Need a keyboard

[timmymcray]

Hey everyone, I hope this is the right place to post this. I have a question for everyone. My good old Logitech wave is getting pretty long on the tooth so I'd like a new keyboard. I live out in the middle of nowhere(Ketchum Idaho) so I need to order whatever it is I'm going to get online and I wont be able to test it before hand. My friend was telling me about mechanical keyboards and I'm intrigued by the idea of a "better" keyboard. To tell you all the truth I'm lost I know there are different ones like cherry switches, alps, topre, buckling spring, etc... there are so many options and so many manufacturers its just a jumble at this point so any help would be appreciated.

1.I live alone so noise isn't an issue but it might be nice if it wasn't super loud.
.
2.I don't care how much it costs I know they can get up to $500-600 for the really extravagant stuff but I want to make this the last keyboard I buy this decade and probably the next.

3.I want a standard layout so going ultra vintage is not an option since they didn't have windows keys back then.

4.I don't really use the tenkey but I'm not sure what I really gain by losing it aside from some nebulous ergonomic benefit or desk space.

I was thinking about maybe one of these keyboards but I'm sure I missed a few and I'm having trouble narrowing it down. As I said its a jumble.

1.Topre 104UW
2.Unicomp Ultra Classic
3.Logitech G710+
4.Razer Black Widow Silent
5.Logitech G19
6.Ducky DK1087

Thanks in advance!

 

[timmymcray]

No thoughts?

 

[timmymcray]

Ok, how about what do you use and why? I really want to get this ordered by thursday morning so I can have it by the weekend for gametime so I need thoughts.

 

[echondo]

I can't give first hand experience about keyboards, but I can give you the history of some keyboards and information.

1. Razer products in general, suck. Don't buy them, don't even look at them.

2. Logitech has been know to last a great while and has some of the better customer support I've seen(gotten a few mice from them, some malfunctioned, but support helped). And most of their stuff is durable, if you take care of it.

3. Ducky keyboards are mainly the only mechanical keyboards I ever hear about consistently and in my most honest opinion, are the best you can get. They have all the features I look for in a keyboard; LED backlight(I play at night), PS/2 connector, has multiple different cherry switch types, and they look absolutely slick and clean.

I have also found that Ducky keyboards seem to be the most variable, if you look you can get different LED backlights with a completely different cherry switch type and also get a Tenkeyless or full key board and you can also have USB or PS/2 connectors. But some people need Macro keys, I don't ever need them personally, so that's never a deciding factor to me.

Personally, I would go with a Ducky, if you can't find a Ducky you like then get the Logitech one you prefer, the G19 has more Macro keys, but the G710+ looks nicer to me and I have no use for Macro keys.

 

[DarkSable]

I dislike tenkeyless - It's way faster to enter numbers, you can set them up with shift as a program launcher, and in a lot of games, I have actions mapped to my number pad. (Especially nice for mmos)

Don't buy the razer. If you want the best, Ducky, Leopold, Daskeyboard, or Topre are your boys. I wouldn't worry to much about noise, but find the switch type (cherry mx) that appeals to you.

Personally, I use a Leopold (from elitekeyboards, for the us) with Cherry MX Browns.

It's kind of noisy, but I found I like it that way. If you want, I could send you a pack of rubber silencers I bought but don't use.


EDIT: Oh yeah, the other good option is WSAD keyboards - awesome if you want a custom keyset, and they're good quality.

(I'd avoid the lights, personally. It's another thing that could break, and a gamer shouldn't need lights. Hell, my keyboard is completely blank - not even letters.)

And avoid macro keys - it's easy to set up the numberpad to perform the same function, and is often a sign of lower quality manufacturing. (Because they're trying to get the younger crowd that goes for "gaming" parts and flashy lights.)

 

[i8myhippo]

I suggest a mechanical keyboard. There's 5 "Cherry" switches, the one I use being Cherry Black.

 

[bigcyco1]

I personally prefer mechanical keyboards, but not everyone does.

For me, the Ducky Shining takes the cake - Backlit in red/green/blue/white, comes in red/brown/black/blue switches.

From there I would look at Deck Legend boards, Filcos, and maybe on a budget the BW though i hear it's a POS.

If you don't like Mech boards, the Logitech G19 is pretty neat.I used to have one before I went to the Ducky Shining and having macros was a nice little feature.. The LCD screen was useful for ventrilo if you don't have a secondary monitor too. Backlighting was mediocre but you could choose any color in the rainbow, which was nice.

 

[bigcyco1]

The thing with keyboards your going to half to try them out before you find out what you like i have bought many i hated lol.

 

[DarkSable]

^Really? I only do that with mice. Perhaps I got lucky in my research, because I found one I loved first try.

 

[bigcyco1]

^Well maybe not allot but i have bought four i hated for sure lol.I try to buy a cheap one as i thought it was crazy to spend over $100 on a keyboard i regret it every time lol.What mouse do you have?

 

[DarkSable]

Ahh, yeah, cheap keyboards just aren't worth it. Only one I like is the Comfort Curve 2000.

Right now, a deathadder black. I finally broke down and bought a razor product after spending years trying to fine an Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 replacement. I like it, but haven't had it long enough to comment on quality... and probably won't, since for some miraculous reason, newegg got a huge stock of the old IE3.0s and was selling them for $20 each, when a USED one goes for $60 online easily.

 

[manofchalk]

Peripherals are largely subjective, what works for one person wont for another.
Heres a good explanation of the different kinds of Mechanical keyboards and what the switch colours mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHnMcFGkGcA

Can understand not buying Razer keyboards, got myself a Razer Arctosa Black edition and hate the thing. Im not a touch typist so the black lettering on black keys was a real issue as well as the general cheap feel of it, replaced it with a Thermaltake Challenger Pro and its much better.

Though other Razer products are fairly good, I love my Deathadder and Carcharias. The Deathadder is the best mouse I'v ever used and the Carcharias has lasted at least three years and still sounds great.

 

[timmymcray]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I'm going to spend some time looking at the Duckys. Does anyone else have any thoughts? After some research I'm really intrigued by the variable weight Topre keyboards has anyone used one of these and are they any good?

As for mice I have a Logitech G500 and I absolutely love it.