5 ms·

This article is lying or perhaps I am misunderstanding. The article states: "Cherry switches are linear — by definition, not tactile. They lack a click leaf, w

This article is lying or perhaps I am misunderstanding. The article states: "Cherry switches are linear — by definition, not tactile. They lack a click leaf, which is required for tactile feedback." I have used and built several mechanical keyboards with Cherry MX Blue switches. They _are_ non-linear and _do_ include a click leaf which gives the Cherry MX Blue [1] its characteristic "bump" feel and click. [1] https://ergodox-ez.com/pages/keyswitches https://ergodox-ez.com/pages/keyswitches

trampypizza 9y ago
As a blues-user myself I agree with you. They are both non-linear and include the click leaf. I've found quite a good gif [1] that demonstrates the difference between switches and shows the mechanism in the blue switch. Whilst I don't know if this diagram was produced by Cherry, or another authoritative source, I know that within the Mech community it has been recognised as being entirely accurate. [1] https://i.imgur.com/WWH2M96.gif https://i.imgur.com/WWH2M96.gif
kw71 9y ago
They are also not very honest about "Cherry copied our backlighting idea" - all the MX I ever saw have a hole for a 3mm LED, and I'm sure I saw other vendors selling backlit keyboards with MX switches even if Cherry itself was late to this game. I think it's all retarded, and it's not very innovative by itself to replace blue diodes or whatever with multicolor diodes. Whatever will sell to kids eh?
- orev 9y ago
  Cherry has been around for decades, far longer than the idea of backlit keyboards existed. Obviously at some point that became a thing so they would have added the hole.
  - kw71 9y ago
    Before the backlit keyboards became a thing, the hole was meant for a lamp to shine through a window in the keycap, like caps lock. The first Alps keyboard (Zenith SuperSport) I had actually had a lamp and window on the caps lock key!
- jbondeson 9y ago
  They were not talking about through-hole LEDs in that section as Alps styles switches (Matias is resurrection of the simplified Alps style) cannot have both a through-hole LED and have a tactile or click leaf. They are talking about how Matias used a transparent switch housing along with SMD RGB LEDs which allow the light to shine through.
bla2 9y ago
Browns, clear, grey, green, white are nonlinear as well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) Subjectively I like cherry more than Mathias so far from the typing feel. I built keyboards with blues, greens, and reds, and I got one keyboard with Mathias switches. I like Topre even more than Cherry. But it's all very subjective.
- sleepybrett 9y ago
  The only way i've ever achieved close to the same feel of brown alps is by frankensteining two cherry clones together (in this case invyr panda housings with zealious stems). That said brown alps are highly soughtafter and old boards that contain them fetch high dollar on ebay. There are dozens and dozens of cherry style switches by a number of companies. Cheery (of course), Kailh, Gateron, Outemu are all popular. Personally, I've kind of gravitated to Kailh as a company doing interesting things in that space they have tons of different skus each slightly different. Picking up a sampler might be a good way to go if you are trying to choose a switch that fits you. For me, before I built the frankenstein switches I was pretty partial to the Kailh Box Burnt Orange switches. My primary go to for Kailh swiches, I'm in the US, is novelkeys.xyz.
ch_123 9y ago
The tactility of the Cherry MX Blues is not particularly satisfying by the standard of other clicky switches (e.g. buckling springs, Alps, etc). I've recently tried out the Kailh Box switches which have a different tactile mechanism, and they are (IMHO) a big improvement over the MX Blues.
sleepybrett 9y ago
article lies. Cherry makes several varieties of mx switches. They generally fit into one of three buckets. Linear (constant force throughout the stroke), clicky (has a tiny "clicker" int he switch that adds a small "bump", or area where you need to apply a few more grams for force, and an audible click), and tactile (contains a "bump" in the stroke to indicate the actuation point, like clicky but without the auditory feedback.. though the bump generally doesn't feel as crisp).
yellowapple 9y ago
I use Cherry MX Greens at work. Ain't linear at all. Definitely agree that whoever wrote this worded it poorly.

trampypizza 9y ago

As a blues-user myself I agree with you. They are both non-linear and include the click leaf. I've found quite a good gif [1] that demonstrates the difference between switches and shows the mechanism in the blue switch. Whilst I don't know if this diagram was produced by Cherry, or another authoritative source, I know that within the Mech community it has been recognised as being entirely accurate. [1] https://i.imgur.com/WWH2M96.gif https://i.imgur.com/WWH2M96.gif

kw71 9y ago

They are also not very honest about "Cherry copied our backlighting idea" - all the MX I ever saw have a hole for a 3mm LED, and I'm sure I saw other vendors selling backlit keyboards with MX switches even if Cherry itself was late to this game. I think it's all retarded, and it's not very innovative by itself to replace blue diodes or whatever with multicolor diodes. Whatever will sell to kids eh?

orev 9y ago
Cherry has been around for decades, far longer than the idea of backlit keyboards existed. Obviously at some point that became a thing so they would have added the hole.
- kw71 9y ago
  Before the backlit keyboards became a thing, the hole was meant for a lamp to shine through a window in the keycap, like caps lock. The first Alps keyboard (Zenith SuperSport) I had actually had a lamp and window on the caps lock key!
jbondeson 9y ago
They were not talking about through-hole LEDs in that section as Alps styles switches (Matias is resurrection of the simplified Alps style) cannot have both a through-hole LED and have a tactile or click leaf. They are talking about how Matias used a transparent switch housing along with SMD RGB LEDs which allow the light to shine through.

bla2 9y ago

Browns, clear, grey, green, white are nonlinear as well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) Subjectively I like cherry more than Mathias so far from the typing feel. I built keyboards with blues, greens, and reds, and I got one keyboard with Mathias switches. I like Topre even more than Cherry. But it's all very subjective.

sleepybrett 9y ago
The only way i've ever achieved close to the same feel of brown alps is by frankensteining two cherry clones together (in this case invyr panda housings with zealious stems). That said brown alps are highly soughtafter and old boards that contain them fetch high dollar on ebay. There are dozens and dozens of cherry style switches by a number of companies. Cheery (of course), Kailh, Gateron, Outemu are all popular. Personally, I've kind of gravitated to Kailh as a company doing interesting things in that space they have tons of different skus each slightly different. Picking up a sampler might be a good way to go if you are trying to choose a switch that fits you. For me, before I built the frankenstein switches I was pretty partial to the Kailh Box Burnt Orange switches. My primary go to for Kailh swiches, I'm in the US, is novelkeys.xyz.

ch_123 9y ago

The tactility of the Cherry MX Blues is not particularly satisfying by the standard of other clicky switches (e.g. buckling springs, Alps, etc). I've recently tried out the Kailh Box switches which have a different tactile mechanism, and they are (IMHO) a big improvement over the MX Blues.

sleepybrett 9y ago

article lies. Cherry makes several varieties of mx switches. They generally fit into one of three buckets. Linear (constant force throughout the stroke), clicky (has a tiny "clicker" int he switch that adds a small "bump", or area where you need to apply a few more grams for force, and an audible click), and tactile (contains a "bump" in the stroke to indicate the actuation point, like clicky but without the auditory feedback.. though the bump generally doesn't feel as crisp).

yellowapple 9y ago

I use Cherry MX Greens at work. Ain't linear at all. Definitely agree that whoever wrote this worded it poorly.