My first mechanical keyboard is the Filco Majestouch-2 TKL, would've wanted the ninja version but I would've had to wait so I got the normal. Enjoying it a lot more than the G11 i had before that and the size difference is enourmous. Gonna try to get my hands next on a smaller keyboard for use on the go, like the HHKB or vortex poker.

My absolute first mechanical keyboard was a Chickering, and I've rarely found its equal, and only a handful of times, and at extreme cost, its better.

ripster wrote:Apple II.

Ditto; at least for the first one I personally owned. Although we were typing on terminals and PETs before The Steves gave us something worthwhile to play with.

The QWERTY keyboard that really turned me on to quality in a computer keyboard was the Magictronic FK-5001, all ALPS complicated switches, beautiful double-shot keycaps, built in calculator. It was the death of that keyboard that led me here in the first place. Now, despite what they told me in high school, I have my Cherry back again and couldn't be happier!

G80-3000LFMDE. Ordered a LFADE (winkeyless), got a LFMDE (winkeys) - stupid vendor, but I kept it. This was 1998 or 1999, can't remember. Since then: MX-Blue FTW.

My first mechanical keyboard was an IBM model M. I love that sound and feeling.

Model M when I was a kid, then a Filco tenkeyless with cherry blues.

Mine was a Filco Majestouch with MX blues

Recently purchased Kinesis advantage. Used buckling spring boards at school though. But first computer parent bought me was already rubber dome.

Filco Majitouch with the Ninja keycaps and black switches.

A Dell Model M knock-off in the 1980s.
A Dell AT101W with a Dell system in 1998.

Rubber domes from 2003-2009, mostly Compaq SK2800s ( a nice board, if goofy-looking), along with an IBM KB8923.

Re-discovered mechanicals in 2009 with a used Northgate Omnikey that did not quite work properly, and have spent 95% of my time on buckling springs since then.

As an aside, I truly love the feel of Monterey blues, but my Chicony 5181 is really chintzy.

TI 99/4A... when it was new.

fohat wrote:A Dell Model M knock-off in the 1980s.

That was most likely a re-branded model M

A Das Keyboard with brown switches. Exchanged for blue switches pretty quickly, though my next keyboard will probably be a tenkeyless with browns.

Filco MX Brown (full sized UK)

I used an IBM 1390401 that we had had for ages. I think I was about 5 when we got it (It was older than I am). I took it with me when I went to college, when I really got into mechanicals.

To this day, I use a unicomp more than any other keyboard.

Cherry g80-3000LPCEU-2 was the first I bought myself. I probably used Apple II or Tandy 1000 as the very first but was too young to care about such a thing.

The keyboard I am using now (only had it a few weeks), Filco Majestouch 2 with blues.

I got into it way later than the average, it seems. Didn't use a mechanical until I started working at a place with Model M terminals at the cashier, I loved the sound and feel while everyone else hated them. Looked them up, joined GH, bought one myself, and 4 mech's later, still going strong, have switched to Cherrys now though.

I have a (used) Noppoo Choc Mini with MX Browns coming in the mail this week, which I'm looking forward to as a much-needed reprieve from this garbage mushy HP thing that came with my work computer. As soon as I live in an apartment that's big enough for me to have such luxuries as a dedicated computer desk, I'll look into getting a nice full-size MX Blue-based or similar board.

That said, even though it's been years since I've used one, I have the sound and feel of the IBM Model M (in general, don't know the specifics) firmly embedded in my head from hours of my youth spent on my uncle's computer. I'm fairly certain that my family's first computer (IBM PC Jr., but *not* the chiclet keyboard) used rubber domes...

Long, long time ago, this was my first mechanical Keyboard: Sharp MZ-700


... loading games from cassette took ages.

Nice, write a review for it and take apart a switch and post photos!

A perfectly functional, almost brand new Filco Majestouch 2 TKL that I got for $50 because the original owner thought it wasn't working.

A DAS silent that had some keys that didn't work last year. Exchanged for one that did work. I used apple 2e in high school.

My first mechanical keyboard was a Deck Legend Frost.
Cheap secondhand ones weren't really available at the time so I took this route.

The regular one before that was a Logitech G15, guess that's where the wish for backlight came from. Still love the Deck today.

Topre 10th anniversary Variable Silent, I wanted to try a mechanical keyboard, but was a bit put off by the loud sounds they make, so I decided to give Topre silent switches a try. I did not like it at first, but after using it for a week I fell in love with it and can never imagine going back to a pure rubber dome again.

I also want to try cherry switches, so a Filco Majestouch 2 with red switches is on its way. I also got a hold of some o-rings if I don't like the sound it makes.

Apple IIe, then years later, a gift model M.

sth wrote:Apple IIe, then years later, a gift model M.

Gonna need you to put that fresh prince avatar back up, bro.

XT/at clone blue alps I bought accidentally because I thought it had a Ps/2 connector lol!
Only paid $10 now worth something like $200 wow.

MagicMeatball wrote:

sth wrote:Apple IIe, then years later, a gift model M.

Gonna need you to put that fresh prince avatar back up, bro.

They frown on getting freaky around here.

Nah; everyone's a freak, even/especially here!
But gifs are indeed not avatar material on DT.