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Red_October_7000 posted:I don't mind them that much, but that green return key... Unicomp bought the licensing and tooling for IBM's Model M's so they're the only current buckling spring producer. Their keyboards are great; some folks complain about them feeling a little different than the originals but I never noticed much difference. I used a Unicomp board daily from '01 to 2012 and only got something new because I was playing a game where the lack of n-key rollover was causing an issue. I also have a couple of early 90's Model Ms that I use on secondary machines all of the time. The main thing about the buckling springs is that the boards don't offer a lot of features. Unicomp isn't producing new designs, n-key rollover or any other new features. They don't even have money to repair the tooling to make the SSK version (though they're trying). About the best they have done lately is adding new dyesubs and new plastic colors for keycap sets (which are all pretty good and are compatible with Model Ms and Model Fs). Unicomp also doesn't have the distribution that a lot of the new brands have, so someone who's never had a mechanical keyboard before and wants to check them out in a store will only find CM, Corsair, Logitech, Razer, etc. I still love buckling springs, and some day when I'm feeling more wealthy I will get a 122 key Model F and use it with Soarer's converter so I can have buckling springs and N-key rollover in the same keyboard.
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Oct 9, 2013 06:03
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Found my old Lenovo keyboard!
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Oct 9, 2013 13:48
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Rexxed posted:Unicomp also doesn't have the distribution that a lot of the new brands have, so someone who's never had a mechanical keyboard before and wants to check them out in a store will only find CM, Corsair, Logitech, Razer, etc. It's just lucky for us that, after Razer put out the first gamer mechanical keyboard, the next round of guys to do it needed to move much faster. So they went to an established OEM like Costar and said, "Give me the exact same thing as you make for Filco, but with my branding and in quantities 100 times larger." Thus a minimum standard of quality gets established, and Cooler Master can eventually sell boards for 70 bucks a pop because of economy of scale. Nobody wants to play games on a buckling spring, so Unicomp has to sit near the wall and watch the mech keyboard party go crazy without them. Poor Unicomp. 
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Oct 9, 2013 14:12
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atomicthumbs posted:Too bad those colors are so hideous. And hideously overpriced.
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Oct 9, 2013 15:19
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Bucket Joneses posted:God drat gently caress whoever posted a screenshot of typeracer.com uuuugh why was this posted. I wasted so much time eventually I just created a freaking account to keep track and had to do this to certify I wasn't a robot: 
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Oct 10, 2013 08:35
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 Not my picture but from the qtan ebay page where I bought it from. So I just got my Leopold FC660M with Cherry MX Clears. I have to say that this switch hits the perfect spot for me. Not too hard and not too soft in feeling. After using reds for so long, the Clears have WAY more force required to push down but that little push-back it has feels great when you are typing real fast. There isn't much second-guessing when it comes to whether you hit the key or not. I also can feel and hear that I'm not bottoming out on this keyboard like I normally do with every other keyboard. I'm somehow not even bottoming out on the spacebar. Some may or may not like the amount of force it takes to press a key but you kind of get used to it and it feels AMAZING.
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Oct 10, 2013 13:19
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So I spilled soda on my keyboard the other day and while it still works, some of the switches are a little sticky is there any way to unsticky them or would I just have to deal with it?
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Oct 10, 2013 23:29
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horchata posted:So I spilled soda on my keyboard the other day and while it still works, some of the switches are a little sticky is there any way to unsticky them or would I just have to deal with it? While ripster's guide to spill cleaning is image heavy, it's got some ideas for sticky switches near the bottom: http://imgur.com/a/9sHx7 Looks like his suggestions are DeOxit, high content rubbing alcohol or possibly water if you're very careful about making sure it's all dry before using it.
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Oct 11, 2013 00:25
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Can anyone recommend a good scissor-switch keyboard? I really like light, shallow keys with a short travel to them. I used to have a Logitech UltraX which was great, but I don't think they're made anymore, and I can't find them anywhere. I tried a Logitech Illuminated Keyboard which was close, but it had some stuff I didn't like such as the huge wrist rest, crappy F keys, giant delete key, and no context menu key. I'm not much of a fan of "mechanical" keys, despite learning to type on them. Basically, I'd like a nice laptop keyboard with a standard full size layout, 10 key, no media keys, no huge wrist rest, and it would be nice to have illumination and not be terribly prone to ghosting. Anyone know anything that I might like?
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Oct 11, 2013 12:36
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eXXon posted:Anyone tried the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard yet? It looks pretty promising - a split design like the previous MS natural keyboards, a separate numpad, and chiclet-style keys. If the keys are anything like a ThinkPad keyboard, that's all I could really want in a keyboard. Has anyone picked one of these up yet? I'm really curious how the ergonomic + semi-detached, split keyboard works with regular WASD gaming. I used to use an old 1st gen MS Natural keyboard and really liked it, but it finally gave out after about 15 years and I've been using a cheapie kensington for far too long. It looks really sharp, and if the keys are at all quiet, I might pick one up for the office too. 
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Oct 13, 2013 08:54
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A friend has one at work, it's pretty nice as long as you like short distance keys. He doesn't use it for gaming, he has a Natural at home but he has been happy with this thing for office use. The Esc key is tiny, and the function switch is dumb, but other than that it's a nice design.
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Oct 13, 2013 09:16
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Klyith posted:
Am I missing out on something here? Will my  KDR go up if I drag out my old Zenith, or is it just marketing?
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Oct 13, 2013 20:11
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Red_October_7000 posted:Am I missing out on something here? Will my Some folks think that having to push down harder on a switch or having to wait for the switch actuation is going to lower their actions per minute. Therefore, the "everyone knows" logic is that the light linear red switch is the "gaming switch". As usual, I think that it really just depends what you're used to since I've gamed on buckling springs forever and they're fine. I use cherry blues right now and they're also fine for gaming. The main issue with a Model M and gaming is that it's 2 key rollover. The matrix on the model m isn't bad for gaming because there's not a ton of blocking in the upper left, but there can be key combinations that gently caress it up.
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Oct 13, 2013 23:50
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Tunga posted:A friend has one at work, it's pretty nice as long as you like short distance keys. He doesn't use it for gaming, he has a Natural at home but he has been happy with this thing for office use. I'd like to know more about it, too. Could you get your buddy to do some basic ghosting+rollover tests or something? Next time I replace a keyboard, that model's pretty tempting for the option to mount a touchpad/trackpoint in the gap. I don't care about elite gaming stuff, just general WASD-area functionality and fast/lazy typing concerns. ≥3 key rollover should be good enough. There just aren't many professional reviews out there. e: reminder from last time the MS Sculpt Ergo came up in this thread: if you already have a good mouse, they sell a cheaper set with just the board+numpad sweart gliwere fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Oct 14, 2013 |
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Oct 14, 2013 00:25
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Hadlock posted:Has anyone picked one of these up yet? I'm really curious how the ergonomic + semi-detached, split keyboard works with regular WASD gaming. I ordered it from Dell a couple of weeks ago but it hasn't even shipped yet.
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Oct 14, 2013 00:36
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Rexxed posted:Some folks think that having to push down harder on a switch or having to wait for the switch actuation is going to lower their actions per minute. Therefore, the "everyone knows" logic is that the light linear red switch is the "gaming switch". As usual, I think that it really just depends what you're used to since I've gamed on buckling springs forever and they're fine. quote:I use cherry blues right now and they're also fine for gaming. My conclusion is that games that are better with a controller suck with blues. Solution: get a controller that works with your PC.
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Oct 14, 2013 04:46
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Selling my Das on the marty mart mart! Retails for like $140, so I figured $99 was good enough. You'll be able to get the new Pokemon and the keyboard for the price of one keyboard at retail. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3574901
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Oct 15, 2013 01:56
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There aren't any good tenkeyless reverse slope keyboards are there?
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Oct 15, 2013 16:52
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What options do I have for Cherry MX Clears or Greens? I'm in Canada and would rather clears for their hopefully quieter typing. I'm also interested in greens as I've always been a heavy typer (learnt on buckling springs and typewriters). If the Code keyboards were available with clears anytime soon I'd grab one but their support people said it'd be anywhere from eight months to a year before they came in stock again (4-6 months for browns). I'm currently typing on browns and finding they're both loud, as I constantly bottom them out, and mushy, there's little difference in force before actuation. I'm considering getting a Ducky Pro with Cherry MX Green switches from mechanicalkeyboards.com. Are there other reasonable options available, or other sorts of switches I should consider? I'd love to pick up a buckling spring keyboard again like my good old NCR keyboard (30 function keys!) from the 80s but that... well, it was never subtle.
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Oct 17, 2013 05:42
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Melraidin posted:What options do I have for Cherry MX Clears or Greens? I'd say it depends what you're going for. If you need quiet you probably want to get clears and think about using O-rings or landing pads to dampen the sound. Greens are going to be clicky like blues and they're higher pitched than buckling springs but not that much quieter. Clears and greens are going to be fairly different experiences. Check out the list of keyboards with clears: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Clear Shopping this site by switch type is also a good resource: http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/search.php?switch_id=9 I'm a heavy typer too, and I've gotten used to cherry blues, although they feel a little bit light. I like Blacks also although the linear force is very different than anything clicky. I'd definitely try those before you buy them. If sound is not a concern, it's totally possible to get new buckling spring keyboards from unicomp or used ones on ebay. For MX Greens the cheapest and most available board will be one of the Cooler Master boards; they ship some of their boards with MX Greens from their web store for around $100. Rexxed fucked around with this message at 06:37 on Oct 17, 2013 |
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Oct 17, 2013 06:34
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Rexxed posted:I'd say it depends what you're going for. If you need quiet you probably want to get clears and think about using O-rings or landing pads to dampen the sound. Greens are going to be clicky like blues and they're higher pitched than buckling springs but not that much quieter. Appreciate your input. I've gone with a Ducky 2 Pro with greens for now. I'll probably get some 40 A o-rings for it as well. I hate the price of the o-rings but it looks like really anywhere I'd go for them (McMaster Carr would've been my preference) will charge around 20 $ anyway for anything that soft. Could get down to 2 $ for a couple hundred but they'd be far harder and so there'd probably be more of a thunk to them. I'll still watch for keyboards with clears but from my understanding of things the only ones available now are a Filco with no numeric keypad and a Deck that's 200 $ with ABS keycaps. I'd rather get the Ducky now and then maybe get something else a year down the road when they become available again.
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Oct 18, 2013 05:40
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So, what's the cheapest I can pick up a basic (but not poo poo) mechanical with brown switches in the UK at the moment? Maybe one of the CM ones that are made with Costar? Can someone tell me which models they make? I really want one for work and I'm tempted to take my Filco in, but at the same time it's so nice that I kind of don't want it to be a work thing, even though that's where I do most of my typing at the moment. As a side note, apart from waiting for the CODE to come back in stock, is there ANYWHERE I can get one with MX Clears? They appears to be like rocking horse poo poo. I can buy them individually from http://www.keyboardco.com/, but they don't have any boards with them in. chippy fucked around with this message at 12:06 on Oct 18, 2013 |
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Oct 18, 2013 11:36
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CM Storm QuickFire Rapid is basically a Filco for nearly half the price
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Oct 18, 2013 17:46
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El Marrow posted:This is the board I'm using at work these days: I'm a convert thanks to you, El Marrow. Works on my Topre FC660C. 
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Oct 19, 2013 21:18
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I went back home recently and I got my Model M back. I thought it was a knockoff when Unicomp took over, but it's a real one made in 87 with SDL port and all. It came with the SDL -> PS2 cable so I went to Microcenter and picked up a Keyboard/Mouse PS2 -> USB cable that looks like the below image  I connected the keyboard to it and it worked! Problem though is that it would randomly constantly send the ctrl to the PC so I go from typing something to exploring every single keyboard short cut of the current application that starts with CTRL. Did research online. Saw people saying the problem is that the Model M draws more power than a normal PS2 keyboard and would require an active adapter. People were posting that this specific adapter worked really well for them. Ordered it and I just tried it today. It doesn't even send power to the keyboard. I think there is one more thing to do and that is set Legacy USB on and I'll see where that takes me, but if it doesn't work have anyone been in this position ? The next thing I would try to buy would be a SDL -> USB cable which I do see for sale for around 30 bucks here (http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/280862986246?lpid=82) This is one of the pages I found about Model M troubleshooting. http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/model-m-troubleshooting.html Under PS2 problems, it says the to search for the "blue cube adaptor" and it led me to that page. That pages and some forums were suggesting that same adapter. EVIL Gibson fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Oct 19, 2013 |
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Oct 19, 2013 22:28
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EVIR Gibson posted:I went back home recently and I got my Model M back. I thought it was a knockoff when Unicomp took over, but it's a real one made in 87 with SDL port and all. I use a blue cube adapter with a model M and it's fine, it didn't require anything special (though I do have it plugged into a powered USB hub). I'd give the legacy usb setting a shot. If it doesn't work, that USB SDL cable is going to have the same chipset in it as the blue cube, so you may need to figure out what else could be wrong. Are there a lot of devices on your usb chain that could prevent it from giving the device the basic 500mA that USB is supposed to provide?
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Oct 20, 2013 00:14
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Also make sure you're on an on-board rear USB port. Sometimes front/top panel ports give out less power because the cabling is lovely. Though I can't imagine you'd connect your keyboard anywhere but directly on the mobo backplate so this probably isn't it.
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Oct 20, 2013 01:12
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Tunga posted:Also make sure you're on an on-board rear USB port. Sometimes front/top panel ports give out less power because the cabling is lovely. Though I can't imagine you'd connect your keyboard anywhere but directly on the mobo backplate so this probably isn't it. You know, I think you might have something there. It's a laptop and connected to a front usb port whole I was pretty sure the last time I tried to connect the model m with the last adapter was in a rear port. Sometimes it seems laptops randomly switch the ports around
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Oct 20, 2013 02:41
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I have a Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition. From the specs, all the USB ports are powered and 3.0. I looked through the BIOS and there is no legacy setting I could find. Guess it's screwed to run on this.
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Oct 20, 2013 04:13
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I personally use a typematrix Dvorak. http://www.typematrix.com/ And have been for the last 3 years. I converted to Dvorak at the same time, but I have friends who use the qwerty version and they claim that the movement of the enter key to the middle alone has improved their RSI symptoms. I have experienced a notable improvement in soreness of the right hand wrist. I'm convinced that the placement of the enter key at the edge of the keyboard and to be pressed by the pinky is a terrible idea. I am a software developer, so I can say that at first the movement of the brackets took a bit of getting used to, but after I have gotten used to it, it wasn't an issue. The only downside of Dvorak, is that I can't really use vi anymore. (not easily anyway) Another keyboard I have heard is a big hit among colleagues is the happy hacking keyboard. http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards
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Oct 20, 2013 14:25
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Dang that's a pretty cool looking layout, would love to take one for a test spin.
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Oct 20, 2013 18:39
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streetlamp posted:Dang that's a pretty cool looking layout, would love to take one for a test spin. The Leopoldo FC660C is Topre and has a similar layout to the HHKB for a few hundred less; they even let you remap the board like the HHKB (like put the ctrl key in the caps lock position) with DIP switches. Also has arrow keys.
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Oct 20, 2013 22:13
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Ah no sorry I mean that typematrix Dvorak, looks interesting. I have a HHKB lite and would love to actually get a standard HHKB.
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Oct 21, 2013 06:45
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I picked up a cheap rear end Advent wireless keyboard in Currys a while back, it's come back to bite me as the micro-reciever can't deal with the distance between the front of my desk (the keyboard) and the back (the back of my PC). Can anyone recommend one of the cheaper Logitech/other wireless boards that have a decent range? I'm thinking one of the Logitech k230/330/370 etc. range but need to confirm that they actually work.
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Oct 23, 2013 14:57
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When I arrived at my current place of work, I put in a couple of requests for equipment - nothing big, I just outlined what I'd need to work with to do my job properly. I also joked with the office manager that I'd like to have a mechanical keyboard but there's no way they'd fund something that does the same job as their current equipment but costs twenty times as much. "Just put it through," she said, "the IT director might approve it so you might as well." A week later, this thing turned up on my desk:  Filco Tenkeyless Ninja with browns. I use a DAS with blues at home but I didn't want to piss off everyone in the same room as me, so I went for this. It's nice as hell, for the first week or so when it was brand new I thought I might be a convert. Not too sure about the tenkeyless format, though. It's great for a lot of the work I do as I'm dealing with limited workspace in awkward locations, but every so often when I have to type an IP in on someone else's keyboard I realise just how much I miss the num pad.
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Oct 23, 2013 15:51
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Whales posted:When I arrived at my current place of work, I put in a couple of requests for equipment - nothing big, I just outlined what I'd need to work with to do my job properly. I also joked with the office manager that I'd like to have a mechanical keyboard but there's no way they'd fund something that does the same job as their current equipment but costs twenty times as much. "Just put it through," she said, "the IT director might approve it so you might as well." My next setup is going to be TKL with a separate left numpad. I input a lot of numbers all day and find the numpad indispensable but I also have a chronic shoulder injury so moving my mouse out to the right to center my spacebar just isn't an option any longer and I'm sure it's what's been exacerbating these ongoing problems...
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Oct 24, 2013 00:22
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TX297 posted:My next setup is going to be TKL with a separate left numpad. I input a lot of numbers all day and find the numpad indispensable but I also have a chronic shoulder injury so moving my mouse out to the right to center my spacebar just isn't an option any longer and I'm sure it's what's been exacerbating these ongoing problems... I have this setup and I like it. It didn't take me long to get used to the num pad on the left. There's even a lot of nice mechanical number pads around.
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Oct 24, 2013 03:11
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Have recommendations changed much in the gaming-keyboard arena since the OP? I recently purchased a das pro (w/ red), and have quickly come to the realisation that while it's nice to have a new keyboard at home, it'd be a waste to keep it there because I do almost all my typing at work. That, coupled with the fact that my home use is almost purely gaming (and I find the resistance on the das annoying when holding down W for ages) means I'd like to grab a new "gaming" keyboard. Preferences: - doesn't take much force to depress/keep a key depressed - very basic media keys - macros I can take or leave, never really bothered previously - I can't ever remember forgetting where WASD is, so the highlighting isn't necessary - same goes for backlit keys/LCD displays. Can't imagine I'd get much use out of any of them My current keyboard at home is a diNovo edge - I like the minimal travel; I use a bog-standard HP keyboard at work and don't mind that either, so the travel distance is really an issue. Recommendations gratefully accepted (or if the OP is still on-base, I'll refer to that)!
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Oct 25, 2013 03:01
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El Grillo posted:I picked up a cheap rear end Advent wireless keyboard in Currys a while back, it's come back to bite me as the micro-reciever can't deal with the distance between the front of my desk (the keyboard) and the back (the back of my PC). Can anyone recommend one of the cheaper Logitech/other wireless boards that have a decent range? I'm thinking one of the Logitech k230/330/370 etc. range but need to confirm that they actually work. Cheap-rear end solution to a cheap-rear end keyboard: do you have a USB port in the front of your case? Or try getting a short USB extension cable (interesting to note that most wireless Logitech mice I've bought come with such a cable). buildmorefarms posted:Have recommendations changed much in the gaming-keyboard arena since the OP? I recently purchased a das pro (w/ red), and have quickly come to the realisation that while it's nice to have a new keyboard at home, it'd be a waste to keep it there because I do almost all my typing at work. That, coupled with the fact that my home use is almost purely gaming (and I find the resistance on the das annoying when holding down W for ages) means I'd like to grab a new "gaming" keyboard. This might be tricky as my understanding is Cherry red switches have the least resistance of all mechanical keyboards, so yeah combined with your desire for short key travel I think something with scissor-switches would be best. Unfortunately there really aren't a whole hell of a lot of quality keyboards with scissor switches from what I've seen. Maybe Lenovo's standalone USB Thinkpad keyboard?
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Oct 25, 2013 03:24
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Bad rear end Boutique posted:This might be tricky as my understanding is Cherry red switches have the least resistance of all mechanical keyboards, so yeah combined with your desire for short key travel I think something with scissor-switches would be best. Unfortunately there really aren't a whole hell of a lot of quality keyboards with scissor switches from what I've seen. Maybe Lenovo's standalone USB Thinkpad keyboard? Sorry, I should have qualified that I certainly don't require a mechanical keyboard for the home/gaming use (showing my ignorance here - I assume my diNovo isn't mechanical in the das sense. The logitech G15 et al models in the OP - my understanding is that they're not high on the resistance scale (or am I just painting myself into a corner here?), and if so - is the listing still accurate/current? I certainly still see the models for sale at places near me, so I really might be making something out of nothing here!
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Oct 25, 2013 03:52
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