favorite computer keyboard - less sensitive fingers
September 2, 2022 12:28 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for a new computer keyboard now that I am playing guitar and building calluses on my finger tips. It's harder to type on my laptop's keyboard, because I can't feel the keys as well.
I type all day long for work. I'm not a gamer.
I'm looking for:
* mechanical keys with exceptional typing performance
* corded so I don't need batteries
* backlit keys
* < $150
I don't care about full or compact keyboards. I don't need a wrist rest because I can't use it anyway. Not ergonomic for how I type. I don't care how loud it is.
Do you have a favorite keyboard?
I'm looking for:
* mechanical keys with exceptional typing performance
* corded so I don't need batteries
* backlit keys
* < $150
I don't care about full or compact keyboards. I don't need a wrist rest because I can't use it anyway. Not ergonomic for how I type. I don't care how loud it is.
Do you have a favorite keyboard?
Any proper keyboard with mechanical switches sounds like will do you right. You want a full travel (key up-down movement) keyboard, and there are PLENTY of stuff like that. Not sure if you want the keys to be "clackey" or quiet, or whether you care about the switch feel. I use to prefer blue switches (clackey) but I've been converted to brown as they are slightly less clackey and I am not the most elegant of typists.
The question basically is do you go generic (they can go as low as $20-30, or go for a name brand like Filco, which is like 150-250? Do you want a swappable keyboard where you can replace the switches later? Or you don't care about that?
Filco has the longest name in keyboards (it's Japanese) other than Cherry itself, but they don't do backlit.
Cherry MX board has some backlit options. As does iKBC (who's best known for the smaller Poker keyboards, but they have bigger boards as well).
Das Keyboard has a couple backlit models, but you need to look for a sale or the cheaper models to make sure it fits within the 150 budget.
These are non-gamer brands. Gamer brands obviously have their own mechanical keyboards, with emphasis in other areas.
posted by kschang at 1:50 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
The question basically is do you go generic (they can go as low as $20-30, or go for a name brand like Filco, which is like 150-250? Do you want a swappable keyboard where you can replace the switches later? Or you don't care about that?
Filco has the longest name in keyboards (it's Japanese) other than Cherry itself, but they don't do backlit.
Cherry MX board has some backlit options. As does iKBC (who's best known for the smaller Poker keyboards, but they have bigger boards as well).
Das Keyboard has a couple backlit models, but you need to look for a sale or the cheaper models to make sure it fits within the 150 budget.
These are non-gamer brands. Gamer brands obviously have their own mechanical keyboards, with emphasis in other areas.
posted by kschang at 1:50 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have one of those generic Amazon $35 mechanical keyboards (like this one from Linus Tech Tips) and it's fine I guess? Mine is not as ugly, I think I set the backlighting to only red, but it's a cheap mechanical tenkeyless as advertised. Mine is with "clicky" switches so it's loud and annoying and fun. I did not feel the difference between this cheap keyboard and something like a brand-name Filco, since the differences are so minor compared to my preferred keyboard, a Kinesis Advantage. I'm not sure you're looking for that.
Compared to a laptop keyboard, there's a lot more travel (you have to push the buttons down longer) but probably not as hard. There is usually a learning curve involved where you have to learn the muscle memory of not hitting the keys so hard they slam into the unyielding bottom but hard enough that they actually register a keypress.
posted by meowzilla at 2:29 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Compared to a laptop keyboard, there's a lot more travel (you have to push the buttons down longer) but probably not as hard. There is usually a learning curve involved where you have to learn the muscle memory of not hitting the keys so hard they slam into the unyielding bottom but hard enough that they actually register a keypress.
posted by meowzilla at 2:29 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
I got a gorgeous mechanical keyboard from my partner via MechanicalKeyboards.com - I adore it. Mine was a Varmilo VA87M with Cherry MX Silent Red switches (I have no idea what these things mean technically, but picked the switches based on some Reddit advice, and have been very happy - I’m not a gamer, just a spreadsheet worker). Total was $130ish, shipped quickly. They also have provided helpful customer service - a definite recommend!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 2:51 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 2:51 PM on September 2, 2022
Keychron has a bunch of options for you. They do a good job of packaging the wild universe of mechanical keyboards in to something approachable for a non-enthusiast. If you really want to dive in, there's a whole underbelly of customization and key switch selection you can get in to.
posted by thebigdeadwaltz at 3:17 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by thebigdeadwaltz at 3:17 PM on September 2, 2022
(the unicomp is $104+tax/s&h, not $300.)
posted by doomsey at 3:23 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by doomsey at 3:23 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
@rrrrrrrrrt -- silent red means it's "red", in that it has no "notch" in the travel, and silent means it has interior rubber stops so even when you hit the end of travel it doesn't clack, and same with rebound. With normal red switches, you can push the switch to the end and let it bounce you'll still get two "clacks" one for end of travel (hitting the stops) and one for rebound (the spring bounceback). Silent red has interior rubber to silence most of that for both ways of travel.
Blue means audible clack and tactile feedback (press the key down slowly, you'll hear and feel the click activation).
Brown means minimal audible clack, but still a bit of tactile feedback.
Red means straight down, no tactile feedback and no audible clue that you reached acitivation. For some typists or gamers, this is faster as they didn't have to push the key all the way down. But it's not for everyone.
posted by kschang at 4:10 PM on September 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
Blue means audible clack and tactile feedback (press the key down slowly, you'll hear and feel the click activation).
Brown means minimal audible clack, but still a bit of tactile feedback.
Red means straight down, no tactile feedback and no audible clue that you reached acitivation. For some typists or gamers, this is faster as they didn't have to push the key all the way down. But it's not for everyone.
posted by kschang at 4:10 PM on September 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
I got a WASD keyboard, no keypad, with the cherry clears (silent, tactile, take some force) for $150. I have no complaints and it ticks all your boxes except for price: sadly it's $180 now. They will build it with the cherry keys of your choice, and with or without O rings to deaden out the minor clatter if you bottom out a key.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:43 PM on September 2, 2022
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:43 PM on September 2, 2022
WASD, another silicon valley company! They have backlit models, and non-backlit models. Their keycaps can be a little better but they can also customize keycaps if you want different fonts and different colors, so really customizable. Been to their place for one of the Bay Area MKB meets.
MX Clear (65 cN) is basically a slightly heavier MX Brown (55 cN) , and if you want a "harder" key, there's also MX Grey (80 cN). Some keyboards use a heavier switch for the space bar as we tend to slap the spacebar a bit harder.
NOTE: There are bajillion combinations of switches, stems, casing, and variations, plus addition of o-rings (to muffle the bottoming), and even addition of lube to make things "buttery smooth". But you need to be a real keyboard connoisseur to tell the difference, IMHO. :D Even the switch case design and/or specific material used to make the stem can make a difference, according to some. If the spring doesn't quite do it for you, it's even possible to replace the spring to the exact cN force you want, or even get different force curve springs. This world gets a bit weird if you want to focus on the minor details. Not too different from car buffs discussing finer details of JDM vs export, specific tuning of parts, and so on. :)
posted by kschang at 1:59 AM on September 3, 2022
MX Clear (65 cN) is basically a slightly heavier MX Brown (55 cN) , and if you want a "harder" key, there's also MX Grey (80 cN). Some keyboards use a heavier switch for the space bar as we tend to slap the spacebar a bit harder.
NOTE: There are bajillion combinations of switches, stems, casing, and variations, plus addition of o-rings (to muffle the bottoming), and even addition of lube to make things "buttery smooth". But you need to be a real keyboard connoisseur to tell the difference, IMHO. :D Even the switch case design and/or specific material used to make the stem can make a difference, according to some. If the spring doesn't quite do it for you, it's even possible to replace the spring to the exact cN force you want, or even get different force curve springs. This world gets a bit weird if you want to focus on the minor details. Not too different from car buffs discussing finer details of JDM vs export, specific tuning of parts, and so on. :)
posted by kschang at 1:59 AM on September 3, 2022
I've owned a bunch of mechanical keyboards and have had a bunch of turkeys but, in 2018 I bought my first Das Keyboard. Not backlit, and over your budget by $50, but, for pure typing, I can strongly recommend the Das Keyboard 4 Pro with brown switches. I have two of its predecessors and recently added one of the Keyboard 4 and they are all simply superb.
posted by bz at 11:00 PM on September 3, 2022
posted by bz at 11:00 PM on September 3, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
Yes. The IBM Model M, or its current incarnation from Unicomp.
Checks half your requirements: they're not backlit and an original one in decent nick tends to fetch far over US$150 these days; a new Unicomp is about US$300.
For narrowing down your keyboard choices I'd look at ones using Cherry MX Blue or Green keyswitches.
posted by Stoneshop at 1:14 PM on September 2, 2022