Keyboard Recommendations?

franco_22 · 22 Jul 2010 at 00:26

Yeah I agree with Brian, the G 15 is massively overrated as is the G 11 , poor build quality and useless crap just to add up to a high price tag.

FPS Addict · 22 Jul 2010 at 02:07

Bradmax57 said:
Cheers for the reply's

I actually quite like the look of the MS one

you mean you like the look of the price

Bint Box · 22 Jul 2010 at 08:20

FunnyKids said:
A short round up about mechanical keyboard, if you are serious about typing :
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6456

I got myself a Filco Brown, Topre RealForce 87U, and HHKB Pro 2... .

FunnyKids,

Did you manage to get your Topre in UK layout with the £ symbol, I have been looking for one of these with no success?

Rgds
Binty

Bint Box · 22 Jul 2010 at 08:23

Brian8bit said:
And I'm already on the hunt for manufacturers selling mechs with different switches, such as reds, clears and greens, just to try them.

Brian8bit,

Have you tried the IBM Model M's with the buckling springs, there are stiil a few of these floating around nowadays on the auction sites etc?

Rgds
Binty

Bint Box · 22 Jul 2010 at 08:26

Bradmax57 said:
Possibly as few of the "BIG" online retailers in the UK dont sell them?

Bradmax57,

I agree, I am sure lack of exposure is due to the high prices of these keyboards and the low sales volumes the retailers would have. It's a case of "Stack Them High, And Sell Them Cheap" with the large retailers, with the high end stuff being left to the specialists to stock.

Rgds
Binty

Bint Box · 22 Jul 2010 at 08:31

FunnyKids said:
For under £ 50, you can try some unicomp or alps .

I recently managed to get a Compaq keyboard with built in trackball that had Brown Cherry MX switches from auction for £15 in practically new condition so there are samples available for testing at low cost.

I found that I was constantly bottoming out with the brown cherries so sold it on at cost.

Rgds
Binty

Brian8bit · 22 Jul 2010 at 08:40

Bint Box said:
Brian8bit,

Have you tried the IBM Model M's with the buckling springs, there are stiil a few of these floating around nowadays on the auction sites etc?

Rgds
Binty

Not "A" model M, but one of the Unicomp reproductions. Great keyboards, great feel, would probably survive the apocalypse. But the noise is far louder than I'd be willing to put up with on a daily basis. Cherry blues is about as far as I'd be willing to go in the clickity clackity levels.

Bint Box · 22 Jul 2010 at 08:48

Brian8bit said:
Not "A" model M, but one of the Unicomp reproductions. Great keyboards, great feel, would probably survive the apocalypse. But the noise is far louder than I'd be willing to put up with on a daily basis. Cherry blues is about as far as I'd be willing to go in the clickity clackity levels.

Interesting, I have a Model M and it is noisy but OK as long as others are not in the vicinity. I cannot imagine the noise from typing pools of 15 to 20 years ago if the typists were all using Model M's.

I prefer the tactile feel from the buckling spring on the Model M to the blue cherry but prefer the lower noise level of the blue cherry.

Rgds
Binty