Gots me a new keyboard

[Wags]

Based on the advice of a knowledgeable friend, I picked up a BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard by Razer. Really impressed with the mechanical keyboard and its tactile feedback.

[cichlidfan]

Congrats. I have the same. It brings back memories of the console keyboard on a VAX.:D

 

Plus, it looks really good.

[metalnwood]

I havent seen it, I will look it up, I spent a lot of time on the old ibm keyboards, great tactile feedback and I kept a couple going for a long time.

[EtherealN]

metalnwood:

BlWYLJIibxE

 

I really love mine, I definitely recommend it. The only thing I'd say is that if you tend to stay up real late on the computer in a room where people might hear you, you might want to try finding a silent version (to avoid the clicks waking up spouse/children etcetera), but aside from that I love it. (And I prersonally only have cats, so this is no problem for me.)

[Sov13t]

I have the K90 from Corsair. Liked the engineering of it over Razer.

[EtherealN]

I have the K90 from Corsair. Liked the engineering of it over Razer.

 

I cannot understand that. Sure, the K90 has more macro keys, but they (and the F-keys) are silocone-dome actuated. A clear cost-cutting measure that in my opinion cheapens the product. I got a mechanical keyboard to get away from that mushy hell, not to have a keyboard that gives me a different experience depending on where I am on the keyboard.

 

What I like with the BlackWidow Ultimate (this does not apply to the non-ultimate) is that the switches are binned to have the exact same actuation force all over the keyboard. You lose that with the K90.

Edited June 10, 2012 by EtherealN

[Sov13t]

Doesn't bother me one bit.

 

Brushed aluminum design with elevated keys for easy cleaning/maintenance is what got me on board. The Razer looks fugly in that department - in my opinion.

 

Both products use Cherry MX keys, so actuation/consistency is a moot point between the two - Razer marketing is lolz.

Edited June 10, 2012 by Sov13t

[EtherealN]

Both products use Cherry MX keys, so actuation/consistency is a moot point between the two - Razer marketing is lolz.

 

Actually, no it's not.

And Cherry MX is not the same as Cherry MX. There's several models, and there is variance even within them simply as a fact of production methods.

 

Get two products where the only differentiation is binning of the switches, and you'll figure it out. :)

I agree Razer's marketing sometimes goes over the mark, but this is an area where they did something that is actual fact, tested by independed journalists that actually paid (as in, not demo samples selected by the marketing department) for both units.

 

This is no different to binning integrated cirquits, you're just testing a different kind of thing for a different type of characteristic.

 

That's specifically what got me to select the Ultimate; people were reacting to the different actuation force on different keys in the non-ultimate. Of course, up to the individual consumer if that it worth it for them, and not everyone will notice it.

[metalnwood]

I used to tap away on the old mechanical keyboards until the wee hours of the morning. Good memories of using computers when programming was for fun, dos, unix, the simpler time, nostalgia etc :)

[Nate--IRL--]

:( Using a €10 keyboard off ebay, not fun when typing all day.

 

:envious:

 

Nate

[Cali]

I have 2 G15's and love them!

[effte]

(And I prersonally only have cats, so this is no problem for me.)

 

[Togg]

I have QPad Mk85 with Cherry MX red. Great and not too noisy (less than MX Blue).

[genbrien]

I have 2 G15's and love them!

+1 for the G15:thumbup:

[joey45]

I'm waiting for mt 1st gen G-15 to start failing....

[metalnwood]

There are a lot of good keyboards around that last a long time. When I got one of those microsoft ergonomic 'natural' keyboards I stuck with it for years and had a backup in case it died.

 

Although, if you were using pc's in the early days and had an ibm 8088, 8086 etc then you will remember what a mechanical keyboard can feel like. Built like a tank, people carry knives down dark alleys these days because these keyboards are not made anymore.

 

If you like the feel of that kind of thing they are nice as hell.

[EtherealN]

Regarding those old IBM keyboards, there's still companies that make replicas based on the same technology, and there's still some working samples available on auction sites - like you said, built like a tank.

 

http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=907

 

I have never tried one of these replicas myself, so I cannot vouch for quality or value or anything like that, and even if you don't use them a lot the lack of win-keys are a definitive problem. It is pretty sweet that people are still making those things - or at least variants thereof - though. :)

[cichlidfan]

There are a lot of good keyboards around that last a long time. When I got one of those microsoft ergonomic 'natural' keyboards I stuck with it for years and had a backup in case it died.

 

I still have a black MS Natural on my desk (hooked to a different machine) and and two more in the closet.

[neroroxxx]

I use a Mac so I have the Mac keyboard, love it but I had been looking for a keyboard for the dcs world, something with glowing keys so Its easier to tell with the lights out