Britt CoxonJan 4, 2023
Contemplating spending decent money on a computer keyboard. I need to know what a good keyboard is. Like, not too clacky, pleasing to type with. Maybe programmable lights. Is there a keyboard showroom? Or do I need to find my way to keyboard nerd YouTube? Are you a keyboard nerd?
Show threadDave BulmerJan 4, 2023

@brittcoxon No, but I know a man who is.

@Xander, what's a good keyboard. Now before you get all excited, I mean for a normal person.

Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@DemonTomatoDave @Xander Normal is a bit... much?
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon @DemonTomatoDave Hahaha. I suspect he meant that relative to me. I’m a Twitch streamer and own approximately 200 keyboards.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon @DemonTomatoDave For “not too clacky, pleasing to type with” I would suggest Topre. Layout preferences will be an important factor here though so depends if you want a UK/EU style (ISO standard) layout or a US style (ANSI); the former significantly limits options but they do exist. But if you go Topre then you only really have one option with RGB LEDs and they are basically the worst version of a Topre keyboard.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon @DemonTomatoDave If you need ISO and both the RGB and relative silence is important then you’re likely going to be looking at a Cherry MX style keyboard with silenced switches but having tried a lot of them I’ve very rarely been particularly impressed. It’s a whole minefield this stuff though so figuring out what your preferences are when you don’t yet fully know what the variables are yet is a big part of it!
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@Xander @DemonTomatoDave Would getting something hot swappable but reasonably cheap be a good starting point, so I can change the switches out to my preference?
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023

@brittcoxon @DemonTomatoDave Possibly yes. There are not many but a handful of budget options that are ISO and hot-swappable for MX type switches. Notably, Keychron stuff: https://www.keychron.com/collections/custom-keyboards?pf_t_layout_standard=Standard%3AISO&pf_t_qmk_via_support=QMK%2FVIASupport%3AYes&pf_t_switch_mount=SwitchMount%3AHot-swappable

Some of those are sold in the UK by The Keyboard Company: https://www.keyboardco.com

Custom Keyboards

Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@DemonTomatoDave @brittcoxon If you want silence though you’re best getting one without switches and then buying some quiet switches to test out
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@Xander @DemonTomatoDave I mean I don't want absolute silence, a little feedback is nice. My current keyboard is like clomping along on a hollow pipe in tap shoes. The laptop keyboard is nice but not quite enough travel on the button push as it's virtually flat.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon @DemonTomatoDave See a lot of this is going to be about clarity of concept/language because this is sort of tricky stuff to put into words with precision. When you say “feedback” do you just mean some sort of noise, or do you mean a physical sensation that specifically happens around the time the key actuates (as opposed to because it hit the bottom, which is not when they actuate)?
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@Xander Yah this is the stuff I just don't know and probably won't until I try. With the UK/US layout difference I can probably just lie to the computer and say it's UK as I know the layout and maybe swap the appropriate keys if it bugs me.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon Ah see we’re talking at crossed purposes. I’m talking about physical key layout. Not what the keys do. One sec.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon UK vs US physical layout based on the mid-80s IBM Enhanced Keyboard to show you what I mean. Either will work fine logically but you will lose one key with a US physical layout and the area around the Return/Enter key is different.
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@Xander Ohh, okay so the UK one is definitely what I'm used to but the main difference is the location of the # key which I could relearn and is similar to a mac keyboard.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon Hang on do you use a MacBook?
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@Xander I do not. My partner uses a little wireless keyboard on his mac and he can never find the # or the £ first time, it involves option keys or something.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon I mean for context this is what I usually use on my MacBook. (Neither UK nor US Enhanced layout, is based on an old Sun Microsystems UNIX layout.)
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@Xander Oh you're one of those no label types. I think I'd be find with that until I looked down.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023

@brittcoxon I also built this one for an ex hahah.

Incidentally, if you would like something a little more personal to you, I could build something from custom parts…

Show threadBritt CoxonJan 5, 2023
@Xander I might consider it. I'm a very slow decision maker and currently in fact finding mode so I might not be ready for fully custom yet.
Show threadXanderJan 5, 2023
@brittcoxon I’m very much the same. If you need any more info dumps let me know, happy to oblige. I have spent more hours researching this shit than anybody probably should hahah.
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 7, 2023

@Xander let's make sure I get this right.

If I purchase this: https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/uk-keychron-k8-bluetooth-rgb-backlit-hot-swap-linear-mac-keyboard.asp
- I'll be able to acquire nice keys whenever suits to (for example) make it look like this: https://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/v141-uk-ma88m-v2-cmyk-pbt-backlit-ec-sakura-v2-tenkeyless-keyboard.asp

Are all keys compatible (within the limits of the keyboard size/designs we've already discussed)? Any recommendations for where buy keys if I want to be "unique" and mix and match my colours like that?

UK Keychron K8 Bluetooth RGB Backlit Hot-Swap Linear Aluminium Mac/PC Keyboard : K8-J1-UK : The Keyboard Company

Show threadXanderJan 7, 2023
@brittcoxon No, not all keycaps (which is what you are referring to by the way) are compatible with all keyboards, different layout variations exist e.g. difference in space bar length and size of other keys on bottom row. But the vast majority of keycaps you’ll find are the same mechanical mounting type which is because most of the custom market is based on Cherry MX.
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 7, 2023
@Xander yes, the mechanical mounting bit is mostly what I had in mind. Beyond that measurements are in u's as I understand? I think when the time comes I'll not go too wrong as tenkeyless seems a standard thing, as does the size of the keys I would consider swapping out. I may have reached a decision.
Show threadXanderJan 13, 2023
@brittcoxon Sorry I just realised you might have meant not swapping every keycap; if so, be mindful of keycap profile, is in shape. Some are taller, have different angle, etc. The majority of budget stuff will be “OEM” profile.
Show threadXanderJan 13, 2023
@brittcoxon And yes most people use a TKL (I personally hate them passionately and have 0 unless you count one I gutted for parts but I’m in a niche of a niche) but hardly anybody with a custom keyboard uses ISO layout so you will have far less freedom of choice than with ANSI. For example, many cheap keycaps that do technically support ISO don’t have the correct keys for UK ISO and instead do dumb shit like giving you two backslashes (one where it goes on UK ISO and one for #).
Show threadBritt Coxon
@Xander the K8 uses OEM profile, and I found a useful diagram to make sure I get the right sizes when I one day switch out R1 for cheerful colourful keycaps.
Jan 13, 2023 at 7:51pmWeb
Show threadXanderJan 13, 2023
@brittcoxon It does, aye; was just meaning make sure you check profiles of whatever keycaps you buy. Mixing in Cherry or DSA or whatever with the OEM keys will look goofy AF. Also: just to be awkward, that diagram has the row numbers backwards compared to many Keycap manufacturers haha.
Show threadXanderJan 13, 2023
@brittcoxon R1 often refers to the number row, and sometimes also F row (which sometimes is called R0 when it has differently profiled keys from num row)
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 13, 2023
@Xander Who knew getting rainbow keys along the bottom of the keyboard would be so hard?
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 13, 2023
@Xander So close, but completely the wrong profile: https://mechbox.co.uk/collections/keycaps-sets/products/multi-coloured-dsa-keycap-set-30-keys?variant=43155941490933
Multi-Coloured DSA Keycap Set (30 Keys)

Show threadXanderJan 13, 2023
@brittcoxon Exactly aye: DSA is v common in budget keycaps because every row is the same profile so it’s cheap to manufacture.
Show threadXanderJan 13, 2023
@brittcoxon I would recommend looking at vendors like KeebCats and MechBoards, and maybe MechMods. Otherwise, AliExpress and import from the Chinese manufacturers. Don’t buy from a drop shipper who just buys from AliEx and passes onto you at a markup when they arrive.
Show threadBritt CoxonJan 13, 2023
@Xander Bookmarked for future reference! :D