Mechanical Keyboards.

[Rbstr]

My old MS Multimedia finger-banger has started to give up the ghost. "Tab" ain't clicking properly Perhaps it's finally reached the KB crumb saturation point.

So I'm looking at the Rosewills....Reds, Blacks or Browns? I don't think I want tactile and I really don't want something clicky. Anyone have some experience and comparisons to normal KBs?
It's also sad I will be missing the media shortcuts.

Any other KBs to look at?
I would not like anything "gamer" and in silly colors and shapes with a boatload of extra keys. Just Pause/Play/Skip at most. And not much more than $100.

(Here's a guide to the switches for the curious, with fancy .gifs! http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/me...keyboard-guide)

[Vancha]

I'll throw in my obligatory recommendation for the Quickfire Rapid. It's ugly (though apparently the ones ordered via the CM store no longer have the logos), but it's easily the best deal going. Quality on par with the best mechs available.

After that, the Thermaltake MEKA is again, a really good accident. As with the CM board, nothing else they've made has been up to the same standard.

Finally, I guess the 6Gv2 from Steelseries would be a decent option.

The MEKA comes with Blacks, the 6Gv2 in Blacks and Reds and the Quickfire Rapid comes with damn near everything (even greens).

[Rbstr]

Welp I ended up going for the Rosewill with Blacks...Reds weren't available on Prime (These things are $20+ cheaper on Amazon than Newegg BTW).

I'll just have to deal with missing media keys.

[Deadeye]

I just use a cheap Dynex Keyboard I bought at the local Best Buy. I believe that despite all the screens and logos and wierd shapes and sizes of keyboards, it's the person pushing the buttons that matters the most.

[Vancha]

Originally Posted by Deadeye

I just use a cheap Dynex Keyboard I bought at the local Best Buy. I believe that despite all the screens and logos and wierd shapes and sizes of keyboards, it's the person pushing the buttons that matters the most.

Are you aware what differentiates mechanical keyboards from your typical rubber-dome?

[Rbstr]

And that the one I bought is about as bog standard as it gets in terms of shapes and sizes a logos?


Anyway, now that I've had it for about a week some observations:
Key presses aren't heavy at all, even though these are supposed to be the heavier ones. I think reds would have been too light.
The most important thing is getting to press all the buttons. Lets me use far better bindings for TS, where before they would hit the limit if I was doing something. This is available on rubber dome boards, I'm sure. but probably not on non-gamer-branded stuff.
They activate after only a couple mm of travel, well before they're even halfway pressed. It caused some typos initially, but overall I like it much better for typing.
I feel like the board is a little crowded on the left hand size, control and alt and shift don't fit as well as my old KB.