What is your favorite switch and why?

[Daniel Beaver]

Capacitive buckling springs, the kind found in Model Fs. They have the most delightful sound and such a crisp feel. Model Ms are too heavy in comparison.

Cherry blues are a very close contender, and are what I use on a day to day basis.

[Yomi39]

brown because i don't feel to need press hard on them (less than black and blue)

[Floob]

I've tried MX Browns and MX Blues, and I must say I like the browns for overall use better.

[JBert]

Got blues, browns, MY and clears from the Cherry department.
So far the clears seem to offer a perfect match of resistance and tactility, all while staying acceptably smooth.

The model F AT keyboard's switches still have a special place in my heart, but the keyboard sees less use as it has too few modifier keys and is just too loud for late-night typing. At some times, my tendons also object at their resistance - although it could be a sign I have done enough typing for that day.

So my ranking:
1a. Hypothetical modded capacitative BS switch (slightly lighter spring would rock)
1b. Cherry MX clears (silent, not too heavy)
2. Original capacitative BS switch
3. Decent-quality rubber dome (all said and done, they still do the job, and cost is mostly not an issue there)

I guess that this list would change enormously once I get my hands on a DataHand or a beam/plate spring keyboard, but so far those are a bit steeply priced.

[keyboardlover]

Clears kick ass. I'm liking them more everyday. Such a fun switch...

[xis]

ive tried, buckling springs, brown and blue cherries, and id have to say buckling springs are by far my favourite. nothing beats that soothing sound, although my brown cherries have been growing on me lately.

ive heard a lot about clears lately, but ive yet to lay me hands on any

[Olehk]

Cherry MX Blues - Good Tactile feedback and they are clicky

[godly_music]

MX Blacks because they are the only ones I know, besides rubber and scissor switches. I plan on changing that, though.

[xbb]

Having tried only few switches:

1) MX Brown - Filco Majestouch
2) Buckling springs - '89 Model M
3) MX Black - Cherry G80-3499LPCJK

I prefer tactile feedback when I type normally, waiting to try MX Blues. For gaming I prefer MX Blacks.

[kalrykh]

1) Buckling Spring
2) Topre 55g
3) Topre 45g
4) Alps, XM white
5) MX Blues/clears/blacks.

I've got browns and reds on order, so this all may change. I love the feel of buckling springs the most, yet probably use it the least, due to 2kro and not wanting to mess it up. I fell in love with clears as soon as I got them...then quickly began to feel like they were mushy crap I find the feel and sound of blues great for typing, but horrible for gaming. They just annoy the hell out of me when I'm hitting the same key over and over. Blacks were a bit stiff for my liking at the time, but I've just ordered another blacks board. I'll see if my opinion has changed. I ordered the 91uby 45g board, thinking it would be the ultimate gaming board. It took a while to get to me, and while waiting I picked up a 103ub 55g board. The 55g topres have a nice thock that the 45g lacks. I wish I hadn't bought the 45g board now, but as difficult as it was to get, I find it even more difficult to part with. I think the 55g topre would be my fav if you folks and those at GH hadn't poisoned me against rubber domes As much as I like it, I just can't shake the feeling that I'm typing on rubber.

[keyboardlover]

Wow...Alps above MX? You trippin'!

[Zandara]

Currently Cherry MX blue. Gonna try on red switch.
Blue switch was not my liking but i will gonna try out on red switch.
Razer Blackwidow was my first mechanical keyboard as well.

[Culinia]

Although I have not decided if I should get another keyboard yet, I come here anyway to ask for some guidance for the matter regarding switch type. If I do get one, logic tells me I should get a silent switch since I can use it as a portable keyboard (poker keyboard for example) and hence bring it to the library with my laptop. This is the only reason/excuse to even consider getting another keyboard (although I do want to get a unicomp for my other computer one day).

So the blues I'm assuming are out of the question especially in the silent area of the library (for obvious reasons).

The thing is, after reading sixty's experience with the browns in particular the lack of tactile bump has led me to question whether or not it is worth going for the browns (which the tactile bump seems to be their only feature) and after coming from the blues I don't think that the browns will be right for me since I still cannot feel bump in normal typing.

So therefore, do you guys think I should go for the reds? Do you for instance, think it will feel too much linear after coming from the blues? Sorry but the blacks do not really tempt me, I must try one some day (I know, only taken half of sixty's 'advice' hehe) or do you guys think another keyboard such as one with topre will work better in terms of portability?

I think I would prefer a Cherry MX keyboard however, only because then I can buy double-shot replacements in colemak layout which I would prefer having it correspond to the key. Just for the sake of completeness.

Thanks.

[webwit]

There's less feeling in the reds than in the browns I think. And they all make noise, just not as much as the blues.

[Findecanor]

I have tested the most common Cherry MX and ALPS switches, but there are many out there that I want to try that I still have not. I am most interested in the IBM Beam Spring, the clicky Oki switch (where the spring is stretched instead of just compressed) and the clicky Monterey.

My favourites (right now) are the:

• Cherry MX Blue, with dental band dampeners and the
• Cherry MX Clear

I think that my ideal switch would be one that was like the Blue before the activation point, but had a sharp increase in resistance after the point like the Clear .. and was silent.
I like the (relatively) higher initial resistance of the MX Blue (compared to white ALPS), the low friction and the little bump before the activation point, but I don't like bottoming out hard.

[rockccf]

My favorite switch is cherry mx brown because I'm using it for moderate gaming and typing.
Wanna try red switches to see if it's better than brown.

[False_Dmitry_II]

I really haven't tried that many kinds of switches yet. However I will say that I seem to prefer clicky stuff.

I've tried:
BS
old acer (Canon 6311)
Black alps (black dell at101 - don't really use it anymore because the keys are all shiny which bugged me too much)
dampened cream alps (AEKII, currently waiting for nondampened sliders to do a trade with someone, I'll see how much more I like it once that's done. Right now the rubber just makes it too much like a rubber dome for my tastes at this point)

So the BS and the acer are currently it. I haven't actually typed on the acer switches since I got the model M and the AEKII (and that seems to matter to me alot, since when switching from one to another the characteristics seem exaggerated).

[lucidlts]

love linear switch more.
black & red are fine to me. feels kinda annoyed by the click as i enjoy silent typing more than clicky typing

[Magna224]

I have only tried clear and brown and I disliked the clears for games like quake where I have to have fast exact movements, but I preferred them for typing.

[keyb_gr]

For me it's
1) MX blues
2) BS (M style)
3) MX clears
followed by various stuff that's quite usable (Futaba, blacks). Note that I have not been able to try brown and red switches, a Model F or Montereys yet, which I assume would all rank pretty highly.

[r99t]

I tried out the Filco cherry blue keys which I personally felt was too light for me. Haven't tried the browns or blacks but a lot of my mates like the browns.

[xbb]

I tried out the Filco cherry blue keys which I personally felt was too light for me. Haven't tried the browns or blacks but a lot of my mates like the browns.

Browns are lighter than Blue. Maybe you have to try a Model M or the blacks if you don't like the sound.

[r99t]

Thanks mate. Steelseries 6gv2 are using blacks right?

I tried out the Filco cherry blue keys which I personally felt was too light for me. Haven't tried the browns or blacks but a lot of my mates like the browns.

Browns are lighter than Blue. Maybe you have to try a Model M or the blacks if you don't like the sound.

[xbb]

Thanks mate. Steelseries 6gv2 are using blacks right?

Think so, yes

[MrBlue]

Just tried the Black and Blue. And I prefer the Blue for the clicky sounds.

[lucidlts]

Thanks mate. Steelseries 6gv2 are using blacks right?

I tried out the Filco cherry blue keys which I personally felt was too light for me. Haven't tried the browns or blacks but a lot of my mates like the browns.

Browns are lighter than Blue. Maybe you have to try a Model M or the blacks if you don't like the sound.

just like 7G, 6GV2 is black. The only differences i can see here is that typing on 6GV2 feels way much better on 7G for no reason.

[runeazn]

its still unknown but i think if i try blue ill love it.

[CephalicCarnage]

Blue switches feel and sound really great. I bet you will love them.

[javifast]

1) BS
2) Cherry browns
3) Topre

But sometimes a prefer one or other... I like the others cherry flavors too.
I like mechanical keyboards

[LaCap]

I only try two type of switches, BS and Topre.
I prefere the BS switch because I love the sound of those keyboards

I want to try some Cherry but I don't know with which one I can start... Blue / Brown / Black / Red... I'm lost.