keyboard with (nearly) silent keys ???

[keyfriend]

Hi,
which keybord is extremely silent?
I am interested in a keyboard with nearly no noise during keying. Unfortunately manufacturers do not specify the keying noise. However, I cannot afford to buy all kinds of standard keyboards in order to test their sound emission. I need standard low force with about 0,16 key travel. Do you know such a product

[Arc'xer]

The cherry mx brown is a good option around 45 grams of force and non-clicky, light tactility for the most part. Does make slightly more noise than standard membrane keyboards because it's a mechanical switch.

At elitekeyboards they go for 109, 134 and 121 depending on whether you want a tenkeyless(without alphanumerical keypad) or full-sized and with or without NKRO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qU1iW_qmUI&fmt=18 Good comparison with the fan noise behind.

Your best bet but also the more expensive option is the topre keyboards. They use a high-quality rubber dome with a housing and a spring. It emulates the quietness of your cheapo membrane, while still providing a tactile feedback along with half way travel due to the spring. Topre varies in force some Topres are variable force per finger and some are for the most part single force.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videos&search_query=topre+realforce&search_sort=video_date_uploaded Topre sounds, if you here a machine-gun like sound it's the spring collapsing.

Although these options might be a bit pricey. There are many alternatives such as ebay or buying it off someone on here selling it. A good option is the Compaq MX-11800 usually go for 30-80 dollars. Of course there are more options if you check out the wiki.

[spremino]

Maybe a Fingerworks Touchstream? Look for a video about it. However they seem to be gone out of business.

A quick search shows this (the picture shows a Japanese layout): http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20070608/thanko-drops-silent-keyboard/

[savage]

The cherry mx brown is a good option around 45 grams of force and non-clicky, light tactility for the most part. Does make slightly more noise than standard membrane keyboards because it's a mechanical switch.

At elitekeyboards they go for 109, 134 and 121 depending on whether you want a tenkeyless(without alphanumerical keypad) or full-sized and with or without NKRO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qU1iW_qmUI&fmt=18 Good comparison with the fan noise behind.

Your best bet but also the more expensive option is the topre keyboards. They use a high-quality rubber dome with a housing and a spring. It emulates the quietness of your cheapo membrane, while still providing a tactile feedback along with half way travel due to the spring. Topre varies in force some Topres are variable force per finger and some are for the most part single force.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videos&search_query=topre+realforce&search_sort=video_date_uploaded Topre sounds, if you here a machine-gun like sound it's the spring collapsing.

Although these options might be a bit pricey. There are many alternatives such as ebay or buying it off someone on here selling it. A good option is the Compaq MX-11800 usually go for 30-80 dollars. Of course there are more options if you check out the wiki.

Neither of these are anywhere near silent...

[ch_123]

There's no such thing as a completely silent keyboard, just relative levels of acceptability. Topres and Browns are as good as it gets with mechanical boards, but they're still louder than the average rubber dome board.

[hyperlinked]

Neither of these are anywhere near silent...

Yeah Cherry Browns are anything but quiet... at least not in the Filco Majestouch. I have one and I would not be able to use this keyboard if I worked in a cube farm. It would drive everyone nuts.

[spremino]

Yeah Cherry Browns are anything but quiet... at least not in the Filco Majestouch. I have one and I would not be able to use this keyboard if I worked in a cube farm. It would drive everyone nuts.

Cube farm drone here ;-)

I type on a Filco with browns, and it's a little quieter than my colleagues' rubber domes. Maybe, it could be made even quieter by opening it and sticking some sound absorbing material on the lower panel.

[wordfool]

I chose a topre over a cherry brown because according to every sound clip I heard it's about a close to silent as you can get -- as quiet or quieter than the membrane keyboards I have. Not totally silent, but the noise it does make it very subdued.

[hyperlinked]

Cube farm drone here ;-)

I type on a Filco with browns, and it's a little quieter than my colleagues' rubber domes. Maybe, it could be made even quieter by opening it and sticking some sound absorbing material on the lower panel.

I type over 100wpm. Browns cause a racket at high speeds. If I slow down to 50-75wpm, it's not so bad. I work late at night a lot and I have to type slower so I don't wake other people up at night.

[spremino]

I type over 100wpm. Browns cause a racket at high speeds. If I slow down to 50-75wpm, it's not so bad.

Well, then that's the reason browns seem quiet to me: I'm a slow typist.

[sixty]

me too..i am looking for this kind of keyboard for a while now.. anyone got an idea??

Are you looking for a quiet keyboard to type your fake-content-spam-posts in silence? Do you think no one will notice if you just type quiet enough?

Honestly though, I'm getting quite sick of this human spam we get here recently. Seems someone discovered us recently. I hope this stops soon, especially since some members seem unable to tell apart a real user from a spam user and actually waste their time :/

[AndrewZorn]

but manual spamming is so... PURE...

[lmnop]

did everybody forget about scissor switches?

[msiegel]

did everybody forget about scissor switches?

has anyone tried a logitech board with the "PerfectStroke" scissors?

[ricercar]

Dammit, I was hoping to post for a few more months before any one knew I was a human spammer.

[ricercar]

There's no such thing as a completely silent keyboard

That laser projection keyboard would be 100% silent, the one that projects keys onto a tabletop. Last time I heard, light doesn't make noise. Of course your fingers might make noise as they tap the table top. YMMV.

[texteur]

The most silent keyboard I know is the current standard Apple keyboard sold with iMacs. It's well designed, but it's truely not a keyboard (unless you want to ruin your phalanges).

Manual spamming.  Boy, those guys must be real losers.

What worries me: it seems we've reached the point where using humans is cheaper than using machines.

[AndrewZorn]

That laser projection keyboard would be 100% silent, the one that projects keys onto a tabletop. Last time I heard, light doesn't make noise. Of course your fingers might make noise as they tap the table top. YMMV.

even my model M is completely silent when im not actually typing on it

[lmnop]

has anyone tried a logitech board with the "PerfectStroke" scissors?

I thought Logitech uses plastic scissors. now they are using metal scissors? I have only seen 3 brands under the hood Kensington, Enermax and Logitech and they're all plastic scissors.

[lmnop]

has anyone tried a logitech board with the "PerfectStroke" scissors?

I thought Logitech uses plastic scissors. now they are using metal scissors? I have only seen 3 brands under the hood Kensington, Enermax and Logitech and they're all plastic scissors.

a roll out keyboard is another option?

[clickclack]

Well as far as mehcanical boards go (without getting too pricey or exotic) I would go with the AEKII for tactile and less loud and I would go for a linear switch keyboard (with cherry blacks).

These are the only two (minus funky capacitive designs) that my coworkers and family have not complained about me typing on.  haahaa!


If you go for rubber dome keyboards they are much more common and much less likely to cause significant noise. And some can be insanely quiet! It's worth going to a store that has them on display and just typing on them and see which you could live with. I have come across many darn near silent boards but usually they are less enjoyable to type on in my opinion, and that of my family, friends, and cowokers.

Sorry that I was not more specific, good luck. And if this was spam then... well... heck ,I don't care somebody will get something out of it right?
=P

[microsoft windows]

If you like a good feeling keyboard, seriously try an original Dell Quietkey with white sliders. It has a very good feel to it even though it is a rubber dome.

[quadibloc]

I thought Logitech uses plastic scissors. now they are using metal scissors? I have only seen 3 brands under the hood Kensington, Enermax and Logitech and they're all plastic scissors.

Only a few Logitech keyboards, three using the "diNovo" brand, and one an illuminated keyboard, seem to use the Perfect Touch mechanism. They're apparently fairly expensive, depending on how much the New Zealand dollar is worth...

[hyperlinked]

I would go with the AEKII for tactile and less loud and I would go for a linear switch keyboard (with cherry blacks).

Yeah, AEK II's are definitely on the low audio output end of things.

[lmnop]

Only a few Logitech keyboards, three using the "diNovo" brand, and one an illuminated keyboard, seem to use the Perfect Touch mechanism. They're apparently fairly expensive, depending on how much the New Zealand dollar is worth...

oh you are right Logitech does use metal scissors. I thought the Illuminated used plastic.

Enermax and Kensington use plastic.