NeXT keyboards with SKCM Cream Tactile

[quasistellar]

I've been wondering how the SKCM Cream switches on these keyboards feel compared to SKCM Orange.  I did a quick forum search but couldn't find anyone who's done a direct comparison.

Are they heavier like Salmon/Brown or lighter like Orange?  How are the keycaps on the NeXT boards?  I keep seeing them for sale and am very curious.

[mike52787]

We recently were talking about this on the Alps Appreciation Thread, and the conclusion I and others came to was that creams are a touch heavier than oranges, and other than that feel quite similar. I personally like creams better than oranges, but I typically prefer heavier switches.

[quasistellar]

Are the keycaps on those NeXT boards any good? They look like pretty standard abs.

[CPTBadAss]

I'd agree with mike52787. I remember Cream and Orange being about the same. I do like the dampened ones a lot but  I don't think these are the same. Not sure about the keycaps but for some reason I want to say they're doubleshot abs. Definitely not the right person to ask though as I've only seen a NeXT board once like 4 years ago lol.

[chyros]

Are the keycaps on those NeXT boards any good? They look like pretty standard abs.

IIRC doubleshot ABS.

[mike52787]

Are the keycaps on those NeXT boards any good? They look like pretty standard abs.

The keycaps are great. Thick WoB ABS doubleshots.

[Hypersphere]

Yesterday's mail included a non-ADB US ANSI NeXT keyboard with SKCM undamped tactile Cream Alps switches and thick doubleshot ABS keycaps. It's a solid board that is a bit narrower than vintage full-size boards and substantially less deep, partly because of its lack of an F-key row across the top.

The tactility of the switches is quite pronounced and they are very smooth. It is difficult to assess the actuation force just by feel, because the perception of heaviness/lightness is influenced by many factors that differ from one keyboard to another.

It's nice to know that there are at least two ways of converting this keyboard to USB, a Hasu converter or a DIY:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=72052.0

https://learn.adafruit.com/usb-next-keyboard-with-arduino-micro/overview

[mike52787]

Yesterday's mail included a non-ADB US ANSI NeXT keyboard with SKCM undamped tactile Cream Alps switches and thick doubleshot ABS keycaps. It's a solid board that is a bit narrower than vintage full-size boards and substantially less deep, partly because of its lack of an F-key row across the top.

The tactility of the switches is quite pronounced and they are very smooth. It is difficult to assess the actuation force just by feel, because the perception of heaviness/lightness is influenced by many factors that differ from one keyboard to another.

It's nice to know that there are at least two ways of converting this keyboard to USB, a Hasu converter or a DIY:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=72052.0

https://learn.adafruit.com/usb-next-keyboard-with-arduino-micro/overview

The NeXt is a lovely board, with some of the most overlooked and underrated alps switches in it. SKCM Cream is my current favorite alps switch, even more than skcm blue or my click modded greens. If I had another NeXt I would swap my omnikey 101 to creams.