At the End of the Day, Which Keyboard do You Actually Use?

fohat · 17 Jan 2016, 00:03

I simply keep coming back to my stripped-down F-122, regardless of all the silliness of no upper case and in spite of the fact that the USB hub in the upper left died less than a year after I built it (and unfortunately it is epoxied down "well").

Hypersphere · 17 Jan 2016, 00:53

@fohat: I like the look of your stripped-down F122. It is utilitarian and almost steampunk.

seebart · 17 Jan 2016, 00:56

Hypersphere wrote: ↑@fohat: I like the look of your stripped-down F122. It is utilitarian and almost steampunk.

Cool, very "individual" F-122.

fohat · 17 Jan 2016, 01:04

Thanks, guys. My real goal is to create a truly amazing "steampunk" F-122 (that would be with copper, leather, etc) but I simply have not had the time and energy for that (I have 2 teenage kids) so it will remain "on the list of projects" for some indeterminate amount of time to come.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62 ... msg1469919

This intermediate effort is really quite satisfying and nice, and it really bums me out that the USB hub failed so quickly, but, I suppose, it has been my experience that almost all USB hubs fail quickly .....

miguelbazil · 19 Jan 2016, 11:21

Potato image

My Turtle Beach Impact 500, ISO UK MX Blue just a few keycaps changed. I'm a sucker for Blues really. I bought a G80-3000 for 40€ second hand quite some months ago as my first mech, and I was straight in love with blues. Clickiness ftw! Once this TBI went on sale on Amazon for ~50€, I didn't think much and went straight for it. It had a slightly heavier feel when typing, and it took a month and something to get that out, but now it's a light typing experience like my G80. Love it to death.

Now, I'm aiming for a MX Clear keyboard as my job driver. Can't have the blues cause people might just decapitate me.

I'd like to try some clicky gaterons and topre (wish I had caught the novatouch tour). Tried blacks, really didn't like. I think that I'm not a linear's type of guy.

scottc · 19 Jan 2016, 11:25

fohat wrote: ↑Thanks, guys. My real goal is to create a truly amazing "steampunk" F-122 (that would be with copper, leather, etc) but I simply have not had the time and energy for that (I have 2 teenage kids) so it will remain "on the list of projects" for some indeterminate amount of time to come.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62 ... msg1469919

This intermediate effort is really quite satisfying and nice, and it really bums me out that the USB hub failed so quickly, but, I suppose, it has been my experience that almost all USB hubs fail quickly .....

I got an Anker USB 3.0 USB hub from Amazon for work and it seems to work fine. It was about 10 GBP, I think. I always have keyboards (currently an Apple M0118 and FaceW) and a mouse connected to it and have had no problems.

TuxKey · 19 Jan 2016, 12:13

My Daily driver is the Leopold FC660C with Mx-Clears.
Currently with stock dysub PBT keycaps..
But i used to have the Vortex Double shot PBT keycaps on there..

And i ordered the FC660C Topre board. And a set of Topre Silence rings to put on there later on.

I tried to rotate it with my new KUL ES-87 with MX-clears but i loved my Leopold to much so that one is going on sale after
one week of usage ahhaha..

http://imgur.com/a/1afVK

Only one problem with the Leopold Line and that's all the pesky keycap sizes

Never really understand what the heck all the sizes really mean ..Like 6.2 or 7 unit ..or 2.x shift key..
All i now is that the spacebar is a bit smaller..And that the inside stems are on a different size..
When i got the Vortex keycap set the spacebar did not fit.. And the right shift also did not fit..
Something to do with size..

but otherwise the keyboard great.. Cant wait to get my hands on my FC660C..I'm selling my KUL because i'm not using it hahah..

002 · 19 Jan 2016, 12:50

I bought an HHKB recently. I had a go at the HHKB a few years ago with the JP Type-S and couldn't get into it. I have a newfound appreciation for them now and I have also come to like the "woodier" sound compared to the Realforce. The JP layout and irregular staggering is just not on...arrow keys don't make up for it.

: uploadfromtaptalk1453203973399.JPG (61.23 KiB) Viewed 6698 times

Muirium · 19 Jan 2016, 16:42

Welcome to the One True Keyboard, TopreMaster!

Nice pic. My guess, through the stylish shine, is you went for a blank white regular HHKB. That's the one I had my eyes on in the first place. Before I was tempted to Type-S by its $30 Japan price, and dyesubs because DT! Glad I did. But all (non-JP, non-Lite) HHKBs are beautiful. You can't go wrong with them.

Scratch the white. Now I'm back indoors I can clearly make out it's the black blank one! See what photography can do!

zuglufttier · 19 Jan 2016, 17:28

I used several model M for over ten years and switched to the SSK a few months ago. Since then, the SSK is in use. I tried some other boards here and there but it's hard to get away from buckling spring... Everything feels wrong at first

I need to try Topre some time in the future, or model F... I tried one model F several years ago but back then it sounded way too pingy for my taste.

Muirium · 19 Jan 2016, 17:42

I'm pretty confident F is still just as pingy. But what might have changed since is your taste!

zuglufttier · 19 Jan 2016, 17:47

Maybe my ears have gotten worse since then. Worth a try sometime.

Hypersphere · 20 Jan 2016, 16:27

I did the floss mod on my XT. It cured the ping without affecting the feel or other aspects of the sound.

andrewjoy · 20 Jan 2016, 16:45

But the added XT ping is what makes it one of the better sounding model Fs!

fohat · 20 Jan 2016, 20:22

Hypersphere wrote: ↑I did the floss mod on my XT. It cured the ping without affecting the feel or other aspects of the sound.

Floss mod is essential for the Model F - it takes out the piercing overtones without altering any of the underlying goodness.

Floss mod on a Model M is marginally better than useless.

TuxKey · 22 Jan 2016, 19:31

Since yesterday my desk has bin ruled by this little wolf in cheeps clothing..

My First Topre 45g Feels heavenly thanks to WideBasket for getting it to me so fast..

So my FC660M with MX-Clears is on leave resting nicely..

Wil be doing a review or overview in regards to all my previous keyboards (don't worry just a couple of them) and this new Topre jewel ..

When i get the nice Topre o-rings from Hypersphere with the help of Muirium,,, i'l be looking at silencing this puppy ..Have to admit is already sounds good..And feels awesome..

gogusrl · 28 Jan 2016, 11:33

At home I use a raptor k1 with thick lasered pbt keycaps, at work I use a g80-3000 winkeyed, again with lasered thick pbt keycaps. Both have mx black.

I kinda suck at finishing my projects :
- ISO linear space invaders not converted
- apple m1011 not converted
- handwired mx 65% not completed
- handwired alps 60% not completed
- zenith vintage blacks x2 needs a soarer's i think (keyboard randomly reboots while typing with a regular ps2->usb)
- numpad with linear space invaders finished but unused because I got no 60% to combo with

thatllbeme · 28 Jan 2016, 12:06

My laptop keyboard most of the time, because I can't fit my customs in my bag.

At home I've been trying to use my custom as much as I can but when I need to type something quickly I use my HHKB. Ducky Mini has been relegated to duty on my desktop (so, mainly for playing games).

rodtang · 29 Jan 2016, 00:05

You'll be disappointed in me here guys, I've been using the Google keyboard exclusively for the last year and a half..

meow a cat · 29 Jan 2016, 00:08

I change it up often, so it's a tough call.. out of all the boards I've tried though, I've settled on my favourite three so far.

HHKB Pro 2 45g
KMAC LE 62g ergo clears
SSK

The one I use the most? It's close to equal, but my KMAC probably pulls ahead a bit.

jerue · 29 Jan 2016, 03:23

I do love all of my boards...

but there is a good reason why my 55g Digilog Realforce (silence/lubed) is my workhorse board... <3

....unless I get a hold of one of these.

bocahgundul · 29 Jan 2016, 07:56

jerue wrote: ↑I do love all of my boards...

but there is a good reason why my 55g Digilog Realforce (silence/lubed) is my workhorse board... <3

....unless I get a hold of one of these.

FITE ME I WILL GET IT FIRST

livingspeedbump · 30 Jan 2016, 03:05

55g 87u on my Desktop and the HHKB stays in my knapsack and travels around with me.

The RF also has the silenced purple sliders and the HHKB has Hypersphere rings.

Muirium · 30 Jan 2016, 04:45

Ha, mine are the other way around. HHKB Type-S and a Realforce 87U with Hyper's rings! So far just the mods, but I've got enough of them now to do the whole board when I'm home.

@Jerue: I thought you were Photekq for a second there! Quit posting other people's boards. MX5000's aren't unobtainium so much as they are the kind of money you might need to keep a secret outside of the community, or wind up getting your head examined.

livingspeedbump · 31 Jan 2016, 03:59

Between the Type S and Hypersphere rings, I honestly think I prefer Hyperspheres' rings. Both feel quite similar though.

courtesi · 09 Feb 2016, 01:43

courtesi wrote: ↑My keyboard of choice is the IBM M2 1395300; this is my sole keyboard used at home.

Ehhhhhhh is it too late for me to change my mind?

Now I seem to be gravitating towards my Unicomp 103.....

The build quality may scream MERICA! but it's still quite fun to type on.

XMIT · 09 Feb 2016, 04:37

After years of searching I seem to have settled on Topre: a dampened Novatouch with thick white-on-black doubleshot PBT caps at home, and a uinform 45g TKL with white dye subbed key caps and a PBT space bar at work.

I love loud keyboards but now I'm on the phone more at work and using the keyboard more when the kids are asleep at home so I need quiet.

Hak Foo · 09 Feb 2016, 04:49

The G80-3000 (Black case, ANSI, blue switches replaced with Gateron blues, GH Round One caps) I had been using at work seems to have developed a faulty trace. I had to schlep out a spare board (G80-8200, clears with the 60% zone replaced with Gateron blues and a bunch of unicorn vomit caps) to finish the day of coding, but really, moving a programmer's backslash key is a terrible, terrible prank.

I think I'm gonna bring in the Unicomp Customizer 104 (2009) tomorrow.

At home, it's a Tactile Pro 4 with caps from a SGI Granite board, and a 20-key pad off AliExpress with a Matias switch swap, Soarer controller, and a bunch of media key mappings

gogusrl · 11 Feb 2016, 18:29

20-key pad off AliExpress

need a link for that one.

Khronokrator · 12 Feb 2016, 06:27

I try to justify my increasingly extensive collection by switching out keyboards every few weeks.

In practice, since about September that's amounted to switching between the Focus 2001, the Ultra TP (with its sadly simplified Alps), and the Monterey Blues board I acquired a few weeks ago. The others are Focuses in poor condition, the K70 RGB with Blues I never use (don't care for Cherry switches), the restored Model M I think is too awesome to use, the Unicomp Ultraclassic that doesn't feel as good as the aforementioned Model M, the V80 whose Matias switches pale in comparison to true Alps, etc...

Oh, I also have my F122 on my desk at all times. I just don't use it very much because it doesn't fit into my keyboard tray, and my chair isn't high enough to type comfortably from the surface of my desk without stooping over to am uncomfortable degree. Still is fun to type on occasionally, though.