Keyboard Talk of the Day (KTOD) - What switches/boards are office-appropriate?

[CPTBadAss]

I think this morning someone came to my desk to see why my keyboard was making noises. If you don't know, I type on a Filco Majestouch with MX Blues at work. At my other workplace it wasn't an issue since it was noisy, but in the new building I may have to swap keyboards. However I still haven't had any *actual complaints* so I'm going to continue using this Filco.

Do you have a keyboard at work? What do you use there and why?

[acantha]

i've never gotten any actual complaints, but my code board with greens got a few looks at my old office. my coworkers there were more comfortable calling me a rat bastard so its hard to tell to what degree their dirty looks were genuine and which were just for fun.

that being said, i think clicky switches are probably not all that polite if your workspace runs to quiet.

[SpAmRaY]

Work is about the only place I actually use a mechanical keyboard.

I still use my good ole' ducky shine 2 with clears and GMK dolch because its just a perfect board for me. I like to switch it up once in a while for a day or so but always come back to it.

I like it for the office because its the quietest of the mx boards I've tried and no one complains about it.

[CPTBadAss]

In my old building we had white noise generators and a really busy and noisy environment. So my Blues were fine. Now that I know I'm moving around, I'm in the process of building a quieter workplace keyboard so I can swap out depending on where I am. But I still haven't gotten any actual complaints so I'm sort of dragging my feet.

[Zombly]

My workspace is really quiet, the most noise is when the girls "there's 2 other males in my office, and around ~40 females, but I use a rubber dome, as I type rather hard and pound my keyboard with my fingers, as that's just how I type, so no mechanicals are really allowed, possibly if one was lubed, and silenced but otherwise they don't want extra sound, Topre may be an option.

[juguerre]

I'm using at this moment a variable topre realforce and is perfect. In fact lees noisy than rubber dome kb.

[nuclearsandwich]

At an old job, I was asked to switch keyboards from the Das with MX Blues that I'd had for years to one of the MX Brown Das the company bought for me. It wasn't not a factor in my decision to leave.
Currently my primary keyboard at work is a 60% with ergo clears but I also spent three days using blue and green boards which apparently bothered no one but myself. I've been bringing a lot of keyboards to the office for folks to try, many of them clicky, in the hope that I'll de-stigmatize clacky keyboards. The floor I work on has been designated the "loud" floor. I'd probably find a quiet linear board to type on if I worked on the library floor.

[rowdy]

I used to use a Ducky Shine with MX blues, but decided that it was too wide so I switched to a QFS with MX greens, lending the Ducky to someone else.

I have been told, when doing some repetitive typing, that the sounds from the keyboard were mesmerising.  Most people commented favourably on the backlighting (green) on the Ducky.

There's one guy that types on a rubber dome keyboard, but type so hard it sounds like he is trying to punch the keyboard through the desk with every keystroke.

All in all it is not a perfectly quiet environment, although there are moments when one or two staff are away that it seems quiet.  Most of the time there is background conversation, phone calls, arguments and so on.

No complaints at all about the noise.  I would like to take a Model M in to see what people think about the noise of that, but it is too big to carry in on the train, so I have been seeking an SSK.

[dorkvader]

My coworker is really picky. He thought my WASD V1 in browns was too loud (but doesn't complain when I gave it to the third officemate). I now use a topre 30g and he thinks it's great. I plan to dental band it later for extra silence (if that's a thing)

When he's away, I plan to use a beam spring with solenoid.

[Defect]

I used to use my choc mini with blues at my last office job.  No one ever said anything.

It wasn't until my last day that I found out EVERYONE hated it.  They just liked me too much to say anything...and I felt like a huge jerk.

Now I rock panda clears at work

[riotonthebay]

Silenced HHKB. It is everywhere-appropriate. I brought it to the last funeral I attended.

[Q-ship]

First of all, I am really interested as to what type of business can function profitably if the sound of a mechanical keyboard is disruptive?

I discoverd long ago that those that complain are because they are intimidated by the "busy" sound of someone using blues (or even hitting rubber domes hard) as anyone typing on blues sound as though they are getting a bunch more work done than anyone else. --- Not noisy, but you can hear work being done.

I solved this by eventually buying MX blue keyboards for every workstation in my office. Not only does everyone love them, most have bought them for home use also, and productivity went up as it's noticeable if someone is wasting time instead of working.

For new people coming in, I offer them any number of keyboards I have with other mechanical switches (red, brown, or alps), or any of the rubber dome boards that are lying around, and no one has ever chosen anything but a MX blue switch board for their permanent board. --- To be more specific, only the Ducky's are finally chosen, not the Filco, Das, Coolermaster, Rosewill, or Keycool!

As a last point, I always had a few rubber dome boards in reserve as at least one or two a year would have problems (which is expected in a heavy typing business), but I have never had a problem with any of the mechanicals in several years of heavy use.

[Pacifist]

model f

staple of awesome offices 30 years ago

[blackbox]

I have my coolermaster quickfire xt at work. Started with mx browns no one complained. went over to mx greys and no one complained either. But i a brought my dell at102w with matias clicky someone would definetly complain.

[rowdy]

model f

staple of awesome offices 30 years ago

Just imagine what an office full of these going flat chat would sound like!

[Crabby_b]

I used to use a Das with blues, but a guy that I worked with complained about the noise. This was the one and only time that he has ever spoken to me. Now he sits on the other side of the office so I use a 60% with Blues.

[D01]

I use browns at work and so far no complaints.

[polpo]

Matias Quiet switches.

[exitfire401]

I only had one person complain while I was using blues, but since I've switched to clears, no complaints whatsoever.

[CPTBadAss]

There's one guy that types on a rubber dome keyboard, but type so hard it sounds like he is trying to punch the keyboard through the desk with every keystroke.

That's the weird thing...quite a few of the guys around me smash on their rubber domes and it sounds louder than my Blues. Or maybe that's just me.

[hoggy]

I've noticed that with a few coworkers... It's just that the board has gotten old and the rubber domes are really stiff, but it's taken a long time so they haven't noticed. Turning up to their office with a replacement and then asking is the way to go, or just wait until they are on holiday...

[Melvang]

I think the quietest switches I have typed on are lubed blacks with clear stems.  Amazingly quiet and such smoothness.

[Defect]

I think the quietest switches I have typed on are lubed blacks with clear stems.  Amazingly quiet and such smoothness.

Melvang with the Ghost Black love!  Yes!

[CPTBadAss]

Melvang with the Ghost Black love!  Yes!

Ghost Blacks = Clear spring + Black stem
Panda Clears = Black spring + Clear stem

Melvang is talking about Panda Clears.

[Lastpilot]

Will be bringing my Lightsaver to work once it comes in :] Lubed reds!

I'm lucky enough to have an office where I'm pretty secluded, so it doesn't really matter what I bring.

[blackbox]

Will be bringing my Lightsaver to work once it comes in :] Lubed reds!

I'm lucky enough to have an office where I'm pretty secluded, so it doesn't really matter what I bring.

nice! Doubt anyone will complain about the noise from lubed reds anyway

[Defect]

Melvang with the Ghost Black love!  Yes!

Ghost Blacks = Clear spring + Black stem
Panda Clears = Black spring + Clear stem

Melvang is talking about Panda Clears.

MB, was talking with him recently about Ghost Blacks so I jumped to conclusions.  Lol.  I use Panda Clears at work myself, as mentioned above.  I wouldn't say they're quiet, especially not with thick pbt caps.

[Melvang]

Melvang with the Ghost Black love!  Yes!

Ghost Blacks = Clear spring + Black stem
Panda Clears = Black spring + Clear stem

Melvang is talking about Panda Clears.

MB, was talking with him recently about Ghost Blacks so I jumped to conclusions.  Lol.  I use Panda Clears at work myself, as mentioned above.  I wouldn't say they're quiet, especially not with thick pbt caps.

Sorry about the confusion guys.  I was talking about ghost blacks.  Black stems with clear springs and lube.  That thing tends to happen at 3 am after a 12 hour shift of welding.

[dante]

There is no white noise in my office other than the occasional cell-phone ringing.

After buying/selling over 40 keyboards I've stuck with the Topre Typeheaven as my favorite Office board.  The one I've got is coming up on 6 months and I feel no desire for change.

For 2nd place: If the TypeHeaven didn't exist or wasn't available I would use a Cherry G80-3850 MX Red which is equally comfortable - albeit a little more clack.

[esko997]

I've been very lucky and have been able to get away with using my Unicomp at work because the guy I share an office with doesnt mind the clicking. I will be moving out of that office soon and will instead be using a board with MX Clears. I think this is pretty appropriate, and other coworkers I have asked said they dont mind the sound.

I think it really depends on the office environment though. Where I work, a good amount of the developers use mechanical keyboards on the development floor, and no one really seems to mind. The same thing can be said with our tech support department. I dont know whether the same thing would fly on the sales floor though..

I would say the best office switches are probably MX Browns, Clears, and Topre Switches -- again though, probably depends on the office environment.

[gcb]

model f

staple of awesome offices 30 years ago

... in the time before cubicles.

That said, MX blues replaced my clicket alps at work this last weeks. HR should make people happy. not me.