IBM 3278 review (beam springs)

[chyros]

A lot of people have been waiting long for this one, but here it finally is: a beam spring review! Hope you enjoy it, this was quite a keyboard .

[Sheepz]

beautiful sound!

[klennkellon]

Now I never want to try beam springs because it will just make everything else feel awful.

Way to make SKCM Blue feel like MX Blacks.

[digi]

I've been waiting for someone to do a video on a 3278 for quite some time. Brilliant review mate

[jacobolus]

Now I never want to try beam springs because it will just make everything else feel awful. Way to make SKCM Blue feel like MX Blacks.

Nah. Beam spring switches are neat, but nothing magical. Personally I like both clicky Alps switches and Model Fs better. Among similar switch designs, I like the Alps and Marquardt versions better.

Beam spring keyboards do have the best keycaps ever though.

Chyros: counting the solenoid sound when comparing volume is totally cheating. I could put a giant solenoid in a little metal box inside a rubber dome board if I wanted to

[dante]

Thank you for taking the mystery out of these!

[hanoipho]

Thanks for your review!

[orihalcon]

Are we sure about the 92 millisecond response time? Whatever it is shouldn't be different than the model F with an xwhatsit I wouldn't think since the chips used and the sensing is the same?

I have a friend that can type over 100wpm and my beamspring keeps up just fine, so I don't think typing speed should be an issue, but I don't have science to back it

Never really tried it for gaming though.

[chyros]

Are we sure about the 92 millisecond response time? Whatever it is shouldn't be different than the model F with an xwhatsit I wouldn't think since the chips used and the sensing is the same?

I have a friend that can type over 100wpm and my beamspring keeps up just fine, so I don't think typing speed should be an issue, but I don't have science to back it

I think you're misinterpreting the thing. What I mean is that after a keypress, the switch physically takes a very long time to pop back up, leading to long actuation periods. This has nothing to do with the converter, Under no conditions was I able to make a switch actuate for LESS THAN 92 milliseconds. This is not a delay, it's an activation period. If you're trying to make small adjustments, such as in shooters, roguelikes, or really anything that requires precision movement, this is an immediate loss, because it's not possible.