Last year, I decided to finally become a competent touch-typist and better Emacs user. An unforeseen result of both decisions is that I am developing a mild keyboard obsession.
For the past couple of years I have been using a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic keyboard which has been good but lately I've felt the urge for a change - an irrational desire I'm sure.
Somewhere along the way in considering a new keyboard, I thought it would be cool to get a mechanical model. Probably due to nostalgia, the sound of a "clicky" keyboard is just one of those aesthetic things that makes me think of "real" programming and helps me enter a flow state.
Not knowing anything about mechanical keyboards, I thought it best to do some research. Through the power of Google, I found:
- this blog post on mechanical keyboards with a video demonstration of various models.
- this video summarizing the attributes of various mechanical switches.
- many, many YouTube videos of people typing on various keyboards
After reviewing this material, I considered four options:
- Kinesis Advantage Contoured: well known for its ergonomics and "cool factor". However, the high price (~$300) and unusual layout made me hesitant.
- Unicomp Customizer 104: based on the same buckling spring technology as the renown IBM Model M and reasonably priced at $70. I decided against it mainly due to the greater key resistance.
- Das Keyboard: a popular keyboard amongst geeks that uses Cherry Blue switches (tactile, and clicky) and priced at $130. Unfortunately the glossy case reportedly attracts an abnormal amount of dust.
- Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless: an imported keyboard available with either Cherry Blue or Cherry Brown (tactile, no click) switches available from elitekeyboards.com for ~$120.
In the end, I went with the Filco after reading many positive reviews. While I came close to buying the brown switches, I decided that I really wanted that aesthetic "clicky" sound of the blues.
It's only been a couple of days but so far I really like the Filco. The keys feel smooth and solid - my MacBookPro keyboard just feels wimpy now. The switches are definitely clicky, this YouTube video provides a pretty good example. The only negative is that I miss the ergonomic design of the Microsoft keyboard.
I'm just using the Filco at home for now to avoid driving my cube neighbors nuts with all the clicking but if things go well perhaps I'll buy another Filco with the brown switches for work.
Join the mechanical keyboard retro-revolution!
