

[WRXChris]

I really like my red poker for typing.  Granted I've only been using it for a day, (I have 1 year of experience on browns and 2 weeks on blues as a point of reference, haven't tried blacks, ibm buckling spring is the only other mech keyboard i have experience with).  Honestly, I really like reds for typing, so floaty and smooth, yes there is occasionally an errant key press that likely wouldn't happen on browns or blues, but i actually find reds to be the easiest switch not to bottom out of the 3 (at least when touch typing).  Also, this is the only switch I liked immediately (maybe that's because I knew exactly what to expect with the reds; blues took a bit to get used to, I was expecting them to feel more like buckling springs.  Also, I didn't like blue switches until i added o-rings, which made them feel completely different).  I can't remember my initial reaction to the browns, but as of right now I think they are my least favorite of the 3.  

Anyways, it all comes down to personal preference, and as you know, cherry red boards hold their value really well so that sounds like an excellent starting point.  GL!

[slueth]

Best feeling keyboard for me is buckling, but there isn't a gamer centered buckling keyboard(model F with nkro are way to big and heavy... please don't tell me to bring that to a LAN.....) Please unicomp!!! NKRO compact BS with usb cord! Me Gusta!
Black is my favorite cherry switch even like it for typing long essays.  Don't like red, it is too light for me.

[fstop]

@fstop, is it something with your joints? I play guitar, and one of the biggest fears I have is getting tendinitis: Do you think that the tendency/habit of bottoming out to contribute to joint problems?
(shouldn't worry about typing, as I press WAY too hard on the strings, and that in itself is a problem for both my fingers and my frets :X)

To be honest I don't think it would be a real issue for most people. I played piano for years then picked up the guitar on my own and had bad habits, which contributed to slight pains in my wrist/fingers over the years. Bottoming out on any keyboard will fatigue your fingers, but I think more so with reds because its such a linear motion and there's nothing to absorb the shock when the key directly hits the plate.

Typing with reds take awhile to get use to if you want to avoid bottoming out (which you should try to learn). If you type properly, stretch your fingers and give them breaks, it shouldn't become a problem. I just find reds to be far more comfortable for my weaker fingers.

[sordna]

its such a linear motion and there's nothing to absorb the shock when the key directly hits the plate.

Here's where o-rings come in.

[fstop]

Here's where o-rings come in.

Yeah I know, I mentioned them in my post prior to the one you quoted. But in the end I prefer no o-rings because of the reduced travel time. They also make reds feel less crisp for me.

[canon.tk]

I love reds, IMO they are the best all round switch for typing and gaming.  My next favorite switch for typing is brown and then next favorite for gaming is black.

Blues are good for typing but I like browns better.  Blues suck for gaming, browns are passable.

[audioave10]

My hands are industrial, so the Deck blacks are fine for me as I don't type that much. Its perfect for gaming.
I liked BS or Blues better for typing also.

[Tranquilite]

I personally enjoy typing on linear switches more than the other varieties. I've spent a fair amount of time typing on blues and browns, and while they are still pretty good to type on, I just enjoy the linear switches more. Though one thing that I have noticed is that some of the newer linear boards have a more... frictiony feel to them, whereas my TG3 BL82 and wyse terminal boards are much smoother (the wyse board is especially smooth). I enjoy typing on blacks, but I prefer typing on reds more. I look forward to building my phantom with ghetto reds.

[Solanin]

Just wanted to see who here actually enjoys typing on Black / Red switches.

The general consensus I've been getting is that they're good for gaming, but what about for those who are trying to type?
What is it about linear switches that deters people from using them for typing purposes?

I see a lot of hype for the Reds; why the Reds over Blacks, when they are both linear with the only difference being the operating force?

I dont really understand it myself but I own a black board, gaming on that is no nonsense. However typing is a bit meh for me. So I took it apart and modify a ghetto red board. Surprisingly a new whole feeling, it is like half of the black operating force. Might be it is the cause. : the light feeling of it.

@canon.tk : try green for gaming.

[Mugen]

Tried blacks, hated them.
I type of reds, love them.

[lucidlts]

i'd prefer linear switch more than anything else.
IMO red>black

[eXellenty]

got a filco limited r some days ago and i prefer the red switches over brown and black ones...

[Squelos]

Browns are kinda grippy, but can hardly feel the tactile bump. That might be because im coming from blues.
Going for reds which are just a tad lighter isnt too bad i believe.

[Crackensan]

This is my first mechanical board, and I'm having a fairly easy time dealing with it not being tactile feedback, and linear.  Since I had to bottom out on my old board anyway, it's not a big issue for me to type.  The only thing I'm getting used to is the actuation force, since the Black switches take a bit more to activate.

[Sifo]

Although I prefer tactility I have no problem typing on reds and I don't like it for gaming. Haven't tried blacks, planning on getting a 6GV2.

EDIT: I must be crazy, I reread my reply and it wasn't what I wanted to say at all.

[rknize]

Reds with o-rings are nice to type on for a linear switch.  Not my favorite, but a good compromise between typing and gaming for me.