Drop Mech Keys Meetup Recap - Thanks for Visiting!
As you may have seen, we just hosted our first meetup in quite a while here at Drop HQ (Corsair HQ, but they seem to like us enough :) )! It was a blast to get to meet so many enthusiasts local to the bay area—it had been 10 years since I was last hanging out with keyboard nerds in the bay, at KeyCon 2014. We had a great time hosting everyone at the offices, checking out all the very nice boards y'all brought, and sharing some of our own projects/spaces! I knew it would be fun to host in the Game Room when I first saw it in person, but seeing it come to fruition was still so cool. Alright, I'll stop blabbering on now. xD Picture time! (Oh, real quick - there will be more of these! Stay tuned for more info and to catch the next one!)
May 15, 2024
Grey (linear): A nice, lightweight linear switch. These switches are extremely smooth and lack the 'graininess' that usually accompanies Cherry Reds and Blacks, which is a nice touch. I prefer these to their Cherry counterparts.
Orange (tactile): These have a very noticeable tactile bump with what feels to me like a slightly higher actuation point than Cherry Browns and Clears. It's like a cross between the two, in that the bump is about as pronounced as a Clear, while having a similar actuation force to a Brown. Unfortunately, I do think they feel a bit plasticky with a fair bit of graininess above the actuation point. They're definitely not as premium feeling as Clears. I would not personally recommend these switches over their Cherry counterparts.
Purple (click): These are my favourite of the bunch. My current daily driver is a Ducky Shine 4 with Cherry Green switches and these come close to beating them. The Purples are much smoother than Orange and this, coupled with an extremely pleasant clicking sound, make for a near-perfect typing experience. If EpicGear produced an alternative with an actuation force as high as a Cherry Green, they could very possibly be my favourite switches of all. I'd recommend these over Cherry Blues, but not Cherry Greens out of personal preference for a high actuation force. If you're looking for a lightweight, clicky switch with no noticeable graininess, you found it here.
In conclusion, if EG produced a keyboard with their Purple switches that didn't come in a package that looks like the brainchild of an axe murderer and a toddler, I'd take it into serious consideration. Also, I'd likely purchase a keyboard with a firmer version of the Purple switch.
P.S. Thank you to EpicGear for providing us with these sample kits. I think it's a great way to get your product out there. You've turned an overwhelmingly negative response into a positive learning experience for your potential consumer base.