Good keyboards, recommendations.

[AceHigh]

I was thinking of getting a new keyboard for my desktop.

Personally I was thinking of getting a Filco keyboard. I thought of MX cherry black or red switches which are both linear and thus good for gaming.

I was also looking at NKRO over USB function (but I also have PS/2 on my motherboard). NKRO is basically letting you press all buttons simultaneously without keyboard locking up (you probably heard the short beep when you mash many buttons at the same time on a cheap keyboard). Granted, this is not usually an issue, but in ArmA games you often press many buttons simultaneously 

Obviously the closest web shop geographically with a good selection was either in Germany or UK. So here are a few keyboards from a UK retailer that I will most likely use:

Filco Majestouch-2, NKR, Linear Action Keyboard - Black switches

Red Filco Majestouch-2, NKR, Soft Linear Action Keyboard - Red, softer switches and also found a version with red case!

There is also the ninja version which basically has letters printed on side, not top. However I found either tactile brown switch keyboards, or linear, but without the numpad keys, like this one:
Filco Ninja Majestouch-2, Tenkeyless, NKR, Soft Linear Action, Keyboard


I am kind of limited to the Swedish design, because that is the basis for the Norwegian conversion kit. Oh, and would totally get these babies for it 


The big question is: anyone here with experience of Cherry MX Red switches? They are not as common as black, which I used before, so I really wonder if that extra softness will be a good thing or not.

[Tiffanys]

I'd go for this one personally: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-anansi

The macro buttons under the space bar would be immediately usable and quite valuable in certain games (assign some of those many key combinations to a single key for instance, like very difficult combos to pull off).

I don't use mechanical keyboards, but if I did this looks decent (and the style you were shooting for): http://www.corsair.com/vengeance-k60-performance-fps-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html

Dunno about Norwegian kits for them though.

[kitamesume]

programmable button's usability and effectiveness depends on the program language (if its even a language at all). an example is that CoolerMaster's program language is god awful, useless in other words.

[Tiffanys]

programmable button's usability and effectiveness depends on the program language (if its even a language at all). an example is that CoolerMaster's program language is god awful, useless in other words.

I take it you don't have much experience with macro hardware...

The basic way they work is you hit a key to start recording then perform the key combination you want it to remember, then you save it. You can either record delays or not. Some allow you to manually adjust the delays yourself.

As far as macro software goes for hardware, Razer tends to be the best at it. If I'm not mistaken, you should be able to even reprogram any of the keys and use them as if they were all macro keys.

It's not like AutoHotkey.

[kitamesume]

pretty much, although CM's macro hardware is indeed useless, it doesn't even do delays at all plus it misses keystrokes! ouch.

as for software(actually its micro-controller based, in other word its hardware, no drivers required.):

the advantage of this is that i can do complex algorithms where i can even extend the macro into multiple chains (e.g. if press[z]while holding[macro]then[xxx])
plus i could time it down to 1000th of a second.
TL;DR = much more useful than pre-recorded keystrokes

[MyonMyon]

Definitely get a mechanical keyboard. People who havent used one for a longer period (aka have only tried one at a friend's place etc) might be sceptical, but the truth is, every one of my friends who got one would never go back to non mechanical. It's just that much better.

I myself have a year of experience with cherry mx red switches and i love them. At first they felt "slippery" because they are really light, but after i got used to them, i can now do everything a lot faster. They are excellent for games which require fast key action. My skill in StepMania, a GH-type pc rhythm game, increased dramatically after getting a mechanical keyboard.

Filco's keyboards are pretty good, but expensive as ****. Id recommend Qpad MK-50. It has the same layout and specs but only costs £57 in ebay, compared to the £100 filco. That's the one i have myself and i can recommend it. The only downside i have found to the red swithches is that as i write faster, i seem to make more typos, though that might be only me.

[Tiffanys]

I don't use mechanical keyboards, not because I don't see how "super wonderful and superior" their responsiveness and sheer typing abilities are. You see, the problem is... they don't have macro keys, or even multimedia hotkeys. They're rather useless to me personally. That's like downgrading back to the late 90's era style keyboards. Not having the extra functions would be too horrific for me.

It's like imagining having a simple 2 button mouse that the only extra feature is a scroll wheel. There's no way I could go back to that either.

With that said, not all mechanical keyboards lack macro keys and multimedia hotkeys, just most. This one for instance has both: http://www.corsair.com/gaming-peripherals/gaming-keyboards/vengeance-k90-performance-mmo-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html

It's quite similar to my Logitech G11, but it's mechanical. Unfortunately, I learned with this G11 that macro keys to the left of the caps lock key are all but completely useless in gaming and only serve a purpose as extra keys to go to folders or spam messages in games and such. That's why the Anansi would be my first choice, the macro keys under the spacebar. The only place they'd actually be usable for me.

This one has macro keys as well, still in unusable placement: http://usa.ttesports.com/products/product.aspx?p=47&g=ftr

This one can use software to change any of the keys to macro keys (but it doesn't have any actual dedicated macro keys): http://www.corporate.qpad.se/modules/news/index.php?storytopic=11

Another with some dedicated macro keys: http://www.razerzone.com/ca-en/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-blackwidow-2013

There's probably more out there. But I haven't seen any other keyboards with macro keys in a location like the Anansi. If there were any mechanicals that did, I'd probably suggest that one.

[nstgc]

I'd definately go with the Cherry MX keyboards. I have one, and I hate typing on anything else (brown by the way). As Tiff Says tough, no macros on most. I would stay away from the Black Widow as I've heard the construction quality is poor. Don't know about any others, nor do I know about getting Norwegian keycaps (though I can say that they are easy to replace if you find some).

[metro.]

I have a G15, and I really like it. My roommate has a mechanical keyboard skinned from team liquid, and he loves his. If you're looking for longevity mechanical is the way to go. However if you have wafer thin walls like we do, it will annoy the fuck out of the person next to you until they get used to the CLACKCLACKCLACK sound.

[nstgc]

But I like that clack clack sound.

Even the "silent" mechanical keyboards are louder than non-mechanical keyboards.

[metro.]

But I like that clack clack sound.

Even the "silent" mechanical keyboards are louder than non-mechanical keyboards.

I'm sure you do, I know my roommate does. But it doesn't mean I do when it's real loud through my wall at 4 in the morning on a Tuesday night and he's laddering SC2.

I've gotten used to it now, I barely hear it.

[Tiffanys]

But I like that clack clack sound.

Even the "silent" mechanical keyboards are louder than non-mechanical keyboards.

I'm sure you do, I know my roommate does. But it doesn't mean I do when it's real loud through my wall at 4 in the morning on a Tuesday night and he's laddering SC2.

I've gotten used to it now, I barely hear it.

That has got to be annoying as hell...

[buchno]

I have an MK-50, but have to change to a non-mechanical keyboard around midnight when there are other people in the house, since the noise travels through walls like gamma radiation.

[Saras]

I'm used to and quite like logitech's solutions. Why not consider the g701+ as well? Shouldn't be an issue getting it.

[loli]

I'm using the G510, it's a pretty good keyboard.

[mgz]

I'd go for this one personally: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-anansi

The macro buttons under the space bar would be immediately usable and quite valuable in certain games (assign some of those many key combinations to a single key for instance, like very difficult combos to pull off).

I don't use mechanical keyboards, but if I did this looks decent (and the style you were shooting for): http://www.corsair.com/vengeance-k60-performance-fps-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html

Dunno about Norwegian kits for them though.

razer makes nothing but shit
all of their products are shit

Personally i dont really care about mechanical because im kinda picky and specific about my keyboards so ive been hooked on saitek for a while now. All of the ones ive broken have been my fault usually spilling something in them.

Ive got a cyborg currently although i do break the side buttons whilst dropping my keyboard constantly

[Slysoft]

the best keyboard i've ever bought is the maxkeyboard nighthawk x9

[kitamesume]

But I like that clack clack sound.

Even the "silent" mechanical keyboards are louder than non-mechanical keyboards.

I'm sure you do, I know my roommate does. But it doesn't mean I do when it's real loud through my wall at 4 in the morning on a Tuesday night and he's laddering SC2.

I've gotten used to it now, I barely hear it.

ohh, you'll be the type of person that'd hate me then, i'm pretty much a vampire =D (awake the whole sun-down).

[Tatsujin]

I'd go for this one personally: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-keyboards-keypads/razer-anansi

^ This. Or:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126100 -- G510

I came down to one of the two choices.

Tiffanys, how long have you had the Anansi for? Do the buttons wear out? Are they backlit? Do they get stuck? Do they have rubber-like feeling when you set your fingers on them?

[AceHigh]

Definitely get a mechanical keyboard. People who havent used one for a longer period (aka have only tried one at a friend's place etc) might be sceptical, but the truth is, every one of my friends who got one would never go back to non mechanical. It's just that much better.

I myself have a year of experience with cherry mx red switches and i love them. At first they felt "slippery" because they are really light, but after i got used to them, i can now do everything a lot faster. They are excellent for games which require fast key action. My skill in StepMania, a GH-type pc rhythm game, increased dramatically after getting a mechanical keyboard.

Filco's keyboards are pretty good, but expensive as ****. Id recommend Qpad MK-50. It has the same layout and specs but only costs £57 in ebay, compared to the £100 filco. That's the one i have myself and i can recommend it. The only downside i have found to the red swithches is that as i write faster, i seem to make more typos, though that might be only me.

Thank you! I was looking for a feedback like this. From what you say it seems like MX red switches are perfect for gaming. By the way heard from other people that they make more accidental presses with red switches too, so maybe black ones with a bit more resistance is better for us who are not super fast pros.

Ok, no more quotes.
Tiffany: I agree multimedia keys are pretty useful especially with winamp running in the background while gaming or doing pretty much everything else on my rig. However I had the taste of mechanical keyboards, I really don't feel like wasting money on something I already have.
Also macros may be useful for some people, however I can't think of anything I use that requires them. Neither games, nor CAD programs. I will keep your recommendations for future reference if some of my friends need macro friendly keyboards.

nstg: Most commercially available mechanical keyboards nowadays use Cherry MX switches, so usually the only difference in the keyboards themselves is design and quality of the casing. This is why I was looking at Filco to begin with. Their keyboards are made in excellent quality (and heavy weight, when I think about it)

Metro: Well guess what? I can listen to black metal at 3am and not a damned soul is bothered. I rent apartment in a large house which is actually ancient and thus has a weird layout the resulted in me having extra unused storage rooms between me and my 2 only neighbours. They can hear a thing. Also next time I move it will be into my own house, so I don't worry about noise or other trivialities that might bother someone like for example sitting naked in front of pc.

Saras: Almost perfect, but I really don't want tactile switches. I bet that G710+ uses MX Brown switches or something similar.



Anyway I am now looking closer at Qpad designs recommended by MyonMyon which also available in my country. Thanks to everyone for recommendations.