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The Keeb Thread

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Spectere:
Post your keyboard here!

Here's the board I'm currently using for my main PC (click to enlarge, as always):



It's a GMMK TKL with 67g Purple Zealio V2 switches and Drop + Matt3o /dev/tty keycaps.

I love almost everything about this thing. The keycaps have a spherical cut rather than a cylindrical one, so they almost cradle your fingertips while you type. F and J use a deeper groove instead of a nub or other marker, so it's just as easy to tell if your fingers are in the home position. Beyond that, they're thick PBT caps, so the texture is going to last a long time (my vintage 1989 Model M's keycaps still have their texture!) and they're noticeably quieter than the stock Pudding caps that the GMMK comes with.

The Zealios have a nice and heavy tactile bump, somewhat like a crisper MX Clear, with the actuation point immediately after the bump. This is a pretty big improvement over the Kailh Box Browns I ordered with the keyboard, which have an actuation point that's roughly 0.5mm below the bump.

I have a bunch of Holy Pandas on order as well, so we'll see how they compare. I often see the Zealio V2 compared with those switches, so I'm eager to compare them side by side.

As for the "almost" bit, the main points of criticism that I have is that everything about the way that the GMMK's company markets everything is beyond cringe. For one, the keyboard is called the "Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard," and the company's entire image is based on Yahtzee's "PC master race" joke. Yes. There's seriously a company whose entire schtick is based on r/pcmasterrace. I hate it.

The second downside is that the software is Windows only and is kinda crap. Their macro support is as basic as it gets, with you simply being able to just redefine keys, with no option of being able to use Fn+X chords to trigger macros (uhhh, why not just use AutoHotKey at that point?). I can't imagine their compact keyboards even being usable, seeing as they don't even offer customizable layers. Naturally, their controller doesn't support QMK or other open source firmware, so you're stuck with what you get.

That said, the build quality is nice, and the Kailh hotswap sockets have proven to be very nice indeed.

vladgd:


Memorex ps/2 keyboard, that I bought from SAM GOODY IN 2002 for $13usd.

I used that fucker up until July 2019...might not be pretty, but it got the job done. Every single key that I would have used for stepmania is worn off into blank keys, and still works great.



Excuse the ghetto "temporarily moved into my parents basement until I find a new place because 5 year relationship ended and she was staying in the house" setup. But after I built my pc last year, and I have converted to a lounge in a recliner pc setup to alleviate back pain, I wanted a mechanical tkl keyboard. I like the numpad, but it's a bit much for a lap setup.

Corsair K63

Looking into microswitches, cherry browns seemed the most attractive, but this thing was only $50...and I didn't want to spend a lot of money having just dumped on a new pc and 32 inch monitor. This thing has cherry reds, and they took a few months to adjust to (and after almost 20 years on that cheap memorex keyboard, I couldn't really type on anything else), but now that I have, I ain't so sure tactile feedback would be something I'd want anyway. Can't really know until I type on one for a few weeks, but this thing is doing me well for my basic needs anyway. Small note, my keyboard, psu, case, and ram is corsair...coincidence or am I secretly a corsair fanboy?

tl;dr KEYBOARD WORKS GUD, LOOKS UGLY BUT WAS CHEAP

Spectere:
The unfortunate part about microswitches is that you never really know which ones are meant for you until you've tried a whole bunch of them. Key testers can only do so much, as the backing plate makes a huge difference in tactile response, not to mention the key caps, as well as the fact that poking at a single key is a lot different than actually typing. A keyboard like mine, with swappable switches, is nice for stuff like that, but you still have to pull every. single. switch and replace them with the ones you want to try. A little time consuming, but it beats desoldering and resoldering. ;D

I haven't used them too much, but Corsair keyboards seem to be pretty solid. My dad was using a K70 with MX Blues for a while, so I got to play around with it a bit. I'm not sure how the plastic Corsairs feel, but the K70 felt a lot more solid than the Logitech mechs I've owned. They seem to be pretty reliable, too.

One thing I'd consider with your setup is picking up a lap desk. I've been using that particular model for about a month and it's done a pretty great job keeping my keyboard from flopping all over the place. If I offset the keyboard to the right it also centers the alphanumeric keys, which makes typing super comfortable for long stretches of time. It's not large enough to hold a mouse (though my MX Ergo trackball will sort of fit on it if I shuffle things around), but my recliner has a little tray that I use for that.


As a little added bonus, here's a list of the mechanical switches I've used, in order of preference:

* 67g Purple Zealio V2, on a GMMK (quiet, tactile) - Very crisp, with a prominent, yet smooth, bump. This is how I wanted the MX Clears to feel.
* Buckling Spring, on two 80s IBM Model M (LOUD, tactile) - By far my favorite clicky switches. They feel like they require around the same amount of force as MX Blues, with a slightly better feeling bump and a much more satisfying sound.
* Kailh Box Brown, on a GMMK (quiet, tactile) - MX Browns, but better. Same light actuation force, but it has a more defined tactile bump. One definite downside/oddity is that the actuation point is somewhat below the tactile bump, but you generally don't notice that while typing.
* Cherry MX Blue, on a Das Keyboard III and Corsair K70 (clicky, tactile) - About as heavy as MX Browns, though they feel much more tactile to me (probably because of the way clicky MX switches work%u2014the bottom part of the switch is separate and actually snaps down to the base during actuation). I've never been a fan of the way these sound, though they feel nice.
* Cherry MX Brown, on a Logitech G710+ (quiet, tactile) - A little on the light side, with a pretty underwhelming tactile bump. A good choice if you want a nice middle ground between linears and tactiles.
* Cherry MX Clear, on a WASD CODE Keyboard (quiet, tactile) - I really wanted to like these, but the tactile bump feels really mushy to me.
* Cherry MX Black, on a SteelSeries 6Gv2 (quiet, linear) - Basically, heavier reds. My typing and gaming habits aren't compatible with linear switches. I have a tendency to ride the bump, and with linear switches that tends to translate to "you hit the key, lol." I did sort of get used to them, but they weren't a good fit for me. On a side note: SteelSeries keyboards are unreliable piles of excrement.
* Romer-G, on a Logitech G910 (quiet, tactile) - Where do I even begin? They feel like a mushier MX Brown with an even lamer tactile bump. After only a few hours of DJMAX I managed to convert several of these into linear switches (I'm not joking. I even had my dad verify it and he's far from a keyboard snob). They developed chatter (that is, they would occasionally trigger multiple times) after little more than a year. For the record, over 10 hours of play on my Zealios resulted in precisely zero change in key feel and responsiveness. Complete and utter garbage. Avoid at all costs. Even Logitech backed way the hell away from these only a few years after shitting them out onto everyone's laps. It may appear like it's in 8th place on the list, but that's just a display bug. It's actually in %u221Eth place. Fuck this switch.And one final entry that doesn't really fit into the list:

* Gateron Clears, on a GMMK (quiet, linear) - I didn't buy these for typing, but rather for rhythm games. These are absurdly light switches (35gf actuation!), and as a result I find them difficult to use even in that use case. I figured that the light actuation would be a boon for speed, but in reality all they do is simultaneously make me bottom out harder and prevent me from even having a chance at feeling for the actuation point, thereby slowing me down and increasing fatigue. I can't fathom even attempting to type with these.

vladgd:
I kinda use a small lap desk thing for my mouse, it's a good stable platform for a mousepad and I honestly don't miss being at a desk. Keyboard is fine on my lap 90% of the time, only 10% of the time when it's too hot and I'm in my bike shorts...and they're too slippery to keep the thing stable...besides that, I'm in a cool basement for the time being, so if it's 90degrees outside, it's still cool enough to prefer a blanket down here.

I was looking into blues, I think they might be the most popular besides reds? But the noise pollution alone from those fuckers would drive me mad. I think I'd like a tactile bump, but more noise would be annoying for anyone I live with. Browns seemed like a great middle ground, but again, pay double money for browns, or half money for reds? I chose save money.

That said, when I first got the keyboard, I didn't really like it since I was so used to the other one I used for 18 years. It probably took a few hundred hours of use (even durring my initial 1-60 in classic WoW I wasn't totally comfortable with it) to finally get used to the thing. NOW THAT I AM USED TO IT, I really enjoy the feel of the keys and smoothness the reds have going for them. Especially when say moving a character in a game, not having any click or bump or actuation feels kinda good, very smooth.

Problem comes with now that I'm well and used to this thing, and I know reds are treating me well...I don't think it would be worth money, or more importantly time to trial and error all the other options available. Mech keyboards are expensive enough for one, let alone like 9. I could understand if you're in an environment with access to said tools, but I'm more or less a casual pc user and this thing works fine enough for me...I mean I used a cheap ps/2 keyboard for near 2 decades, it doesn't take that much to impress me far as keyboards are concerned.


--- Quote from: Spectere on June 15, 2020, 10:46:47 AM ---. I'm not sure how the plastic Corsairs feel, but the K70 felt a lot more solid than the Logitech mechs I've owned.

--- End quote ---

Take my opinion with a grain of salt because of the other keyboard I used (still works to this day, so can't knock it for reliability), but build wise it feels solid. Doesn't have any flex when I grab it and twist it, good weight, overall "feels" quality to me, having this singular keyboard being my only experience with a mech.

Spectere:
I think I'd actually say that browns are more popular than blues. They were being put into so many keyboards for a while that they were perpetually out of stock (hence the price hikes). I don't mind a noisy keyboard (at home, that is—I wouldn't subject my coworkers to that) but I just wasn't too crazy about how blues sound. I prefer a clack rather than a click, which is why I love the sound of buckling spring keyboards.

There's quite a bit of nuance between switches when you look beyond genuine Cherry switches (in addition to the Zealios switches I have installed, and the Holy Pandas I have on order, I joined a group buy for some Everglide Dark Jade switches…I need help) but that's also when things tend to get really, really complicated. Cherry switches are fairly easy to identify, have a fairly simple lineup, are ubiquitous, and are cheap. I find non-Cherry switches to be superior, sure, but you're never going to be able to find a keyboard that uses Zealios V2 switches for under $100. You're going to be lucky to get just the switches for that much.


--- Quote from: vladgd on June 16, 2020, 12:02:04 AM ---That said, when I first got the keyboard, I didn't really like it since I was so used to the other one I used for 18 years. It probably took a few hundred hours of use (even durring my initial 1-60 in classic WoW I wasn't totally comfortable with it) to finally get used to the thing. NOW THAT I AM USED TO IT, I really enjoy the feel of the keys and smoothness the reds have going for them. Especially when say moving a character in a game, not having any click or bump or actuation feels kinda good, very smooth.

--- End quote ---

If it works, it works. :) My main reason for preferring a tactile bump is because when I anticipate a future movement I tend to put some pressure on the key, so having a switch with a 50-55gf actuation force feels just about perfect for preventing accidental movements. I used MX Blacks for almost a year and even after all that I couldn't get used to the linear travel.

As far as making the initial switch, I found that the toughest part about getting used to a mechanical keyboard is adapting to the high actuation point. You have to almost completely bottom out rubber dome keyboards in order for them to register, and they're rarely smooth. Many of the rubber domes that I've used have a hard break near the top of the travel, a gritty descent, and feel mushy as they bottom out, which leads to them requiring a lot of actuation force at the beginning of travel, then having to deal with the actuation point being significantly below that. I've grown to loathe the way they feel, though I admit that Dell made (rebadged?) some good ones around 2005-2006ish. Honorable mentions include the Apple Pro Keyboards from around 2003-2004 (those tend to be very smooth), and this one random Compaq PS/2 low-profile rubber done that I ended up acquiring at some point (feels surprisingly crisp and responsive).

I don't mind scissor switch keyboards since they tend to be crisper and have less travel. Some of the Apple low-travel keyboards (Magic Keyboard 2 and the newer MacBook Pro keyboards) are downright pleasant to use for what they are. It helps that they have an aluminum backing plate, which helps them feel reasonably snappy.


--- Quote from: vladgd on June 16, 2020, 12:02:04 AM ---Problem comes with now that I'm well and used to this thing, and I know reds are treating me well...I don't think it would be worth money, or more importantly time to trial and error all the other options available. Mech keyboards are expensive enough for one, let alone like 9.

--- End quote ---

I managed to sell the ones that didn't self destruct, at least (the 6Gv2 and the G910). :P Right now I'm using the GMMK TKL for my gaming PC and WFH setup, my IBM Model M for my DOS/Win98 retro PC, and my G710+ is sitting on my currently-abandoned desk at work. As far as non-mechanical keebs, my iMac is using a wireless Magic Keyboard 2, and, when it's hooked up, my Bemani PC is using some old Microsoft keyboard that someone gave me.


--- Quote from: vladgd on June 16, 2020, 12:02:04 AM ---Take my opinion with a grain of salt because of the other keyboard I used (still works to this day, so can't knock it for reliability), but build wise it feels solid. Doesn't have any flex when I grab it and twist it, good weight, overall "feels" quality to me, having this singular keyboard being my only experience with a mech.

--- End quote ---

Ah yeah. If there isn't any flexing/creaking then you're in good shape. Sounds like they probably used solid internals and just surrounded it with a plastic case in order to bring the price down a few pegs.

The main reason it's important is because if a keyboard can freely flex, so can the PCB. If it goes through too much of that, bye-bye solder traces.

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