Here is how my tastes have evolved. First, I believe it is relevant to give a short history of how I got into mechanical keyboards and why I bought the ones that I have.
When Starcraft 2 came out, I learned about the existence of mechanical keyboards. In that context what seemed most important to me was the sound of the keyboard and that it was for feedback reasons. I didn't know any more that that.
It was a chance occasion that I was walking down a hallway at my school when I heard cherry blue switches from an open office door. When I asked the guy, he surprised me by showing quite a bit of enthusiasm for his keyboard.
It was a Filco Majestouch with Cherry MX blue switches. Tenkeyless also which I had never seen but instantly liked.
So I bought one of those which in July of 2010 was not too easy, I had to e-mail Filco in Japan and do a bank transfer with lots of additionnal cost.
Before I ordered the keyboard, I had already spent many hours on geekhack and come to understand that the keyboard community values non-printed keycaps and touch typing. So that became part of my tastes.
When I finally got my Filco, it was everything I expected and more, I was super happy. Can you guys imagint that at that time I thought that that would be the only mechanical keyboard I would buy. LOL!
I eventually bought an IBM model M on e-bay. At this point, the size of the keyboard was a very high priority so I paid a very high premium to get a Spacesaver Model M.
Then, because I was going to have to work in a computer lab at my school, I decides that was a good excuse to give myself to buy a new keyboard; the filco and model M are too loud to be working with people around. So I bought a Choc Noppoo Mini with Cherry MX Brown switches.
I had an office back then because I was a grad student in mathematics. When I quit my master's degree to go do a degree in computer engineering, no more office, so I was going to have to carry my keyboard with me in my backpack. Gotta get a smaller one so that justified getting an HHKB!
Now for my tastes:
Size has always been very important. I could have gotten a Cherry MX Blue keyboard for alot less money if I had been willing to settle for a full size keyboard, but I didn't. Then I paid quite a bundle for the tenkeyless version of the model M when full size ones aren't rare at all and not expensive either. So that hasn't changed.
Feel is really important too. That's why I got the Model M in the first place; through my adventures on geekhack, I came to understand that the Model M was some sort of holy grail of keyboard feel. Here's my opinion: It absolutely is. The feeling is so righ. In terms of feel alone, it's more delicious to type on than all my other keyboards (Cherry Blue, Cherry Brown, Topre).
What I just said was more about the sensuality of the feel. As for tactile feedback vs no tactile feedback, I definitely hate linear switches. Just my opinion.
Then there is sound. Which can be devided the same way as feel.
I like keyboards with and without audio feedback. I got into mechanical keyboards for the sound feedback because of Starcraft but now I can do with or without.
As for how the keyboard sounds, I really just appreciate the sound of any good quality keyboard. Be it the music of the model M and Cherry blues or the quiet thumping of the HHKB and Cherry browns. I just like it so much. Between the time I order a keyboard and the time I get it, I spend hours on youTube just to go listen to it.
Come on guys, how many hours have you spent on YouTube listening to your future keyboards?
Also, I have gotten some different colored keycaps and that has become part of my tastes since this adventure started but I never got into the custom keycap thing.
I guess that means that the look of the keyboard is important to me. That's all because of geekhack. I mean how beautiful are all those pictures of keyboards on here. Yeah, the look of a nice otaku keyboard has a "je ne sais quoi" to it.
