I don't think I like cherries

[alms]

Cherry MX, I mean. I’ve had a Blue keyboard for a few months and it makes me slightly slower than cheap membrane keyboards.

It’s not the speed that bothers me, though, the difference is only about 10% and at top speed, so I can live perfectly well with it.

It’s the lightness, it gives me a weird and annoying feeling of inaccuracy, like if I change my mind about pressing a key, or I am going to make a mistake, it’s too late because the keypress has already registered.

Would o-rings and/or keycaps make any difference or swapping out springs is the only option, short of a total replacement?

[ThatFuzzyTiger]

Two options - o-rings are cheap and might help (they alter the sound and also reduce the keytravel needed to actuate), otherwise you could look at switching from blues to greens (they need higher actuation force).

I use browns, which need less actuation force but have no click, they’re pure linear, but on account of the backplane of the keyboard there’s a decent whunk when I type.

[alms]

otherwise you could look at switching from blues to greens (they need higher actuation force).

Since I also didn’t like Browns when I tested them in the shop, I’m wondering if it’s the Cherry experience that’s just not working for me.

Testing Greens is a bit of a problem, too, switch samplers are horribly overpriced and hammering the one key isn’t the same as typing on a keyboard.

The same holds true for the few Green keyboards that are available for me to buy.

I use browns, which need less actuation force but have no click, they’re pure linear, but on account of the backplane of the keyboard there’s a decent whunk when I type.

You mean Red? Browns IIRC are tactile/non-clicky and slightly lighter than Blues.

I’m wondering if o-rings and heavier (PBT?) keycaps could give the moving part of the switch a higher inertia, making the key take a little more force to actuate.

[ThatFuzzyTiger]

No, I most definitely mean browns, less force needed (hence slightly lighter) and yeah, pure linear (so tactile and non clicky). I do have PBT keycaps and I’m getting o-rings this week.

For reference I use a Mistel Barocco

[alms]

Ok then, but Browns can’t be linear The part of the mechanism responsible for the tactile bump or click ‘bends’ the actuation force curve away from linear, in order to provide the feedback.

Cherry (keyboards)

For reference I use a Mistel Barocco

First time I see that one, but split keyboards are cool. Personally I went with a TKL to make some room for the mouse, but I don’t know how I would fare with a 60% because of how much I rely on the directional cluster, e.g. during text editing, but also general use.

Some days I even miss the numpad.

[ThatFuzzyTiger]

You’re entirely right, how did I get confused

Anyways, on the topic of the Barocco, you can get it in various MX flavours (you sound like you’d want the greens - possibly with o-rings) and you can get something called a “Freeboard” which is the numberpad part, and hooks into the main keyboard part and much like the Barocco, is fully programmable.

Which gets you this, and you can shuffle the bits around to suit your hands, which is hella useful. It’s also mostly compatible with the Kinesis VIP3 lifter kit if you want to further pimp it out. Just needs a little tweaking here and there to get it all to fit.

[alms]

Afraid that, no matter how cool, that’s entirely outside my price range! The few greens I’ve seen are like EUR 100 and that’s still more than I care to pay for a keyboard.

I seem to recall Greens are essentially Blues with stiffer springs, I may look into replacing them.

[ThatFuzzyTiger]

Bah. This is a keyboard for life though. Once you buy it, you will never need another

Switching up the springs sounds like a good plan mind

[alms]

This is a keyboard for life though. Once you buy it, you will never need another

…as long as you get the switch right first time, and you don’t get bitten by the keyboard bug seriously, after buying this I wanted to buy another two with different switches. It really messes with one’s head.

I’m sure glad I didn’t spend a ton of money on the one I’m using. I don’t outright hate Blues, but if I had to pay 150 for it, or more, my disappointment would have been stellar.

[ThatFuzzyTiger]

See I picked browns because they’re the sortof “everything” switch, they do everything reasonably well and they’re light enough that unless you’re going for greens or I think greys? You’re more or less set.

[alms]

So I found a cheap Green even cheaper, and these are my first few hours.

• it’s actually quieter than the one with Blues: partly this seems to be the keycaps (the Green’s are quieter on the Blue board, too), partly I don’t bottom out as often or as hard; and finally differences in keyboard construction
• I think Greens are too heavy, though

[alms]

In a shocking twist, my voyage through keyboards has me currently on a 75% with linear switches.