** The Official OcUK Mechanical Keyboard Thread **

gaz_m2k5 said:
Yeah they would. WASD have a compatibility chart for future reference.


I'm gonna go for brown switches when/if I finally get a mech keyboard. Though as a climber, guitarist and engineer, my fingers get a lot of work out. Everyone saying black keys are hard to type on, actually sounds appealing to me.

How are black keys compared to an average rubber dome keyboard? I've only tried rubber domes and white alps, and I don't really know how they compare to cherry mx black switches.
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Pretty sure they have the same actuation force.
 
SheepBeast said:
In that case, go for the Filco Majestouch 2 with browns (I'm sure you've heard of it). It is available in the UK with a quick google. It's pricey, but it fits your needs perfectly.

I've got the TKL ninja version with browns and the feel and build quality is stunnig. Can't recommend it highly enough.
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I did consider it but reading reviews it has cast dont over the key caps as a few people have said they have worn smooth and worn the letters off within few months. Which puts me off with a keyboard that should last years. Obvioulsy you cant answer about letters wearing off but how have you found the caps? Maybe the ninja is the one to get.
 
Greboth said:
I did consider it but reading reviews it has cast dont over the key caps as a few people have said they have worn smooth and worn the letters off within few months. Which puts me off with a keyboard that should last years. Obvioulsy you cant answer about letters wearing off but how have you found the caps? Maybe the ninja is the one to get.
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That's exactly how I feel. How can a keyboard costing £120 lose the letters after a bit of use? As I posted in the thread earlier, I've got a standard Logitech, and only one key has lost some of the print after about 7 years.

Since I'm after a quality keyboard with browns, I don't think there's a lot to choose from here, so I'm also thinking I'll get the Ninja. I would like the option of a backlight, for night time gaming, but I can live without it.
 
The Zowie is the strongest board that caters to gaming/media functions that I have seen with the Browns. That or the DAS Keyboard Silents, if you're willing to import from the US. I really don't understand why everyone overlooks the Zowie when they're busy discussing these hideous new boards with all the LED lighting and gaming fandangos!

E: The keys on the Zowie do darken over time but if you use some white spirits and a cloth they buff back to brand-new again. The letter printing itself does not come off or damage, it just gets dirtied by constant use and needs a clean every now and then.
 
Greboth said:
I did consider it but reading reviews it has cast dont over the key caps as a few people have said they have worn smooth and worn the letters off within few months. Which puts me off with a keyboard that should last years. Obvioulsy you cant answer about letters wearing off but how have you found the caps? Maybe the ninja is the one to get.
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I'd definitely go with the ninja, it's only a fiver extra and will stop the letters fading. I find the keycaps fine but I'm not really knowledgeable enough to know good/bad caps when I see them. They feel nice to type on because they're smooth.

Also with the ninja, the angle which the keyboard rests at when you type means that you can still easily read all the letters, so there's really no disadvantage even if you can't touch type.
 
Well after reading some more reviews and not being able go make a decision between the zowie and the filco, gone with the zowie purely because i prefer ocuk over the company who sells keyboards. Not the best reasonin haha but when there is people recommending both its a hard choice. It should be delivered tomorrow so will have a play and see what it is like. Thanks to everyone for advice and opinions.
 
I'm a massive fanboy for the Zowie, and I tried a few keyboards before plunging for it. I'm a pretty hardcore gamer and I type about 15,000 words of research every month as well, so I need a balance between gaming performance and typing comfort. The Zowie really is a great keyboard. After a day using a laptop or a day in the library, coming back to the Zowie is so nice! You won't be disappointed.

I think I've requested OCUK get stock on Zowie's twice in the past. Everyone should have one :)
 
I'm having a Tt eSports MEKA G-Unit keyboard delivered from an etailer today as a replacement for my Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500. It has served me well to be honest but I'm curious about mechanical keyboards, having never used one before, so I thought "why not?". I have also bought a Razer Mamba 2012 mouse (which I absolutely adore as it's so smooooooooooth to use) and wanted a Razer keyboard to go with it. However, after watching several video reviews on YouTube of the Black Widow Ultimate I decided against it as I don't like the glossy frame or the typeface used on the keys. It also sounds very loud in use.

I decided I wanted a mechanical keyboard with some backlighting (not essential but I think it looks nice), multimedia keys that did not require me to press another key to access them, a Windows key in the usual place, a numeric keypad (I use them for taking screenshots and turning the OSD on/off in MSI Afterburner) and keys that weren't so loud when pressed. I also wanted a keyboard that was black to match the rest of my setup (mouse, speakers, monitor and case). Of the keyboards I looked at, most looked less aesthetically pleasing but had the features I wanted or looked aesthetically pleasing but didn't have the features I wanted! In the end I settled on the Thermaltake keyboard as it had good looks and everything else I wanted.

My only concern right now is that it uses Cherry MX Black switches. Now I don't do a great deal of typing except for posting on forums but I do want a keyboard that is suitable for gaming (for those games where I can't use my Xbox 360 controller or it isn't as ideally suited). I'm beginning to wonder if I should have gone for a Cherry MX Brown keyboard as the consensus in this thread is that they are better for gaming *and* typing. Thing is I haven't seen a keyboard I've liked in this thread with Cherry MX Brown switches, all the ones that look great to me are Cherry MX Black ones!!!

Anyway, DPD should be delivering the MEKA G-Unit before noon so I'll see what it's like and post my thoughts on here later in case someone else is considering buying this keyboard. I only glanced through the 44 pages of this thread but saw no mention of this keyboard...
 
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Darren1967 said:
I'm having a Tt eSports MEKA G-Unit keyboard delivered from #### today as a replacement for my Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500. It has served me well to be honest but I'm curious about mechanical keyboards, having never used one before, so I thought "why not?". I have also bought a Razer Mamba 2012 mouse (which I absolutely adore as it's so smooooooooooth to use) and wanted a Razer keyboard to go with it. However, after watching several video reviews on YouTube of the Black Widow Ultimate I decided against it as I don't like the glossy frame or the typeface used on the keys. It also sounds very loud in use.

I decided I wanted a mechanical keyboard with some backlighting (not essential but I think it looks nice), multimedia keys that did not require me to press another key to access them, a Windows key in the usual place, a numeric keypad (I use them for taking screenshots and turning the OSD on/off in MSI Afterburner) and keys that weren't so loud when pressed. I also wanted a keyboard that was black to match the rest of my setup (mouse, speakers, monitor and case). Of the keyboards I looked at, most looked less aesthetically pleasing but had the features I wanted or looked aesthetically pleasing but didn't have the features I wanted! In the end I settled on the Thermaltake keyboard as it had good looks and everything else I wanted.

My only concern right now is that it uses Cherry MX Black switches. Now I don't do a great deal of typing except for posting on forums but I do want a keyboard that is suitable for gaming (for those games where I can't use my Xbox 360 controller or it isn't as ideally suited). I'm beginning to wonder if I should have gone for a Cherry MX Brown keyboard as the consensus in this thread is that they are better for gaming *and* typing. Thing is I haven't seen a keyboard I've liked in this thread with Cherry MX Brown switches, all the ones that look great to me are Cherry MX Black ones!!!

Anyway, DPD should be delivering the MEKA G-Unit before noon so I'll see what it's like and post my thoughts on here later in case someone else is considering buying this keyboard. I only glanced through the 44 pages of this thread but saw no mention of this keyboard...
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Tried a MX black equipped Steelseries kb in a large well known expensive pc shop yesterday and thought the key action felt nice.
Also tried a Razer which I believe are MX blue keys and did not like the feel at all.

MX red or black for me as I like the smooth linear action.
 
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So I got my Ozone Strike yesterday. Really like the feel of it, I don't type loads but it feels fine for typing (still getting used to it so making the odd typo), and I can see why they're popular with FPS gamers!
 
I'm using the MEKA G Unit now, got it about an hour ago, but I am making lots of typing errors due to the addition of a wrist rest at the front and macro keys at the left hand side. It means I'm pressing keys one or two to the left of where I'd normally press. I keep hitting Capslock for example instead of A! I'm slowly getting used to it though and the feel of the keys. They do feel different but, to be completely honest, they feel no less harder to press or any noisier than the wired Microsoft 500 keyboard I was using. I guess I'm quite heavy handed. It's hard to describe how they feel; I think they are a tad more springy yet more pleasant to press. I think.

I like the macro buttons on this keyboard. I don't tend to need them for games so I've just assigned 12 programs I regularly use to them such as Firefox, Windows Live Mail and MediaMonkey, etc.

P.S. Sorry for mentioning the retailer; I forgot what website I was posting on. I removed it but too late for to stop Menty quoting it.
 
Menty said:
Tried a MX black equipped Steelseries kb in a large well known expensive pc shop yesterday and thought the key action felt nice.
Also tried a Razer which I believe are MX blue keys and did not like the feel at all.

MX red or black for me as I like the smooth linear action.
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Dude you need to edit your quote. You have a retailer name in there
 
Sorry about that Menty... /blushes

Anyway, does anyone know why the MEKA G Unit media keys don't all work with MediaMonkey? On my old Microsoft keyboard they worked with whatever media player program was open but this one only seems to work with Windows Media Player. Well, the Volume Up/Down and Mute buttons work fine actually (oddly these are full-sized mechanical keys) but the Play Next/Previous and Play/Pause buttons don't. In fact, pressing the Play/Pause button annoyingly opens Windows Media Player whereas before on my other keyboard it would pause the track playing in MediaMonkey.

I've tried Goggle-ing for a fix but I can't find anything. I don't this issue has anything to do with the actual MEKA G Unit driver software as they were working the same way before I installed it. Must be a Windows driver or something but I'm puzzled as to why it works differently on this keyboard.
 
Dat keyheight

Layy7.jpg
 
Triggaaar said:
That's exactly how I feel. How can a keyboard costing £120 lose the letters after a bit of use? As I posted in the thread earlier, I've got a standard Logitech, and only one key has lost some of the print after about 7 years.

Since I'm after a quality keyboard with browns, I don't think there's a lot to choose from here, so I'm also thinking I'll get the Ninja. I would like the option of a backlight, for night time gaming, but I can live without it.
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I have the Filco Majestouch-2 with brown switches and love it. Key cap wise mine are showing no sign of wear or shinyness yet, but it is only 4 months old.

You can buy different key caps later down the line if you did experience problems or fancied a change. As far as the ergonomics go though its the best keyboard I have ever typed on and love it :)
 
InKursion said:
I'm a massive fanboy for the Zowie, and I tried a few keyboards before plunging for it. I'm a pretty hardcore gamer and I type about 15,000 words of research every month as well, so I need a balance between gaming performance and typing comfort. The Zowie really is a great keyboard. After a day using a laptop or a day in the library, coming back to the Zowie is so nice! You won't be disappointed.

I think I've requested OCUK get stock on Zowie's twice in the past. Everyone should have one :)
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Obviously not tried the other keyboards to have a comparision but typing this on the Zowie and I have to say this is nice. My typing speed has slowed down so much though as really concentrating on not bottoming out the keys. If I can not bottom out the keys it is nice and quiet which makes me glad I didn't get blue switches however bottoming the keys out does give me a nice loud clicky clicky :D

Onwards and upwards of many more years to come with a lovely keyboard :)
 
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