Keyboard quality

Lucyna

So.. is it just me or are the I guess big 3 in the keyboard sphere, being razer, steelseries and logitech just struggling with their keyboard quality?

I have a blackwidow v4, and an Asus Azoth. One is for when I'm doing stuff that requires me to use a numpad and the other is for gaming.. well both is for gaming lol. It just depends on my mood and what keyboard I want to use I guess. Regardless, I will admit, I do like the blackwidow v4. I do think it is a good keyboard, however I had recently tried steelseries again, the Apex 9 lineup actually, and that keyboard for $250 felt worse, sounded worse and had a worse experience compared to razer... WOW, that was a shocker for me.

My only complaint with the blackwidow is the fact it is still not supported by SignalRGB, my fully synchronized RGB software. Devs said it's still being worked on, so Ill be happy when it does get supported.

Whats everyone else's feelings on the keyboard sphere tho, and what are you guys using?

GavinT

@Lucyna Big keyboard enthusiast here!

What exactly are you looking for in a mechanical keyboard? Have you ever thought of building your own? Do you have a switch preference?

I personally own a ton of mechanical keyboards for many reasons, but the one of the biggest reasons why is because I love being able to customize my typing experience! That being said, those 3 brands that you mentioned don't have a lot (if any) hot-swappable options. While yes, you can solder your own switches on them - that takes time, precision, and patience.

Having the switch that is right for you is a really big deal with keyboards, as no two typist are the same! There are three main types of switches:

Linear - These are smooth the whole way down and back up. Examples: Gateron G Pro Red, Durock POM Linear, Cherry MX Silvers, Gateron Milky Yellows...

Tactile - These are smooth, but on the way down, you can feel a subtle bump. Examples: Pandas, Gateron G Pro Brown, Boba U4Ts...

Clicky - These have a pronounced click on the way down, and sometimes on the way back up too. Gateron G Pro Blue, Kailh Box Jade, Kailh Box Navy...

As you'll come to find, out of those 3 categories, there are thousands of switches that you can use! So find the right one is just a matter of time!

If you're looking for an all around good brand to jump into the hot-swappable world, I would say to look no further than Keychron! Their value is second to none, in my opinion. But other great brands include Glorious, IDOBAO, and MelGeek.

If you would like, I can go more in depth about mech keyboards if you would like, but this comment was just to give you an idea on what to look for.

Cheers!

Scary_Guy

I have a Moonlander with each half on the armrests of my chair for ergonomic reasons, as I have multiple monitors so I can turn the chair instead of my head. Though I may switch this setup if I get a standing desk, though I may get a drafting chair that goes high and use two keyboards for either sitting or standing.

Really any keyboard that uses QMK firmware is great though, and if you have the skills you can build it cheaper. I get to program it however I want (I have 5 layers programmed in.) Currently I'm using the Workman layout too and it's been pretty good. I used to have a three pedal foot switch too but that broke (worked great for Emacs though.)

GavinT

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/50973#Comment_50973

I'm a bit late to reply to this, but I've been eyeballing the Q10 (split) and Q11 (Alice) and I'm a bit curious on the learning curve associated with the two. Did you have any at all with the Moonlander?

While I touch type and use the home row, I don't use the same fingers that most people use to hit certain keys. Or example, I don't use my right pinky at all, unless I'm hitting a special character like ';:"[]{}\| ... I also alternate which fingers I press T and B with depending on what word is being typed. I can pretty comfortable hit 125-130 WPM typing like this. However, I think I can go higher, granted I have split or Alice layout.

Scary_Guy

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/51093#Comment_51093

Really it all depends on what works for you. I also moved from WASD to ESDF (but since I use the Workman layout that's actually RSHT.) This frees up my pinky for the QAZ keys. I will admit I usually don't bother with the 1 key though and use my ring finger for that one.

The learning curve was a little rough, and some might be able to adapt better than others. I type about as well as I did before though and some say the benefits are negligible compared to the cost of actually having to learn a new layout. Though I firmly believe if we all switched and learned from early childhood it wouldn't be an issue. However good luck getting everyone on board with that even if it's an objectively better system. QWERTY was just a stop-gap to get typists to type slower so that the typewriter keys wouldn't jamb up as much and now here we are stuck with it forever :(