cheapest mechanical keyboard

[tauburn]

I want to get a keyboard to use with my mac which is the computer i sit at when i eat and watch tv and that other people use as well. i do not want food or other humans going near my good keyboards. i want something mechanical that i wont really care too much if a drink gets spilled on or whatever.

[TotalChaos]

Rosewill RK-9000s when on sale are $55.00 with free shipping.  One time they were only $40.00.

Rosewills are by far the cheapest.

I am typing on one right now.

[gizzard]

Can they be used as doner boards for their switches?

[NikoGasm]

Can they be used as doner boards for their switches?

If you don't mind desoldering them, then sure they can.

[tauburn]

Can they be used as doner boards for their switches?

If you don't mind desoldering them, then sure they can.

oh yeah i remember looking at those on newegg. i probably will get one then

[TheQsanity]

Ebay?

[link_tree]

makes you wonder how rosewill are able to offer their boards for such a low price in comparison to the competitors.
only the switches are almost 0.8 - 1$ each when 100 pieces or more are bought.
even if they get the switches for 1/3 of the price wheres the payments for workers/casing/other materials and profits I don't get it...
I guess they'd have to sell a lot of keyboards and they probably do otherwise they wouldn't exist

[jabar]

makes you wonder how rosewill are able to offer their boards for such a low price in comparison to the competitors.

your last sentence is correct: large bulk sales. Also manufacturers get their switches probably closer to $0.10 each.

[phetto]

I think these are amongst the cheapest new boards you can buy

Ducky DK1087XM black alps - http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=89
DSI Big Font yellow alps - http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=26
Ducky DK1087XM green alps - http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=43

[TotalChaos]

@phetto

Thanx!

Force Graphs for Alps please?

[phetto]

I dont think there is any..

[HarryPalms]

There are, I've seen them before.  Probably at Deskthority.

[TheQsanity]

Keyboards are charged so much just because they can. I hope the price continues to get cheaper as more mechanical kryboard companies make it to the scene.

[TotalChaos]

I had the Alps force graphs a few days ago.  I had found them purely by accident.  I then closed the tab thinking "I have never ever seen any Alps keyboard for sale anywhere so I don't need to concern myself with these force graphs."

Now a few days later and here are Alps keyboards on sale for a super cheap price!  DOH!

All I remember from the force graphs was they all had the same shape.  That is, they were all tactile.  Each switch just peaked at a slightly different point and dropped down to a slightly different point in the trough.

Why don't they make a linear Alps switch?  That is what I want.  Gimme gimme gimme. 

[FoxWolf1]

D07-135TNG for $15 + S&H...ALPS switches, and even has a Mac layout for you.

TG3 BL82 for $50 + S&H...not only very cheap, but also durable. Sometimes these will even come with a rubber sheet over the plate and switches to protect against spills. Sounds like it might be a good match, but it's PS/2, so you may need an active USB adaptor to get it to play nice with your Mac.

[FoxWolf1]

Why don't they make a linear Alps switch?  That is what I want.  Gimme gimme gimme. 

There have been various linear ALPS over time, though it would be useless for me to specify a color (since such things are not standardized for ALPS).

[Hyde]

Azio Levetron KB528U
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=73583&vpn=KB528U&manufacture=AZIO%20Corporation&promoid=1285

On sale for $40 now, I believe this uses ALPS switches.

[Magnusian]

Try a thrift store, you might find an old mechanical board for $5 or less because most people don't even realize how much they are truly worth. A bit of soap and hot water will make it look like new.

[tauburn]

Try a thrift store, you might find an old mechanical board for $5 or less because most people don't even realize how much they are truly worth. A bit of soap and hot water will make it look like new.

everytime i walk into a thrift store i look. never seen anything yet.. someday..

[tauburn]

I think these are amongst the cheapest new boards you can buy

Ducky DK1087XM black alps - http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=89
DSI Big Font yellow alps - http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=26
Ducky DK1087XM green alps - http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=43

does anyone know which cherry switch these ALPS ones are most like?

[daerid]

As far as I know, green alps are more like Blues, where as black alps feel more like browns to me (with slightly stiffer springs). But the feel is different.. it's hard to explain.

[TotalChaos]

Are any of those Cheap Alps keyboards that are on sale using a switch that is vaguely like Cherry Red or Cherry Black?

Or at least have the tactile bump after the activation point?  (Which would be wonderful and I would probably buy 5 or 6 of them right away.)

Why are Alps keyboards so much less than Cherry keyboards?  Are Cherry switches overpriced and inflating the cost of Cherry-switch keyboards?

[daerid]

No idea, honestly. I don't think there's an Alps board out that is linear like the reds or blacks. You'd have to take Alps black switches and remove the tactile leaf from each switch to get linear. And I'm pretty sure the activation point for browns and blues is after the tactile bump. Not sure what you're looking for. I take it Buckling Spring boards are no good.

[TotalChaos]

No idea, honestly. I don't think there's an Alps board out that is linear like the reds or blacks. You'd have to take Alps black switches and remove the tactile leaf from each switch to get linear.

  Woah!  Interesting!
But I would have to pay someone $50.00 to do that and pay the extra shipping costs.  So it still makes more sense to get Cherry Black or Red to start with.

Not sure what you're looking for.

I am looking for a properly designed switch.

Failing that, a switch that I can mod to be better.

I take it Buckling Spring boards are no good.

  I would not say they are "no good".  I actually almost bought one back in 2003 but all of the ones I could find were missing important modifier keys and so could not generate over 1000 keycodes that any normal keyboard can generate.  So I put them out of my mind.

Of course nowadays I can buy a Unicomp BS keyboard that works on PS/2 and has all its keys.

I am not totally opposed to BS I just don't fully understand them.  And it seems somewhat strange that they are said to make so much noise.  Making noise is not the purpose of a keyboard.

And I read a lot of places that say it takes a lot of force to activate each key.  They are said to be "stiff".


If it was impossible to bottom out on a BS keyboard then I would buy one immediately.

If it was very difficult to bottom out on a BS keyboard then I would buy one immediately.

If it was somewhat difficult to bottom out, and u could install some soft rubber down there to cushion the impact, then I would buy one immediately.

[daerid]

I wouldn't say it's necessarily very "difficult" to bottom out on a BS board. But it's much more rare. They are quite noticeably stiffer than even Cherry Blacks.

I agree that making noise is not the purpose of a keyboard, and buckling springs are not designed to make noise, the noise is actually a consequence of the switching mechanism used. It was found that the feel of the spring buckling provided tactility that users preferred. You can sound dampen BS boards with some dental floss, if the noise is truly bothersome.

I think you might be able to do some sort of O-ring mod on a BS board, but you'd need bigger rings than the standard Cherry sized ones.

But they do require more force to actuate, and at least for me they tire out my fingers much faster than other switches.

[TotalChaos]

The noise is not a dealbreaker for me.

Can't they simply make a lower force buckling spring switch?


If bottoming out is halfway rare, and the impact can be cushioned in some way then I am suddenly very very very very interested in buckling springs!

[Polymer]

You wouldn't want to buy a linear Alps because frankly, they're not made as well as Cherry MX switches...They're not nearly as reliable...In addition, the keycaps tend to not feel as stable as on Cherry...

Also, in getting a linear one you'd give up the one good thing about Alps..which is that nice thonk..(which I think is better than Cherry Blues)

The only "Alps" switch that is currently available that I think is worthwhile is the Matias one..because they've basically made their own and probably fixed the one thing I hated about Alps to begin with which is their reliability.

[Magnusian]

The noise is not a dealbreaker for me.

Can't they simply make a lower force buckling spring switch?


If bottoming out is halfway rare, and the impact can be cushioned in some way then I am suddenly very very very very interested in buckling springs!

If you wanted lower force you would have to replace all of the springs on the hammers manually.

I "bottomed-out" typing almost every character in this post, it's not like a sudden and jarring impact, nor does it hurt or seem all that noticable. I'm sure that if I actually thought about it and trained myself I could avoid doing it, but it's personally not something I care about all that much. You definitely don't have to to activate the key, there's still a little travel after the spring buckles.

As for cushioning the impact, o-rings or soft rubber/silicone around the stem in the keys should do the trick. You'd have to try different materials and thicknesses to find something that both works for you and doesn't prevent the keys from actuating.

[daerid]

The only "Alps" switch that is currently available that I think is worthwhile is the Matias one..because they've basically made their own and probably fixed the one thing I hated about Alps to begin with which is their reliability.

Really? I had an AT101W for years that never even missed a single stroke.

[Polymer]

Yeap..I've gone through quite a few Alps keyboards way back when...Was it all the switch itself?  Maybe not...But knowing Alps are not made as well as Cherry, knowing they're basically rated the same  (stroke wise) as rubber dome and knowing Matias has done improvements to them all confirms my feeling about them before..which is they just weren't that reliable.

Granted, I haven't bought an Alps keyboard in the last 10 years+ so possibly they're much better than before..but I'm putting together my experience and combining it with other information..

[ShortStock]

You can't really bank on the thrift store thing...  not where i live anyhow.  In Los Angeles the only things worth looking at thrift stores are clothes. 

[TotalChaos]

Rosewill RK-9000s when on sale are $55.00 with free shipping.  One time they were only $40.00.

Rosewills are by far the cheapest.

I am typing on one right now.

I have had my Rosewill RK-9000RE less than a month.  About 26 days.  Today it died on me in the middle of typing.  No keys would work.  Capslock light would not come on.   I touched the cable/connector a few times and got it to come back on.  This keyboard was manufactured in 2012.

It is obvious that the notorious Rosewill connector problem and cable problem have not been fixed!  The cable is the most ridiculous gdmf POS cable that has ever shipped with any keyboard ever.

You have been warned!

I have never unplugged my keyboard.  I slide my keyboard sideways on my desk 1.5 feet, several times per day to get it out of my way when needed.  No big deal.

A couple of times I lifted it up to look at the serial# / datecode on the bottom.

I haven't even typed on it very much.  I am sure that the springs have another 30-50 million keystrokes left in them.

The keycaps still look good.  Not perfect, but good.  Some of the letters are a bright glistening white like new.  Other letters are darker, as if they are fading or getting dirty or something.

p.s. Is there any way that Windows XP could cause my keyboard input to stop working and make the capslock light stop responding?  I never had any such problem in all my years, I just want to 100% cover all the possibilities before I bust out my Turrican 2 Rotating Flamethrower.

[daerid]

Windows XP? Really?

[rowdy]

The only time I have seen that behaviour from Windows XP is when it completely hangs.  Then nothing responds, neither mouse nor keyboard.  A reboot fixed it.

[TheQsanity]

You can't really bank on the thrift store thing...  not where i live anyhow.  In Los Angeles the only things worth looking at thrift stores are clothes.

LA is a big city. They have lots of vintage keyboards scattered around. You can check recycling plants and occasionally goodwill. Or get lucky and find out when an old office is moving out or clearing old stuff. I recently got a vintage cherry my style keyboard. Though I think is most likely complete junk.

[Joe6pack]

I think these are amongst the cheapest new boards you can buy


DSI Big Font yellow alps - http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=26

I got one from dsi-keyboards.com in october for $24.99  including shipping.  The price is up to $52 now.  This is great for Grandma or one to put on your desktop when you took your Filco home.
Dsi also sells at ebay for $30 plus shipping. 



The big yellow keyboard on dsi-keyboards.com were $12.50 in october. 

[rowdy]

There's some cheap keyboards there.  The cheapest I have seen in Australia is around $80 for a QFR (like the one sitting next to me).

[darksakul]

Cheapest Mechanical keyboard I scored was a non-working for parts Cherry POS keyboard for $14 (plus shipping)
I was worth it though as I harvested the thing for its delicious double shot keycaps.

[jamdox]

There's a $35 Dell buckling spring on ebay.

And the Alps force graph is in the mechanical keyboard guide on overclock.net.