Trying to narrow down my choices

[jggeekhack]

So I've been heavily using Model M keyboards for about 17 years now ... with points earlier dominated by other mechanical keyboards (the old ALPS keyboards and the like), and sadly various rubber dome keyboards here and there in the last 10 years or so.

I recently bought a new iMac and want no part of the keyboard that it came with - the new mini wireless thing that's a replica of the macbook pro keyboard.  I never really liked the kb that my previous machine had (and never got around to buying a USB adapter for my model m's) so figured I might as well get a new keyboard.

The obvious choice would be to get an adapter for one of my old model ms or to get one of the unicomp boards, but the gf has told me that she's not going to stand for that sort of racket in our apartment.  So I'm looking for non-clicky definitely.  I've got a very heavy hand and really tend to bottom out a lot of the model m - I'd call it a 50/50 on bottoming out vs. actually releasing on the tactile bump.  In terms of usage it'd be general geek-at-home stuff ... web surfing, doc editing, writing code, some games, wide variety.

After reading through here and other places, I'm attracted to the cherry browns, clears & blacks.  I'm pretty sure that the browns would be way too light for me - both from description and from watching the action on some of the videos.  The clears are intriguing, although there really only seems to be the one board (the deck legend tactile - which FWIW the font doesn't bug me and the backlight could be cool but I don't care if there isn't one).  The blacks are also intriguing - I know theyr'e not well loved here, but given that I'm already bottoming out most of my keystrokes on the Model M I don't know how much I really care about the tactile bump or not (until I started reading posts here, I always thought that I did, but I never really *thought* about it much).

I'm guessing that my choice would really be between the black & the clear switches (even if I didn't mind the clicky switches here, there's a high pitch tone on all of the blue recordings i've heard which *really* annoys me).  Do people have any thought on what I might end up preferring based on what I've said above?

Thanks

[1839cc]

Can you sound damp a model M enough to make it acceptable?

If not probably Cherry blacks or clears. Try a black ALPS board just for fun. They are cheap and you might like it.

[ch_123]

This is a toughie - quiet yet stiff.  The Topre 55g board is probably going to disappoint you too just because my limited experience with the Apple wireless reminded me a tad of the Topre - but stiffer with obviously shorter travel.

Topres feel like that?

Also ditto with the Dell AT101W - may be worth a try.

Not exactly the quietest keyboards in the world.

[maxlugar]

Topres feel like that?

Not exactly the quietest keyboards in the world.

No, not so quiet, but quieter than any buckling spring, ALPS, or Cherry MX Blue keyboard.  Actually, I can even manage to make Cherry Browns sound loud because I bottom out each keystroke.

I bought a used black AT101W from Brandon at Clickykeyboards.com a few months ago out of curiosity.  It's a well made solid keyboard, but it's just not my thing.  The Cherry key switches on the AT101W have more of a tactile bump than Cherry MX Brown key switches, but also require more force for the key presses.

Based on what you are looking for in a keyboard, the AT101W might be the ticket.

[ch_123]

The 'quiet' comment was made in relation to the AT101W, which use Black Alps, not Cherry switches. They make you type with a heavy hand, leading to you bottom out all the time, causing an almighty clatter.

A better option might be an SGI AT101 with dampened Alps, but PS/2 compatible ones are quite rare.

EDIT: Oh, as you are a Mac user, an even better option would be an AEKII. They use dampened Alps and feel quite soft to type on while still having a good deal of resistance. You'd need an ADB to USB adapter though.

[jggeekhack]

Hey all ... thanks for the ideas.

I've actually used those dell keyboards before, back in the day.  When I started using Model Ms I took to using the dell (not sure where I acquired it, as I didn't have a dell) as a semi-reasonable facsimile until I managed to get a Model M for my PC.  The AEKII is another KB that I used to use many moons ago ... both of which I like a lot better than standard KB but not as much as the Model M, natch

I've been trying to mentally compare/contrast the switches that I haven't come across (mainly the various cherries) with the buckling spring, but perhaps comparisons to the dell & aekii would help me form a better picture ... is there something around here that would describe things in relative terms a little more clearly?

I'll look into dampening one of my model m's and see what happens.

[ch_123]

EDIT: Double post.

[ch_123]

I've actually used those dell keyboards before, back in the day.  When I started using Model Ms I took to using the dell (not sure where I acquired it, as I didn't have a dell) as a semi-reasonable facsimile until I managed to get a Model M for my PC.  The AEKII is another KB that I used to use many moons ago ... both of which I like a lot better than standard KB but not as much as the Model M, natch

The problem is that the Buckling Springs are very much in a league of their own. The only quiet switch that feels like a buckling spring is a greased buckling spring... If you want quiet you need to accept a switch that doesn't have as much tactility. The Cherry brown and Topres do compensate by being very light, and therefore easy to type on (both in terms of speed, and not wearing your hands out)

I've been trying to mentally compare/contrast the switches that I haven't come across (mainly the various cherries) with the buckling spring, but perhaps comparisons to the dell & aekii would help me form a better picture ... is there something around here that would describe things in relative terms a little more clearly?

If you could get your hands on a Dell AT101W, there's a way to mod the switches to give you a rough idea of what typing on a Cherry Brown is. It's hard to describe Cherry switches in terms of Black Alps and Buckling Springs. Blue Cherrys are the closest to either, but the Browns and the Topre switches are completely different beasts.

[jggeekhack]

Gotcha.  Well, if the topres are similar to the new mac keyboards,  that might be a starting point for me with the brown in terms of comparison.

To be honest, I don't hate the key action on the new mac keyboard (I thought I'd absolutely loathe them, but it's actually alright) - I just can't stand the layout and some other tidbits (e.g. I find myself not just hitting the key that I want but also the corner of the key over from time to time - and it doesn't take much force at all to trigger both keys).

I think I already mentioned, but just in case I didn't - just from watching videos of people typing on the browns, I suspect that I'll have the same irritation - too little force required.

FWIW, in my initial post I mentioned the Filco & the Deck - one of the things that attracted me about the deck was the return policy, if I didn't like the board I could return it, whereas with Elite I am pretty much SOL if I don't like what I were to get.

[jggeekhack]

I love how I went from narrowing options to expanding them, at a pretty fast clip  That's what happens when you ask the experts!

The switch that intrigues me the most are the cherry blacks, but I'm also a little bit leery due to lack of lovin' they get outside of the superserious gaming types - and while I'll play some games (mostly MMO type stuff), I ain't anything remotely approaching a serious gamer.

Thinking back on things like the Dell and the AEKII, I've generally liked keyboards that require a heavy hand and have a satisfying 'thump' to them although as you say nothing is quite like the buckling spring.  

I hope to check out a quiet-mod this weekend, I'd still want to get one of the Unicomps even if it works though as I'd rather have the extra key down by the space bar for the Mac instead of remapping it to something else.

[joneslee85]

Topre Realforce is 'das' way to go! Go for the 87U if you love compact layout, or 103U if you prefer full layout.

[jggeekhack]

BTW Ripster, would your 'stack of nickles' trick be valid for a keyboard like the new wireless mac keyboard in terms of determining force roughly?  Given that I just described it as being too light to trigger, that would help me get a baseline as well.

Also, just wanted to say that this is a great site - I've learned more about keyboards in the last couple of days than I even realized there were things to learn

[microsoft windows]

If you want something really quiet and not too expensive, take a look at old Compaq and Dell rubber domes from the early-mid 90's. They are some of the highest quality ones out there.