Anyone here own a fancy keyboard?

[Architecture]

If yes, what did you buy? Do you like it? Do you wish you'd bought something else?

 

I'm insanely tempted to buy one of these Corsairs:

 

 

I'm borrowing my boss's Cooler Master Quickfire at the moment. The blue switches certainly are loud.

[neonrev]

I had one of the cheaper (Raptor something, I think) Corsair keyboards a while back, and I liked it fine. I mostly just wanted a backlit keyboard, but I remember liking the surface on the keys, some sort of grippy rubber. The tips of my fingers hurt sometimes with my new (boring logitec) one, and those might be related or not. 

[osmosisch]

I'm very happy with my Razor Black Widow stealth at work. I only got that one because I was driving my colleagues crazy with my old IBM Model M.

Clicky keys are just something I require to have fun typing.

e: I was tempted to get this one but they are sold out all the time

[cyrix]

I'm currently typing on a CM storm rapid with cherry mx brown switches.

My thoughts:
I'm never buying a keyboard without a 10-key ever again. I really miss it :'(
I really like the tactile feel of mechanical keys
I wish i had gone for keys with a heavier actuation weight, these browns are actually lighter than rubber dome.

I would absoulutley recommend a mech but be sure about what switch you want before you buy, and get a full size

[Lu]

  On 3/6/2014 at 5:05 AM, Architecture said:

If yes, what did you buy? Do you like it? Do you wish you'd bought something else?

 

I'm insanely tempted to buy one of these Corsairs:

 

 

I'm borrowing my boss's Cooler Master Quickfire at the moment. The blue switches certainly are loud.

 

I got one of those, actually. Except with red cherry switches. I really like it, although the wrist support (if you even use it) is way too low and angled to be useful, I actually got a separate wrist rest for my keyboard just today, which works a lot better for me. But yea, it's nice and clean, not too many frills and types like any good mechanical keyboard does. 

[SecretAsianMan]

If you mean for gaming, I actually use a gaming keypad, specifically the Razer Orbweaver.  It's a bit pricey, but you can find them for less then the full price listed on Razer's site (I bought one used from Amazon that cost half the retail price and it works great).  I personally find it more comfortable and versatile for gaming.  I use a cheap keyboard for typing.

[eot]

I don't know if I'd call it fancy, but I have a Filco Majestouch 2:

I like that it's plain, no glowing crap, no extra buttons, no excessive branding etc. Mine has brown switches and I quite like them, but I'd say having a good mouse makes a bigger difference than a good keyboard unless you type a ton. I've had it for three years and no real problems, the build quality is great and it has a good heft to it. I will admit this brand is a bit overpriced though, but I'm still happy with it.

[cschwartz]

I use a Das Keyboard for work (mostly scientific writing/coding) and I'm very happy with it (my co-worker who's sharing the office with me, less so).

For gaming I'm using a really cheap no-name keyboard, but I've been planing to change that for a while now. 

[brkl]

I have a mechanical keyboard and it's pointless.

[TychoCelchuuu]

I have a bunch of old mechanical keyboards from the '90s that will last forever. Whenever someone is throwing one out I save it. I have a PS/2 to USB adapter so that I can use them all.

[Thrik]

I've had a fair number of fairly good keyboards over the years, including what was at the time Logitech's top keyboard for £100 or so. My experience is that not a single one was truly worth it, and despite having tried every key mechanism imaginable I still find that I can get the most satisfactory performance out of a simple ~£15 Cherry or Logitech.

 

If you like something that looks good — and let's face it, that's what drives most expensive keyboard purchases — then by all means indulge yourself. But remember that keyboards are highly subjective in terms of feel, so it's best to try them out first. While one guy might say an IBM keyboard delivers a sensational typing experience, I'd respectfully disagree. I prefer softer, quieter keyboards and have a pretty boss WPM without needing a keyboard with the symbols missing or a clunk loud enough to make everyone in the room jump with every key press.

[tabacco]

For my normal computer I use a Das Keyboard (with Mac keycaps) and for my gaming PC I use an old Apple wired keyboard (the thin one with the numeric keypad). It's still my favorite keyboard for games.

 

I'm firmly anti-decorative-light on computers and peripherals.

[alisdair]

I have a small collection of Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless keyboards. I switch between the blue and brown switches at times, but I wouldn't want to type on anything else now. I still spend about 5-6 hours a day on average at the keyboard most days, so the £100 investment is well worth it.

[undermind9]

ive a Das Keyboard ultimate at work i use all day that i love (the all blank one...scares off people from using my terminal).  however i dont think i could ever consider using this for gaming, the constant click-clacking in a FPS would be aggravating

 

but at home ive been using mitsuko keyboards for the last ~12years.  its fancy because its got those slick multimedia buttons & internet navigation

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

they come in combo packs with terrible mice...only my last keyboard was a laser the rest had been ball mice

 

 

i often have considered a nicer keyboard but since my home PC is now exclusively a game machine a slick ~$100 one seems like a waste

[Architecture]

  On 3/6/2014 at 12:02 PM, cyrix said:

I'm currently typing on a CM storm rapid with cherry mx brown switches.

My thoughts:

I'm never buying a keyboard without a 10-key ever again. I really miss it :'(

I really like the tactile feel of mechanical keys

I wish i had gone for keys with a heavier actuation weight, these browns are actually lighter than rubber dome.

I would absoulutley recommend a mech but be sure about what switch you want before you buy, and get a full size

Yeah, the Quickfire Rapid I'm borrowing is 10-keyless and I hate it. I think I've decided on MX Red switches. The blues are great for typing, but I don't like the resistance to the keys when gaming at all. The browns require the same amount of force to actuate as the reds, but I'm not sure I'm going to want to feel that bump when gaming or using my board in a non-typing environment (like Photoshop, for instance).

 

The K70 is definitely expensive ($130 new), but it has a bunch of slick features (you can program which keys are backlit!) and I imagine it would end up lasting me long enough to be a worthwhile investment. I'm currently embroiled in a bidding war for a lightly used K70, so wish me luck on that front!

[JonCole]

  On 3/6/2014 at 8:19 PM, Architecture said:

Yeah, the Quickfire Rapid I'm borrowing is 10-keyless and I hate it. I think I've decided on MX Red switches. The blues are great for typing, but I don't like the resistance to the keys when gaming at all. The browns require the same amount of force to actuate as the reds, but I'm not sure I'm going to want to feel that bump when gaming or using my board in a non-typing environment (like Photoshop, for instance).

 

The K70 is definitely expensive ($130 new), but it has a bunch of slick features (you can program which keys are backlit!) and I imagine it would end up lasting me long enough to be a worthwhile investment. I'm currently embroiled in a bidding war for a lightly used K70, so wish me luck on that front!

 

I use a Steelseries 6GV2 with red switches, regularly sells for about $100 and I've seen it go on sale semi-frequently (once every 2-3 months) for $80. My only complaint is a lack of wrist rest, but most keyboards have insufficient ones so I'm happy to use an aftermarket/non-attached one.

[njoos]

I have a Filco Majestouch tenkeyless with Cherry Mx Brown. I love it. Dat dota2 custom key. 

 

 

I have a steelseires with red switches, I really dont like that one. I always use my filco now. 

[cyrix]

  On 3/6/2014 at 8:19 PM, Architecture said:

Yeah, the Quickfire Rapid I'm borrowing is 10-keyless and I hate it. I think I've decided on MX Red switches. The blues are great for typing, but I don't like the resistance to the keys when gaming at all. The browns require the same amount of force to actuate as the reds, but I'm not sure I'm going to want to feel that bump when gaming or using my board in a non-typing environment (like Photoshop, for instance).

 

The K70 is definitely expensive ($130 new), but it has a bunch of slick features (you can program which keys are backlit!) and I imagine it would end up lasting me long enough to be a worthwhile investment. I'm currently embroiled in a bidding war for a lightly used K70, so wish me luck on that front!

The bumps on the browns are almost imperceptible in normal typing and gaming, it just gives you a little tell of where the actuation point is. You can get switch samplers from various places if you want to try them out. I think I would try to find blacks (they don't seem to just make a heavier brown) if I could afford a new one right now.

http://www.cmstore-usa.com/mechanical-key-switch-demo-board/

http://www.maxkeyboard.com/max-keyboard-keycap-cherry-mx-switch-o-ring-sampler-kit.html

[hogmanners]

I love my Das Keyboard, even though it was dumb to buy it. Don't bring it to work if you have an open floorplan, though, because holy moly even the quiet-ish keys are big-time loud.

[Vorlonesque]

I've got a Ducky Year of the Tiger keyboard I got a while back...I put a few orange keycaps on it from WASD keyboards, but otherwise its unmodded:

 

 

 

I've also got a G100S mouse that is the shape I like:

 

[Architecture]

Can someone explain the cult of Ducky? It seems like there are comparable products at significantly lower prices--is it a build quality thing of is it just cool to own some obscure manufacturer's HID? They definitely look like nice, well-designed keyboards that aren't front-loaded with a bunch of gimmickry but man, that price.

 

  On 3/7/2014 at 1:29 AM, cyrix said:

The bumps on the browns are almost imperceptible in normal typing and gaming, it just gives you a little tell of where the actuation point is. You can get switch samplers from various places if you want to try them out. I think I would try to find blacks (they don't seem to just make a heavier brown) if I could afford a new one right now.

 

I played around on some browns at Fry's last weekend while shopping for a webcam. It certainly is a subtler response than the blues, but I find that I tend to bottom out the keys so feeling the actuation isn't modifying my typing technique whatsoever. I would be interested to try blacks out, but buying a small switch board or hammering out a couple sentences in an electronics store doesn't translate to actually using the thing. For instance, the blue board I'm typing on at the moment was absolutely loathsome to use with Photoshop; it made keyboard shorts feel...wrong. I know that's not very eloquent, but it's about as well as I can describe it.

[aperson]

  On 3/6/2014 at 2:09 PM, brkl said:

I have a mechanical keyboard and it's pointless.

 

Conspicuous consumption is the point.

[Gormongous]

  On 3/7/2014 at 3:56 AM, aperson said:

Conspicuous consumption is the point.

 

Says you. The tubes of LED lighting crisscrossing my computer's innards perform a very vital but unfortunately quite secret function that I can't share with you or anyone.

[Architecture]

  On 3/7/2014 at 3:56 AM, aperson said:

Conspicuous consumption is the point.

Not particularly. It's a luxury, certainly--but it's going to reside in my bedroom. I won't be hanging it outside my window for passers-by to gawk at.

[TheLastBaron]

  On 3/7/2014 at 1:29 AM, cyrix said:

The bumps on the browns are almost imperceptible in normal typing and gaming, it just gives you a little tell of where the actuation point is. You can get switch samplers from various places if you want to try them out. I think I would try to find blacks (they don't seem to just make a heavier brown)

Clear switches are basically stiffer browns.