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Showing 1 of 401 conversations about:
Clique
15
May 21, 2017
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I have one. I bought it directly from Unicomp in KY. But I HAD to modify it. It's very durable. The Massdrop price is excellent. Here's mine:
nickaa827
289
May 22, 2017
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CliqueThe stickers appear slightly off center and that bugs the hell out of me but other than that I think its great :p
Clique
15
May 22, 2017
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nickaa827It bugs me, too. But I had removed the keycaps so the stickers are on the spring covers. Some of th stickers are undersized or oversized for the spring boxes. Plus I did it at work so I was under pressure to get it done without looking like I was doing it. Plus I have had to reapply many of them with office glue stick because the adhesive had given up after 4 years of use. It's my backup keyboard when I'm at another desk. I still prefer my CM Masterkeys L w Cherry MX blues. But this is a nice backup so I don't have to drag the CM from one desk to another. BTW applying those stickers with precision is harder than you think. Small targets, unsteady hand, constant interruptions, etc. Are you going to get one?
nickaa827
289
May 22, 2017
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CliqueHaha fair enough. Personally, my daily driver is a cheap-o keyboard with outemu blues, it was only $30 but it has a metal faceplate so it doesn't feel too bad, and you can swap out the switches for others and that made it really attractive for me. And I think I'm gonna deck it out instead of buying one of these lol. I really want the Vortex doubleshot PBT keycaps that are out right now.
Clique
15
May 22, 2017
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nickaa827Vortex doubleshot PBT shine through is what I put on the CM Masterkeys L, and it made a big difference. I also like some of the textured rubber ones that are out, but I wonder how they'll affect the sound. A metal faceplate goes a long way, even on a cheap-o. What switches are you using right now?
nickaa827
289
May 22, 2017
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CliqueIt just so happens I have those rubber Tai Hao keys from a previous drop :) They're terrific. I have them on my WASD letters, arrow keys, and on the number row 1-6. They feel really premium and have a really satisfying thunk when they bottom out.
And yea I agree with that statement about the faceplate, it makes any keyboard feel and sound better. Also, switches I am using are Outemu blues.
And yea I agree with that statement about the faceplate, it makes any keyboard feel and sound better. Also, switches I am using are Outemu blues.
nickaa827
289
May 23, 2017
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CliqueUnfortunately, I can't say how they compare to mx blues or buckling springs because I've never used them. But I've heard that Cherry MX are "scratchy" on the way down, something I can confirm with the MX browns on my corsair k70 lux. The outemus feel pretty smooth when you press them, with a confidently loud click. Also, I'm not really sure what you mean about non-skid for the keycaps because I can't imagine a situation where that would matter :p please elaborate
consolation
742
May 24, 2017
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CliqueModel M springs are couple orders of magnitude more pleasant to type on than any cherry switch. It's much more tactile with proper tactility (like Topre or Alps switches), not "there's some grit in my keyboard" tactility like you get with cherries... It's smooth and the landing is firm but cushioned. The sound is glorious and full; not the bic pen clicking of a blue
While you can compare different cherry switches to each other, I'm a gateron fan if I must go there; it's just not fair to compare them to proper switches as they are in a different league. It's like comparing the pleasure you get from driving a Toyota Corolla to an E-type Jag; yes, you can fit more shopping in it, yes, it's cheaper and it fits more people - but seriously, it's not a fair comparison. Cherries are linear switches that had tactility and click kludged onto them to compete with the predominant Alps designs of the time; they survived the mech switch holocaust of the 90s, because they were cheap enough to produce, they could compete with membranes on cost while offering a significantly better experience than them. But, there are few other mechanical designs that don't wipe the floor with them.
The unicomp might not be as nice as some early model Ms, it's still much much better than cherry switches; you get 90% of the model M experience with N key rollover plus USB compatibility straight out of the box - no need to get a socket set and soldering iron to make it work.
If you are into keyboards, you should at least experience the model M for a while, it's the baseline that all others refrence from.
PS - you can get very nice APL keycap set from unicomps website.
While you can compare different cherry switches to each other, I'm a gateron fan if I must go there; it's just not fair to compare them to proper switches as they are in a different league. It's like comparing the pleasure you get from driving a Toyota Corolla to an E-type Jag; yes, you can fit more shopping in it, yes, it's cheaper and it fits more people - but seriously, it's not a fair comparison. Cherries are linear switches that had tactility and click kludged onto them to compete with the predominant Alps designs of the time; they survived the mech switch holocaust of the 90s, because they were cheap enough to produce, they could compete with membranes on cost while offering a significantly better experience than them. But, there are few other mechanical designs that don't wipe the floor with them.
The unicomp might not be as nice as some early model Ms, it's still much much better than cherry switches; you get 90% of the model M experience with N key rollover plus USB compatibility straight out of the box - no need to get a socket set and soldering iron to make it work.
If you are into keyboards, you should at least experience the model M for a while, it's the baseline that all others refrence from.
PS - you can get very nice APL keycap set from unicomps website.
Clique
15
May 24, 2017
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consolationThanks for breaking down the switch characteristics. I'm looking forward to the arrival of a new keyboard with Gateron. My daily driver has Cherry MX blues.
Here's my Unicomp. It's my backup. My favorite keyboard ever was a Matias with white ALPS switches. But I still had to change out the keycaps for a better bottom-out. The thing is, I've gone through two of them already. The big keys failed and I couldn't find anyone to repair them. The thing about fingers sliding: I prop my keyboard at a high angle so I'm not connecting squarely with the keys. The smoother the keys, the less accurate -- for me.
Here's my Unicomp. It's my backup. My favorite keyboard ever was a Matias with white ALPS switches. But I still had to change out the keycaps for a better bottom-out. The thing is, I've gone through two of them already. The big keys failed and I couldn't find anyone to repair them. The thing about fingers sliding: I prop my keyboard at a high angle so I'm not connecting squarely with the keys. The smoother the keys, the less accurate -- for me.
consolation
742
May 25, 2017
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nickaa827Oops, sorry Clique, I meant to reply to nickaa827 re the switches etc - I realise you have the kb already. Have you thought about picking up a different set from Unicomps shop? BTW, I totally agree; Matias Alps are really underappreciated, with all the complicated Alps fanboyism, they get thrown in the simple Alps basket - which is really unfair. They have a glorious bassy click, and are much more flexible than buckling springs; I like the tactility of buckling springs more, but the sound of matias' alps is glorious.
nickaa827
289
May 25, 2017
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consolationwell in that case, thanks for the thorough explanation
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