8 ms·

If you're looking for a high quality cherry switched keyboard, Das was already company you wanted to avoid - and now possibly even moreso. Das is definitely a

If you're looking for a high quality cherry switched keyboard, Das was already company you wanted to avoid - and now possibly even moreso. Das is definitely a "brand over product" company and the market is flooded with much better alternatives, eg Leopold, Varmilo, IKBC, Vortex, Filco, etc.

sky_rw 8y ago
Curious, what are the primary complaints about them? I've used one for about a year and have had no issues with it.
- taspeotis 8y ago
  I have had four Das Keyboards and they have been quite good, two years+ out of each, but the USB hubs in all of them have been a bit hit-and-miss. Either devices are not detected in one of the two ports or one seems to charge my iPhone faster than the other. Again, they've been quite good to me but my work and home keyboards both have a dud key (in quick succession) so I am looking for a cost effective Cherry Blue or Brown replacement.
  - masklinn 8y ago
    > two years+ out of each That's… just about nothing for a keyboard. I bought my wireless apple keyboard in 2010 and it's behaving perfectly, my MS Ergo 4000 is 10+ and the only issues with it are the plastic's paint going. And I don't consider these old. I wouldn't accept a fucking battery lasting less than 2 years, how can it be acceptable for a keyboard you found anywhere outside a walmart bargain bin?
    - HelloNurse 8y ago
      I don't remember if the cheap keyboard I have at home is USB or PS/2, but its only signs of aging are dirt and yellowing. After 2 years, a keyboard is supposed to be like new; it isn't a smartphone.
  - Jare 8y ago
    > they have been quite good, two years+ out of each, but the USB hubs in all of them have been a bit hit-and-miss That would be "pretty bad" even for a $10 keyboard.
geoah 8y ago
Vortex's software is just bad. Just stick to anything with open firmware.
- yiyus 8y ago
  Agreed. I got a Vortex Core Mini because I liked the small form factor, but lack of customization makes it unusable for me. I got a Gherkin and am much happier with it.
Freak_NL 8y ago
I've bought three DasKeyboard Model S's, and so far I've had one starting to fail on me (one block of keys not getting their key presses registered) in five years (I have one at home and one at the office in use). That's not a bad track record, but I did notice a decline in their offering. The newer Model S introduced the 'fn' key left of the left super-button, resizing that one in the process. Now the old key-caps don't fit on the newer model any more. It also doesn't feel quite as solid as the previous Model S. The newer 'cloud connected' keyboards take DasKeyboard in a direction that makes no sense to me. Fortunately, there are now plenty of competing mechanical keyboards, for much friendlier prices. I got a nice mechanical keyboard for €90 on Amazon last year for my girlfriend (Fnatic Gear Rush Silent LED); no complaints whatsoever, and her colleagues are jealous of it. My next keyboard won't be a DasKeyboard.
- SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
  A high-end keyboard failing after 5 years is "not a bad track record" ? I have 40-year-old keyboards at home that still work great - one or two are even the awful membrane type.
  - donaltroddyn 8y ago
    That could easily be survivorship bias, though. How many of those 40-year-old contemporaries died decades ago?
  - wodenokoto 8y ago
    There are still two left in parents inventory that can survive til 40!
- LoSboccacc 8y ago
  I’ve had a microsoft curve 2000 for ten years, a mechanical keyboard should last way more.
- squarefoot 8y ago
  My IBM model M I got in the mid-late 90s has a "Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.2" sticker in the area over the function keys. That should make it about 28 years old and not a single key ever failed. Missing Windows keys are a nice feature also :)
SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
I just wanted to put in a good word for WASD Keyboards. Mine has been solid as a rock, I'm still very pleased with it after 4 years of ownership. I think it was Jeff Atwood (of Coding Horror fame) who turned me on to them in the first place. (No association at all, just wanted to share my experience).
- petepete 8y ago
  Since then Jeff Atwood launched his own keyboard. https://codekeyboards.com https://codekeyboards.com Edit. Never mind, looked up WASD and they appear to be linked to Code
  - zerkla 8y ago
    I bought the tenkeyless CODE keyboard with Cherry MX Clears a few months ago, and I love this thing. Not so cheap outside the US, mind. Had to pay a pretty penny at customs.
LordHeini 8y ago
Also you could just get one by Cherry itself. I have 2 Cherry MX Board 3.0 i am quite happy with those. Not even that expensive and of course no internet of shitty things.
ericdykstra 8y ago
I'll throw my support for Filco here. I've been using the same Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless with Cherry Browns as my only home keyboard for 10 years, and it's as good as it was on the day I bought it. Absolutely fantastic build quality.
- hjnilsson 8y ago
  Got the exact same keyboard, only 8 years old but 0 problems with it. Had to clean it out a few times but been very easy. It even came with a key removal tool!
- dingaling 8y ago
  My Filco Majestouch lasted barely a year before the USB cable failed at the keyboard end. It's currently lying in the corner whilst I try to stomach paying £25 for a third-party cable made with their custom internal connector. I'd prefer if they just had a USB female socket on the keyboard and then I could use any cable. Why do keyboards have hard-wired cables anyhow? They have plenty of space for a socket and it would eliminate another point of failure.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - TomK32 8y ago
    nothing stops you from opening the keyboard, remove that socket (whihc and either resolder the cable or put a usb socket of your liking in. USB is no magic.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - switch007 8y ago
    Did you seek to get it repaired/replaced under the Consumer Rights Act?
  - michaelt 8y ago
    Why do keyboards have hard-wired cables anyhow? Captive cables only need enough copper to supply enough current for the device they're built into. Separate cables, OTOH, need enough copper for 500mA with a certain voltage drop to be USB standard compliant. Means 24AWG or bigger for a 2m cable [1]. That's why your keyboard, mouse and webcam have skinny cables while other USB cables are much thicker. [1] http://cdn2.goughlui.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/USB-Cable-Resistance-with-Contact-Resistance.png http://cdn2.goughlui.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/USB-Cabl...
hkmurakami 8y ago
Don't forget Topre. I use a Kinesis but I know many amazing programmers who swear by Topre.
- clircle 8y ago
  Love my topre keyboard. Would love to have another one just for my office. They are definitely pricey, but I vastly prefer the "soft clunk" of their feel for typing. Ideally I would like to find an ergonomic keyboard with topre switches, but I don't know if such a keyboard really exists.
- jeffbax 8y ago
  I also use a Kinesis (Advantage) which… glitches out sometimes, but once you get past the first month of being totally incapable of typing it's a pretty excellent coding keyboard comfort wise (gaming - particularly RTS - can be some work though, given its odd layout) It surprises me that most of the nice key switch keyboards are all standard layout though, rather than more ergonomic options like the Advantage.
  - hkmurakami 8y ago
    Yeah gaming is a challenge. I'm a SC:BW guy so I have to pull out my old faithful DT35 for that :). Curious what glitches you get? I made the Kinesis and Dvorak switch at the same time and it was pretty debilitating! Twitter is surprisingly good for a practice medium because your thoughts have to be so short that you don't get the "my mind is 4 sentences ahead of my hands" problem you get with prose.
    - jeffbax 8y ago
      I just have my keyboard totally glitch out at times, my wireless mouse is using the USB in the keyboard and that sometimes just dies, and it seems like it gets into weird modes at times that I had no intention of going into requiring me to simply unplug the damn thing and plug it back in. It's rare enough to not be annoyed as I otherwise like the keyboard, but it happens at both home and at work where I have the same thing. Haha, I have not even tried SC:BW with this yet, but maybe I will now that the HD version is out and I already bought it ages ago.
deno 8y ago
There’s nothing high quality about Cherry switches. They’re just popular because literally no one else makes cheap linear “gaming” switches. For actual typing there are vastly superior choices. In descending order: Buckling springs (used or new[1]), used Alps (for 5$ in your nearest thrift shop or for 50$-150$ on ebay) or even brand new Matias switches[2]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-vRZth7SI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-vRZth7SI [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nv9_LoLn5c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nv9_LoLn5c
- slezyr 8y ago
  > They’re just popular because literally no one else makes cheap linear “gaming” switches. Gateron, Kailh, etc. there are plenty producers of all kind of switches.
  - deno 8y ago
    Both of those are clones[1] of Cherry. [1] https://deskthority.net/wiki/Category:Clones_of_Cherry_MX_switches https://deskthority.net/wiki/Category:Clones_of_Cherry_MX_sw...
    - slezyr 8y ago
      They copy "physical form of switches" but have different tactile feeling. Zealio has bunch of switches with different activation force. Cherry Browns might match just one type.
    - ajryan 8y ago
      You said "no one else makes" them...
      - deno 8y ago
        You’re right. I really just meant to say they are popular because of their ubiquity in gaming keyboards. That’s the biggest market for premium keyboards. You can buy all kind of pretty keycaps for them, which is what “gamers” care about.
Kenji 8y ago
Just to vouch for Das Keyboard here. I have one for many years and it's still working perfectly despite heavy (daily) use.
gambiting 8y ago
I own two Corsair keyboards, the Strafe RGB(with Red Silent switches for office use) and a K68 with Red switches for home - they are both fantastic, and Corsair support has been nothing but stellar for me - the Strafe had a small issue with one of the keys, they have shipped a replacement straight away and only then I had to ship the old keyboard back. Well worth the money, and the software is very decent too.
- tazard 8y ago
  As a counter, I had a K95 which started having some pretty annoying chatter (double pressing semicolons among other things) just before my year warranty was up, they replaced it without issue but then the replacement started having the same problem + dead LEDs. Except then it was a few months later and the original warranty expired so they refused to fix/replace it. Also the keyboard is much to... Advanced?... So it doesn't get recognized when I attempt to enter the bios, so I needed to have a backup keyboard around just in case.
corv 8y ago
Fully agreed. My overpriced Das Keyboard started to exhibit severe key bouncing just after the warranty ended. They refused to do anything about it. I only found out that the company had quietly changed what used to be Cherry switches for Chinese knock-offs after buying the keyboard. One of the most regrettable purchases I ever made.
berbec 8y ago
Does anyone like the Unicomp line as I do? I love the faithful recreation of classic Model Ms.

sky_rw 8y ago

Curious, what are the primary complaints about them? I've used one for about a year and have had no issues with it.

taspeotis 8y ago
I have had four Das Keyboards and they have been quite good, two years+ out of each, but the USB hubs in all of them have been a bit hit-and-miss. Either devices are not detected in one of the two ports or one seems to charge my iPhone faster than the other. Again, they've been quite good to me but my work and home keyboards both have a dud key (in quick succession) so I am looking for a cost effective Cherry Blue or Brown replacement.
- masklinn 8y ago
  > two years+ out of each That's… just about nothing for a keyboard. I bought my wireless apple keyboard in 2010 and it's behaving perfectly, my MS Ergo 4000 is 10+ and the only issues with it are the plastic's paint going. And I don't consider these old. I wouldn't accept a fucking battery lasting less than 2 years, how can it be acceptable for a keyboard you found anywhere outside a walmart bargain bin?
  - HelloNurse 8y ago
    I don't remember if the cheap keyboard I have at home is USB or PS/2, but its only signs of aging are dirt and yellowing. After 2 years, a keyboard is supposed to be like new; it isn't a smartphone.
- Jare 8y ago
  > they have been quite good, two years+ out of each, but the USB hubs in all of them have been a bit hit-and-miss That would be "pretty bad" even for a $10 keyboard.

geoah 8y ago

Vortex's software is just bad. Just stick to anything with open firmware.

yiyus 8y ago
Agreed. I got a Vortex Core Mini because I liked the small form factor, but lack of customization makes it unusable for me. I got a Gherkin and am much happier with it.

Freak_NL 8y ago

I've bought three DasKeyboard Model S's, and so far I've had one starting to fail on me (one block of keys not getting their key presses registered) in five years (I have one at home and one at the office in use). That's not a bad track record, but I did notice a decline in their offering. The newer Model S introduced the 'fn' key left of the left super-button, resizing that one in the process. Now the old key-caps don't fit on the newer model any more. It also doesn't feel quite as solid as the previous Model S. The newer 'cloud connected' keyboards take DasKeyboard in a direction that makes no sense to me. Fortunately, there are now plenty of competing mechanical keyboards, for much friendlier prices. I got a nice mechanical keyboard for €90 on Amazon last year for my girlfriend (Fnatic Gear Rush Silent LED); no complaints whatsoever, and her colleagues are jealous of it. My next keyboard won't be a DasKeyboard.

SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago
A high-end keyboard failing after 5 years is "not a bad track record" ? I have 40-year-old keyboards at home that still work great - one or two are even the awful membrane type.
- donaltroddyn 8y ago
  That could easily be survivorship bias, though. How many of those 40-year-old contemporaries died decades ago?
- wodenokoto 8y ago
  There are still two left in parents inventory that can survive til 40!
LoSboccacc 8y ago
I’ve had a microsoft curve 2000 for ten years, a mechanical keyboard should last way more.
squarefoot 8y ago
My IBM model M I got in the mid-late 90s has a "Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.2" sticker in the area over the function keys. That should make it about 28 years old and not a single key ever failed. Missing Windows keys are a nice feature also :)

SmellyGeekBoy 8y ago

I just wanted to put in a good word for WASD Keyboards. Mine has been solid as a rock, I'm still very pleased with it after 4 years of ownership. I think it was Jeff Atwood (of Coding Horror fame) who turned me on to them in the first place. (No association at all, just wanted to share my experience).

petepete 8y ago
Since then Jeff Atwood launched his own keyboard. https://codekeyboards.com https://codekeyboards.com Edit. Never mind, looked up WASD and they appear to be linked to Code
- zerkla 8y ago
  I bought the tenkeyless CODE keyboard with Cherry MX Clears a few months ago, and I love this thing. Not so cheap outside the US, mind. Had to pay a pretty penny at customs.

LordHeini 8y ago

Also you could just get one by Cherry itself. I have 2 Cherry MX Board 3.0 i am quite happy with those. Not even that expensive and of course no internet of shitty things.

ericdykstra 8y ago

I'll throw my support for Filco here. I've been using the same Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless with Cherry Browns as my only home keyboard for 10 years, and it's as good as it was on the day I bought it. Absolutely fantastic build quality.

hjnilsson 8y ago
Got the exact same keyboard, only 8 years old but 0 problems with it. Had to clean it out a few times but been very easy. It even came with a key removal tool!
dingaling 8y ago
My Filco Majestouch lasted barely a year before the USB cable failed at the keyboard end. It's currently lying in the corner whilst I try to stomach paying £25 for a third-party cable made with their custom internal connector. I'd prefer if they just had a USB female socket on the keyboard and then I could use any cable. Why do keyboards have hard-wired cables anyhow? They have plenty of space for a socket and it would eliminate another point of failure.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- TomK32 8y ago
  nothing stops you from opening the keyboard, remove that socket (whihc and either resolder the cable or put a usb socket of your liking in. USB is no magic.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- switch007 8y ago
  Did you seek to get it repaired/replaced under the Consumer Rights Act?
- michaelt 8y ago
  Why do keyboards have hard-wired cables anyhow? Captive cables only need enough copper to supply enough current for the device they're built into. Separate cables, OTOH, need enough copper for 500mA with a certain voltage drop to be USB standard compliant. Means 24AWG or bigger for a 2m cable [1]. That's why your keyboard, mouse and webcam have skinny cables while other USB cables are much thicker. [1] http://cdn2.goughlui.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/USB-Cable-Resistance-with-Contact-Resistance.png http://cdn2.goughlui.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/USB-Cabl...

hkmurakami 8y ago

Don't forget Topre. I use a Kinesis but I know many amazing programmers who swear by Topre.

clircle 8y ago
Love my topre keyboard. Would love to have another one just for my office. They are definitely pricey, but I vastly prefer the "soft clunk" of their feel for typing. Ideally I would like to find an ergonomic keyboard with topre switches, but I don't know if such a keyboard really exists.
jeffbax 8y ago
I also use a Kinesis (Advantage) which… glitches out sometimes, but once you get past the first month of being totally incapable of typing it's a pretty excellent coding keyboard comfort wise (gaming - particularly RTS - can be some work though, given its odd layout) It surprises me that most of the nice key switch keyboards are all standard layout though, rather than more ergonomic options like the Advantage.
- hkmurakami 8y ago
  Yeah gaming is a challenge. I'm a SC:BW guy so I have to pull out my old faithful DT35 for that :). Curious what glitches you get? I made the Kinesis and Dvorak switch at the same time and it was pretty debilitating! Twitter is surprisingly good for a practice medium because your thoughts have to be so short that you don't get the "my mind is 4 sentences ahead of my hands" problem you get with prose.
  - jeffbax 8y ago
    I just have my keyboard totally glitch out at times, my wireless mouse is using the USB in the keyboard and that sometimes just dies, and it seems like it gets into weird modes at times that I had no intention of going into requiring me to simply unplug the damn thing and plug it back in. It's rare enough to not be annoyed as I otherwise like the keyboard, but it happens at both home and at work where I have the same thing. Haha, I have not even tried SC:BW with this yet, but maybe I will now that the HD version is out and I already bought it ages ago.

deno 8y ago

There’s nothing high quality about Cherry switches. They’re just popular because literally no one else makes cheap linear “gaming” switches. For actual typing there are vastly superior choices. In descending order: Buckling springs (used or new[1]), used Alps (for 5$ in your nearest thrift shop or for 50$-150$ on ebay) or even brand new Matias switches[2]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-vRZth7SI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A-vRZth7SI [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nv9_LoLn5c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nv9_LoLn5c

slezyr 8y ago
> They’re just popular because literally no one else makes cheap linear “gaming” switches. Gateron, Kailh, etc. there are plenty producers of all kind of switches.
- deno 8y ago
  Both of those are clones[1] of Cherry. [1] https://deskthority.net/wiki/Category:Clones_of_Cherry_MX_switches https://deskthority.net/wiki/Category:Clones_of_Cherry_MX_sw...
  - slezyr 8y ago
    They copy "physical form of switches" but have different tactile feeling. Zealio has bunch of switches with different activation force. Cherry Browns might match just one type.
  - ajryan 8y ago
    You said "no one else makes" them...
    - deno 8y ago
      You’re right. I really just meant to say they are popular because of their ubiquity in gaming keyboards. That’s the biggest market for premium keyboards. You can buy all kind of pretty keycaps for them, which is what “gamers” care about.

Kenji 8y ago

Just to vouch for Das Keyboard here. I have one for many years and it's still working perfectly despite heavy (daily) use.

gambiting 8y ago

I own two Corsair keyboards, the Strafe RGB(with Red Silent switches for office use) and a K68 with Red switches for home - they are both fantastic, and Corsair support has been nothing but stellar for me - the Strafe had a small issue with one of the keys, they have shipped a replacement straight away and only then I had to ship the old keyboard back. Well worth the money, and the software is very decent too.

tazard 8y ago
As a counter, I had a K95 which started having some pretty annoying chatter (double pressing semicolons among other things) just before my year warranty was up, they replaced it without issue but then the replacement started having the same problem + dead LEDs. Except then it was a few months later and the original warranty expired so they refused to fix/replace it. Also the keyboard is much to... Advanced?... So it doesn't get recognized when I attempt to enter the bios, so I needed to have a backup keyboard around just in case.

corv 8y ago

Fully agreed. My overpriced Das Keyboard started to exhibit severe key bouncing just after the warranty ended. They refused to do anything about it. I only found out that the company had quietly changed what used to be Cherry switches for Chinese knock-offs after buying the keyboard. One of the most regrettable purchases I ever made.

berbec 8y ago

Does anyone like the Unicomp line as I do? I love the faithful recreation of classic Model Ms.