Mechanical Keyboards...

I've got a Ducky Shine 5 with browns myself because of the lights!

 

http://i.imgur.com/FqGf7nj.jpg

my pride and joy! Custom build

 

Just got a Filco to replace a 3.5-year-old Rosewill, that crapped out on me due to a loose connector on the keyboard side. It might have been possible to fix the Rosewill, but the soldering work looked too complicated, so on a friend's advice I just decided to upgrade.
The Filco I got is this one!

(img not mine)

Brown switches, just like the Rosewill before it. I prefer this level of clickyness. And since I'm too chicken to go with completely blank caps, this is the perfect compromise.

 

Yeah @Eric_C I'm digging those keycaps!

Very stealthy.

 

ducky mini with browns here, love it.

 

I use a Coolermaster CM Storm QuickFire Rapid (Cherry MX Blue Switches) at work and a Razer BlackWidow Tournament (Razer Green Switches) at home.

I type in an office with two other people nearby. So far no one has expressed any issue with my clicking keyboards, but I am going to try some o-rings to see if I can quiet them a bit without losing the feel that I love.

My slight preference is for the Razer Green switches, which are just a bit springier than the Cherry MX Blues, but they are very close in feel.

Here is a video of me typing on those two keyboards side by side:

 

I have a CM Storm Trigger with programmable keys. I actually got it as a gift for my bachelor party. Since I wanted to use it at work as well as home I got a carrying case for it like those cool pro gamers.

If I was to do it again I would probably build my own with all the cool parts I see on Massdrop

 

I'm rocking the Japanese estat, maybe I should get some STAX to match. (Woops posted that to the wrong thread)

 

I'm an HHKB fan, myself. I don't do gaming with the HHKB layout, but I love the layout for general computing and programming purposes.

 

Both great choices! I use the HHKB at work and the Realforce at home. Control instead of caps lock and esc instead of grave/tilda are a must for me now.

 

I have a CODE keyboard with Cherry MX Greens. Orings are installed, so it's not too loud.

 

Anyone have any good pointers for a deep clean? I've had my Ducky Shine 3 with Browns for almost 3 years now, and have never really cleaned it aside from a light wipe down.

I'm thinking taking all the keys off, washing them in a food strainer. Wipe down the exposed board? Compressed air?

 

Reddit has some exhaustive resources on cleaning.

 

I'm still rocking an original Corsair K90, yeah, the one with rubber dome F keys... LEDs still intact despite other's bad luck, red switches which I got acclimated to really quickly despite coming from a MS Natural board. I got it for under $90 early on it's life cycle (some weird Newegg promo code + Corsair rebate deal) and haven't really felt like changing it.

Thought about going TKL but I have a large enough desk and when (briefly) trying a TKL I didn't feel like having the mouse closer was really any more comfy. I guess it might be for a marathon gaming session but ehh, I hardly have the time lately. I'd replace it with one of the new RGBs but A) I'm kinda partial to the USB pass thru & silver/alu top on mine B) I'd probably not bother much with the custom lighting.

The nice volume roller thing on it was a godsend before I had a headphone amp on my desk, now it's useless, but I still appreciate having dedicated playback keys rather than an annoying Fn key combo... Oh and I use the shit out of the macro keys, but not for gaming (anymore), for Lightroom and coding.

Got a couple old Rosewills around that house (with the red back plate inside, are they still using the same OEM at all?)... I like them well enough but the open Corsair top plate is really nice as far as keeping it clean with a minimum amount of effort... So ya, I'm rather happy with how well it's held up for me. It might be the oldest part of my PC right now...

It's either that or 2 of the 3x Dell U2412M (added the 3rd later), but I'm already dreaming of a 40" 4K panel at some point in the not too distant future so their days are numbered!

 

Also, maybe the old Rosewills I've got around here are some kinda oddballs, but I honestly barely notice their feedback when typing quickly (or with fury?!)...

Blues are a whole other story wherever I've tried them, but I just don't get the whole "browns are the sweet spot" thing that I used to see everyone repeat. To me they just feel like less smooth reds... /shrug

I've gotten used to not bottoming out on reds regardless of their lack of feedback (when typing obviously, unavoidable when gaming or coding for that matter cause of all the symbols).

 

I've been using the Matias Laptop Pro for Mac for every day typing. It's a nice keyboard, when working. Good thing Matias has solid customer service, though. I've gone through a couple now.

 

How much stiffer/harder if at all are Topre Realforce 87u vs MX Brown ?
I have only tried MX Brown and would like something a bit harder/heavier.

 

I share the same sentiment. With the slightly heavier springs and click of the blues, I can notice the bump, although I do miss the bump from time to time. With browns, I can't feel the bump at all. It simply feels like a "sandier" red switch. Furthermore, the bump also affects the pop-up of the switch, which can cost me a few typos from time to time.

 

It is hard to compare because the feel is different. With the Topre switches all the actuation force is required at the very top of the keystroke when you are depressing the rubber dome. The MX brown "bump" occurs further down the keystroke. In terms of stiffness I would say the 45g Topre switches on my HHKB feel reasonably close to MX browns, but feels a slightly stiffer to me because of the actuation profile. The 55g Topre switches on my 87u are noticeably stiffer than the MX browns, but again the different profile changes the feel.

The other thing to consider is that after depressing the rubber dome on the Topre switches there is very little resistance to the bottom of the keystroke compared with the MX switches.

If you want something stiffer that is more comparable to the MX browns why not try the MX clears? If you want to try something a little different I find the Topre switches to feel overall sturdier than the MX switches I have tried.

 

Thanks!
Would you say its more difficult to type fast on Topre?