Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by pbowyer 4148 days ago
Thanks - I looked at that online today. Cost doesn't matter - even if I got 1wpm more or did 4 min extra typing a day, it'd pay for itself.

Without being able to experience these keyboards, the choice of Cherry MX Brown/Cherry MX Red/Topre is tricky. As you say, it's a very personal thing, and I suspect the difference between those three isn't as important as having a good keyboard layout and sane key action.
2 comments
esw 4148 days ago
Agreed, and it's so subjective. I was a long-time Apple keyboard user (I had the flat chiclet board for years), and struggled with whether a mechanical keyboard would be too loud, or the extra key travel would bother me. I ordered a key/switch sampler, but even with that it's pretty hard to get a sense what they'll feel like on a board. I obsessed about keyboards for probably a month before breaking down and ordering a WASD with Cherry MX Blues. For what it's worth, I found that the loudness of these keyboards was wildly overstated, and I think you probably get used to whatever you've got after a few weeks of use anyway. I never really think about my keyboard until one of these threads pops up, which is funny considering how much mental energy I devoted to choosing one.
link
pbowyer 4147 days ago
Thank you, this is really helpful. I find the keyboard on my 2009 MBP pretty good so the chiclet board is appealing - but equally I know I hit these keys too hard for my own good, and bottom them out all the time. It's more tiring to type on than a good desktop keyboard.

> I obsessed about keyboards for probably a month before breaking down and ordering a WASD [...] I never really think about my keyboard until one of these threads pops up, which is funny considering how much mental energy I devoted to choosing one.

Oh boy, that sounds just like me! You should have seen the months I took to spec out my new desktop computer. Drop me an email if you want to have a foil for these times :)

link
wattson12 4148 days ago
A lot of keyboard places will send you a sampler, with a few keys of different types: http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/wasd-6-key-cherry-mx-...
link