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BTW: to answer to myself, clear switches feel much better than brown ones :p
I actually voted for browns but took a risk and ordered my dox with clears... lets see how those feel.
What why is everyone voting for brown? Browns are terrible. Utterly terrible.
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Huggy_Bear
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You are stating your opinion, not fact. Some people might like or even need something different.
Huggy_Bear
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I'm voting brown because I have an understanding that black is neither known nor enjoyed by the masses well enough to pull a victory, and I abhor blues, so I'm taking the lesser of two evils :)
Hi Everyone,
From the looks of it, we'll be able to offer all six of these Cherry MX switch options during the next Ergodox Massdrop.
We're working on getting the last round fulfilled and the new round launched as promptly as possible!
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AFAIK Cherry is backlogged nearly indefinitely; there's a long wait list for switches.
Edit: this is for the whole conversation, I imagine you knew that, Will. :)
Bummer. :-(
The QWER Tester drop was a huge help to me.
What I discovered is that the Browns are closest to the keys on my favorite keyboard of all time, the Apple Extended Keyboard which used ALPS switches.
But after playing with the various switches, I realized that the Browns felt to me like a dirty version of the Red switch. I couldn't feel a clear tactile point.
As a lapsed piano player, and tuba player who chose a rotary valve instrument BECAUSE of that tactile feel, the Blues feel better to me. But I don't like the noise level.
While I'm waiting on AcidFire's Nexus keyboard (on GeekHack) to come to fruition, I needed to go ahead and order a TrulyErgonomic keyboard which only includes those two (three if you count Reds) choices. So I had to choose between the two.
I eventually settled on the Blues for two reasons:
1 - The tactile feedback helps me avoid bottoming out, something I always did on that old Apple keyboard.
2 - The Blue has tighter side to side tolerances, meaning that off center hits still push straight down. The Brown seemed more sloppy.
That said, I'm hoping that Clears will give me the tactile feedback I need from the Blues without the noise. I have some samples on order (which should arrive any minute) that I'll be able to test with their stock springs as well as the lighter Blue springs. If they work as I hope, they'll be the best of both worlds. Once I can do that testing, THEN I'll be ready to vote. :-)
2 hours later: The test switches have arrived. The stock Clear switch is definitely heavier than the Blue and Brown, and even heavier than the Green. I would say more like a tactile Black. The tactile bump doesn't feel very strong; about equivalent to the Brown. So it winds up feeling much like a heavy Brown.
But after replacing the spring, it really is a different switch. The tactile bump is almost (but not quite) as notable as the Blue's. It's as quiet as the Brown, and generally as light as both. It's about as laterally sloppy as the Brown, though.
Still, when all is said and done, I definitely have a new favorite switch. The Clear, with a lighter spring.
EWTHeckman
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Welcome to ergo-clears.
Edit: Jelly, I still need a full ergo-clear/clear board. :<
I'm an FPS gamer so it really doesn't get much better than what I have now which is MX Reds with o-ring dampeners installed. You really have to re-learn how to type on these, but once you get the hang of it these are wicked responsive. For people who want something a bit less light to the touch, the Blacks are the same thing but with more actuation force required aka a denser spring.
I wouldn't mind browns, but I don't like the touch feedback they give. Most people require that; I'm one of the few who don't.
O-rings really are a necessity though.
OmarFW
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I see, but why would a FPS gamer go for a 200+$ *ergonomic* keyboard? As a gamer I would just take any ordinary, non-ergonomic (mechanical) keyboard or a programmable squared keyboard such as x-keys... The benefit of an ergonomic keyboard is better touch typing, isn't it?
touchtyper1000
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Advantage from ErgoDox for me as a gamer would be huge ergonomically. I have 2 feet wide glass mouse surface and if I use full sized keyboard my arms are forced to very wide angle obviously. Now my keyboard is placed in front of that glass but that requires a bit of stretching towards keyboard. Even with my tkl-keyboard don't want to use it left side of the mouse surface. You see where I'm getting to. To free and more importantly - ergonomic - placement of the left piece of ErgoDox.
And when typing the benefits are there of course to be gained with ErgoDox. I had once symmetrical (one body) keyboard and I loved it until it brake down eventually. But it is not manufactured anymore so no luck for replacement.
On topic: I voted Brown ones which I'm using right now.
I think they already knew people wanted browns. The main three choices they had in the last couple drops were based on availability, not what they thought people wanted. Last drop they had browns and greens (not sure what else), but because quantities were limited they charged extra for those switches.
Result of voting: I guess the message of the voting is clear: The brown are the most wanted (31%), Blue and clear are both quite popular, too (26% each). Only approximately 11% prefer red. The green and the black are the least wanted (4% each).
So I suggest that the Ergodox-Kit is changed in a way so to have brown, blue and clear switches as selectable options (satisfying 82% of all users!), instead of black, blue and clear, as it is now (satisfying only 55% of all users).
What is the reason that so many users vote for the CLEAR?
The CLEAR have a tactile key feel, just like the BROWN do, but a much higher actuation force of 55 cN (which is almost as much as the 60 cN of the BLACK which are way to stiff for touch typing!), compared to just 45cN of the BROWN, so the CLEAR are much more fatiguing when touch typing, than the BROWN.
So what is the strength of the CLEAR that many users are voting for?
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Hi MangoTangoFox,
I see, thank you for the information.
Well, then I guess that I am very well advised with my choice for BROWN, since what I am seeking for is the perfect keyboard solution for comfortable, effortless and lightning fast touch typing that is not fatiguing my finger muscles and tendons, rather than caring about how "common" or "rare" my switches are.
After all I am not seeking for some kind of fancy "rare collector's item", but for the best tool for the task, i.e. the best keyboard for ergonomic and effortless touch typing.
touchtyper1000
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It's all personal preference. I voted for clear because I like switches with tactical feedback and I prefer switches with a higher activation force. It helps me avoid accidental keypresses and also avoid bottoming out. I actually find it more stressful on my hands if I have to avoid accidentally hitting keys with a light activation force.
There are two kings when it comes to Cherry Switches.
For typists, BLUE is by far the best. The tactile and audible response is amazing, and I can almost guarantee that they will give you the most significant improvement in touch-typing speed, though all of the switches will make you faster over standard membrane and laptop boards.
For gamers that also like to type, BROWN is the best. It offers most of the responsiveness of blues, but they are much quieter and therefor less distracting while gaming, and they are less likely to be picked up by your microphone, especially with dampening pads/o-rings.
Black and Red might be fine if you always bottom out your key-presses, but if you do that, you wouldn't care about speed and precision, which the tactile feedback allows for, as you can confidently move just past the activation point very rapidly.
Now with all that said, for gamers that only want to game and don't care about typing pleasure or speed at all, there is an even better solution. Membrane Keyboards. This is a very common misconception, but it is limited to boards with very specific properties. Ones were the keycap will not move at all until you build up an exact amount of pressure. But when they finally move, that pressure needs to make it so that the key snaps down and activates. To find keyboards like this, there is a very simple test. Simply press down with one finger, and it should be impossible to depress the key, without also activating it. Usually, the only way you can do that, is if you use the strength of your other hand holding your finger, to go past the pressure without fully depressing the key. If your keyboard is like that, it is optimal for gaming. I know this sounds weird, but trust me, this comes from tons of experience and testing.
I know for sure that the Microsoft Sidewinder x4 and x6 boards fit that requirement, and I think the Steelseries APEX boards do as well, but the problem is, the sidewinders are discontinued/rare and cost too much, and the apex boards just cost too much even though they are still being made.
If you are dead set on gaming and only gaming, I'd highly reccomend trying some boards in person to see if any pass that test, or find one of the APEX boards on sale. (I snagged one for $20 from tigerdirect, but to this day they refuse to give it to me, claiming that they don't have any in stock, and yet they continue to sell them...) I'd also reccomend something with Macros on the left side and music/volume controls up above the num-pad or in the F keys under a toggle, as both of those can be very useful both inside and outside of games.
However, if you would like to increase your typing speed and enjoy typing more, I'd fully reccomend Brown Cherry Switches, because the nearly binary function of the specific membrane boards I mentioned that is so great for gaming, feels horrible for typing, and will probably make you slower then a basic/standard membrane that you'd see in schools. It has to do with key repetition speeds and various other factors that I could spend an hour explaining. >.>
Further ErgoDox Poll: Which Keycaps should be added to the kit? https://www.massdrop.com/vote/ergodox-which-keycaps-should-be-added-to-the-kit
I voted for the BROWN, since they are the best for touch typing! Their advantages are:
1. Tactile: You receive a tactile feedback as the key actuates which is crucial for touch typing because without it you might not actuate a key when typing fast
2. Low actuation force: The brown have (together with the red) the lowest actuation force of all Cherry MX switches (45 g force needed), with the light weighting allowing for more rapid actuation and making touch typing very comfortable and less fatiguing than stiffer switches such as the Black or Clear (60 g force needed).
3. No click: Clicky switches add a deliberately louder ‘click’ noise to the existing tactile bump, making them noticeably louder than other mechanical switches, which are already louder than rubber domes, so these switches can be a bit disruptive in close working conditions. The click noise is supposed to add an additional audible typing feedback so that the typist knows when a switch was actuated. But this feedback is not needed, since the tactile feedback of the brown is more then enough. The additional "click, click, click" sound is just annoying.
So if you are searching for the perfect touch typing sensation vote for the CHERRY MX BROWN! They are soft for rapid and fatigue-proof touch typing but yet tactile so you can touch type with confidence, and since they are without "click" they don't get on your nerves with that old-school "click, click, click, click" sound in your office!
touchtyper1000
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Can confirm! Typing this on MX Browns. (: