Best company for reliability? Need recommendation please

[bexleycorona]

Recently I have had issues with a board so I want my next one to be very reliable.

NE has the CM Storm QuickFire Rapid w/ Browns for $55 after rebate. The problem is there are a few review talking about how they just stop working.

Are they less reliable than other boards?

I'm looking for a 75% board ~$100 or less.

So far what I have been recommended:

- Noppoo Choc Mini
- KeyCool 84
- Ducky Shine III

Anything else? I have heard Filco is good too.

[Hypersphere]

The CM QFR is a TKL (80%) board; however, I think it comes with a two-year warranty.

If you want something that could be considered 75%, I would recommend Matias: either the Mini Quiet Pro (for PC) or Mini Tactile Pro (for Mac).

I am not enthusiastic about the three you listed, but if I were limited to that list, I would go for the KC84.

For reliability, it is hard to beat the classic IBM keyboards, such as the Model M (full size) or IBM SSK (TKL). I am now using an IBM Model F XT board that is 30 years old. However, these will usually be used; new ones (never used -- still in the original box) are rare and quite expensive. However, if you could be interested in a full-size Model M, they are still available for around 60 to 95 USD from clickykeyboards.com, which supplies used boards that have been cleaned and that are in good working order.

[Muirium]

Duckys are pretty good. Definitely a step up, quality wise, over Keycool and Noppoo. And Matias for that matter. My Shine 3 has less flex than a Model M, for what it's worth. I'd go for a Premier, if I were you, for the thick dyesub caps.

[cookie]

The question is, do you carry your keyboard with you or does it sit on a Desk?
I never had any problems with mechanical keyboards and tbh, I never used the same meca over more than a cople years.

if you carry the keyboard around I'd concider a 60% board, in terms of reliablity I can't really recommend any MX or other keyboards not because they are bad but because I have no experience with them. Vortex are notorious for poor quality. I am verry confident with HHKBs and I only once saw someone selling a defective one. But this keyboard is far over your desired price.

If your keyboard is stationary i'd concider a relatively cheap backup board if the main keyboard breaks. Probbably a used one. A noppoo as main keyboard and an old cherry as backup. Together you should be under 100$

[Hypersphere]

I suppose there can be bad apples in any given barrel. I had a Ducky Shine II that had a warped case and just generally felt sub-par; I gave it away. Although the KC84 is not in the upper echelons of keyboards, of the Cherry mx boards I own, the KC84 seems solid and fun to type on -- it has a consistent key feel across the board and a sound like a mechanical typewriter.

Nevertheless, overall, I've heard that Ducky's quality control has improved, and the Ducky III does have a better reputation than the Noppoo Choc Mini or the KC84. Although the KC84 has PBT keycaps, I would agree that those on the Ducky are of better quality.

One of my most solid boards is my CM QFR; it has a sturdy non-flexing case, and the Cherry mx green switches contribute to the robust feeling of the board because of their high actuation pressure.

And yes, my Model M cases have some flex in the top section of the case, although not in the case overall -- I cannot pick up the board and feel any flex by attempting to twist it. However, my IBM XT keyboard has no flex at all -- it is built like a steel brick.

Edit: You mentioned Filco. I have a Filco Ninja TKL with Cherry mx blues and new keycaps (Beige Olivetti set from Originative). It is a solid board with a good reputation. Some things I do not like about it include its non-removable cord and the inconsistent feel of the stabilized keys compared to the regular keys.

It would be good if there were published reliability statistics on keyboards, but I do not recall seeing any such objective compilations. Any machine will fail at some point and at some level -- it might be something as simple as a broken or worn-out USB connector. We can try to find highly reliable products, but with keyboards I find that I need a machine that I enjoy using for its combination of feel, sound, and appearance. I also evaluate my typing speed and accuracy on each keyboard and factor these numbers into my choice.

[Compgeke]

Just a heads up: The XT board almost IS a steel brick, it's thick metal casing powder coated (or thick painted? I know the PC cases were powder coated) with a metal backplate, metal bottom, etc.

I can also confirm that a Model M is fairly reliable. Most need a good cleaning but mine's 27 years old this year and still working fine, no issues other than a couple scratches in the plastic casing and a slight shiny spot on the spacebar, nowhere near what my Thinkpad here has. A SSK (if you can find a cheap one) would probably work well enough for what you need.

Another pretty solid board I have here is a Desko which is technically a full size yet weirder layout (Think: G80-1800) is a Desko but it's a bit on the uncommon side and the cables are stupidly long which gets annoying. If you ever want a magswipe and OCR for cards in your keyboard a Desko is the way to go.

[Muirium]

If you ever see an SSK for $100, grab that thing! The going rate for them is much higher. There's even a little club:

http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8 ... ssk%20club

Obligatory bragtastic compact layout buckling spring flaunting shot…



The Kishsaver 60% is a lot harder to find.

[Hypersphere]

I can also attest to the versatility of the classic IBM keyboards. My keyboard is shared (via hardware and software KM switches) with three computers running different operating systems (Mac, Linux, and Windows). Despite the fact that my IBMs do not have "Windows", "Menu", "Command". or "Fn" keys, I have remapped keys via software to enable such functions. I have done the same to achieve different layouts. For example, I prefer the layout of the Happy Hacking Keyboard, and so I have programmed this into my IBMs (for example, making Caps Lock = Control and Backslash = Backspace). You can even color code such remappings if you wish by getting custom IBM keycaps from Unicomp. Of course, you could do similar things with other keyboards, but I find the total package provided by my IBM SSK and IBM XT keboards to be unmatched.

[JBert]

Just a heads up: The XT board almost IS a steel brick, it's thick metal casing powder coated (or thick painted? I know the PC cases were powder coated) with a metal backplate, metal bottom, etc.

Aren't you confusing the Kishsaver with a model F XT?

All IBM PC keyboards, be it XT or AT have a rather brittle outer casing which does have a thick painting layer (well, the XT does have a metal back cover, but the front of the case is all plastic).
They may be sturdy built, but the plasting casing really can't take that much.

The Kishsaver on the other hand is reportedly all metal.

[xbb]

Recently I have had issues with a board so I want my next one to be very reliable.

NE has the CM Storm QuickFire Rapid w/ Browns for $55 after rebate. The problem is there are a few review talking about how they just stop working.

Are they less reliable than other boards?

I'm looking for a 75% board ~$100 or less.

So far what I have been recommended:

- Noppoo Choc Mini
- KeyCool 84
- Ducky Shine III

Anything else? I have heard Filco is good too.

I have a CM Quick Fire Rapid since 2011, still good as new. I'd buy another one for 55$

[Compgeke]

All IBM PC keyboards, be it XT or AT have a rather brittle outer casing which does have a thick painting layer (well, the XT does have a metal back cover, but the front of the case is all plastic).
They may be sturdy built, but the plasting casing really can't take that much.

Interesting, my IBM EMR keyboard's top half is, in fact, metal instead of plastic. I don't have any other with peeling paint so I just assumed that since they're the same size and shape they were the same material.

[bexleycorona]

Thank you for all the advice!

I ended up going for the CM QFR.

Unfortunately I was waiting to get the DSA Dolch set but they sold out

[Muirium]

Damn! Because that set is superb for a black bodied ANSI TKL.

Try writing an email to SP to ask if it's really sold out. I got the same error message when I first tried ordering it last week, too. But Melissa sorted it out*, and mine is in the mail. You may just be in luck yet.

*Apparently someone had placed a huge order to buy up the whole stock, but didn't go ahead and pay for it. Maybe they're up to it again…

[Game Theory]

"Last year we at SP jumped the gun in producing an order for which we never received payment. As a result we are left with a large quantity of DSA Dolch keycap sets that we want to make available."

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/produ ... total-keys

[Muirium]

Try clicking add to cart to see what we're on about…

SP needs a better interface. If something is really out of stock: SAY SO. And if someone orders more than 10 or whatever, DENY them and send them to customer services instead. This system gaming nonsense is horsecrap.

[scottc]

Try clicking add to cart to see what we're on about…

SP needs a better interface. If something is really out of stock: SAY SO. And if someone orders more than 10 or whatever, DENY them and send them to customer services instead. This system gaming nonsense is horsecrap.

This has pissed me off to no end over the weekend. They even list "DSA Dolch" as an available item, even as a "current recommended deal" or however they phrase it. Argh!

[Muirium]

Fire them an email. Did the trick for me. Poor Melissa!

[scottc]

I did! But they just said that they were out of stock and didn't fix it!

[Grendel]

I ended up going for the CM QFR.

Congratulations, a good choice IMHO (I have three of them ). Now you may want to check this out

[Muirium]

Yup, the QFR is a reasonable choice, especially for value for money. You're just going to want to replace those caps, pronto!

Pity that DSA Dolch really is out of stock now. SP's blanks are worth a look, as they're made of PBT which is a nice material:

http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/produ ... pad-sets-1

If legends are your thing, see if you can find Ducky's Premier set. Thick PBT dye subs are very nice.


http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ ... ml#p161663

Or if you're patient, I'm sure there'll be an irresistible group buy that'll catch your eye at some point. Man, did Round 5 grab mine!

Just a heads up: The XT board almost IS a steel brick, it's thick metal casing powder coated (or thick painted? I know the PC cases were powder coated) with a metal backplate, metal bottom, etc.

Aren't you confusing the Kishsaver with a model F XT?

All IBM PC keyboards, be it XT or AT have a rather brittle outer casing which does have a thick painting layer (well, the XT does have a metal back cover, but the front of the case is all plastic).
They may be sturdy built, but the plasting casing really can't take that much.

The Kishsaver on the other hand is reportedly all metal.

I can confirm first hand that it definitely is, all 3 kg of it! (I was just about to link Kishy's photo of one on a weighing scale, but his site is down.)

Interesting, my IBM EMR keyboard's top half is, in fact, metal instead of plastic. I don't have any other with peeling paint so I just assumed that since they're the same size and shape they were the same material.

Your whut? My XT is tough, but only the bottom is metal, the top is a rough textured, thick, plastic.

[JBert]

All IBM PC keyboards, be it XT or AT have a rather brittle outer casing which does have a thick painting layer (well, the XT does have a metal back cover, but the front of the case is all plastic).
They may be sturdy built, but the plasting casing really can't take that much.

Interesting, my IBM EMR keyboard's top half is, in fact, metal instead of plastic. I don't have any other with peeling paint so I just assumed that since they're the same size and shape they were the same material.

Ah, the wiki documents this special version as IBM Model F: IBM EMR Keyboard:

The EMR keyboard appears to have been used in specialized TEMPEST-hardened versions of IBM PCs (i.e. computers that have been specially designed not to emit any electromagnetic signals that may be used by an eavesdropper to access the data on the system) It appears to be a standard PC/XT Model F with a different cable and connector, and with shielding around the controller card inside the keyboard. Some examples have been seen with Caps Lock located to the left of A, Ctrl located to the left of the spacebar, and Alt to the right of the spacebar. ......

Seems thus that they actually made the case out of metal for more shielding... You might want to add more info and/or pictures to that section of the wiki.

[snowyBlinds]

My QFR has been going strong for just over a year now.. so I can't comment on long-term reliability. So far so good.

Finish wise though.. as people have already mentioned the caps get shiny real quick. Also, the rubberized finish on mine wore fairly quickly by the space bar after only a few months. It hasn't gotten much worse since then though.

For sub-$100 it's a good bored. For $55 it's a steal. (IMO)

[bexleycorona]

Damn! Because that set is superb for a black bodied ANSI TKL.

Try writing an email to SP to ask if it's really sold out. I got the same error message when I first tried ordering it last week, too. But Melissa sorted it out*, and mine is in the mail. You may just be in luck yet.

*Apparently someone had placed a huge order to buy up the whole stock, but didn't go ahead and pay for it. Maybe they're up to it again…

I emailed them and they said it's definitely sold out now.

The description has been updated and it says Sold Out now albeit in very small text.

The keyboard is nice and if it lasts 1 year then I feel it's $55 well spent.

Unfortunately I'm not really liking the browns as much as I thought I would.

My other boards are a KBT Race w/ whites and Realforce 87.

Personally for me the browns feel dull and hollow. Almost as if they are lifeless. It could be that the keys feel thinner.

I have tried blues before and they were too light for me. I guess my hands are just very hammy.

The whites feel almost perfect and maybe my next board will have greens?

Ah well, I learn best through mistakes.

[Grendel]

Bummer. I just swapped out the browns w/ a white/green mix in one of my QFR's (see here), it's not very hard if you have some soldering experience and the equipment. White and Green switches have the same weight (same springs), the difference is in the click (whites - soft, greens - like blues.)

[quantalume]

I can confirm first hand that it definitely is, all 3 kg of it! (I was just about to link Kishy's photo of one on a weighing scale, but his site is down.)

He's over at http://kishy.ca now. A lot of the links on his site still point to the old url, however.