Anyone using a mechanical keyboard?

Interesting "evolution".

Many of the "recommended" mechanical keyboards on reddit and other socials recommend keyboards without a number pad. This reminds me of back in the day at my first job where I was so used to a keyboard with a numpad, but the "dinasours" in the office continued to type numbers using the top row on the keyboard. With the way things are going in the word today, it certainly seems we're regressing in many areas.

barreleye said:

In the 90's, I went out of my way to buy an IBM Model M buckling spring keyboard and thought it was the greatest thing ever. I've since come to my senses and use Logitech keyboards with scissor switches like the MX Keys and K950. I briefly dabbled in modern mechanical keyboards, and, well, let's just say that was a very brief dalliance, and the scissor switches won. They're not like your electric typewriter feel, but they do feature definite actuation without the weirdness I perceived in modern mechanical switches, nor are they indeterminate mush like membrane keyboards.

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I tested out the K950 and it didn't work for me at all. Glad you found something you liked.

Sammy888 said:

I tested out the K950 and it didn't work for me at all. Glad you found something you liked.

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Phew, that was a couple months ago! Now that you mention it, I returned the K950 because it felt cheaper than my MX Keys, and the keycap labels were even less readable than the non-illuminated keys on my MX Keys in my environment (I don't use the backlight, which shines around the keys more than through them - it's such a bust of an expensive feature). I bought the K950 because the left arrow key broke off the MX Keys, and I ended up replacing it with an MX Keys S. I do have to use the MX Keys S in Bluetooth mode, because its Bolt receiver is prone to losing the Ctrl when I wake it with Ctrl+C or other combo. The Unifying Receiver never had this problem, and Bluetooth seems to be immune. Yeah, I tried disabling the power options for the Bolt in Device Manager, but it didn't help. Gotta keep the Bolt for non-Bluetooth environments like the BIOS, though.

Sammy888 said:

I never type hard and those who have ever used the IBC Selectric typewriter know what I'm talking about when I write it practically types itself. It's essentially "low friction" and there's effectively no effort so "tactile switches" are a sensation not an actual function of responsiveness of a keyboard. The keys didn't feel like they required effort. Once you initiated the stroke, the mechanism seemed to take over. The sensation was one of extremely low friction and very little resistance. It felt responsive, effortless, and almost as if the machine was helping you type.

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If you can, visist a local computer store to try out different keyboards. Were i live they have many keyboards unpacked so one can test each one directly in store.

I bought the Steelseries Apex Pro Gen 3 a while ago to replace my Steelseries Apex 7 that had brown switches. The Steelseries Apex Pro Gen 3 has only one switch, their OmniPoint. At first i was not really in love, i thought the keys were to light, as you describe it abowe "The keys didn't feel like they required effort. Once you initiated the stroke, the mechanism seemed to take over".

After a couple of days i had "adjusted" myself and now i am in love and love the OmniPoint switches.

Yes, it´s a gaming keyboard but you can turn of the lightning keys and use it as a regular keyboard, or just use one solid color and no irritating RGB bling.

On this keyboard you can even adjust how much you must press a key before anything happens, iow if they should react very fast or if one must press they key down to 100% or anything in between. I just use the default settings and that works for me.

Steelseries Apex Pro Gen 3: https://steelseries.com/en-us/gamin...eyboardSize=fullSize&keyboardLanguage=english

IBM Model M if you can still find them. Have one from 1996.It's brilliant still !!!! and far better than loads of modern keyboards.




You might be able to source one somewhere though on a site like vinted or similar.Probably cost you around €120 or equiv in your local currency.

Note though no € sign and some other modern symbols so you will have to type the key combo - being an IBM product remember IBM used EBCDIC rather than ASCII for lots of things !!!

It DOES have a number pad which helps of course.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

IBM Model M if you can still find them. Have one from 1996.It's brilliant still !!!! and far better than loads of modern keyboards.

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You might be able to source one somewhere though on a site like vinted or similar.Probably cost you around €120 or equiv in your local currency.

Note though no € sign and some other modern symbols so you will have to type the key combo - being an IBM product remember IBM used EBCDIC rather than ASCII for lots of things !!!

It DOES have a number pad which helps of course.

Cheers
jimbo

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OMG. That keyboard brings back memories. And this video too: