deskthority

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Vote in the final round of this category to win an Ice Cap set, a Midnight set, and a Grab Bag from Pimp My Keyboard / SP!

Nomination rules:
Now is the time to suggest your nominees for the best switch category!
Which makes you giggle when you type?
Which comforts your fingers and wrists?
Which makes you happy and your better half mad?
It can be an old switch or the newest kid on the block, we appreciate them all!
You must provide a short explanation for each suggestion.
You can't nominate your own switch, of course.

Current suggestions:

• Cherry MX Clears. "It's like the basic sword every hero starts with and grows fond of."
• Jailhouse MX blue switches. "I enjoy jailhouse blues due to their immediate bump and slight damped feel due to the rubber."
• Cherry MX Greens. "...these are smooth and the click is very satisfying. These are also one of the most consistent switches I have ever used."
• Zealios. "...super smooth, milky plate mount and clear pcb mount as well as several spring weights have made these my go-to switch."
• Cherry MX Browns. "I've tried many things, and some come close, but they are close to my heart for the feel when I'm deep into coding, just me and my keyboard and the warm glow of low lights."
• Beamsprings. "The father of a renowned line of clicky keyswitches, no other switch can match their elegant swing and sharp tactility."
• Topre 30g. "Extremely light, but they still maintain some tactility and the classic Topre feel. My personal switch of the year."
• XMIT Hall effect linear switches. "For bringing back a "lost" technology in a modern design."
• Micro Switch Hall Effect. "They started me down the road I'm on now, and I spent a bunch of time earlier this year with them on lab benches!"
• SKCM Green Alps. "All around one of the best tactile switches out there."
• SKCM Amber Alps. "plenty of tactility, still light and snappy to type on, and somehow quiet"
• Capacitive buckling spring. "Fantastic feel, more precise than membrane buckling spring, more fluid typing experience"
• Hirose MX Red. "because this is how MX Red should feel"
• Fosen Aquamarine. "Fixes the shrill click of the MX/Gateron Blue and looks funky doing it"
• Cherry MX blue. "because they are the gold standard high end switches"
• Zealiostotles/Aristaterons. "The ultimate click!"
• Cherry MX blacks. "The true thing which gave birth to countless modifications, the switch of millions of keyboard users"
• Alps Plate Spring. Seebart likes it...That's reason enough.
• Oki Tactile Gourd Spring. "for an interesting engineering solution and gentle & pleasant clicky tactile feedback"
• Gateron brown switches. "They are light, tactile and quiet, so smooth, cheap and readily available"
• SKCM Brown Alps. "they almost feel like Topre switches but they are mechanical, super awesome tactility"
• Cherry MX Silent. "Cherry Corp. has finally caught up with the times and offered an MX switch, that's damped out of the box"
• Alps Creamsicles. "Cream sliders and Orange springs/tactile leaves. Silent and smooth"
• SKCM Blue Alps. "for having the crispest tactility I've ever seen"
• Topre. "all year long I've been hearing the phrase 'oneness with the cup rubber'"
• Fujitsu magnetic reed and leaf spring. "for being amazingly well-engineered, super-smooth switches"
• Tai hao aruz blue switch (alps clone). "honestly one of the best switches i've tried so far"

This round ends on Saturday 26 November, 23:59:59 UTC.

Cherry MX Clears: My lover. The snappy feeling and the cushioned bottoming out allows me to not bottom out. And it is my first love, accompanying me to get my wpm above the 30wpm... It's like the basic sword every hero starts with and grows fond of.

I would like to nominate jailhouse blue switches, while not commercially available as of yet there are plans from Evan to create "J-clips"/"J-spacers" which will make jailhouse blues much more accessible. I enjoy jailhouse blues due to their immediate bump and slight damped feel due to the rubber.

I would like to nominate Cherry MX Greens. While some have jumped over to Gateron because of various reasons, these are smooth and the click is very satisfying. These are also one of the most consistent switches I have ever used.

Zealios, super smooth, milky plate mount and clear pcb mount as well as several spring weights have made these my go-to switch.

Cherry MX Browns. I've tried many things, and some come close, but they are close to my heart for the feel when I'm deep into coding, just me and my keyboard and the warm glow of low lights.

I'm horribly biased but: XMIT Hall Effect linear switches. Smooth, easy to service, multiple spring weights available.

Beamsprings. The father of a renowned line of clicky keyswitches, no other switch can match their elegant swing and sharp tactility.

XMIT wrote: ↑I'm horribly biased but: XMIT Hall Effect linear switches. Smooth, easy to service, multiple spring weights available.

Rebellious, aren't you?

wow, so far not a single repeat nomination :O

XMIT wrote: ↑I'm horribly biased but: XMIT Hall Effect linear switches. Smooth, easy to service, multiple spring weights available.

chzel wrote: ↑ You can't nominate your own switch, of course.

Topre 30g. Extremely light, but they still maintain some tactility and the classic Topre feel. My personal switch of the year.

vivalarevolución wrote: ↑Topre 30g. Extremely light, but they still maintain some tactility and the classic Topre feel. My personal switch of the year.

On what board? Realforce JIS or Plum?

PollandAkuma wrote: ↑

vivalarevolución wrote: ↑Topre 30g. Extremely light, but they still maintain some tactility and the classic Topre feel. My personal switch of the year.

On what board? Realforce JIS or Plum?

Plum doesn't count. One user swapped the domes from a Realforce 10th Anniversary JIS and put them on a regular 87UB and I bought it from him. Cool board, I like it.

I nominate XMIT Hall effect linear switches. For bringing back a "lost" technology in a modern design.
I would have nominated beamspring, but Ratfink got to it first!

ohaimark wrote: ↑

XMIT wrote: ↑I'm horribly biased but: XMIT Hall Effect linear switches. Smooth, easy to service, multiple spring weights available.

Rebellious, aren't you?

No, just dumb. I've brown-font-ed my previous posts.

Micro Switch Hall Effect for a real nomination. They started me down the road I'm on now, and I spent a bunch of time earlier this year with them on lab benches! I still have hopes for reviving my old boards with them in 2017.

MX Clears are what MX Browns should be.

I just got my first Model M so I've got a bias towards buckling spring now, there's just something about the noise it makes that really gets me.

Hking0036 wrote:MX Clears are what MX Browns should be.

I just got my first Model M so I've got a bias towards buckling spring now, there's just something about the noise it makes that really gets me.

Yay, another vote for Clears xddd

vivalarevolución wrote:

PollandAkuma wrote: ↑

vivalarevolución wrote: ↑Topre 30g. Extremely light, but they still maintain some tactility and the classic Topre feel. My personal switch of the year.

On what board? Realforce JIS or Plum?

Plum doesn't count. One user swapped the domes from a Realforce 10th Anniversary JIS and put them on a regular 87UB and I bought it from him. Cool board, I like it.

Hmm now I'm interested in 35g realforce...

SKCM Green Alps for me. Better feeling than Brown Alps, bigger bump than Orange Alps, and nice and smooth. All around one of the best tactile switches out there. It's too bad they're so rare.

SKCM Amber Alps - plenty of tactility, still light and snappy to type on, and somehow quiet (at least in the Apple //c application).
Capacitive buckling spring, which needs to be nominated every year. Fantastic feel, more precise than membrane buckling spring, more fluid typing experience in my opinion due to lower preload.

How many can I nominate at a time? xD There's so many I love...

Hirose MX Red, because this is how MX Red should feel.

I'm going to go a different direction and nominate a newcomer. Fosen Aquamarine!

Fixes the shrill click of the MX/Gateron Blue and looks funky doing it.

Cherry MX blue because they are the gold standard high end switches. You get great keycaps option, great compatibility with vintage or brand new custom PCB widely available and a first class typing experience. Of course there are exotic switches higher on the food chain in specific fields, but IMHO they have the best overall score.

Zealiostotles/Aristaterons.

The ultimate click!

Cherry MX blacks, of course.
The true thing which gave birth to countless modifications, the switch of millions of keyboard users.
Here again, the reference.

Alps Plate Spring:

wiki/Alps_plate_spring

photos-f62/chinese-ibm-japan-5576-002-k ... 14875.html

I will nominate capasitive BS , because its the best balance between low profile and the amazing beamsping.

Its also compatible with model M keycaps for easy modding.

And now its back baby!!!

Oki Tactile Gourd Spring
for an interesting engineering solution (the shape) and gentle&pleasant clicky tactile feedback, paired with great-looking PBT dyesubs