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Whoever mentioned this keyboard... ...is absolutely correct. I use one at work, and it feels fantastic to type on. HOWEVER, if I could design the perfect keyboard, it would be this one, EXCEPT I'd take the numberpad part of the keyboard and place it on the left side of the keyboard (I am right-handed, by the way), about an inch or so from the current left-most keys. Why? Because that way, you could keep the keyboard lined up with your monitor without having to shift your hands way to the left. With current right hand keyboards, you either type with your hands centered to your left, or you align your hands to the center of your monitor, but now the numberpad sticks out too far to the right and you have to place your mouse too far away from you. Oh, and I'd add an adjustable backlight to make the keys easier to read in the dark. There you have it. The perfect keyboard. If this keyboard existed, I'd buy like ten of them.
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Dec 11, 2009 05:08
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Stew Man Chew posted:Huh? Who needs to... align their keyboard with their monitor? I put my keyboard wherever I'm comfortable. Also the number pad is used with the tab key to shift fields into which you're entering values, a right-side numpad cramps up your hands on one side of the keyboard. I, for one, would like to center my hands with my monitor. That's where I'm the most comfortable  Unfortunately for me though, that puts the number pad too far to the right of center and it gets in the way of where I'd like my mouse to be. Also, I really don't see why it wouldn't be just as easy to enter numerical values with your left hand and use your left thumb for pressing Tab. I can understand why some people wouldn't like that though. But I think we can both agree that adjustable lights would pretty much always be an improvement on any keyboard (as long as it didn't mess with the way the keys felt and you could turn it off at will).
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Dec 23, 2009 01:18
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I just discovered the Filco keyboard, the black one with blank keys and no numberpad. I want to buy one right now. I've always wanted a keyboard without a numberpad. Wish they made it with backlit keys though. bloodynose posted:Why would you have blank keys and backlit? I basically just mentioned the blank keys to describe the keyboard I was talking about, not because it was a feature I felt positively or negatively about. I guess, now that I think about it, blank keys with backlit symbols would be cool though. I don't exactly need the the key to have the symbol on it to know what buttons I'm pressing because I learned to touch type a while ago, but it would be cool to have the backlighting just so I wouldn't have to fumble around and find the anchor keys when my computer room is dark. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Jan 4, 2010 |
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Jan 4, 2010 22:53
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Ok, I've looked all over google, and I can't seem to find any official Filco keyboard website or even vendors that sell them for American dollars. What gives? And I have no idea what the differences between all the models and key types are. Is there one comprehensive website that explains all this... and maybe lists the prices and has an order form on site as well? VVVV Thanks for the links! I think I'm going to go for one of the number pad-less Filco keyboards. Should be nice. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 10:01 on Jan 6, 2010 |
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Jan 6, 2010 09:24
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Ok, so I've read up on these mechanical keyboards and they sound pretty cool. Now, however, I've been made aware of the three different types of keys (Cherry Blues, Browns, and Blacks) and have no idea which kind I'd like more. I've ruled out the Cherry Blue keys because I'm not a fan of keys with a super light feel, and all the late night typing I do would probably wake up MY GIRLFRIEND if the keys were clicky. That leaves Cherry Brown and Black. From what I understand, they're pretty similar, except the Browns have a tiny bump in their travel for tactile feedback, while the Blacks have zero tactile feedback, so they travel completely smoothly all the way down, and they're a little stiffer than the Browns. What this means is that the Browns tend to be a little better for typing and the Blacks tend to be a little better for gaming. I do a lot of both. Hmm, what to do what to do. Whatever keys I get though, I'll probably go for a Filco keyboard without the numberpad, with the red escape key and purple WASD keys. It's all kinds of nerd-awesome. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 16:26 on Jan 6, 2010 |
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Jan 6, 2010 16:21
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Alright then. Looks like I'm getting a Filco keyboard, sans number pad, with Brown Cherry MX keys! Now to decide whether to get the standard or blank version. 
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Jan 6, 2010 17:09
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Glad to hear you like the new keyboard, Spiffy. Honestly, I was using the same old keyboard for years until it finally started to give out. So, I decided that because the keyboard is the part of the computer I interact with most, I'd get what I thought would be a nice one. I went to Best Buy and bought a G15, thinking that surely it was a good one. A keyboard that expensive must have good parts and all that, right? I mean surely not every single instant of the G15's R&D was spent on the LCD screen, macro buttons, and backlight. Surely not. Anyway, I took the keyboard out of the box, put it on my desk, and started to try it out. Ten minutes later it was back in the box, ready to be taken back to the store. Now I wouldn't consider myself a weathered critic of keyboards or anything like that, but it felt like poo poo. For comparion, my previous keyboard was some cheap Logitech modeled after the Microsoft internet keyboard, and that cheap thing was ten times the keyboard the G15 was. I honestly don't see how people type with it the G15. Spongy and rubbery are the main words that come to mind when thinking about the feel of the keys. Oh, and good job placing a heavily textured logo at the exact place your right hand is supposed to rest, Logitech. Way to go on that product testing. Can't wait to try out that Filco!
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Jan 12, 2010 18:52
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Eikre posted:The more I think about it, the more I think the choice of having the numpad on the right side of the board in an antiquated configuration. It made sense when the keyboard was the primary and lone input device on the majority of computers; when the user shifts from typing to number entry, it is logical to manipulate the pad with what the majority of users consider their dominant hand. I agree 100%. The numberpad should definitely be on the left hand side of the keyboard. Even at my job, where I spend a lot of time using the numberpad, I still think it just gets in the way of the mouse, being on the right side. Mouse with right hand, key numbers with left. Makes complete sense, and as a bonus, this would shift all the other keys to the right, so you wouldn't have to type with your hands off to your left anymore because of the orientation of the alphabetic keys relative to the layout of your keyboard and mouse.
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Jan 23, 2010 19:58
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I can see paying over $100 for a keyboard, but $122 for just a numberpad? Ha. Ha ha. It's funny because it's so absurd.
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Jan 25, 2010 15:59
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Oh crap, I want a Filco Tenkeyless with Cherry Browns. Blue LEDs are brighter than any other color LED. CapsLock will light up my entire computer room. Eh, electrical tape should fix it.
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Feb 4, 2010 01:16
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So after all this time, I finally went and pulled the trigger on a brand new Filco Tenkeyless Cherry Brown keyboard (and a set of super duper nerdy purple WASD keys to go with it). I'm really looking forward to trying it out and seeing if these things really are as great as everybody says they are. Honestly, as long as typing on it feels "at least as good" as my current keyboard I'll be happy, because the biggest selling point for me is honestly the removal of the numberpad. At work, numberpads are fine, but they're annoying and redundant for home use, in my opinion. If typing on the thing turns out to be an improvement, well that's just icing on the cake then.
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Feb 4, 2010 17:21
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Filco makes keyboards with Cherry Blacks as well, and they're the quietest keys out of all the Cherry series, just so you know. They have no ergonomic "bump" in the travel of the key, and you don't have to press the key to the bottom of the keyboard to activate it, so it's basically as silent as it can be. However, they're supposedly not as good for typing as the Blues or Browns due to the lack of tactile response. Also, you'd be surprised at how many nerds on YouTube record the sounds their keyboards make. I'd start there to get a general idea. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Feb 4, 2010 |
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Feb 4, 2010 17:45
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Mike the TV posted:I was able to try out a G15 last night and it was one of the squishiest keyboards I've ever used. Yep. I actually bought one from Best Buy because I've heard great things about them, took it home, and had it open, played with, and put back in the box to be returned within ten minutes. The keys felt awful. edit: and that was before I even knew about the super keyboards talked about in this thread. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Feb 9, 2010 |
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Feb 6, 2010 23:20
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Priam posted:I've always thought the g11/g15/gwhatever keyboards sucked, never really understood why "gamers" liked them so much. Plus they take up so much loving space on your desk They probably like them because they look like robot keyboards from the future. Plus, they have that little screen on them that tells people stuff. Honestly though, I have heard that the screen is really useful, but personally I couldn't get past the way the keys felt. And besides, it's not like any of these "pro, mechanical switch keyboards" are advertised anywhere in any form at all. Most people simply have no idea they exist. I certainly didn't before I found this thread.
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Feb 8, 2010 17:03
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The Logitech G13 looks like it could be cool, but based on the indentations it seems like the WASD keys are actually on the top and 2nd rows, so it basically turns the G13 into a collection of buttons on the left side of the keyboard but with no row of number keys. What PC gamer is able to play games without the number keys?
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Feb 9, 2010 15:52
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So is there a mouse megathread to go with the keyboard one? I mean the two kind of go together.
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Feb 9, 2010 22:05
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So I just got my Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches, and I've been playing around with it for about 20 minutes or so. It feels very different from every other keyboard I've ever typed on. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked it, but now, just a few minutes later, I think it's starting to grow on me already. I do have one small issue with the board though, and I can't tell if it's going to get better with use or not. I expected the key travel to be a little smoother. It's hard to explain. It's like with each key press, I can feel the plastic of the key rubbing the plastic of the board itself, and the textures of both are just a little bit rough. It almost feels like WD-40 would fix the problem by lubricating the spaces between the keys, but I feel like it would be colossally stupid to take all the keys off and spray the stuff on the exposed keys. Will the feel of the keys smooth out over time, or do they stay like this? Oh, and the red escape key and purple (lavender actually, to be a pretentious fag about it) WASD keys are just too cool, by the way. EnergizerFellow posted:The first one is always free... Haha, I can tell you that is most definitely not the case. This little bastard wasn't cheap. 
GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Feb 10, 2010 |
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Feb 10, 2010 03:40
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TheQat posted:You might be feeling the activation point of the brown switches. Maybe, but it doesn't feel like a tactile bump, really. The keystrokes feel like two small, rough pieces of plastic rubbing together, like I can feel the friction of textured plastic on textured plastic with each key press. Then again, it could be because I'm just used to rubber domed keyboards having a "smoother" feel, as when you press one of those keys down, it's just a piece of rubber being flexed, and not actual plastic pieces rubbing together. You know, reading back over these posts, I feel like the protagonist in the goddamn Princess and the Pea.
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Feb 11, 2010 21:41
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I do notice a bump, but only sometimes. It's not obvious at all, really. To feel the bump, I have to kind of look for it. I mean, if I didn't already know there was a tactile bump in the key travel, I'd probably believe you if you told me there wasn't one. And these keys are light too. Just resting your fingers on the home row could activate a key or two if you let your hand go limp. Maybe that's why I'm noticing all these tiny details. The keys could be so light that I have to use a really light touch, and so all the tactile sensations are multiplied in my mind because I'm not busy man handling the keyboard like I used to do. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Feb 11, 2010 |
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Feb 11, 2010 22:13
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Apparently, buying a Filco Tenkeyless keyboard with Cherry MX Brown Switches has made me hopelessly anal about how my keyboards feel and operate now. So, in an effort to attain the perfect keyboard (what a ridiculous pursuit), I've been messing around with it because I wasn't 100% happy about it, which normally wouldn't be a huge issue, but I paid over $100 for the drat thing, so I figure I'd try and get the most I could out of it. Here are three small things you can do to make your Filco Tenkeyless with Cherry MX Browns a lot better than it was when you first took it out of the box: 1. Reverse the space bar - I'm totally serious. I was amazed at the difference this made. I found that while I liked the feel of the rest of the keyboard, the spacebar was practically cutting into my thumbs with the way it was angled, so I decided to flip it around, and the problem, to my surprise, was basically eliminated completely with no drawbacks. The top of the space bar is now angled exactly flush with the way my thumbs land on it.  Click here for the full 800x600 image.  Click here for the full 800x600 image. After you take the space bar off, in order to put it back on the keyboard reversed, you'll have to get some needle-nosed pliers and use them to reverse the two small guiding holsters on the underside of the space bar. Don't just twist the guides with the pilers though, or you'll break them. You have to pull them completely out of their holes first. They're not glued in, so don't worry about that. If you're not familiar with what I'm talking about, don't worry, it's pretty obvious once you remove the space bar and see for yourself. After you do this though, the space bar does sit at a slightly different angle than the rest of the keys and does have a kind of "one of these things is not like the other" vibe to it, but it does feel a lot better. Besides, the look probably won't matter to you anyway because no longer having the space bar cut into your thumbs will vastly outweigh any problems you might have with the space bar's now slightly out of place appearance. 2. Dampen the keys themselves with O-Rings. I like Cherry Brown switches, but they are kind of obnoxious to play games with for me because I always tend to heavily bottom out keys when I'm gaming, which doesn't work so well with Cherry Browns because they "clack" rather annoyingly when you bottom them out, and the feel of hard plastic banging against another piece of hard plastic with no padding whatsoever doesn't feel very good either. So, after officially admitting to myself that I have a heavy case of having gone completely off the deep end into nerd-dom, I bought some very small O-rings (5mm diameter by 1.5mm thickness, to be specific) and did this to all the keys:  After fitting all the keys with these things, bottoming them out is now accompanied by a more satisfying and muffled thud instead of a clack, and the impact is dampened now as well, which is a good thing. Also, it's worth noting that installing the O-rings didn't decrease the key travel by any noticeable degree, so that's really not a concern, in case anybody cares. Installing the O-rings cost me about $10 at Lowe's and a half an hour or so to do, and I really think it was worth it. The difference isn't exactly night and day like you might expect it to be, but it is different enough (and an improvement enough, in my opinion) to do it. And just as an after thought, the Backspace, Escape key, and space bar on Cherry Brown keyboards are actually improved pretty significantly by these O-rings moreso than the other keys. They now feel the same as everything else, whereas before they were particularly bad in the way they felt and sounded. 3. Put a mouse pad under the keyboard. Simple, really. It just dampens the sound of the keys. It makes more of a difference than you'd think, actually. Try it. If I had to put a reason with it, I'd say that the stock rubber feet on the bottom of the keyboard aren't soft enough to actually dampen any vibrations produced when you hit the keys, so the keyboard actually ends up having a pretty solid connection to the desktop, despite those rubber feet, and it uses the surface of the desk in the same way that guitar strings use the surface of an acoustic guitar to amplify those vibrations. Anyway, a mouse pad definitely helps. So, after doing all this bullshit to my Filco, I think I finally have the perfect keyboard now. How about that. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 15:55 on Feb 16, 2010 |
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Feb 13, 2010 23:50
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You'd honestly be shocked at just how much better it feels after you reverse it.
GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Feb 14, 2010 |
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Feb 14, 2010 00:48
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Pen Expers posted:Cool thanks for the info, I went ahead and ordered the logitech. Those Cherry keyboards are nice but I play just enough computer games that the lower number of keys at a time would probably bother me. The Filco keyboards w/ Cherry switches have N-key rollover, meaning you can press as many keys at once as you want, provided you use the PS/2 port.
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Feb 16, 2010 15:49
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I've never really understood people's fondness for media keys either. Although, I think what ruined it for me was this basic Logitech keyboard I used to use that had a Sleep button right next to the Esc key, and I used to accidentally hit that drat thing all the time. Right now I'm using a keyboard with no media keys whatsoever and couldn't be happier about it. Besides, if I absolutely had had had to start using media functions, I'm sure there's a few dozen freeware programs out there that probably use less than 1MB of RAM while active that allow you assign any type of command to any arbitrary key combo you could think of anyway. ...although a small, dedicated volume knob would be pretty neat.
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Feb 22, 2010 16:04
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very posted:Holy crud. New Filcos. http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?pid=fkbn87mcewek Given the choice, I just don't get why people would get a beige keyboard over a black one. Being beige automatically makes the keyboard look like it's straight from the mid 80's and shows dirt/crud/spills/caked layers of semen stains like nothing else.
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Mar 12, 2010 00:29
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By "$20" I'm assuming you really mean about $30. After all, $29.99 != $20.00.
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Apr 16, 2010 20:46
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A Duck! posted:For the money, get a Filco or something else with Cherrys. Yeah. I bought a Filco with Cherry Browns and it's the best gaming keyboard I've ever used. However, I'm using one with the O-Ring mod I posted a few pages back. With the mod, it's a brilliant gaming keyboard. Without it, well... let's just say there's good reason I went through the trouble of jamming tiny rubber rings onto every one of those god drat keys. But seriously with the O-rings there's nothing better.
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Apr 22, 2010 21:10
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admiraldennis posted:How much did all those rubber O-rings run you? Like ten or fifteen bucks at Lowe's. Very worth it.
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Apr 23, 2010 04:11
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Jetfire posted:Tactile Touch - you feel the key register, doesn't make the loud clicky noise. To clarify to Tab8715 which type of keys correspond to your descriptions... Cherry Browns - Non clickey keys. There is a tiny bump in the travel of the key, half way through the key travel, but otherwise pretty smooth. Basically, these are the Cherry Blues but without the noise. Also, lighter pressure required than Blues. Not too light for comfort or anything, but the lightest of the three types of Cherry keys mentioned here. Tactile Touch. Cherry Blues - Clicky keys. The click makes some tactile feedback, meaning you'll feel the click when it happens in the middle of the key travel. Medium light pressure activated keys. Tactile click. Cherry Blacks - Non clickey keys, no bump in the key travel. These keys are smooth all the way through. Slightly more pressure required to press these keys than the Cherry Blue or Cherry Brown keys. Linear force. I've heard that the Cherry Browns are the most popular. I use a Filco with Cherry Browns and I think it's fantastic. I highly recommend them. Also, not to be that guy or anything, but see my other posts in this thread for mods and things that will make your life easier regarding using Filco keyboards. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 07:56 on Apr 26, 2010 |
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Apr 26, 2010 07:52
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I would go to Best Buy after work and buy a G13 today if it had an extra row of buttons where the number keys are supposed to be... but it doesn't, so I won't. Seriously, why didn't they include a number key row?
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May 24, 2010 21:01
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I put o-rings on a mechanical keyboard of mine a few years ago and the difference was night and day. The keyboard went from "eh, maybe I'll take it back, it was a bit expensive" to "never touching anything else if I can help it this is keyboard heaven." I've also messed with the G710+ before and thought the keys felt wonderful. Reading now that it's a mechanical-keys-with-o-rings keyboard makes perfect sense. I'd probably buy one today if they made a 10key-less version. And hey, does anybody have any experience with the G13? It's that annoyingly l33t gamer half-keyboard with a joystick for your left hand. I've thought about buying one on several occasions but the fact that it's missing what would normally be the number row really puts me off it. Would anybody who has one care to comment? edit: holy poo poo I asked the exact same question about the G13 almost 4 years ago in this very thread. Maybe it's time to just bite the bullet and try one for myself. Jesus. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Feb 27, 2014 |
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Feb 27, 2014 23:04
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Nephilm posted:What keyboard was it? It's a Filco tenkeyless with cherry browns. I've been totally happy with it so far. The keys feel fantastic to type with. I tend to type kind of hard and bottom out the keys, and without the o-rings, the keys would kind of loudly clack against the keyboard frame itself and just sound really grating. The o-rings softened the feel of bottoming out along with damping the sound to a dulled "chucka," and that made all the difference. God that sounds spergy, but hey, I'm happy with the keyboard. Incidentally, I hardly ever bottom out the keys now. Apparently mechanical keys teach you to not hit keys as hard as possible when you type. I still bottom out non-mechanical keyboards though, mostly because the keys don't have near the travel range. GreatGreen fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Feb 28, 2014 |
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Feb 28, 2014 04:04
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angus725 posted:I'm on a Ducky Shine 3 with A50 hardness O-rings, I'm tempted to get something a little harder (A70 or A80) as the keys almost feel squishy when they bottom out on the O-rings. Do you know which type of O-rings you got? I really have no idea. I just went to home depot and picked out whatever they had that looked big enough to fit around the pegs and tight enough to where they wouldn't slide off. Sorry man.
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Feb 28, 2014 05:16
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Betjeman posted:I've had a G13 for about 4 years, I wouldn't be able to play WoW without it. Not sure why the lack of a number row would be a problem, it's not supposed to be half a keyboard (the keys aren't staggered), and if you use the joystick you probably won't be able to twitch to every key anyway. I think I use about 10 of the keys + 2 more for modifiers. Cool. The lack of a number row is a problem mainly because I play games with WASD movement and all the surrounding keys. That's just how I'm used to doing it and I like it that way. The G13 has indentations for where the WASD keys would normally be at the top of the controller, with no keys above the "W" so you can't instinctively go "above and to the left" to hit "1" and so fourth. That's a problem for me I guess. I wouldn't really care about using the analog stick either, so I guess it's just not for me.
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Feb 28, 2014 14:23
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Electrophotonic posted:Just solve it in the most excessive way, get a mechanical tenkeypad and use it once a month I haven't gotten around to it, but this is exactly what I'm planning on doing, except I'd just scoot the tenkey over and set the mouse in the middle. The ergonomics of having the letter keys straight in line with you and your mouse still in line with your right hand is too good to give up once you've done things that way for a while... but the tenkey configuration is invaluable for inputting more than two numbers at once. Best of both worlds! Just for the record I post in games a lot and generally obsess over small details of this or that game mechanic, but nothing, nothing makes me feel more spergy than talking about ergonomic keyboard configurations and finding the perfect mechanical key/o-ring combination, hah. What have you done to me goons. What hast thou wrought.
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Mar 14, 2014 14:44
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