Finally, a mechanical keyboard

[Nick R]

I'm out at the store today taking a look at laptops, since I have to replace mine and will be doing so within the next couple months. Well, I saw that they had a mechanical keyboard. I've always wanted one, never seen one that I liked (I like backlighting, but I didn't want to pay a ridiculous amount. Well, I found they had the Razer black Widow ultimate. Blue backlighting, Cherry MX Blue key switches, USB and USB passthrough, mic and headphone passthrough. What a great keyboard, I love these mechanical keyboards. The only thing that will really take some getting used to is the gaming macro keys on the left. I keep hitting m5 when I want control and m2 when I want tab lol.

Link to video

 

[Bill in Utah]

Well Nick I have to show you something....

That is what I've been typing on (always on my main desktop) for over 20 YEARS! (this is the 101 model, the 102 came out around 1988) And still works like new (I know I use that term a lot) and as you can see not worn at all.

Yep the loud clicking mechanical keys just work for me. I love these so much that I bought 5 of them just in case when northgate went out of business (which they did)

This keyboard came with my 286 AT that I got back in 1987. Just keep getting adapters so I can keep it going.

One bad thing is you'll notice it has two home keys. Thankfully I know where the del key is without looking so no biggie. The other ones are correct...

I sit here and think how much key strokes over the DECADES this keyboard has seen... Impressive indeed!

Take care, Bill

 

[L_Sludger]

I remember buying a NOS IBM battleship clackety-clack keyboard (made in Ireland!) off eBay or some such, for cheap, back in 2000 or so. I used it for a short while but I think I didn't keep it because of a lack of a Windows key and the fact that it was too loud for others nearby. I wish I still had that thing though.

 

[Nick R]

My friend has a model M, you know basically the holy grail of keyboards. And while it is indeed great and you can buy them for a decent amount of money, like I said I do a lot of gaming and typing in the dark, so I like backlit keyboards. It certainly will take some getting used to the longer key travel compared to the membrane keyboard I had before.

 

[oilboy123]

I like it. Good for when you don't want the lights on.

 

[Nick R]

Something that I'm learning is that unlike a membrane keyboard, you are supposed to stop pressing down at the click. At first I noticed that my hands were getting more tired than usual in typing. But I've started conciously making myself stop pressing once I hear the click, and it helps a lot.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Well Nick I have to show you something....

That is what I've been typing on (always on my main desktop) for over 20 YEARS! (this is the 101 model, the 102 came out around 1988) And still works like new (I know I use that term a lot) and as you can see not worn at all.

Yep the loud clicking mechanical keys just work for me. I love these so much that I bought 5 of them just in case when northgate went out of business (which they did)

This keyboard came with my 286 AT that I got back in 1987. Just keep getting adapters so I can keep it going.

One bad thing is you'll notice it has two home keys. Thankfully I know where the del key is without looking so no biggie. The other ones are correct...

I sit here and think how much key strokes over the DECADES this keyboard has seen... Impressive indeed!

Take care, Bill


Pretty sweet keyboard you have there bill. I think that more stores should carry and market the benefits of mechanical keyboards. I'm probably going to start bringing it to work with me since I'll be doing a lot of typing at my new job lol. I wonder if they would even allow me to do that. Of course I'll be on the phone all day, so they might not let me because it would probably be loud enough to be heard over the phone and I doubt the cusomters want to listen to me typing for minutes on end lol.

 

[Colt45ws]

How much was that?
I just have a Saitek Eclipse II. It is backlit as well. Membrane type, though. I dont type enough to buy a really good keyboard. What I do is barely considered typing anyway. I can probably push 50WPM with no error correct.

 

[rationull]

Thanks for the pic Bill, that keyboard brings back memories. I (well, my family) had a similar one that also came with a 286 AT probably around the same time.

I'm a mechanical keyboard fan too. Myself and a bunch of other guys at work use what IMO is the mother of all ergo keyboards, and it has the brown Cherry keyswitches:

Love it. Feels and sounds great, and can be very confusing when somebody else tries to use your computer

Congrats on the purchase, Nick. Once you get spoiled by a good keyboard you may never go back!

 

[Stephen_G]

http://www.clickykeyboards.com/

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I like it. Good for when you don't want the lights on.


No, no. This is what you should get. It has the mechanical key switches, and whether the lights are on or off in the room is irrelevant.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I like it. Good for when you don't want the lights on.


No, no. This is what you should get. It has the mechanical key switches, and whether the lights are on or off in the room is irrelevant.


seen boards from that company in catalogs(most notably thinkgeek) for years now.
wanna try something kinda fun?? click the link above to go to the keyboard website, look, in the upper right for the "Kick [censored]" link. turns the page into a asteroids-ish game.

 

[earlyre]

heck I'm still Using one of the Labtec Spill resistant keyboards I bought from Sellout.woot back in sept.07.

They were a Penny each, w/ $5 Shipping(like every woot item) so $5.03 for 3 keyboards...OK...
and the black letters on white keys have been pretty easy to see by monitor light...
plus there are drainage holes on the back (the "Spill Resistant Design") since you never know when you might have a klutz moment and knock over your Dew/Energy drink/Beer/etc.....

 

[xxch4osxx]

Im using the Logitech G510 keyboard. All backlit keys plus a lighted display in the center at the top. You can also make custom colors for your keyboard.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
Im using the Logitech G510 keyboard. All backlit keys plus a lighted display in the center at the top. You can also make custom colors for your keyboard.


I had the G510 at one point. My biggest problem with it was that the keys were mushy (again, lack of mechanical switches) and that the G keys on the left of the keyboard threw me off all the time and I was forever hitting the wrong buttons.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
wanna try something kinda fun?? click the link above to go to the keyboard website, look, in the upper right for the "Kick [censored]" link. turns the page into a asteroids-ish game.


That's pretty bizarre.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I've been trying to build up my collection of keyboards. However, my Jeep habit is taking up all of my extra money.

I currently have:
3 Real Model Ms
1 Unicomp model M
5 Compaq Trackball Keyboards - These have Cherry switches
2 AST KB101 - mechanical though one is more of a parts keyboard

 

[SLCraig]

I am glad you like that keyboard, I bought a Lycosa thinking it looked cool only to find out later on the keyboard is amongst the biggest junk to ever hit store shelves.

It randomly crashes where all the lights go out, repeats characters until you unplug it and plug it in again. I returned it after 2 days, it was unbearably bad. If I wasn't able to return it I would have for sure had fun destroying that POS with my dad's rotor tiller.

But if yours is working good, that's all that matters.

 

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Well Nick I have to show you something....

That is what I've been typing on (always on my main desktop) for over 20 YEARS! (this is the 101 model, the 102 came out around 1988) And still works like new (I know I use that term a lot) and as you can see not worn at all.

Yep the loud clicking mechanical keys just work for me. I love these so much that I bought 5 of them just in case when northgate went out of business (which they did)

This keyboard came with my 286 AT that I got back in 1987. Just keep getting adapters so I can keep it going.

One bad thing is you'll notice it has two home keys. Thankfully I know where the del key is without looking so no biggie. The other ones are correct...

I sit here and think how much key strokes over the DECADES this keyboard has seen... Impressive indeed!

Take care, Bill


Cool, Bill. Looks just like my ComPaq RT-101 keyboard I've used for years. Bulletproof and the silk-screened numbers/letters are still like new.

All the best.

Bob