Mechanical Keyboards

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Tenks

Bronze Knight of the Realm
14,163
606
Meh its a collectors item. People get attached to and collect way weirder stuff than old computer parts. Not like no one makes dye sublimated keycaps anymore that you couldn't just buy them if you really wanted them.
 

Lanx

Oye Ve
<Prior Amod>
60,073
131,383
wow seems like you're really all over the place, you got your foot in here and there, which is still cool.

there's a big difference between a 60% and an ergodox.

one is basically to look cool while the ergodox is trying to be great ergo, which you might not even be used to, most ppl aren't with the matrix style keyspacing.

i think your priority is to figure out which switch you like the most, then think 60% and ergodox. really, the switch is what will limit you in what you will find.
 

gogusrl

Molten Core Raider
1,359
102
Yeah, I know. That's why I'm trying to get my hands on all major types of switches and try them out. I said 60% or ergodox because everything else I can just run to the store and buy it. I found some really cheap laser cutting for acrylic and I want to give it a shot at handwiring one with salvaged switches (so it should end up pretty cheap).

This is all in the "wishful thinking" / "might do it someday" realm at the moment and I think everyone knows that new hobby frenzy when you want to read/have/do everything NOW.
 

gogusrl

Molten Core Raider
1,359
102
Kinda offtopic but if anyone is into vintage stuff, this looks like an awesome find (that i'd get myself it it wasn't for the prohibitive shipping fees with mail forwarding & stuff).

Cardinal Technologies Inc Vtg Computer Terminal Keyboard New CP600 1988 Clicky | eBay


edit : check out my home made key cap puller :
lSD1hnK.png
 

Jysin

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
6,259
3,971

Lanx

Oye Ve
<Prior Amod>
60,073
131,383
eh i use a butterknife on a few hundred keycaps, didn't damage nuttin, no pulled out stems.
 

fris

Blackwing Lair Raider
1,973
2,140
So, I purchased my K70 a couple weeks back. I love it for the most part, but I dislike the key travel length and the loud sound of the key bottoming out.

Does anyone have experience using these o-rings? Preference to either?

Amazon.com: Cherry MX Rubber O-Ring Switch Dampeners Red 40A-L - 0.2mm Reduction (125pcs): Computers Accessories

Amazon.com: Cherry MX Rubber O-Ring Switch Dampeners Blue 40A-R - 0.4mm Reduction (125pcs): Computers Accessories
i have the k90 (same keys i believe) and had to get those rings or my wife would have killed me by now. my next keybaord will have the click midpress so i don't bottom out.
 

Siliconemelons

Avatar of War Slayer
10,493
13,559
I need to go look around the warehouses and old tech people offices and find a bunch of these ancient keyboards and sell them on ebay :) I do miss the mechanicals from like the tandy1000 days of my youth!
 

Tenks

Bronze Knight of the Realm
14,163
606
For the most part vintage keyboards are too mainstream to have a pile of them sitting around with no one claiming them already. Plus I believe to get them really to sell on ebay you need to convert it from PS/2 to USB. However I think like 5 years ago or so someone found a crate full of very old and very rare new-old-stock IBM keyboards. The price went from like $300 a deck to like $150 overnight.
 

Siliconemelons

Avatar of War Slayer
10,493
13,559
Our surplus warehouse has issues and no one has been allowed to browse it like you used to as to make sure no one sees the issues...so if I can get in, I bet I could find a few ancient things, we also have 2-4 labs that are computer repair tech labs and the instructors keep stuff just to show kids "this was a floppy drive!" and there are things hidden in cabinets etc. all over... I should hunt for some :) --- American Computer Pickers! I should start my own show.... film my run ins with old crazy hermit computer techs like Milton that should have been fired long ago but no one told them.
 

Creslin

Trakanon Raider
2,371
1,072
I will chime in and say I have that board and think its really nice. Traveled with it a ton and its really durable, I usually destroy keyboards within a year but I am going on two with this one now and its still as good as the day I bought it. I dont know about the technical of USB but I never noticed any issues in wow or fps games.
 

Joeboo

Molten Core Raider
8,157
140
Ordered a Corsair Vengeance K70 as my first mechanical keyboard...I hope you bastards didn't steer me wrong
smile.png
Should be here in a couple days, can't wait.
 

Louis

Trakanon Raider
2,836
1,105
Ordered a Corsair Vengeance K70 as my first mechanical keyboard...I hope you bastards didn't steer me wrong
smile.png
Should be here in a couple days, can't wait.
I bought the k65 a few weeks ago on a whim after seeing the display model light up. I had no idea what I was missing out on with a mechanical keyboard like this. I'm typing this from a normal work keyboard and really hate it. The software to program the lighting can be kind of daunting to figure out at first, but the things you can do with it are pretty amazing. I converted this one from 90-65Corsair K95 RGB - Halloween Profile - YouTube.

The only problem I've ran into was the lighting will sometimes freeze and I have to switch the polling switch back and forth to make it restart. The software also seems to crash pretty regularly.
 

McQueen

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
3,116
5,441
I just got a K70 RGB a few weeks ago and love it. I haven't played with the color profile except to match it to my mouse and game pad, but it's not terribly difficult to figure out.
 

Lanx

Oye Ve
<Prior Amod>
60,073
131,383
2 years ago i gave my nephew a modified white alps on a 101 rosewill body. He just thinks it's a sturdy keyboard, now he wants these new fangled corsairs with all the LED's and lights!, kids these days!