Alps and buckling springs

[Carnage]

So my unicomp ultra classic has arrived today and what i can say from my first impression is that i already miss my alps R.I.P leading Edge DC-2014 i mean dont get me wrong theres nothing wrong with the unicomps its a very nice and sturdy feeling keyboard but it just dosent have that... that umph that alps has. The keys are alot heavier which is nice but on to the point of tactile feedback i belive the alps was just ALOT louder then this keyboard can ever be i guess thats what i probably miss the most when you hit a key on it you know you hit a key besides for it being just extreamly loud it just had such a feel to it that cant even compare im actually kind of disapointed in the buckling springs i was expecting alot more out of it. Ahh well guess ill get some custom keycaps to make it looks nice then its back to alps hunting!

[AKIMbO]

So my unicomp ultra classic has arrived today and what i can say from my first impression is that i already miss my alps R.I.P leading Edge DC-2014 i mean dont get me wrong theres nothing wrong with the unicomps its a very nice and sturdy feeling keyboard but it just dosent have that... that umph that alps has. The keys are alot heavier which is nice but on to the point of tactile feedback i belive the alps was just ALOT louder then this keyboard can ever be i guess thats what i probably miss the most when you hit a key on it you know you hit a key besides for it being just extreamly loud it just had such a feel to it that cant even compare im actually kind of disapointed in the buckling springs i was expecting alot more out of it. Ahh well guess ill get some custom keycaps to make it looks nice then its back to alps hunting!

You need to try capacitive buckling springs (aka Model XT or PC/AT).  I sound like such a broken record, but Model Fs (XT and AT) are what buckling springs should be...they are lighter, louder, and more crisp. 

[Carnage]

Hmm where might one get his hand on a model F or a preferably a model F remake?

((i still dont think that even a model F will compare to the amazingness to alps maybe im just one of those alps people haha))

[jkercado]

I know it's all personal preference, but I cannot concieve wanting a louder keyboard than a Model M or an Unicomp. Unless you work totally by yourself, a louder keyboard will get you evicted from your office.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

I know it's all personal preference, but I cannot concieve wanting a louder keyboard than a Model M or an Unicomp. Unless you work totally by yourself, a louder keyboard will get you evicted from your office.

I am using my Model M in the office as we speak. I've been using it for a week and nobody has said anything to me about it yet. I like how having such a loud keyboard seems to make up for having such a quiet personality... and it makes it sound like I'm working really hard, even though I'm not. Now that's what I call a win-win!

I have owned a couple ALPS boards (white ALPS to be specific) and I have always found buckling springs to be much nicer to type on.  One likely reason for this might be because I had a few bad keyswitches on my ALPS boards and never got to fully enjoy my typing experience on them.

[Carnage]

Haha well you see i have 2 jobs ((ones a factory job)) and ones a at home side job i do i also play alot of games mainly starcraft 2 but i also play some other ones just not was frequent. but the thing is its only me in this apartment (well and my crazy stray cat i picked up)) so i kind of like loud keys to fight off the silence when im working or just gaming i like hearing it ya know it almost keeps me on edge of when im coding and gaming but it seems like this model m is quiet a bit quieter then my old blue alps ((sadly the U key is almost shot on there works about 50% of the time)) im going to miss that leading edge that keyboard really keept me on edge ((pun intended)) every time i pressed a key i could really hear and feel it it was almost like i was there it was amazing to me but with this unicomp its not the same i do like how sturdy it is built though i got the ultra classic so its the full like 4 1/2 pounds and it feels like its very durable unlike the leading edge but its just not quiet the same idk maybe i have to adjust i did just get it a few hours back. so far ive only tested on casual typing on here and a few starcraft games.

On a side note about the sound i love when i go to lan events ((theres some decent ones here in Chicago)) and my keyboard is so loud its making the black widows sounds like rubber domes haha

[jkercado]

I know it's all personal preference, but I cannot concieve wanting a louder keyboard than a Model M or an Unicomp. Unless you work totally by yourself, a louder keyboard will get you evicted from your office.

I am using my Model M in the office as we speak. I've been using it for a week and nobody has said anything to me about it yet. I like how having such a loud keyboard seems to make up for having such a quiet personality... and it makes it sound like I'm working really hard, even though I'm not. Now that's what I call a win-win!

I have owned a couple ALPS boards (white ALPS to be specific) and I have always found buckling springs to be much nicer to type on.  One likely reason for this might be because I had a few bad keyswitches on my ALPS boards and never got to fully enjoy my typing experience on them.

I'm an Unicomp Ultra Classic user at the office. So far, no complaints. And if there are any, I'll just ignore them. Our manager lets us have some freedom on these sort of things, since he knows that a happy coder is an efficient coder!

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

I am kinda hoping that someone asks me about my Model M one of these days... it will be amusing to tell someone that I am currently typing on a keyboard that is older than I am!  )

[fohat.digs]

There was a quote, maybe from an ad or auction, noting that a loud old buckling spring keyboard lets everybody in the office know for sure that "work" was actually happening.

My heavily-modded Model F-122 has been my daily driver for several months now, and I am almost finished a rehab project on an Apple Extended Keyboard (MO115, salmon Alps) so I am going to be very curious how it feels when I put it into rotation for a while.

Clearly, you need to give it a few days at least to hit a groove with it.

I really like Alps, on a theoretical level at least, but it is hard to pry me away from capacitive buckling springs for the long-term.

There is no way that I know how to quantify this, but although Cherry switches are probably more solid, consistent, and durable, there is something about Alps that I find more "satisfying" in feel and/or sound, and I am referring to the tactile ones, white, salmon, etc.

I am still waiting to get my hands on a good blue Alps board.

[Carnage]

hmm ive given it some time and i have to say im still having issues but im starting to feel gratitude towards the buckling springs. While they are quiet alot heavier to push down compared to blue alps the sound on a loudness scale i dont think really compares to that of alps ((more of a dull tining while blue alps are more of click click click)) and adjustign to the feel is kind of hard id have to say i am really starting to appreciate this buckiling springs board though just from the feel of it it seems much more durable, sturdy, well made, and all around nicer and built to last im sure after a while i can adjust more to the key switches and its not like i can never use alps again its just a weird adjustment id say so far from the keyboards id tried id still favor the blue alps but i would take buckling springs over cherry blacks or a rubber dome any day on another note this keyboard does seem to be tiring my hands out quiet a bit probably because how heavy the keys are when im use to such a light tactile switch

[tchuladdiass]

You might like a mod I'm working on for my current Unicomp (122-key).  I'm trying to source a small solenoid (or two) that I can attach to the inside of the keyboard case, connected to a small weight.  the idea is that whenever a key is hit, the solenoid is activated creating a thump similar to a Selectric typewriter.  That's the idea anyway.  Since I need to put a Teensy (or similar microcontroller) in the keyboard anyway (to remap the keys the way I want), I figure it shouldn't be too difficult to add this as an option.  Hopefully USB power gives me enough juice to make a good enough thump, without having to resort to a separate power source.

[486]

For someone who was very lucky to get a blue alps keyboard with his XT, I find blue alps akin to Model F more than Model M. However Model F's have further key travel. Both have an actuation force of about 60-70g but I must warn you the space bar on the Model F AT is not like ones on a ALPS board. It is very stiff and it requires up to 90g actuation force. Mostly due to the stabiliser because it is a long spacebar. If you mod the spacebar, then there shouldn't be an issue.

[Carnage]

Hmm maybe its just a alps thing today was the first time i tried cherry mx blues ((on a razer blackwidow at the store)) ive now tried cherry blues, blacks, blue alps, and my buckling springs and i have to say im slowly starting to miss the alps i pulled it out earlier just to type on it for a while. i do really appreciate the build quality about the unicomp but... i think its a alps thing

[Carnage]

Also it would seem to me personally atleast ((maybe im delirious)) but as i use the buckling springs more it almost seems like there getting lighter and sound a bit more tactile idk if ive broke them in got use to them or if im just insane haha  )

[fohat.digs]

My experience was that the first few minutes on buckling springs seemed like it took a lot of effort, but before long I realized that the actual effort and force was comparable, if not lighter.

I think that the overall weight and solidity of the keyboard makes you assume that you are working harder, when you really are not.

Kind of like opening a heavy door that is perfectly balanced, instead of a much lighter door that was not installed properly.

You will know for sure after you give the buckling springs a few days of use, then try going back.
 

[poofygoof]

my alps sm-101 seems to have lighter action than my northgates, but it could be the keycaps themselves are a little lighter.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

What switch does each one have?

[poofygoof]

The northgates have alps white switches, and the alps SM-101 has alps buckling spring.

[BucklingSpring]

So my unicomp ultra classic has arrived today and what i can say from my first impression is that i already miss my alps R.I.P leading Edge DC-2014 i mean dont get me wrong theres nothing wrong with the unicomps its a very nice and sturdy feeling keyboard but it just dosent have that... that umph that alps has. The keys are alot heavier which is nice but on to the point of tactile feedback i belive the alps was just ALOT louder then this keyboard can ever be i guess thats what i probably miss the most when you hit a key on it you know you hit a key besides for it being just extreamly loud it just had such a feel to it that cant even compare im actually kind of disapointed in the buckling springs i was expecting alot more out of it. Ahh well guess ill get some custom keycaps to make it looks nice then its back to alps hunting!

If you miss ALPS so much, you can always get a Matias keyboard. But don't get the Quiet Pro if you want it loud. Matias did a pretty good job at dampening the ALPS on their Quiet version

[_js_]

I know it's all personal preference, but I cannot concieve wanting a louder keyboard than a Model M or an Unicomp. Unless you work totally by yourself, a louder keyboard will get you evicted from your office.

LOL!  Too true!