Author Topic: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?  (Read 2050 times)

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Offline Ranma13

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Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 15:24:47 »
Hey guys, it's been a while since I've been on Geekhack. I was fairly active on the forums about a year ago, when I picked up a Topre Realforce 87U and a Filco Majestouch Brown Otaku, which I've been using ever since and have been pretty happy with.

Since then though, it looks like more companies have been coming out with keyboards. Although I'm still enjoying the Realforce 87U and Filco Brown, I wanted to get an update on which keyboards are currently the most popular. Can you guys provide a list of which keyboards have been popular on Geekhack as of late? Thanks!
Keyboards: Topre Realforce 87U variable-weight, Filco Majestouch Brown Cherry Otaku, Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate
Mice (trackball): CH DT225, IBM L40, CST LaserTRAC, Kensington Orbit
Mice (regular): Logitech G9, Steelseries Xai, Roccat Kova, Razer Orochi

Offline daerid

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 15:46:36 »
Pretty much same as it ever was: Filcos rule the Cherry roost, although Coolermaster is making a surprising showing. Das Keyboard sold out and is no longer made by Costar, Topre's are still the elitist's choice, although I'm seeing less fervor over the HHKBs. Truly Ergonomic makes a great board but a terrible business, apparently. Oh, and Filco Cherry Red boards are no longer the keyboard equivalent of the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot.

Yes, a lot of companies are getting into mechanical (mainly Cherry-based) keyboards, but most of the time these are just companies who are trying to cash in on a bandwagon, and the QC for the boards is sub-par. Corsair's boards may use Cherry Red, but they pussed out and made a lot of keys still use a rubber dome. Razer is.. well... Razer. Logitech's getting into the game, although their offering isn't released yet, and looks to be made by iOne (a big no-no). Thermaltake's Meka G1 is a solid quality MB Black board, and WASD Keyboards is now the go-to company for custom keycap designs and colors on a solid Costar platform.

Offline davkol

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 16:07:32 »
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« Last Edit: Mon, 10 December 2018, 15:18:09 by davkol »

Offline Skull_Angel

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 17:11:32 »
This. I'd add that some cheap Chinese alternatives/clones have appeared from Keycool and HPE. There're also some new keyboards by KBT/Vortex.

Cheap, yes, but the build quality (LEDs aside) seems very decent so far.

Offline vbrenny

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 17:19:13 »
Since I'm still not able to post on classifieds and this thread seems like a reasonable place to ask..


What keyboard would you recommend for a starter?
I have been considering CMX browns or blues, since they seem to be fairly priced, have a good availability and are popular.
After 'tasting' a dusty Model M I felt the need to get a mechanical kb, but I have no experience with the modern ones, at all.

An important thing is shipping. I live in Brazil, so most of the places I find are either not shipping to Brazil, too expensive or dubious.
I'm looking into several different sources but it seems like nobody wants to handle international shipping or charges double for the work.


Any suggestions and/or good souls wanting to get rid of a decent quality board for a fair price and that could send it here?
Owns: Cherry G80-8113 w/ browns.
I'm looking for somebody to proxy a QFR for me. I'll pay. PM me!

Offline rowdy

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 17:22:42 »
Ducky, especially the Shine (and Shine 2) and YoTD, seem to be fairly well regarded.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline tjcaustin

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 17:36:41 »
Since I'm still not able to post on classifieds and this thread seems like a reasonable place to ask..


What keyboard would you recommend for a starter?
I have been considering CMX browns or blues, since they seem to be fairly priced, have a good availability and are popular.
After 'tasting' a dusty Model M I felt the need to get a mechanical kb, but I have no experience with the modern ones, at all.

An important thing is shipping. I live in Brazil, so most of the places I find are either not shipping to Brazil, too expensive or dubious.
I'm looking into several different sources but it seems like nobody wants to handle international shipping or charges double for the work.


Any suggestions and/or good souls wanting to get rid of a decent quality board for a fair price and that could send it here?

The CMStorm Quickfire Rapid is awesome, the only reason I'm selling mine is I want backlit.

If you want smaller, the race (75%) and pure (60%) are good boards as well.

Offline MechKey

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 10 October 2012, 18:16:04 »
Mine is awesome!

Offline tillertow

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 11 October 2012, 05:14:39 »
Bought the Quickfire rapid, after reading about it in here.
Had the 6Gv2 before, but this board is indeed superior to it, in any thinkable way.

only problem is that they keys seems to wear out fast (or at least get stained)
FS: 6Gv2 Key caps ISO/scandinavian:
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=36427.0

Offline MechKey

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 11 October 2012, 14:07:55 »
I'm a clean freak so have not had that problem.

Offline Tallon

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 11 October 2012, 23:59:27 »
Well - my personal preference is Topre. Not because I'm some elitist, I just love the feel of this switch. In my opinion, it's the perfect feel, sound and reliability out of the keyboards I've tried. I also have a das keyboard still going strong - but I gave it to my wife :).

It looks like Das Keyboards now have media keys, wish they did when I bought one ;(. In any case, if I bought a new cherry keyboard I'd probably go with one of the CM versions. That's purely hypothetical though, since I'll never get rid of my Realforce.

Offline daerid

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 12 October 2012, 03:23:41 »
I'm completely converted to the Realforce. I've tried going back to Cherry and buckling spring switches, and I always come back to my Topres. There's definitely something there that's more than just hype.

Offline Acetrak

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 12 October 2012, 08:35:33 »
Any build difference between boards like Realforce vs. HHKB? (Besides size obviously)

I'm interested in trying out topre...but the price tag is a bit intimidating o.o

Offline MechKey

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #13 on: Fri, 12 October 2012, 08:42:22 »
I'm curious about this too.

Offline metalliqaz

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Re: Most popular keyboards circa October 2012?
« Reply #14 on: Fri, 12 October 2012, 09:05:36 »
Good summaries up there.  I will add that the PLUM 89 has an interesting new layout, and the KBT One/Oni arae supposed to be the new hotness.  Every time I look around Taobao I'm amazed at how many random Chinese mechanical keyboard brands there are.

Re: Topre
Both Realforce and HHKB are very high quality.  Can't go wrong with either.

While I'm on the subject, am I the only one that wonders why they would take the layout of the Apple Lisa keyboard and elevate that as the pinnacle of layout design?