What kind of keyboard are you using?

[K_Jira]

Keychron K8

Best keyboard manufacturer on the market. Fair price, excellent quality and this one is hotswapable. If one key breaks or I want to change the type of keys I use I just pluck it out and put in the new one.

It is also wired and wireless, with both mac and windows switches.

I considered buying this for my first keyboard but ended up going for a local brand just because of its purple aluminum gasket. At first, I thought aluminum is always better than plastic but then I realized plastic gasket makes much better sound. I ended up upgrading 2 years later (only recently) to a 3-way connectivity (the one before is wired only) with plastic gasket. Much cheaper and with the same switches, it produces a creamier and thockier sound.

I have simple needs - my keyboard MUST have raised keys with a good tactile feel and a solid "click" when pressed. beyond that, I didn't think I'd care. But I recently used one that wasn't backlit and... Yeah, I now have a new, 3rd requirement for all future keyboards. It's a small thing that makes a HUGE world of difference. I don't even look at the keyboard when typing. But still, It's gotta be backlit, or my typing just feels... hollow.

I thought for a very long time whether I'd like click or normal tactile more before buying my first keyboard and ended up going for tactile since it's more noise-friendly you could say. I cant for the life of me use linear with my slippery and barbaric fingers (tried it on my brother's keyboard, worst experience ever). Tried Akko Lavender Purple switches and can't find any better switches until now.

The Sojourner Keyboard | Datamancer.com

Retrofuturist fabrication, technical & computer art, contraptions, gadgets, and all manner of assorted custom projects.

datamancer.com

(Just kidding, not that I could afford this)

Someday… Maybe someday…

I know someone who built something like that for his home office (he built it after seeing how much pre-built ones cost).

If I had someone who could guide me from start to finish, I would love to make my dream keyboard.

I use a yellow/gold Magic Keyboard from Apple.

It came with the computer and I have no reason to use anything else.

Understandable. Proceed.

Qwerty

Cultured.

2011 Lenovo branded keyboard. It has enough clickety to sound good and enough resistance to not feel like a finger gym or nothing at all.

I tried a local brand switch once and it was slightly heavier than the Akko Lavender Purple switch and for the love of god, I can't type more than an hour. My fingers hate the gym just as much as their owner.

At home i use GK64 mechanical keyboard like this :
View attachment 34324

Bought it during 2019, and used it a lot in 2020-2021 covid era.

But for traveling, when i have use laptop/tablet, i also used to own these foldable bluetooth wireless keyboard :

View attachment 34323
View attachment 34325

They're very good foldable keyboard and quite cheap too. I wouldn't want my laptop keyboard to be used or broken. They're too expensive to repair.


A year ago, after saving quite a while, i got this foldable mechanical keyboard, RK68.
View attachment 34326
View attachment 34327
Its both foldable, which means I can bring this anywhere and the typing experiences is like mechanical keyboard.

It's portable in the long side.View attachment 34328

Have tried to put into pocket like this image, but not worth it.
View attachment 34329

The keyboard is durable enough to be put jnto pocket and it wouldn't broke. Mechanical keyboard by design are durable. I just prefer to put my phone instead.

Despite it seemingly a dream keyboard (Mechanical+Foldable), i ended up selling the keyboard because of the Noise. Try seeing any review of it and you can hear it's louder than standard membrane keyboard.

I thought it wouldn't be a problem, but it's rather loud for my tastes. I already bought the red variant, the least loud of the keyboard.

I couldn't get silent switches like my keyboard at home. And i dont like the loud switched. So i ended up selling it as there's no return policy at my country.

I ended up back with this for on-the-go uses case.

View attachment 34323

Always thought of buying foldable keyboard like this, but I'm worried about the typing experience. My current keyboard is Royal Kludge only I change the switches. How does its foldable keyboard typing experience feel?

A LAPTOP. A CRAPPY POTATO

It's not a crappy potato if it's a functional potato.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

If I had someone who could guide me from start to finish, I would love to make my dream keyboard.

It took the guy I know about five hours to find a useful set of instructions to make a keyboard online, and about five months to gather the pieces he needed. He built himself a 1920's style "man cave" and the keyboard was about the fourth or fifth from last thing he finished. Apparently, it is easy to do but very time consuming and you have to be able to find the parts you want - that being the tricky part.

 

[Deleted member 76176]

I love a good keyboard! But the hobby is admittedly too expensive to sustain for someone like me. That said, I use the Keychron K1 Max since I prefer low-profile options for regular day-to-day tasks, as well as a regular mechanical keyboard, which I only use for gaming.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Always thought of buying foldable keyboard like this, but I'm worried about the typing experience. My current keyboard is Royal Kludge only I change the switches. How does its foldable keyboard typing experience feel?

Its practically similar to laptop keyboard.
Look at the keys.

It's similar to Apple magic keyboard

Not exactly the same, but the similarities are there.

Getting foldable keyboard is like a settling move when you're on the move.


BUT,

If you already have mechanical keyboard, and you totally dont mind noise like i do (my ear is too sensitive),

And you already have Royal Kludge at that

That means you can get Royal kludge Foldable keyboard

They're using switched half the heigh of normal mechanical keyboard and you don't have to worry.

Its like using mechanical keyboard with short travel distance. You can just get the tactile version too.

Isnt it good. You get to use Royal Kludge again, but now a side grade Royal Kludge some portable keyboard.


It's like the concept of using Mac desktop for max performance at home, then using macbook for doing task on the go.

Or Gaming PC with Steam at home and then getting Steamdeck as device to play on the go.

Or getting Asus ROG PC/Laptop, then using Rog Ally for gaming on the go

Or Lenovo Legion gaming desktop/laptop, then using legion go for gaming on the go


Now you have to choose between the flat keycap profile for maximum portability (Royal kludge 925)

Or the one with OEM keycap profile for similar feeling with your home keyboard (Royal Kludge F68)

925 Flat profile or F68 OEM low profile

Both of them are still portable for going out

No worry about what happened if key being pressed at commute. They can be pressed for million times and still work just fine.

****

I myself just cant stand the noise becaus eof my sensitive ear, not because of it being loud.

Even at my home, i have to use silent switch for my keyboard despite them not as comfortale as normal switch. Thats how sensitive my ear is.

I envy peoples like you that could use normal keyboard.

****


Sure, some portable keyboard are horrible and downright scary and frightening if youre getting one like these

Look at the mosntrosity. All of those 93 buttons were TV remote button, the hard, uncomfortable, and disgusting type.

And these too :

They're Indestructable, but they're so horrible you'd wish them to get destroyed so you can get the foldable keyboard instead.

****

So yeah, if youre worried about normal foldable keyboard bring uncomfortable, get the mechanical foldable ones.

F68 or RK925

 

[AnonUnlimited]

Your cheap asses.
I use

DASKEYBOARD

Das Keyboard - The Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Experience for Overachievers

Das Keyboard offers the ultimate experience with high-performance mechanical keyboards with superior durability, construction, and design. The mechanical key switches provide tactile and audio feedback for the best experience.

www.daskeyboard.com

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Your cheap asses.
I use

DASKEYBOARD

Das Keyboard - The Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Experience for Overachievers

Das Keyboard offers the ultimate experience with high-performance mechanical keyboards with superior durability, construction, and design. The mechanical key switches provide tactile and audio feedback for the best experience.

www.daskeyboard.com

There's one there that looks like it costs more than the laptop I use! Impressive.

 

[K_Jira]

Its practically similar to laptop keyboard.
Look at the keys.

View attachment 34563
It's similar to Apple magic keyboard
View attachment 34564
Not exactly the same, but the similarities are there.

Getting foldable keyboard is like a settling move when you're on the move.


BUT,

If you already have mechanical keyboard, and you totally dont mind noise like i do (my ear is too sensitive),

And you already have Royal Kludge at that

That means you can get Royal kludge Foldable keyboard

View attachment 34572
View attachment 34571

View attachment 34573

They're using switched half the heigh of normal mechanical keyboard and you don't have to worry.

Its like using mechanical keyboard with short travel distance. You can just get the tactile version too.

Isnt it good. You get to use Royal Kludge again, but now a side grade Royal Kludge some portable keyboard.


It's like the concept of using Mac desktop for max performance at home, then using macbook for doing task on the go.

Or Gaming PC with Steam at home and then getting Steamdeck as device to play on the go.

Or getting Asus ROG PC/Laptop, then using Rog Ally for gaming on the go

Or Lenovo Legion gaming desktop/laptop, then using legion go for gaming on the go


Now you have to choose between the flat keycap profile for maximum portability (Royal kludge 925)
View attachment 34574
Or the one with OEM keycap profile for similar feeling with your home keyboard (Royal Kludge F68)

View attachment 34579


925 Flat profile or F68 OEM low profile

Both of them are still portable for going out
View attachment 34580

No worry about what happened if key being pressed at commute. They can be pressed for million times and still work just fine.

****

I myself just cant stand the noise becaus eof my sensitive ear, not because of it being loud.

Even at my home, i have to use silent switch for my keyboard despite them not as comfortale as normal switch. Thats how sensitive my ear is.

I envy peoples like you that could use normal keyboard.

****


Sure, some portable keyboard are horrible and downright scary and frightening if youre getting one like these

View attachment 34566
Look at the mosntrosity. All of those 93 buttons were TV remote button, the hard, uncomfortable, and disgusting type.

And these too :
View attachment 34567
They're Indestructable, but they're so horrible you'd wish them to get destroyed so you can get the foldable keyboard instead.

****

So yeah, if youre worried about normal foldable keyboard bring uncomfortable, get the mechanical foldable ones.

F68 or RK925

Appreciate your suggestion! The RK925 sounds more interesting to me as a portable keyboard since I don't mind flat profiles at all and seems more comfortable to bring it with me around. I'll try look it up in my country!

My dad bought that handheld portable keyboard to try it and for real, it feels horrendous. Using it to type short words are fine but I can't imaging actually using it for work or writing. I never tried a silicone keyboard but I can already tell it'll also give a horrible typing experience. Might as well just get that holographic one and type directly on any random surface.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Appreciate your suggestion! The RK925 sounds more interesting to me as a portable keyboard since I don't mind flat profiles at all and seems more comfortable to bring it with me around. I'll try look it up in my country!

My dad bought that handheld portable keyboard to try it and for real, it feels horrendous. Using it to type short words are fine but I can't imaging actually using it for work or writing. I never tried a silicone keyboard but I can already tell it'll also give a horrible typing experience. Might as well just get that holographic one and type directly on any random surface.

Your dad can use the foldable non mechanical keyboard instead. It looks like a cool adult toy, like flipknife or metal wallet, but its being a serious work keyboard.

Give him on his birthday, he'll thank you for it.

I doubt he would ditch the handheld keybosrd, he seems to like those. But i gisrsntee he would appreaciate and use more of the foldable keyboard.

 

[fcures]

I want the flatest keyboard, i want my fingers to bleed while writing

 

[nainaabraham]

During my daily doom-scrolling earlier, I encountered a reel that showed a particularly peculiar keyboard using what the OP called 'three-dimensional switches'. From my understanding, unlike a regular keyboard, each button can be moved to left, right, up, and down each with an assigned alphabet/number/symbols (they didn't go into full detail). It was like a keyboard of joysticks.

Then, I also remember another type of peculiar keyboard that transcribers used in court with only a few keys and if I remember correctly, the typer only needs to type the phenomic(?) of the word and the keyboard/software automatically recognizes the intended word.

It makes me wonder. Is there any writer here—or anyone, really—who uses this kind of unique contraption? Or do you have a special keyboard you're particularly fond of using? Or maybe you're the thumb god and your phone is your trusted artifact?

Feel free to share!

That sounds really interesting, I’ve seen those experimental keyboards too, and while they look a bit wild, I think they’re more about niche use cases like transcription or accessibility. Most people still stick with standard mechanical or membrane keyboards because they’re familiar and practical. Personally, I like testing different layouts just to see how they affect typing speed. If you’re curious about how fast you type, you can Click Here to try a fun little keyboard speed test.

 

[DireBadger]

a clone keyboard about the size of a whale that is lit bright enough to see your way around a pitch black apartment.

It's called 'logi'. Not logitech, 'Logi'.

 

[DireBadger]

Your cheap asses.
I use

DASKEYBOARD

Das Keyboard - The Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Experience for Overachievers

Das Keyboard offers the ultimate experience with high-performance mechanical keyboards with superior durability, construction, and design. The mechanical key switches provide tactile and audio feedback for the best experience.

www.daskeyboard.com

wow, mine looks exactly like Das Keyboard 6, but I paid 70 bucks for it.... and it has lasted me 9 years of near-constant writing!

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

I got a fancy back lit mechanical one. The sounds it makes gives me a tiny dose of dopamine every click.
I will never go back to one of the quiet keyboards...the silence and lack of key movement bother me to distraction.

 

[lambenttyto]

A Sailor fountain pen recently.

 

[empalgepuk]

I'm poor so I'm still using my old logitech keyboard. Not sure how it survives ten years of use.

 

[DireBadger]

I got a fancy back lit mechanical one. The sounds it makes gives me a tiny dose of dopamine every click.
I will never go back to one of the quiet keyboards...the silence and lack of key movement bother me to distraction.

pre-xactly!

Also, from what I understand, heavier keyboards with bigger actions are, for some reason, less destructive on your wrists.

 

[Seaspecter]

I use this chonky beast.

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