Recommendations for a Tactile Keyboard?
- DrDerp
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Not great
- Main mouse: G Pro X
- Favorite switch: Still need to find out
TL;DR: Tried a Dell Keyboard that I liked! It had some kinda Alps switches in it IIRC! Any advice or recommendations on finding a keyboard with similar switches?
Hey hey! Recently I got the chance to try my boss’s keyboard, an older Dell Keyboard which had the nicest tactile switches I’ve ever felt! It’s had me thinking that I should try something new that’s not a Cherry MX style keyboard, but I’ve got no idea what switches or specific keyboard models to look out for, anyone have any advice on what to look for and what I should expect to pay? Thanks a ton!
Hey hey! Recently I got the chance to try my boss’s keyboard, an older Dell Keyboard which had the nicest tactile switches I’ve ever felt! It’s had me thinking that I should try something new that’s not a Cherry MX style keyboard, but I’ve got no idea what switches or specific keyboard models to look out for, anyone have any advice on what to look for and what I should expect to pay? Thanks a ton!
- TNT
- Location: Germany, Karlsruhe
- Main keyboard: Ellipse Model F77 / Zenith Z-150
- Main mouse: Logitech G203 Prodigy
- Favorite switch: It's complicated
- DT Pro Member: 0250
First of all, welcome
That was probably a Dell AT101 with either black or salmon Alps. You should try to look for more of those or orange, brown and cream Alps.
A good board to start with could be an Apple Extended Keyboard or an AEK II. You can check the wiki for further information on Alps switches and boards in which you can find them.
That was probably a Dell AT101 with either black or salmon Alps. You should try to look for more of those or orange, brown and cream Alps.
A good board to start with could be an Apple Extended Keyboard or an AEK II. You can check the wiki for further information on Alps switches and boards in which you can find them.
- Bjerrk
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Main keyboard: Cherry G80-1800 & Models F & M
- Main mouse: Mouse Keys, Trackpoint, Trackball
- Favorite switch: IBM Buckling Springs+Beamspring, Alps Plate Spring
This is a difficult one. "Vintage" switches are perhaps superior in the clicky department, but it's not so clear cut when it comes to tactiles (in my humble opinion and all that).
The tactiles I currently enjoy the most are:
* Kailh Polia (MX style, rounded tactility)
* Matias tactiles (Alps style, quite sharp tactility)
* SMK 2nd gen tactile
* BTC dome with slider
* Olivetti rubber domes
* Kailh box tactiles, i.e. box brown (a somewhat different tactility, having the bump almost at the top of the keystroke)
The tactiles I currently enjoy the most are:
* Kailh Polia (MX style, rounded tactility)
* Matias tactiles (Alps style, quite sharp tactility)
* SMK 2nd gen tactile
* BTC dome with slider
* Olivetti rubber domes
* Kailh box tactiles, i.e. box brown (a somewhat different tactility, having the bump almost at the top of the keystroke)
- DrDerp
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Not great
- Main mouse: G Pro X
- Favorite switch: Still need to find out
Any reason to not go with the AT101 either? Both of these boards seem pretty dang nice regardless but my brain sees that the 101 comes in black sometimes which would match my setup perfectly. Thanks a ton! Edit: one more question, any advice for getting an AEK running on my PC? Looking it up it sounds like it uses a proprietary connector.TNT wrote: ↑11 Jul 2021, 09:13First of all, welcome
That was probably a Dell AT101 with either black or salmon Alps. You should try to look for more of those or orange, brown and cream Alps.
A good board to start with could be an Apple Extended Keyboard or an AEK II. You can check the wiki for further information on Alps switches and boards in which you can find them.
- TNT
- Location: Germany, Karlsruhe
- Main keyboard: Ellipse Model F77 / Zenith Z-150
- Main mouse: Logitech G203 Prodigy
- Favorite switch: It's complicated
- DT Pro Member: 0250
Yeah, you'd need an active adapter for those. I recommended the AEK because of personal bias
Firstly I really like the aesthetics of it and secondly most people (me included) think the older versions of tactile Alps are superior to the later ones. If you really liked the black Alps in the board of your boss and a black Dell Bigfoot fit your setup by pure looks then there's no reason to not go with one of those
Firstly I really like the aesthetics of it and secondly most people (me included) think the older versions of tactile Alps are superior to the later ones. If you really liked the black Alps in the board of your boss and a black Dell Bigfoot fit your setup by pure looks then there's no reason to not go with one of those
Last edited by TNT on 12 Jul 2021, 00:06, edited 1 time in total.
- DrDerp
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Not great
- Main mouse: G Pro X
- Favorite switch: Still need to find out
I’ve been doing my research on both now, I’m definitely swinging towards that AEK II lol. Any tips for cleaning the switches if they come dirty?TNT wrote: ↑11 Jul 2021, 21:05Yeah, you'd need an active adapter for those. I recommended the AEK because of personal bias
Firstly I really like the aesthetics of it and secondly most people (me included) think the older versions of tactile Alps are superior to the later ones. If you really liked the black Alps in the board of your boss and a black Dell Bigfoot would fit your setup by pure looks then there's no reason to not go with one of those
- TNT
- Location: Germany, Karlsruhe
- Main keyboard: Ellipse Model F77 / Zenith Z-150
- Main mouse: Logitech G203 Prodigy
- Favorite switch: It's complicated
- DT Pro Member: 0250
You can pretty much stick to Chyros' cleaning guide videos on YouTube. You can check them out here. If they don't feel and look too bad, try a softclean. If that doesn't help, you need to put some time and effort into it, unfortunately. Except for the lube, there has been extensive research in the meantime and NEK found a very good, true to original greasing solution (see this thread for more information).
- DrDerp
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Not great
- Main mouse: G Pro X
- Favorite switch: Still need to find out
Sounds good sounds good! Final questions, at least for now.TNT wrote: ↑12 Jul 2021, 00:03You can pretty much stick to Chyros' cleaning guide videos on YouTube. You can check them out here. If they don't feel and look too bad, try a softclean. If that doesn't help, you need to put some time and effort into it, unfortunately. Except for the lube, there has been extensive research in the meantime and NEK found a very good, true to original greasing solution (see this thread for more information).
Anywhere you'd recommend to look for one? Just eBay or perhaps requesting on here?
- TNT
- Location: Germany, Karlsruhe
- Main keyboard: Ellipse Model F77 / Zenith Z-150
- Main mouse: Logitech G203 Prodigy
- Favorite switch: It's complicated
- DT Pro Member: 0250
Don't know much about the price of those boards in the US. The Dells are more common there, compared to the EU, afaik. But speaking from my experience, all "vintage" boards tend to be overpriced on eBay, so asking in [WTB] here is probably not a bad idea.
- wobbled
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: HHKB PD-KB300 Pro 1
- Main mouse: Logitech MX Master 3
- Favorite switch: Topre
- DT Pro Member: 0192
- DrDerp
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Not great
- Main mouse: G Pro X
- Favorite switch: Still need to find out
Nice! That should be pretty easy then! Now I’ve just got to make up my mind on what switches and keyboard I want lol, I’ve been going back and forth between a whole bunch of different things. If there was a smaller AEK I’d get it in a heartbeat! Looked into Matias switches, then Orange Switches, then Topre. I think I definitely want the Orange or Creams now lol.
- DrDerp
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Not great
- Main mouse: G Pro X
- Favorite switch: Still need to find out
OK OK I think I’ve determined what I’m going to buy and do; get a TKL layout (I love the NumPad but I rarely use it) ALPS keyboard like the KBP with the Matias Switches. Then, get the amount of Dampened Cream switches I need, swap out the Matias Switches whenever they start to Chatter for the Cream Switches.
I’m doing this since there’s not anything I can find that’s ready to go and suits my needs, so I’m gonna have to put more effort in lol. I simply want nice switches in a more compact layout. Perhaps I’ll even make a steel plate at some point, I love the sound that they can produce.
I’m doing this since there’s not anything I can find that’s ready to go and suits my needs, so I’m gonna have to put more effort in lol. I simply want nice switches in a more compact layout. Perhaps I’ll even make a steel plate at some point, I love the sound that they can produce.
- Karmel
- Location: Ohio, United States
- Main mouse: Razer Viper v2 Pro
- Favorite switch: Undecided
I would suggest you go with salmon instead of dampened cream, although they're gonna be more expensive to get a hold of.DrDerp wrote: ↑13 Jul 2021, 13:18OK OK I think I’ve determined what I’m going to buy and do; get a TKL layout (I love the NumPad but I rarely use it) ALPS keyboard like the KBP with the Matias Switches. Then, get the amount of Dampened Cream switches I need, swap out the Matias Switches whenever they start to Chatter for the Cream Switches.
- Bjerrk
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Main keyboard: Cherry G80-1800 & Models F & M
- Main mouse: Mouse Keys, Trackpoint, Trackball
- Favorite switch: IBM Buckling Springs+Beamspring, Alps Plate Spring
- DrDerp
- Location: USA
- Main keyboard: Not great
- Main mouse: G Pro X
- Favorite switch: Still need to find out
I’ve heard they have a significantly better feel, but are significantly louder. Price really isn’t that much of an issue for me, I’m just worried it’s gonna be too loud on calls.Karmel wrote: ↑13 Jul 2021, 14:13I would suggest you go with salmon instead of dampened cream, although they're gonna be more expensive to get a hold of.DrDerp wrote: ↑13 Jul 2021, 13:18OK OK I think I’ve determined what I’m going to buy and do; get a TKL layout (I love the NumPad but I rarely use it) ALPS keyboard like the KBP with the Matias Switches. Then, get the amount of Dampened Cream switches I need, swap out the Matias Switches whenever they start to Chatter for the Cream Switches.
- Karmel
- Location: Ohio, United States
- Main mouse: Razer Viper v2 Pro
- Favorite switch: Undecided
I wouldn't say that they're that loud, but if they are then there are ways of dampening the sound without having to use dampened switches, like adding foam to the case, around the switches or just wherever you see fit. You could also swap switch parts around for your ideal switches but that might be a bit much, although you can do whatever you want.