Author Topic: light and small keyboard  (Read 1552 times)

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Offline keimag

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 1
  • Location: Germany
light and small keyboard
« on: Fri, 29 March 2013, 16:35:37 »
Hey guys, after reading this forum for a couple of months I finaly made my account.
Soon university starts again and therefor I need some equipment. I thought about buying a nice tablet which should do fine for most of the things I need to do. (reading some stuff etc.) Now I heard that its possible to connect a regular keyboard via usb otg to the tablet.
So I think i should get a nice small and light keyboard which fits into a bag and isnt heavy as a rock.
Right now I got a noppoo choc mini and love the layout and form factor. But I think something smaller would be even better for mobile usage.
So far I saw:
-KBT Pure / Race
-noppoo choc mini (kinda big)
-happy hacking keyboard     

Are there any other options for me?
Hows the build quality? Usefull for mobile use?
kinda important: How silent are they? I know the sound of regular mech. keyboards which is probably too loud, how much will switch dambender fix this? Can cherry switches be as silent as rubber dome boards? (how?)
The happy hacking seems to be pretty cool, nice build quality, kinda silent (isnt it?) and light. Would you suggest it?

What would you buy? What can u suggest me?
thx for replys and have a nice evening^^

Offline jabar

  • Posts: 848
  • Location: TX, USA
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 29 March 2013, 16:48:10 »
Build quality for Vortex keyboards (Poker/Pure/Race) can be a mixed bag. Choc Minis sometimes have issues with warp to the case, and have a forced USB hack to get NKRO over USB which can be a problem for some BIOSes.

All Cherry MX switches will be louder than any rubber dome to varying degrees. I would say tactile switches (Browns, Clears, Greys) are the quietest, then linears (because linears will bottom out loudly) then clicky Whites, Greens then Blues. Switch dampeners can help.

The HHKB is quiet compared to Cherry MX on its own, supposedly Type-S even more so (but at a $150 markup).

It really depends what sort of money you want to spend. Yes a HHKB is nice but you'll drop 200+ Euro to get one. Plus the layout has a learning curve. There is also the GH60 option where you build your own 60% keyboard but that is likely not suitable if you are looking for a more immediate solution.
Leopold FC660C - Max Keyboard Nighthawk X8 - Ducky DK9008 Shine II 78 Edition - Noppoo Choc Mini - Cherry G80-2100HDD - Cherry G80-8113HDPUS - Plu-M87 - Leopold FC700R Ergo Clears - Deck Legend Frost 105 - IBM F PC Keyboard - IBM M 122 (Lexmark) - Apple Extended Keyboard II

Phantom 7bit

Offline Leslieann

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 4567
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 29 March 2013, 16:59:53 »
The KBT Race would only be 1/4in smaller or so. The key layout is similar, just a thinner frame.
A Pure, Poker or HHKB is the only way to get much smaller and even then, you are really only talking one row of keys in height and width from what you have.

For Cherry, I wouldn't get blue if you are concerned with noise, in fact I would recommend red or black and lube it, that will make it more quiet. There is no way to be as silent as a rubber dome, there is just too many mechanical parts moving around. However a lubed, linear can be pretty quiet. My lubed red, Race is close to a dome, but under a lot of typing it's obvious it isn't (a bit of foam underneath the board might help a bit more). If you do go with KBT, don't get backlit (especially white, I think the keys are just painted). The PBT's feel great, but the font will wipe off soon as it's only printed on. The case paint will also wear off fast if you get white, in other words, you want a non-backlit, black.

As for quality, the HHKB will best the rest, but you will pay dearly for it. It will also possibly be much quieter as it's not a Cherry switch but instead a modified rubber dome.

Another Cherry option is a GH60 or Poker (both are the same size as a Pure, GH60 can even use a Pure case). Neither is easy to find, and the GH60 is only now gearing up for actual sale but won't be as expensive as a Poker, but you will have to assemble it yourself.


If you want high quality, quiet and now, your best bet is an HHKB, but like I said, it won't be cheap.
If you can wait, a GH60 could be your best bet.
If you want it cheap and now, keeping what you have, or a Pure is probably the best bet.


Edit: Jabar got some of it while I was typing
« Last Edit: Fri, 29 March 2013, 17:01:37 by Leslieann »
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Offline bazemk1979

  • Posts: 1625
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 29 March 2013, 17:40:16 »
Here you go, not an MX mechanical but ML mechanical switch. ML switch is made by cherry too.

This one is cheaper but has the legends laser printed and then infilled I guess, they'll still last but not as long,long lasting as the link under
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cherry-Slimline-Keyboard-83-Keys-USB-PS2-Grey-G84-4100-/380553840843?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item589ac6c8cb

and this is the mother of all ML's dyesub legends 2 tone :) more money but worth it I guess

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHERRY-G84-4100-AT-SLIM-LINE-Keyboard-G84-4101PAAUS-/350589764757?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item51a0c74495
Quote from: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 08 January 2014, 18:02:50

When you bottom out dong cap... is it going balls deep?

Offline CommunistWitchDr

  • Posts: 479
  • Location: St. Louis, MO
  • >implying keyboards
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 29 March 2013, 17:51:08 »
I have both a Poker and Pure. Love both. Mostly carry the Poker since it has blacks (my Pure has blues) and when I'm in public I at least try to be quiet.

The GH60 looks great (I'm signing up for at least two), but it's gonna be a good while before it ships.

No experience with the Choc or HHKB so I can't say much there. Though I rarely hear complaints about the HHKB in anything but layout. The layout seems to be a love it or hate it thing.


Here you go, not an MX mechanical but ML mechanical switch. ML switch is made by cherry too.

This one is cheaper but has the legends laser printed and then infilled I guess, they'll still last but not as long,long lasting as the link under
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cherry-Slimline-Keyboard-83-Keys-USB-PS2-Grey-G84-4100-/380553840843?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item589ac6c8cb

and this is the mother of all ML's dyesub legends 2 tone :) more money but worth it I guess

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHERRY-G84-4100-AT-SLIM-LINE-Keyboard-G84-4101PAAUS-/350589764757?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item51a0c74495

I've used one of these for a bit. Keys feel good enough, and it's pretty damn quiet, and it's tiny. Biggest problem is the layout. I adapted to the Pure layout in minutes, but just couldn't come to like the G84-4100. It also lacks a winkey so if you use Win 8 or a window manager on linux that makes heavy use of the win key (I use i3) it can be a problem.

Offline drdoooom

  • Posts: 57
  • Location: toronto
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 30 March 2013, 11:20:41 »
Hhkb.

Offline davkol

  •  Post Editing Timeout
  • Posts: 4994
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 02 April 2013, 02:12:33 »
I use a choc mini w/ Cherry MX Red switches at school. It's far from silent, but noone has complained so far (note that I bottom out only lightly). I love the layout and size (it perfectly fits my 12" thinkpad). Quality-wise, it's fine, I'm worried only about the cable... it should be detachable on new minis though.

Offline ksm123

  • Posts: 105
  • Location: Poland
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 02 April 2013, 06:21:21 »
It is not detachable in mine (new layout) choc mini.

I'm using MX Brown based keyboard at work, here you can hear me typing. It is no louder than my boss'es typing on his Thinkpad.

Offline davkol

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  • Posts: 4994
Re: light and small keyboard
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 02 April 2013, 08:01:48 »
It is not detachable in mine (new layout) choc mini.

I meant this: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=41847