deskthority

currently i'm typing on a unicomp bs and am thinking of switching to a black due to fatigue while playing xonotic. how does it compare in regards to actuation force? wiki says black is 60 while bs is 60-80cN "(depending on implementation)". how do i determine what implementation i have?

anybody make a similar move? what are your thoughts?

Black is eaisier on the fingers than BS. You do loose all the fun though. MX black are one of my best MX switches though (along side green).

Remember when asking questions to talk about what type of switch you mean. I guess you mean cherry MX but you could also mean ALPS or any other type of mechanical switch that is black.

fossala wrote:Black is eaisier on the fingers than BS. You do loose all the fun though. MX black are one of my best MX switches though (along side green).

Remember when asking questions to talk about what type of switch you mean. I guess you mean cherry MX but you could also mean ALPS or any other type of mechanical switch that is black.

my bad, i meant cherry mx. and thanks for the reply — i think i'll go through with the purchase once the wasd v2 comes out.

I would vouch for Blacks or Reds for gaming, at least for First Person Shooter games. I consider Blacks tiring as well, so I use a ghetto Red modded G80-2551 for gaming.

But while I consider linear switches for gaming, I wouldn't really recommend them for typing, but that's all a matter of personal preference. I feel like I need some tactility for typing, but on the other hand I can understand that typing on linear switches gives you a feeling of "flowing over the keys". Typing on linear switches feels very smooth, but that's just not my preference. I consider Buckling Springs best for typing, and Cherry MX Red or Black best for gaming.

By buying a linear keyboard you will definitely not make anything wrong.

RC-1140 wrote:...so I use a ghetto Red modded G80-2551 for gaming.

Pretty badass you use a G80-2551 for gaming, I like it.

At home I only use bigass keyboards. So I've modded a G80-2551 to use Ghetto Reds, and I had a great gaming board in the keyboard layout I'm used to use. I normally use a 122-Key Unicomp for typing, so I don't have to get used to a different layout when I'm gaming. Though I didn't have any time for gaming in the last month. Too many exams in school…

I don't find linear too bad for typing, personally, but as usual, everyone's going to like different things for different reasons and so on.

I have been using Cherry MX Red for a bit over a month now and love it, though I'm looking forward to some O Rings to reduce the key travel (they're on order).

However accuracy is a problem. They are so light, it's easy to accidentally press keys by simply brushing over them. With practice, it's a total non-issue but it will take a week or two of pain to get used to it and anyone else who uses your keyboard will suffer.

oooo wasd tenkeyless v2 cherry mx clear coming in march 2013

Clears are very heavy, and have a clearly noticeable tactile point. If you are going to take that board for gaming and keep away from bs because they are too tiring on your fingers, I would say it's probably not the best pick. However they may suit you well for typing. In such case you should also have a look at the Deck boards, they are solid and got the best backlighting around.

Unicomp's BS boards TEND to be lower peak force, but preload is also something to consider.

You may try a Model F - they tend to be a bit higher peak force than Unicomp's boards, but on the flip side, they also tend to be quite a bit lower preload, which can help with fatigue.

cherry mx clears can't be heavier than black can they? the deskthority wiki says it's like 55cN while the black is 60cN. or is that a little misleading since that is peak force?

I'd say the force needed to actuate the switch is about equal between blacks and clears. Considerably easier than my Model M.

With blacks, you only need the full amount of force if you press the key to the bottom.

Halvar

As advised by Lysol on another forum
Clears have a 65cN actuation force which ramps up to 100cN to bottom out.

GMC wrote:As advised by Lysol on another forum
Clears have a 65cN actuation force which ramps up to 100cN to bottom out.

yikes

They feel heavy, but if like me you bottom out all the time they are good. Tire the fingers a bit but I quite like them on my skidata. I need to spend more time typing on them though to really decide though.
Feels like they push back on the fingers as you type