deskthority

I’ve found that I prefer very quiet switches.


Interesting. What brand and model did you replace your Model F and AEKII with Alps orange switches with? Is it a custom modern mechanical keyboard (if it's custom, what are the parts and modifications if it's ok to ask?).

Thanks.


Mostly Topre ...

Apples and oranges, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Capacitive Buckling Springs and Orange Alps are entirely different in sound and feel. CBS feel amazing but are just SO, SO, VERY LOUD. Orange Alps feel pretty good (better than any Cherry-type switches I’ve tried), but they feel less accurate.

That ...

kbdfr wrote: 12 Oct 2023, 07:31

Samir wrote: 12 Oct 2023, 04:58 […] the original M is still by far the best quality […]

Ahem…

If used properly, none of the rivets should break. People go dumpster diving and expect to find something pristine.

A thumb trackball is good because you can perch it on the laptop and actually use it on your lap. I used the Logitech M570 for years and have recently upgraded to their MX Ergo.

I think a much bigger difference comes from age/use. The stems of keycaps get worn down, plastic rivets break, dust and gunk get built up, etc. You could probably restore a silver badge model to be better than a restored older model, but that might take a lot of work.

Some are objectively wrong. ;)


I have only tried Topre, so I can't comment on how Niz feels, but I can see how its sound can be appealing . It sounds... fuller? Meatier?


There’s some setting most keyboard YouTubers are using that amplifies even the tiniest sound. I’ve used regular 55g ...

I mean…you can still buy an M or an F. I have a Unicomp Mini M and an Ellipse F77 and each is very well-made. I also really like my Topre Realforces (especially the R3 wireless).

Or, as has been mentioned above, there are metal keyboards. A Drop Ctrl or Alt in high-profile is going to be very ...

I keep being tempted by the ones on eBay. The black, silenced, hybrid one seems like a potential endgame keyboard for me…although I assume that the day after I order one that Leopold will release a wireless update to the FC660C.

As Muirium said, Topre might be similar in feel.


Expertly trolled, sir. :lol:

That was TNT above me. I posted basically to refute it. I am yet to toss a Topre keyboard into the e-waste skip, or laugh aloud and tell it where precisely to go in hell while I was doing it.


Err…oops! Sorry ...

Dell AT101R and AT103R seem to use the same switch but are Pc keyboards. An AEK II (or Matias keyboard with Quiet Click switches) would also be very “Apple” and quiet. As Muirium said, Topre might be similar in feel.

I just bought an AEK with serial number 502XXX that has orange switches. Anything much past that should have salmon switches.

FWIW, I’ve never noticed an AEK II on eBay that doesn’t have the boxed S. Sub-500XXX AEKs pop up every few months.

1. Get a vintage Alps-compatible keyboard with Windows keys (late Focus FK-2001, Omnikey-101P, 102P, or Ultra-TP, Avant Prime, Avant Stellar, Dell AT101W), which will probably come with simplified Alps or Alps clones, and transplant blue Alps and good keycaps (most, but not all, of these boards ...

Where did you find the right-angle S-video cable? I wanted to do something similar but have heard that some S-video cables aren’t actually compatible.

I’m not aware of any, but…do you actually use your left Alt key? I don’t. You could remap it to Windows/Super. Or get an Alps board with a key in that space (Omnikey, M104, AT101, AEK), map it to Windows/Super, and transplant in blue Alps.

Not surprised at all by that order, having tried all of those or close equivalents (Matias QC and Alps Orange/Black). If I didn’t work in a very quiet office I’d use a Matias Tactile Pro Mini or an Alps tactile board.

If you have a Round 2, I’d love to see Model F, Topre, and even really good ...

Sorry, one other question:

Does anyone know if the chassis changes the sound and feel at all? I plan to transplant the pine black switches.

This may be heresy, but:

I have a black AT101W with a case that got smashed in transit. I also have an Old Logo Dell AT101 that, unforgivably, lacks Windows keys.

If I file off the tabs between Ctrl and Alt on the old case, will the AT101W chassis fit inside?

I’m a little shocked there isn’t an Unsaver option.

I was browsing used Realforces and noticed a second part to the model number. For the two I was looking at, the first part is R2TLA-USV-IV (ivory variable-weight R2 TKL), but then the sub-models I’ve seen list “AHBZ02” and “AHBZ06.”

Is there a key to what this means?

I think chatter was an issue they resolved a few years ago.

I have a Laptop Pro with the same quiet click keys and it’s great. I just wish there was a way to switch it to PC layout, as it messes up my muscle memory.

Which one do you prefer?


Not sure yet - I used my own keys but didn’t realize the barebones board didn’t include stabilizers. I also need to sit down and figure out the layout, as it’s not quite standard. I’ve been under the weather lately but hopefully can figure it out soon. I also usually ...

It’s *Dr.* Evil. I didn’t spend six months waiting to use a Model M.

(Yes, I need a bigger left Shift key.)

There should also be an “adjusted WPM” consideration. I used typeracer and was horrified to realize that my software (Office, Firefox, etc) had been correcting most of my little typos for me automatically and that I wasn’t as good as I thought I was.

I think Capacative Buckling Springs are my ...

Muirium wrote: 22 May 2022, 10:21
I’d be wary of Acer switch keyboards.

My parents gave me our old Acer Advantage from 1996 and the keyboard (SK-1100, GYUR10SK) is much better than I expected. It feels shockingly similar to Cherry Ergo Clears. Much better than the rubber dome Model M or modern flat (non-scissor) rubber domes.

I’ve tried at least a dozen old IBM Model Ms (none bolt-modded) and none were as good as my Mini M.

My Mini M has crisper keys, a better color scheme, a dedicated Windows key where I expect it, native USB, and it’s much cheaper in TKL format. Most of these things can be kludged on an original, but ...

It’s not an excuse, but a lot of people are just overwhelmed right now - work, family, or maybe something like mental health. As was said above, try contacting him again. When someone’s expecting to be yelled at and they get a polite request instead it can be very effective.

And if that doesn’t ...

Capacitive buckling springs, easily. Each press feels like you’re breaking a tiny glass rod. I floss mod my buckling springs because the sound is unbearable otherwise.

Membrane buckling springs is also good - maybe like breaking a tiny ceramic rod. MBS seems much more susceptible to variation ...

Oh boy! I actually have a worthwhile opinion on this one!

I’ve used a K800 with Perfect Stroke for years and, if there were a TKL version then I’d probably never have discovered mechanical keyboards. The new MX Keys Mini is maybe sort of close, but not as “bouncy.” The K800 is what I imagine Topre ...

Out of curiosity, does anyone pair their keyboard with an ortho like a Preonic? Use the ortho as a macro pad and the beamspring/F/M for the keys where feel matters?

something you’d be interested in, but wouldn’t be willing to spend much time/effort/money on



Having read Melville's Moby Dick and assuming that "beige whale" is a riff on the "white whale" in that book, I would assume that it is an all-consuming quest that becomes the sole obsession in ...