The Oracle Answers

The Keyboard Oracle · 29 Jul 2012, 00:24

Mindkilla123 wrote:Through my acquisition of a true mechanical keyboard, I have grown hungry for a new board with special requirements.
-Must have Cherry Brown switches
-Must be TKL
-Must use Costar stabilizers
-Must be in ANSI format
-Must be cheaper than $150

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: The Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid SGK-4000-GKCM1-US.

I also have another question- is there somewhere that I can find windows key replacements for cheap ($10 or so) that are in the portal design (One end entering the portal, One end exiting), are in the dark gray color and has the circle engravement in the keycap?

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: There have been previous Portal keycap group buys on geekhack and vr-zone - try to buy some there.

Spoiler:

damorgue · 29 Jul 2012, 17:18

The Keyboard Oracle wrote:
damorgue wrote:I am looking for a small ISO board, think 40% pure poker, race etc size but since there seem to be none in ISO, I will attempt to make my own. What is a cheap board that would be relatively easy to cut and retrace? Case and caps do not matter as I can pick my own and have my own case made. It needs to be fully ISO, with the small shift. I have G80-8200LPDUS which is almost ISO.
The Keyboard Oracle has decided: The G80-1000 and G80-1501 have been successfully cut by other deskthority members.

I regret to inform the Oracle that I need full ISO, with winkeys, as I don't intend to waste space on a 40% board. Does the almighty Oracle have any other suggestions?

Kaleb · 29 Jul 2012, 21:05

Oh Keyboard Oracle, please enlighten me.
Is there a keyboard with Cherry MX PCB-mounted Red or Brown
switches that has full NKRO (or at least 18NKRO) over USB?
(It will be used on a computer without a ps2 port.)
I really need at least 18NKRO. I looked at the Nopoo Choc,
but it is plate-mounted and I must have PCB-mounted switches.
Oh Wise One, thank you!
Kaleb

Clay · 30 Jul 2012, 10:57

Hello Almighty Oracle

I have been searching recently for a keyboard matching the following specs :

[*] Mechanical / Cherry MX Brown keys
[*] Backlighting
[*] With a wrist palm rest plate
[*] With dedicated multimedia keys
[*] Full keyboard (= not a tenkeyless)

Do you know at least one keyboard matching these critieras ?

Thanks beforehand for your answer

The Keyboard Oracle · 03 Aug 2012, 00:03

damorgue wrote:I regret to inform the Oracle that I need full ISO, with winkeys, as I don't intend to waste space on a 40% board. Does the almighty Oracle have any other suggestions?

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: You will be looking at keyboards such as the more modern G80-3000 series from Cherry, because the cheap Asian boards don't come in ISO.

The Keyboard Oracle · 03 Aug 2012, 00:19

Kaleb wrote:Is there a keyboard with Cherry MX PCB-mounted Red or Brown
switches that has full NKRO (or at least 18NKRO) over USB?
(It will be used on a computer without a ps2 port.)
I really need at least 18NKRO. I looked at the Nopoo Choc,
but it is plate-mounted and I must have PCB-mounted switches.

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: Thou does not need 18KRO and are wandering the wrong path to salvation!

The Keyboard Oracle · 03 Aug 2012, 00:40

Clay wrote:I have been searching recently for a keyboard matching the following specs :

[*] Mechanical / Cherry MX Brown keys
[*] Backlighting
[*] With a wrist palm rest plate
[*] With dedicated multimedia keys
[*] Full keyboard (= not a tenkeyless)

Do you know at least one keyboard matching these critieras ?

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: No keyboard for sale at this point matches the 5 parameters, but many match 4.

kint · 03 Aug 2012, 13:10

Clay wrote:Hello Almighty Oracle ... ...Thanks beforehand for your answer

The Qpad is a pretty close match, although the media functions are not dedicated keys...

Clay · 03 Aug 2012, 13:47

The Keyboard Oracle wrote: The Keyboard Oracle has decided: No keyboard for sale at this point matches the 5 parameters, but many match 4.

Thanks for the answer -- even if it's a bit disappointing for me

-- !

I just hope that one day such keyboard will be available

@kint : The Qpad indeed misses the dedicated media keys, as I've checked, thus not an option for me at the moment

kint · 03 Aug 2012, 14:17

go ahead and restart your search without the "brown" must, as you can mod any cherry colour stem in any cherry MX switch with just some solder work.

EricDavidson · 04 Aug 2012, 13:56

Oh mighty Oracle! I was very impressed with your answer before. But now I have come across a similar keyboard that is even more peculiar:

: sl-6495-rbk_rgb_001.jpg (319.34 KiB) Viewed 6535 times

The peculiarity is that I can't find anyone who sells it. SpeedLink list it as SL-6495-RBK and it says "new product", but they have terminated it before it even hit the market. Wonder why. It looks very promising from the pictures.

But most of all I wonder who produces it. Probably an Asian OEM factory but which one?

The Keyboard Oracle · 04 Aug 2012, 16:12

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: Sunday Electronics.

EricDavidson · 04 Aug 2012, 16:42

Wow. Pure magic. I thank thee!

: bow.jpg (4.04 KiB) Viewed 6519 times

gbohn · 04 Aug 2012, 19:19

'Landru, guide us'... err.. keyboard Oracle, I need your guidance.

I modified my daskeyboard Professional S (Cherry MX Blue) keyboard by replacing the original key caps with Cherry Double-shot key-caps harvested from the bodies of sacrificed Cherry POS keyboards.

And there was much rejoicing. But I soon discovered that the Cherry key-caps have a 'lower' profile, so they don't ride as 'high' above the keyboard case. This leaves less room for my fingers at the edges of the key caps.

Verily, the 'up-arrow' and 'Enter' key caps are now just a little above the case.

Woe is me.

Do you have an answer to my difficulty? Does there perhaps exist a keyboard that would be a better recipient of the lower profile donor Cherry key-caps? (Where the case would give a little better clearance height between the new key-cap tops and the case).

I would probably be looking for a keyboard with

*) US ANSI layout similar to the daskeyboard Professional S 104 key. Although a tenkeyless might
be o.k..

*) The key-caps I have are white lettering on black key-caps, so they need to be aesthetically compatible.

*) Preferably a solid keyboard with Cherry MX blue or brown key-switches. I have only heard of the mythical
'Cherry clear' key-switches in legends, so I do not have the experience to know if they would also
be acceptable...

*) 6KRO would also be nice

Many thanks in advance.

The Keyboard Oracle · 04 Aug 2012, 19:45

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: A Leopold keyboard for the edges and case height.

SPooNiTe · 04 Aug 2012, 20:59

O great Oracle, shall I buy a Ducky Shine, a Poker, a Pure, or a Leopold FC200R?

The Keyboard Oracle · 04 Aug 2012, 22:20

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: You will obtain a Poker. To begin with.

SPooNiTe · 04 Aug 2012, 22:24

The Keyboard Oracle wrote:The Keyboard Oracle has decided: You will obtain a Poker. To begin with.

Easier said than done unless you want to tell me where I can obtain a Poker. Should I procure a Pure without LED as here http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/ind ... tail&p=129 instead?

The Keyboard Oracle · 04 Aug 2012, 22:45

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: Yes, this is an alternative of the same quality level.

longweight · 04 Aug 2012, 22:52

Oh Keyboard Oracle, my passion for mx boards is waining and my desire for Topre is increasing by the day. I have a HHKB2, do I need the type s too?

KorrMuraan · 04 Aug 2012, 23:28

Great and powerful Oracle! Lord of the spring, holder of the sacred buckle!

I beseech thee in all humility to hearken to this wretch and give heed to my desperate plea. Long have I searched and far have I wandered, and yet STILL (to my chagrin and dismay) has my quarry eluded mine eyes. I seek presently throughout the lands for an input device to command my dearest bride's computational engine. Cherry MX Reds are desired, nay, REQUIRED in every key depressed by her delicate touch. Dedicated media keys are not a luxury to be dismissed and may yet even determine whether the gift is received with exuberance or pensive resignation. A 10 key is preferred, though if it be as such that the device can not be found with one but meets all other criteria. Then so be it.

I beg of thee... forsake me not in my time of need!

The Keyboard Oracle · 05 Aug 2012, 01:54

longweight wrote:Oh Keyboard Oracle, my passion for mx boards is waining and my desire for Topre is increasing by the day. I have a HHKB2, do I need the type s too?

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: No, unless your environment dictates that you make a not very loud and rather pleasantly sounding keyboard a bit more silent, and want to spend a lot of money on it.

The Keyboard Oracle · 05 Aug 2012, 02:04

KorrMuraan wrote:Cherry MX Reds are desired, nay, REQUIRED in every key depressed by her delicate touch. Dedicated media keys are not a luxury to be dismissed and may yet even determine whether the gift is received with exuberance or pensive resignation. A 10 key is preferred, though if it be as such that the device can not be found with one but meets all other criteria. Then so be it.

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: The Corsair Vengeance K60.

SPooNiTe · 05 Aug 2012, 05:22

Ohh mighty oracle, I am but still having troubles. I do wish for a keyboard with Blue switches, but is is best to settle for browns on the Poker that I do dream of having? Or shall I decline myself the right to have the gorgeous Poker and settle on a fc200r or the new Ducky Shine in a few weeks with those tactile blue switches? Or, yet another option, must I settle for a Pure with Blue switches, but that cannot be made beautiful with Patrick's PBT sets?

KorrMuraan · 05 Aug 2012, 20:44

The Keyboard Oracle wrote:
KorrMuraan wrote:Cherry MX Reds are desired, nay, REQUIRED in every key depressed by her delicate touch. Dedicated media keys are not a luxury to be dismissed and may yet even determine whether the gift is received with exuberance or pensive resignation. A 10 key is preferred, though if it be as such that the device can not be found with one but meets all other criteria. Then so be it.
The Keyboard Oracle has decided: The Corsair Vengeance K60.

My heart would rejoice would it not be for one fatal flaw that gnaws at my very soul.
Alas, that keyboard is not fully mechanical...

andrewjoy · 07 Aug 2012, 13:33

Oh mighty Oracle,

I am looking for a small programmable matrix possibly about 5 x 5. It needs to be mechanical and would be better with cherry MX ( not blue)

phasebash · 10 Aug 2012, 03:51

Dear Oracle,

I'm a developer who has typed somewhere between 4.0 - 4.5 million lines of code in my time and still uses an Apple mini keyboard. I think I should be using something better don't you think? I spend a lot of time in Vim and IntelliJ (with the vim plugin).

What do you recommend to increase my efficiency and happiness?

Elrick · 10 Aug 2012, 05:32

The Keyboard Oracle wrote:
KorrMuraan wrote:Cherry MX Reds are desired, nay, REQUIRED in every key depressed by her delicate touch. Dedicated media keys are not a luxury to be dismissed and may yet even determine whether the gift is received with exuberance or pensive resignation. A 10 key is preferred, though if it be as such that the device can not be found with one but meets all other criteria. Then so be it.
The Keyboard Oracle has decided: The Corsair Vengeance K60.

I'm half expecting the term......young Grasshopper.

Oh Great Keyboard Oracle you have indeed shone the light in a very murky world of keyboard selection and use. Even though I have no questions for you Sir, I recognize your acute perception and clear intellect regarding all keyboard devices.

And I sincerely thank you.

raptorized · 12 Aug 2012, 07:30

What is this keyboard and why the gigantic function keys? http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9808 ... 443903.0.0

kbdfr · 12 Aug 2012, 07:47

raptorized wrote:What is this keyboard and why the gigantic function keys? http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9808 ... 443903.0.0

No need to ask the Oracle when a mere mortal can help

http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... t1643.html