- This topic has 31 replies, 22 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by footflaps.
-
Anyone know anything about mechanical keyboards?
-
joepudFree Member
Im after a mechanical keyboard and i never knew picking a keyboard was so complicated! I the past I have used the wireless apples ones but fancy something different. Its for my mac so wireless is a must because Apple have stupid not standard connectors. Currently settled on this but unsure if its any good or maybe someone has some other recommendations ?
innit_garethFree MemberI use a microsoft ergo 4000 with my mac. (Coincidentally just had to order a new one (same model) today after about 10 years of service). I find the magic keyboard really uncomfortable to type on.
It’s wired but I also use a wired ergonomic mouse and external monitor so have a usb-c hub (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VK2R4ST/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item)
The keyboard itself is quite loud but very comfortable.
joepudFree Memberwow and ergo is huge, will take up most my kitchen table. good shout on the hub though!
DezBFree MemberI know nothing about them, except! there was a thread recently which seem to properly arouse some geeks regarding these 😉
.https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/good-quality-usb-keyboard/.oldtennisshoesFull MemberI use one of these with my macbook and it’s been bombproof for the past 6 months
the-muffin-manFull MemberI like Satechi stuff – biggest problem is finding a keyboard with Mac layout…
oakleymuppetFree MemberClicky blue cherry switches for typing if no one is around for you to annoy. Smooth or hybrid mechanical switches for gaming.
FuzzyWuzzyFull MemberYeah decent mechanical keyboards is a bit of a rabbit whole. I’d say the major decisions are:
1). Normal or TKL (no number pad, like the picture in the OP)
2). Key type (clicky/silent, amount of travel, force required to press them etc.)
3). Wired/wireless
I prefer TKL myself as I can live without the number pad and desk space is at a premium.
Key type – very individual but for me I just mostly want a silent key and like the Cherry MX Red feel (but aren’t as fussy as some people on that!).
Wired always for me, one less thing to worry about the battery in, would only go wireless if PC base unit was too far away from desk.
Also bear in mind a lot of the fancy mechanical keyboards have US keys (either as standard or the only option).
My own pet hate on my current keyboard (Roccat Ryos TKL Pro) is the shifted key icon being on the bottom, my brain can cope easily enough with the stuff above numbers but does my head in with { vs ] and @ vs ‘ sort of thing when I’m entering complex passwords and can’t see what I’m typing :p
I was looking to replace it but not found anything I really like yet (for under £150), was looking at the Ducky 60% ones but the key labelling puts me off a bit (side by side). Also thinking about a Ducky MIYA Pro
I think I might just give a Logitech G Series Pro a go (it’s wireless but need to see if it can be left permanently wired) and for the keys I want I might need to wait on the new Shroud edition. Also it looks pretty chunky so still not decided if the leading edge will be uncomfy (without having to use a wrist rest which I don’t want)
Overclockers.co.uk has a decent range
zilog6128Full MemberOP keyboard would do my nut in as the alt/cmd keys are swapped. Probably could get a bit of software to swap them back though!
H1ghland3rFree MemberRecently spent several months reading into this and watching/listening to comparisons between various keyswitch types.. it’s a complete rabbit hole that you may never escape from. Only thing I would mention here is that supplies are extremely short just now as supply chains out of Asia start to recover, almost all brands of mechanical keyboards are done in very small production runs and so can be out of stock for months at a time.
With all that said.. have a look here for some info to get you started… 😉
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOFH59uoSs8SUF0L_p3W0sg
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCllGwtW6scxAjM28fIgEozg
Oh and per your Apple/wireless requirement, almost any mech keyboard worth it’s salt uses USB typeC connectors so assuming your Mac is recent you should be fine. Otherwise there are a plethora of keyboard chassis that have BT.
stevehineFull MemberI use a Ducky One2 for work; with Cherry brown switches. Similar feel to Cherry blues; but not as noisy (which is useful when you’re in an office)
It’s got a USB-C cable; so it’s plug and play with a Mac; no hub required.
Previous to that I had a Corsair TKL – but the Ducky is much nicer for long days typing and seems better built.
woffleFree MemberI have a Ducky in the studio at home, and a Cherry in the office. The Ducky was approx 30% more than the Cherry but worth it – seems better built, detachable/replaceable USB-C cable, and even though they’re meant to be on the same switches, action just seems nice on the Ducky.
H1ghland3rFree MemberI use a Ducky One2 for work; with Cherry brown switches. Similar feel to Cherry blues; but not as noisy (which is useful when you’re in an office)
I ended up on a Ducky One2SF with Silent Reds, it’s a lovely keyboard but Cherry switches are not regarded as being the best on offer. Primarily my choice ended up being swayed by availablity of UK spec boards, even the Ducky’s were out of stock everywhere from May through to last month..
H1ghland3rFree MemberOh and just to finish it off once you have your lovely keyboard.. 🙂
jonziFull MemberYou could build your own, its fairly simple if you can use a soldering iron.
You can get kits from mechboards in the UK or kbdfans in China.Take a look at the subbreddit MechanicalKeyboards for possiblities
hols2Free MemberNo idea about Macs, but the Microsoft keyboards are a very safe choice. I’ve had three of the ergonomic ones in 23 years. The first one had the old round connector and I had to give it to a friend because modern motherboards don’t use that interface. My friend is still using it, 23 years after I bought it. I’m now using two wireless ergonomic models (one at work, one at home), don’t remember exactly when I bought them, but one is probably 15 years old, the other 10. Still really nice to type on despite thousands of hours of use. My employer supplies cheapo keyboards with our PCs, they utterly suck in comparison.
simon_gFull MemberAre you happy with that ANSI layout (single line enter key)? I couldn’t get on with them and am back on ISO (2 line), which is the UK norm.
The Keychron ones look really nice for Macs (proper command/option keys) etc and they do a proper ISO/UK layout. Good prices too for a wireless mechanical.
SuperficialFree MemberAs per the other thread linked above, I have two Anne Pro 2s which I use with my Mac (-book Pro 2018). My favourite one has Gateron brown switches, I don’t really like the Cherry Blues in the other. The (Gateron) Anne Pro 2 is great, though, for the price (Cherry ones are more expensive). It’ll do wired or Bluetooth.
AFAIK there are no real issues with Macs and keyboards – use what you like. Sometime you’ll have to remap the CTRL and CMD keys to whichever layout you prefer but that’s usually v simple.
OP keyboard would do my nut in as the alt/cmd keys are swapped. Probably could get a bit of software to swap them back though!
They appear to be the same size (1.25u) so you could swap the keycaps. Sometimes a keyboard’s firmware has Mac specific options where it switches the Alt/Ctrl/Win keys around but I’ve never had to use it. It always Just Worked.
GileseyFree MemberIf you can wait a few weeks for delivery from China you’ll get an Akko board like that from Banggood much cheaper than from Amazon, epomaker just rebrand and add a big markup. I had a 3068 65% board and loved it when used with PC & wired, but found the wireless BT mode had a noticeable delay/latency for keypresses so never bothered using it wirelessly.
Since WFH happened for me and Mrs Gilesey, she’s decided she prefers a mech board so has stolen it. I replaced it with this SK64s
Now switched from PC to Mac full time, using the SK64 wirelessly and is perfect, no drop-outs or latency etc. and the RGB amuses me 🙂 Foam padded, switches lubed with krytox GPL-205g0, filmed and stabs clipped. Sounds lovely. Although the gateron optical blacks I orderered ‘just to try’ still need fitted. Saving that for a spare hour or two. Although I really want to try some more tactile switches – holy/glorious pandas, and they’ll need a mechanical pcb, so need to get on a group buy soon…
To be honest, mechanical keyboards are truly a complete rabbit hole and best avoided completely. Best advice I think is just to find a mac-supporting prebuilt from Ducky, Varmilo or Leopold and just get on with having a life.
H1ghland3rFree Memberand the RGB amuses me 🙂
If you like that sort of thing.. my youngest (12) has one of these hooked up to his gaming rig..! 😀
rickonFree MemberI love the posts suggesting membrane keyboards 😂😂😂
I’m a proper nerd about mechanical keyboards, like those who’ve already posted with Duckys or Akkos.
For work, in an office by myself: Cherry Blues, TKL, USB-C
For work, in a shared office, Cherry Reds with o-rings installed, TKL, USB-C, silents feel awful to me, really slow and mushy
For gaming, Cherry Reds/silvers, 60%, USB-C
If you’re totally new to mechanical, I’d recommend taking a look at the Drevo Calibur V2 with Cherry Browns :
Cheap, really good quality, decent layout, and with o-rings installed are pretty quiet.
AidyFree MemberI love the posts suggesting membrane keyboards
I particularly liked the ultra-slim keyboard suggested, which looked like hell for anyone who spends any significant time typing.
joepudFree Memberthanks for all the info people. I think at this rate im gonna end up with the standard wireless mac one. gonna try and do some more reading. the idea of a keyboard not working on a mac didn’t even enter my head.
stevehineFull Member@joepud – Most work totally fine on a Mac; mine does – the only downside is that command + option are flipped; but given it’s the only keyboard I use with it; I’m pretty used to it. I’ve never known a keyboard *not* work on a mac; and I’ve had 3 or 4 different ones attached to mine.
footflapsFull MemberI really like the feel of Cherry Keyboards – remind me of 1980s IBM PC XT keyboards…..
duncancallumFull MemberMake sure you rattle can the new board with the above paint to ensure the full vintage effect
andytherocketeerFull MemberWould have had a Ducky One2SF, but everything Ducky seemed to be sold out for months. Plus there seemed to be a global shortage of Cherry MX key switches.
Ended up with a Glorious PC Gaming Race (what a stupid name) TKL, with Gateron Brown switches (which are pretty much like Cherry MX browns, but actually available). So basically about as general purpose mechanical as one can get before you get branded an enthusiast and start calling them “mechs”.
Only real downsides is the keycap sets are PC centric so if you have a Mac then you have to improvise on the Cmd and Opt keys, but then the bonus for us Linux users is we don’t get a Windows logo key forced upon us 🙂
Oh and the app that you have to download to configure the RGB LEDs is really really bad, and you need to get that working to be able to turn off the epilepsy inducing stupid RGB backlighting effects, and set them to either off or static. But at least the profiles are stored in the k/b and you can then delete the app, and turn on/off backlighting with a key combo.
Couldn’t believe how many keyboard enthusiasts there are out there. Whole youtube channels devoted to reviewing practically identical keyboards and doing clicky key sound tests, but most all having the exact same small subset of keyswitches. Oh and forums arguing over the difference in feel between Cherry, Gateron and the other one, and the argument whether Cherry is still the best or has now been beaten by Chinese mfrs is more personal than SRAM vs Shimano fanbois on here!
AidyFree MemberI really like the feel of Cherry Keyboards – remind me of 1980s IBM PC XT keyboards…..
I do like my Model M. Switch action is quite different to Cherry MXs, though.
CougarFull MemberI really like the feel of Cherry Keyboards – remind me of 1980s IBM PC XT keyboards…..
I do like my Model M. Switch action is quite different to Cherry MXs, though.
Best keyboard ever. Unicomp still make them.
footflapsFull MemberWhen our company went bust in Feb I went round the office and took home all the Cherry keyboards so I now have a collection of used ones which will probably last me till I retire…
The topic ‘Anyone know anything about mechanical keyboards?’ is closed to new replies.