Which mechanical keyboard should i buy?

If wireless isn't an option, are there any reasons I can't have two USB keyboards hooked up at the same time?

Should be fine. Many aftermarket controllers register as keyboards; AFAIK, you can have as many as you want. Your BIOS may get hinky about which one it will talk to, though, so you might have to either figure out which one the BIOS is using, or disconnect all but one, if you want to change those settings.

Thank you for your advises. I decided for a Qpad MK80

Revo wrote:

Thank you for your advises. I decided for a Qpad MK80

I'm shocked, shocked that you would only choose the keyboard brand you decided to extoll. Flabbergasted.

I was not extolling the keyboard And i thought about buying a keyboard of those you adviced me, but either they were too expensive or they had something i did not like!

I can't believe you guys spend that much on keyboards.

I use the free $5 ones that come with PCs. I bought a fancy keyboard ONCE. I spilled beer on it and said 'never again'. I go through around 3 keyboards a year between breaking keys and spilling stuff.

GoldenDog wrote:

I can't believe you guys spend that much on keyboards.

I use the free $5 ones that come with PCs. I bought a fancy keyboard ONCE. I spilled beer on it and said 'never again'. I go through around 3 keyboards a year between breaking keys and spilling stuff.

Different strokes for different folks. Can say the same thing about cars and rent.

Anyways, on topic, the local best buy actually has a G710 (Cherrry Brown) and the Razer (Cherry Red) on display to touch and feel. I can't get into the clicky of the Reds, but I'll be honest, I can't really feel the difference between the G710 and the keyboard I have in front of me. That being said, my current keyboard is an older HP, and compared to other dome keyboards I have at work or friends, feels pretty solid and "mechanicalish". I'm going to go back again today to touch it a bit more, but I was expecting a little more tension in the keys.

If you want a hard strike keyboard, I think the very rare MX Clears or a Unicomp buckling spring are pretty much your only options. I'd have a Unicomp myself, but they're only 2KRO, exactly the same way they've been since IBM first invented them.

If I could get a buckling spring with the normal USB 6KRO or (even better) a PS/2 NKRO, I'd be a very happy typist. I'm using a Topre Realforce right now, and while I really like it, I still miss my buckling springs. I'd be using my Model M if it worked better for gaming.

I can't believe you guys spend that much on keyboards.

Of all the things on your PC, there are three peripherals that you interact with every day: the monitor, the keyboard, and the mouse. If you genuinely do work on your PC, as opposed to just using it for gaming and light duty clerical stuff, a great monitor and keyboard can improve the feel of the system by more than most other upgrades available. I haven't found, however, that expensive mice are particularly better: the midrange Logitech G400 is great.

But if you really use a computer, a great keyboard can have an enormous impact on your quality of life. If I had to choose between dropping back to a much slower processor and being forced to use a crap keyboard, I'd probably go for the slower CPU.

Malor wrote:

But if you really use a computer, a great keyboard can have an enormous impact on your quality of life. If I had to choose between dropping back to a much slower processor and being forced to use a crap keyboard, I'd probably go for the slower CPU.

Concur with this conclusion.
As someone that especially when working uses the mouse minimally, a keyboard is my primary means of interacting with a computer and it better not suck.

Something seems fishy here. I found the MK-80 for 129 euro, roughly $175. On Amazon the keyboard is over $200. Yet the other recommendations were too expensive? I would have to search back through the thread but I don't recall any keyboard being over that price.

DeThroned wrote:

Something seems fishy here. I found the MK-80 for 129 euro, roughly $175. On Amazon the keyboard is over $200. Yet the other recommendations were too expensive? I would have to search back through the thread but I don't recall any keyboard being over that price.

As a rule I don't like doing this, but... well...

IMAGE(http://www.plantfactory-tech.com/showcase/images/Plant_2B.jpg)

You know how it is, exceptions prove and all that.

I bought the Qpad MK 80 on Ebay for 65€, to solve maybe some misunderstandings

I use a Filco Majestouch 2. It's a bit pricey but I hate keyboards with extra buttons, lights or weird designs. I like this one because it's just a clean looking, no frills keyboard. Plus it's well built and pretty damn sturdy with its metal frame (it won't bend like some plastic crap). Still working perfectly after three years.
IMAGE(http://www.geek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/FKB104MEB_01-590x216.jpg)

The above uses Cherry MX Browns according to my googling.
Just helping out all the switch heads out there.

Mine had browns but you can get them in all flavours, even red!
I got mine from here: http://www.keyboardco.com/index.asp
Good if you're in Europe, they stock lots of different layouts.
Also, that picture is technically the older model but they look almost identical. The older one supposedly had insanely bright LEDs though which mine doesn't.

Filco makes a good board but are IMO overpriced versus the now abundant competition from other companies in the US. Too many other companies from more obscure ones like Rosewill to CM Storm to Corsair and others, they all have mechanical boards now, and many of them are beating the import boards like the Filco/Leopold/Ducky on price.

That's in the US though.

I use the Kinesis Ergo with MX Brown switches at work. It's much better than my CM Storm with MX Blues at work.

IMAGE(http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/images/kb_adv-blk720x471.jpg)

I've never shelled out money for a fancy pants keyboard. However, I hear that once you do, you can't ever go back to using the ones that come with a new computer because you are now an elitist.

My issue is that I've tried fancy wireless mice and keyboards and they've never worked right. There was either lag, the keyboards were too big, or... just a myriad of other issues.

Why spend big bucks if you can type and use a mouse fine? (I do, however, feel that a comfier mouse would be great, but again... I've tried and failed a few times.)

A good computer chair is invaluable though. If you don't have one, get one. The horrible Office Max specials kill your posture and health.

Edwin wrote:

I use the Kinesis Ergo with MX Brown switches at work. It's much better than my CM Storm with MX Blues at work.

IMAGE(http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/images/kb_adv-blk720x471.jpg)

"Much better" maybe in comfort for you.

Not any better on build quality, in general, unless you bought one of those Trigger boards.

When my third Kinesis Ergo board died, I stopped buying them. They're unforgivably fragile considering how much they cost.

Vrikk wrote:

My issue is that I've tried fancy wireless mice and keyboards and they've never worked right. There was either lag, the keyboards were too big, or... just a myriad of other issues.

Why spend big bucks if you can type and use a mouse fine? (I do, however, feel that a comfier mouse would be great, but again... I've tried and failed a few times.)

Just to confirm though, we are primarily talking about Mechanical Keyboards in this thread, which in my experience are mainly wired.

My wife really loved the feel of the Razer MX-red (black widow?) keyboard they had at the local best buy. She's not quite sure if she could handle the clicky click click all the time since she's always on the phone for work, but she loved the feel. I like the G710 MX-Brown keyboard, but not sure its worth shelling out the extra coin.

Carlbear95 wrote:

Just to confirm though, we are primarily talking about Mechanical Keyboards in this thread, which in my experience are mainly wired.

My wife really loved the feel of the Razer MX-red (black widow?) keyboard they had at the local best buy. She's not quite sure if she could handle the clicky click click all the time since she's always on the phone for work, but she loved the feel. I like the G710 MX-Brown keyboard, but not sure its worth shelling out the extra coin.

I have a monoprice board with MX-blacks that is handling its job fine. [If you know you like that action/switch, start comparing boards with those switches. The monoprice and rosewill boards are pretty reasonable.

Carlbear95 wrote:
Vrikk wrote:

My issue is that I've tried fancy wireless mice and keyboards and they've never worked right. There was either lag, the keyboards were too big, or... just a myriad of other issues.

Why spend big bucks if you can type and use a mouse fine? (I do, however, feel that a comfier mouse would be great, but again... I've tried and failed a few times.)

Just to confirm though, we are primarily talking about Mechanical Keyboards in this thread, which in my experience are mainly wired.

My wife really loved the feel of the Razer MX-red (black widow?) keyboard they had at the local best buy. She's not quite sure if she could handle the clicky click click all the time since she's always on the phone for work, but she loved the feel. I like the G710 MX-Brown keyboard, but not sure its worth shelling out the extra coin.

The Razer board with the clicky noise uses Blue switches. Browns, Reds, Blacks, Clears, etc, none of them have the clicky sound. I think Green is the other clicky switch.

Thin_J wrote:

The Razer board with the clicky noise uses Blue switches. Browns, Reds, Blacks, Clears, etc, none of them have the clicky sound. I think Green is the other clicky switch.

Well, it's relative. Even with Brown switches and O-rings to muffle them a bit, my G710+ certainly makes more noise than a rubber-dome keyboard.

The sound is part of the appeal of mechanical keyboards for me -- typing somehow feels more satisfying when it makes a little noise -- but obviously, that's a personal preference.

Oh, and:

The Razer board with the clicky noise uses Blue switches.

Note that the 'click' is artificial, and it doesn't happen at the point of actuation. It's literally clicky just to BE clicky: the click serves no function. On the original clicky keyboards from IBM, the click was the actuation: it was the buckling spring doing its thing. It was a functional click, not a cosmetic one.

Buying a clicky keyboard where the click doesn't actually do anything seems a little silly to me.

Vrikk wrote:

However, I hear that once you do, you can't ever go back to using the ones that come with a new computer because you are now an elitist.

Or, maybe, you just actually know what a good keyboard is like. It's not about elitism, it's about good engineering. You are not a better person or socially superior because you have a mechanical keyboard, but chances are pretty good that you'll be more comfortable while using the computer, especially for long sessions.

Vrikk wrote:

Why spend big bucks if you can type and use a mouse fine? (I do, however, feel that a comfier mouse would be great, but again... I've tried and failed a few times.)

I've never found that spending a bunch of money on a mouse matters very much. The midrange Logitech G400 is outstanding, and it's like $30. It's wired, so there's no batteries, and no wireless signal to be interfered with (or intercepted). It's just a nice straightforward mouse with a superb sensor and a high sample rate. Spending more will, in my experience, have a very low return on investment. Expensive mice are usually loaded with foofoo features and a bazillion buttons. I barely even use the extra buttons on even the G400.

But a good keyboard can make a big difference, at least if you type a lot.

Vrikk wrote:

A good computer chair is invaluable though.

Bah, you're just a chair elitist. As long as you can sit, that's all you need.

Carlbear95 wrote:

She's not quite sure if she could handle the clicky click click all the time since she's always on the phone for work, but she loved the feel

Dunno if you can sample them easily, but you could also look into the Topre switches, which are pretty quiet. They're sort of super rubber domes; each dome has a dedicated spring underneath. For the first month or two, it's pretty much like a standard rubber dome, but once the rubber breaks in, the springs start taking the load instead, and it gets pretty darn comfortable. There's no click, so the noise shouldn't be too bothersome.

The Topre Realforce is the typical way to get these switches, but those boards are quite expensive: they're made in Japan, and they're very high quality, but you'll pay through the nose ($250+). They just came out with a new flavor, though, the Topre Type Heaven, which is built in China. You can get them on Amazon for ~$150. But I don't think you can sample one at Best Buy.

Get brown switches for the tactile click but no audible and add those little o-rings to the key stems to eliminate noise from the keys bottoming out. I'm sure someone can post a link to the site that sells the o-rings.

Sorry got my colors mixed up... either way, the clicky may not do anything in actuality, but psychologically it does feel like its doing something. The actuation point and force (is that what its called?) may be identical with brown and blue but the feedback of the click has a certain "je ne sais quoi" that feels cool.

Anyways, I'm still looking at the browns if anything so I can be a keyboard elitist, but I guess I'm not convinced it'll greatly improve my actual experience.

complexmath wrote:

Get brown switches for the tactile click but no audible and add those little o-rings to the key stems to eliminate noise from the keys bottoming out. I'm sure someone can post a link to the site that sells the o-rings.

Brown switches with o-rings is my favorite keyboard setup for typing.

I have Brown switches in my Leopold, but no O-rings. Sounds like something I might be interested in.

Once you get your fancy new keyboard...hackertyper.net

I got a Corsair K70 with browns for Christmas, and I have been loving it. That said, I don't have much recent experience with other mechanical keyboards for the last 15 years, so i don't have much to compare it to. All I know is, typing feels much more satisfying to me now. I've even been tempted to bring it to work with me to use with my desktop there.