4 ms·

He mentioned three cheap keyboards that came with his computer - who has a comparison between this keyboard and a modern mechanical?

freeone3000 8y ago
These are LOUDER. Significantly louder. If you don't like MX blues because they're clicky, this has an actual spring that deforms. And of course, no attempt to soften the noise. If it's an original, they have PS/2 connector instead of the more modern USB, so you'll likely need a dongle. There are no hyper keys at all - no logo keys, no menu key. Of course, no volume control, no media keys.
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago
  Not compared to my Corsair with Cherry Blues it's not. They're about the same volume, but have a decidedly different sound.
NeedMoreTea 8y ago
I've tried several modern mechanicals, and have one with Cherry blues, and used to have one with Cherry brown, which died after just a few years. My 25 year old M is still feeling as good as new, and aside from a little shine on some keys looks pretty new too. Most modern ones have plastic that ages far faster. I still pick the M when there's a lot of typing needed. It's about as loud as blues, but a little less annoying (for me anyway) from the slightly less plasticky sound, but has a distinctly nicer typing feel. Partially because it has a back board that's heavy steel meaning there's no flex at all - every modern mechanical has some degree of flex, sometimes lots and partially it feels a little different to Cherry blues. Something hard to describe but probably when and where on the keypress the click and release happen. Having the extra Windows/Cmd key on the base row would be nicer sometimes. I wish I had gone for the one with combined trackpoint though. I fully expect it to outlast my need for any keyboard and still be in as-new condition. :)
- type0 8y ago
  I used model M in the 90s, I wouldn't use one today though unless I wanted to drive everyone around crazy mad at me. As for the cherry blues, it gets on my nerves far quicker than model M could ever do. It has to be down to the nature of the switch itself the sound is artificial and the feedback is awful even with the good key caps on a sturdy board. > Something hard to describe but probably when and where on the keypress the click and release happen. Exactly this, there are some mods that can fix this icky release, never tried those. If I remember correctly it shortens the key travel as well so it might not be to everyone's liking.
- potta_coffee 8y ago
  I have a Filco Majestouch and there's literally zero flex. It's the only modern keyboard I've ever touched that feels this stable. I really like it. Tenkeyless with Cherry Browns.
LukeShu 8y ago
With IBM's mechanical switches, it's the same mechanism causing actuation and tactile feedback. With some modern mechanical switches, they're separate mechanisms, which means that they can disagree slightly. For example, with the Matias Quiet Click switches that I'm currently using, the actuation point is actually slightly past the tactile feedback (you can see it in this graph: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile/matias-quiet-click/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... ) Buckling spring (and beam spring) switches have a tactile drop, where the tactile feedback is that the force required to press the key drops off at the actuation point. See what that looks like here: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/ibm-buckling-spring-capacitive/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... (that's actually the Model F; the M was essentially a cheap flimsy version of the F, if you can believe that: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/ibm-buckling-spring-membrane/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... ). Compare that to most modern mechanical switches, which have a tactile bump, where the tactile feedback is that the force required to press the key spikes up right before the actuation point, then returns to previous levels. The "standard" mechanical switch of today is the Cherry MX Blue, which shows this very clearly: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/cherry-mx-blue/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... These are 2 very different feels. The "hip" new switches these days are NovelKeys' Box switches, some of which have tactile feedback more like IBM's, though the drop is less sharp: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/novelkeys-pale-blue/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... I haven't tried the Box switches yet, but of any of the switches I've tried, based on typing experience: I'd take IBM over anything else. That said, I switched to Matias Quiet Click a while ago, because I'm pretty sure my office mate would have killed me if I brought my Model M in to work.

freeone3000 8y ago

These are LOUDER. Significantly louder. If you don't like MX blues because they're clicky, this has an actual spring that deforms. And of course, no attempt to soften the noise. If it's an original, they have PS/2 connector instead of the more modern USB, so you'll likely need a dongle. There are no hyper keys at all - no logo keys, no menu key. Of course, no volume control, no media keys.

NeedMoreTea 8y ago
Not compared to my Corsair with Cherry Blues it's not. They're about the same volume, but have a decidedly different sound.

NeedMoreTea 8y ago

I've tried several modern mechanicals, and have one with Cherry blues, and used to have one with Cherry brown, which died after just a few years. My 25 year old M is still feeling as good as new, and aside from a little shine on some keys looks pretty new too. Most modern ones have plastic that ages far faster. I still pick the M when there's a lot of typing needed. It's about as loud as blues, but a little less annoying (for me anyway) from the slightly less plasticky sound, but has a distinctly nicer typing feel. Partially because it has a back board that's heavy steel meaning there's no flex at all - every modern mechanical has some degree of flex, sometimes lots and partially it feels a little different to Cherry blues. Something hard to describe but probably when and where on the keypress the click and release happen. Having the extra Windows/Cmd key on the base row would be nicer sometimes. I wish I had gone for the one with combined trackpoint though. I fully expect it to outlast my need for any keyboard and still be in as-new condition. :)

type0 8y ago
I used model M in the 90s, I wouldn't use one today though unless I wanted to drive everyone around crazy mad at me. As for the cherry blues, it gets on my nerves far quicker than model M could ever do. It has to be down to the nature of the switch itself the sound is artificial and the feedback is awful even with the good key caps on a sturdy board. > Something hard to describe but probably when and where on the keypress the click and release happen. Exactly this, there are some mods that can fix this icky release, never tried those. If I remember correctly it shortens the key travel as well so it might not be to everyone's liking.
potta_coffee 8y ago
I have a Filco Majestouch and there's literally zero flex. It's the only modern keyboard I've ever touched that feels this stable. I really like it. Tenkeyless with Cherry Browns.

LukeShu 8y ago

With IBM's mechanical switches, it's the same mechanism causing actuation and tactile feedback. With some modern mechanical switches, they're separate mechanisms, which means that they can disagree slightly. For example, with the Matias Quiet Click switches that I'm currently using, the actuation point is actually slightly past the tactile feedback (you can see it in this graph: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile/matias-quiet-click/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... ) Buckling spring (and beam spring) switches have a tactile drop, where the tactile feedback is that the force required to press the key drops off at the actuation point. See what that looks like here: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/ibm-buckling-spring-capacitive/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... (that's actually the Model F; the M was essentially a cheap flimsy version of the F, if you can believe that: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/ibm-buckling-spring-membrane/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... ). Compare that to most modern mechanical switches, which have a tactile bump, where the tactile feedback is that the force required to press the key spikes up right before the actuation point, then returns to previous levels. The "standard" mechanical switch of today is the Cherry MX Blue, which shows this very clearly: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/cherry-mx-blue/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... These are 2 very different feels. The "hip" new switches these days are NovelKeys' Box switches, some of which have tactile feedback more like IBM's, though the drop is less sharp: https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switches/tactile-clicky/novelkeys-pale-blue/ https://input.club/the-comparative-guide-to-mechanical-switc... I haven't tried the Box switches yet, but of any of the switches I've tried, based on typing experience: I'd take IBM over anything else. That said, I switched to Matias Quiet Click a while ago, because I'm pretty sure my office mate would have killed me if I brought my Model M in to work.