this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2024
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Mechanical Keyboards
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What I did was buy a keyboard with the features I wanted, (100%, volume knob, rgb, hotswappable switches), then got a set of switches and keycaps to swap in.
If the board has soldered switches you probably will never be changing those.
Red switches are terrible. Feel super gross. Brown switches are ok, but I found them to have too weak of a tactile bump. Holy pandas have a stronger tactile bump and are what I'm using right now bc I found the browns a but disappointing
Keycaps have standardized profiles/shapes; I have "OEM" keycaps. Each row has a slightly different height/shape which makes it a bit more ergonomic. There are others with identical row shapes.
It should act like a standard USB keyboard if its running QMK / ZMK and will work ootb with linux. Only thing is that any QMK keyboard is going to be a bit annoying to configure (change layout or rebind keys) on linux (e.g. with VIA or Vial). You have to be using a chromium based browser that is not sandboxed (snap or flatpak may interfere) and you might have to add some udev rules but its not a huge problem.
What model keyboard did you get?
I got a Keychron V6 knob. Looks great but if I could go back in time I'd choose something 1) lighter 2) with wireless/BT and 3) lower input latency
Also holy panda switches and mixed keycaps (white on letters/numpad, light green on the special characters on the right, dark green for the modifiers)
What would you get now?
Keychron is the safe first buy for any one interested in quality keyboards. They have a wide range of styles, layouts, and price points. I would suggest sticking to the $100 price range as they tend to be the best value for a first mechanical keyboard.
The cheapest is £80 and that doesn't even include the keycaps: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EJwLCix
The keycaps are available for a tenner though, so that's decent: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EzPUlhN
I might still go with Keychron for a general typing / wireless travel keyboard and get a second specifically for gaming. Ive noticed the keychron having sluggish or slow response sometimes, prob related to slow polling rate. Not 100% sure on what I'd get though. I'll see if i can mess qround with the firmware myself for now.
Looking up the keyboard on AliExpress, it claims to be hot swappable, but you'd still recommend a different base?
Also red switches? Brown switches?
Anything that requires a Chromium browser makes me sceptical.
Via uses chromium for the WebUSB api which firefox didnt implement because its a security nightmare. Vial is not as polished but is an open source standalone software
Red/brown/etc originate from Cherry MX switches (the style of keyswitch) and each color is a different kind of swotch with different tactile feel and sound. Red are linear. Imagine a mushy rubber button with no feedback. Brown has a tactile bump that is more typical of a keyboard where theres a bit of force before it actually actuates. I settled on holy pandas for now which were similar to browns but a stronger tactile feel.
I'm not 100% sure how good it is but as long as you read reviews to understand what the shortcomings and strengths of the board are, most keyboards should be fine. From what I've seen in a quick google search, this particular keyboard is probably ok, but some people have reported this company's keyboards randomly dying and little to no support. Reputable brands will obviously guarantee no funny business but with the tradeoff of cost. I would recommend joining some communities (e.g. the discord communities like MechGroupBuys) and asking around for more peoples experience with budget keyboards if the cost is a concern.
This is a magnificent response. Thank you so much. I felt like you walked me through a used car lot and let me sit behind the wheel for the first time in my life. Thank you so much.
My suggestion is to get a keyboard with the features you want, then the keycaps you want. Then you can experiment with small switch sets to find one you like. Search for Outemu switches on Ali Express, they have very ~~adorable~~ affordable packs of 10. If you’re unsure whether you’d like a linear, tactile or clicky, get one from each at least. Get both regular and silent versions of tactile to try out. I really like the Silent Lemon tactile V3. People rave about the Panda.
Note that keycap material and to a lesser degree geometry will affect the sound too. You can also add o-rings to the caps to decrease high frequency sounds.
Edit: adorable/affordable. Autocorrupt made a funny.
Is it sad that the features I want are RGB and not to feel cramped?
No, and welcome to the fold!
Thank you. I appreciate it.