The Oracle Answers

[Muirium]

Yeah, what he said, inc. hi!

It's tempting to go straight for a high end board, especially if your company is paying. The Keyboard Co. is cool with that (their site screams b2b, what with all the excluding tax by default) and there are much more expensive things out there than the fanciest Topre keyboard! I'd go for it of you can.

Topres are a bit tricky to buy in Europe. The Keyboard Co. has an exclusive with them here, but isn't as cheap or has as much of a range as America's Elite Keyboards:

http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products. ... _keyboards

EK carries the Type-S, but only in Tenkeyless layout: without a numpad. Plus it's QWERTY, ANSI-US in particular: rectangular Return key, and long left shift. Not the ISO you're used to. QWERTY can map to AZERTY in software (just don't tell your computer you're using an English language keyboard) but ANSI is a different physical layout, with one less key.

http://deskthority.net/wiki/ANSI

[wes1099]

Keyboard Oracle, should I buy a KBC Poker 2 or should I wait for the Ducky Mini?

[Muirium]

I can't speak for the Oracle (seriously, Webwit told me off), but the Games Master may well reckon the next generation Ducky Mini will be quite different from the Poker II.



Kayvee (Ducky Nordic) mentioned a metal topped case, as I recall…

[webwit]

I did?

[Muirium]

You did.

Fairly so, as the Oracle can and does speak for himself. Every once in a while…

[webwit]

That was just my way of saying you were a worthy representative of the Oracle.

[Muirium]

Oh, uh, thanks. I think I must meditate further upon your koan…

[the1onewolf]

Oh Oracle, wise Oracle.
I bought a noppoo choc on massdrop.
It will arrive mid next week.
Gaze upon the future. Am I going to regret it?
My realforce is already growling with displeasure that I may return to my cherry mx peasant ways.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I always enjoyed going back to Cherry MX brown after using my Realforce for a while. I found the sharp, precise feel of MX switches to be much cleaner than the elongated tactile peak of Topre switches.

[Muirium]

Taste is taste. If you wind up back with browns, at least you'll have a nice Topre windfall when you sell it…

I'm guessing that caps are what tempted you back? The GBs these days!

[002]

If you do sell your Realforce, Daniel, please give me my keycaps back

[Muirium]

I can only presume these are proper fancy Topre caps!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I can only presume these are proper fancy Topre caps!

Yes. I wanted green function keys — I was hoping someone who had bought one of the full sets from EK would sell off just the function keys (green) or arrows (blue)¹ but I never got a response. (I think I asked at GH as well — not sure, it's been a while now.)

002 sent me his spare green function keys for free, which was very kind of him. I don't plan to sell the Realforce, not yet anyway, though it gets very little use these days. It's next in line after the Poker II, as my Majestouch has a load of bad switches on it. I've kept all the original keys safe, of course.


¹ I have red Esc, green F keys, and front-printed mauve arrows, which just looks odd. Oh well. I don't have any custom keys on my Poker II, but I did order some backlit ones from keyboardco along with my Tactile Pro for PC, so that I can have Jolly Roger on Esc.

[breh]

Oracle,

I seek a keyboard.

I recently bought a Ducky 2108 w/ Cherry MX Red as a first mechanical keyboard and I love it. I can no longer type happily on a rubberdome. I carry my keyboard to work, but I often leave it there and have to resort to my crappy backup keyboard at home. My tastes aren't yet refined.

My goal - a better typing keyboard for work (engineering)
My experience - CherryMX Blacks: stiffer than I liked. CherryMX Blues: loved the feel, a tad loud?

• Sub $100 price range
• Not too fancy looking (work)
• Not obnoxiously loud in a office setting
• Open to both a TKL and 60% version

[Muirium]

Sub $100 is the tricky part. If you want something new, CM's QuickFire Rapid is the TKL to look for, and (the definitive 60%) the Poker II may be about that price where you are.

If you like MX red, stay MX red. There's basically 3 different switch feels in the MX line, which each come in different weights. Red is linear, and you've already felt black, its heavy linear brother. Blue and green are clicky, and likely to annoy nearby ears. While brown and clear are tactile, which is meant to feel quite like clicky switches but without the extra noise. Cherry's best switches are the linears, if you ask me (IBM clicks so much better, and Topre blows away the tactiles) but everyone's got their preference.

These sub $100 keyboards are going to want some fancy caps, though. You realise you are only getting started, right?

[breh]

Thank you for the response muirium.

I started to also look at 84key keyboards, as I do want arrow keys. I came across recommendations for the Noppoo Choc Mini 84 and Keycool 84 (mx versions). Have you had any thoughts on those? I've seen the price range of these boards fluctuate about the $100 region when on sale. Your experience probably extends well beyond mine, and if you say that an 84key is not worth it and to go up to a TKL, I might just do that.

I say sub $100 but honestly it can go a little higher. I lucked out and got my 2108 for about $75 new overseas.

What do you mean by want fancy caps? I believe my Ducky has ABS caps and I seem ok with it. I do realize I am just getting started =(

[Muirium]

Fancy caps? Oh, well, I may just have a few…




Standard Ducky ABS caps aren't spectacular, but they'll get the job done. Those blue and grey ones above are ABS as well, but doubleshot, and quite expensive. The pale Granite set in the first picture is harder wearing, rough feeling PBT. Probably best to settle on a good keyboard before going overboard with caps!

84 key layouts are in that zone I don't like between 60% and TKL. I like a 60% because it's starkly minimal, and is compatible with the cap sets you can often get in group buys, like those above. TKL is just as compatible, while giving you a roomy layout. Everything between those two is a bit awkward (look at the right Shift key in particular, it often gets chopped) and much more of a challenge to find alternate caps for. If that's something you care about of course! If it's not, then no worry.

Another downside of the 84 key layout is that it's pretty much owned by Noppoo (and Keycool as I recall?) who aren't top notch at build quality. That said, they do offer a lot of bang for the buck. But watch out what switches they're using. The low end Chinese manufacturers are switching away from Cherry MX to Kailh clones. These have a downright poor reputation, but have apparently gotten better lately. Still, I'd be wary about them and try to avoid.

[benichka]

(HS: what are those keycaps on the second one Muirium? thanks )

[Muirium]

The ever magical, and ever unobtainable, Round 4 SPH Space Cadet set. More pictures:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/top ... ph#p157451

And on my all metal 60% custom:

http://deskthority.net/post133887.html#p133887

7bit ran these caps a few years ago. I'm thinking of rerunning them at PMK when everyone's recovered from 2014's caps tsunami. Plenty of people still crave their own SPH, and hardly anyone ever sells a set.

[benichka]

The ever magical, and ever unobtainable, Round 4 SPH Space Cadet set. More pictures:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/top ... ph#p157451

And on my all metal 60% custom:

http://deskthority.net/post133887.html#p133887

Really nice set indeed!
Also, you boards are really nice

Plenty of people still crave their own SPH, and hardly anyone ever sells a set.

Yeah, I can understand why

[andrewjoy]

hmm tempted to sell my tenkyless round 4 cadet set now so i can buy more model F's !

[scottc]

I'll take it!

[andrewjoy]

i will trade you for a 62 key !

[Muirium]

You have either? I have both and intend to stay that way!

[noobie94]

Searching for a 60% keyboard with mx red. Poker 2, v60 mini...what else?

[Excelso]

The ever magical, and ever unobtainable, Round 4 SPH Space Cadet set. More pictures:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/top ... ph#p157451

And on my all metal 60% custom:

http://deskthority.net/post133887.html#p133887

7bit ran these caps a few years ago. I'm thinking of rerunning them at PMK when everyone's recovered from 2014's caps tsunami. Plenty of people still crave their own SPH, and hardly anyone ever sells a set.

I'm here just because of this xD

Looking for those beautiful caps and keyboards... lurking around I found this club and I'm learning a lot thaks to you guys.

[beltet]

Oooooh great oracle!
I havet misplaced my keycap pullet! Oh where art thou! I believe me kin can be the villain...

[The Keyboard Oracle]

The Keyboard Oracle has decided: To hast had the caduceus and lost is bett'r than not having at all.

[jakkul]

Dear Oracle.

I guess it is a good place to start by asking what keyboard should I pursue next.

I currently use Lenovo 73P2620 and Fujitsu KPQ-E99AC-14 (this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFtSSXJ8D64). The first one has GREAT wrist comfort, the second is quite ok, especially with the key switching technology.

What I do on the computer: emails and other corporate stuff, writing technical docs, linux administration.

What would be nice: tenkeyless with wrist rest, normal arrows page up/down insert/delete home/end keys, something cheap possibly, available in the EU. I was thinking about something on MX Blue's + custom wrist rest (cm quickfire rapid mx blue maybe), but it might not be the best direction.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

When you say MX blue — I take it that there is not anyone around who would be disturbed by the sound?