Manyak

I've never used alps switches...at least not once I knew what they were...so I don't know about the ABS.

But cherry browns are pretty good. They are a little easier to press than the blues, which a lot of people prefer.

__________________
For Sale: [Conus] CM Storm Scout, TEC, WC, Laptop, A900, Model M, GPU, Audio, and a ton more!!

laurie

The Filco is the higher quality board and the browns are nice and quiet and feel great.
Soft with a slight tactile bump.
The spring in the Browns is the same as the one in the blues. Its the actuator on the stem which makes the blues feel a little stiffer.

The ABS has fake white alps as far as I know. They are very very loud. Louder than a Buckling spring Model M.
I would recommend a Filco as they are very nice boards.
I am also a big fan of the Brown switches.
Finally the seller at Elitekeyboards is a very nice guy.

__________________
Do not shop at overclockersuk
Do shop at watercoolinguk

Will your CPU be a bottleneck?
See HERE

brokenmoth08

Is there a good keyboard out there for say....$30-$40?

Manyak

Yup, you can probably pick up a Model M for that much if you're lucky, just look through ebay. Just watch out because not all of the ones produced used buckling springs, but rubber domes. Use the wikipedia article for a reference to model numbers, so you can see if you're picking up a good one.

__________________
For Sale: [Conus] CM Storm Scout, TEC, WC, Laptop, A900, Model M, GPU, Audio, and a ton more!!

Manyak

On a side note, guess what I just got?

An UNUSED model M!!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=250403294393

__________________
For Sale: [Conus] CM Storm Scout, TEC, WC, Laptop, A900, Model M, GPU, Audio, and a ton more!!

timw4mail

So, for the same price, this unicomp would be better?
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net//en104bl.html


I really can't afford to spend much more than the price of the ABS or Unicomp.

Cool, but I'll take my used 1987 dinosaur

__________________
AM2/AM2+ Club ATI Radeon 4870 Club .: ATI HD4800 series club :.
Phenom II 940 BE @3.75GHz Athlon 64 X2 3600+ @3GHz 4870 Validation 8800 GTS Validation

laurie

Not better as such just different. And a lot louder than a Filco too.
Its hard to recommend one over the other if you have yet to develop a preference for switch types. A used Model M would be the most cost effective choice.

__________________
Do not shop at overclockersuk
Do shop at watercoolinguk

Will your CPU be a bottleneck?
See HERE

Zero4549

Eh, I can understand people preferring mechanical keyboards but I certainly would not call them superior. I've got a couple absolutely ancient mechanical keyboards. Most of them are older than I am and have been long ago worn out to the point where I can not identify their models or manufacturers. They all still work perfectly and are a unique experience to work with (especially the weird one with the round iron keys). I love them and I hate them both at the same time. It's really a matter of opinion and personal preference more than technical superiority/inferiority. At the end of the day I'm typing this up on my Saitek Eclipse II - The mechanicals are sitting on the shelf.

As for the 6 keys + 4 modifiers on a USB, if you need more than 10 keys pressed at any one time you are not a standard human and keyboard manufacturers can not be held responsible for your genetic mutations . Seriously though, if you ever have more than five (and that is quite a stretch, I hardly ever exceed three and I game quite heavily across a broad spectrum of genres) keys depressed , you're doing something wrong.

__________________

Systems: Prodigy | Tempest | Arcane
Logs: Build Log - Arcane | Video Logs: Project Arcane | Other: Left 4 OCN

Zero MMXZ: OCN just autocorrected my "comming soon" to "cumming soon"
whynoqueer: o.O
Zero MMXZ: mah computer is totally jacking off apparently
whynoqueer: Ten point for your computer doing what you should have done LONG ago
Zero MMXZ: 0_o i should have jacked off a computer?

laurie

A lot does come down to personal preference but there is a clear gap in the quality of build and design of a mechanical switch compared to a rubber dome.
Some people like the soft quite feel of the rubber dome boards.
I like the feel of a variety of switches. The positive action and in some satisfying click make it all worth while. Then there is the amount of time you use a board and how long you want it to last of course.
Also some people are more tactile than others and can feel more of the intricacies of the switches through their fingers.
Some even go so far as to prefer different printing techniques. Tampoprinting, screen, dual injection (I like these) All can give the key caps a unique feel.

Personal preference is great. Thats why this thread has been dedicated to what's good about mechanical keyboards.

__________________
Do not shop at overclockersuk
Do shop at watercoolinguk

Will your CPU be a bottleneck?
See HERE

Manyak

Obviously you've never tried playing Descent on a keyboard
I know I know, its a long shot that someone would still be playing that game, but its the first game that came to mind where you'd actually need a PS/2 board to be comfortable.

Rubber domes might last for 10,000 presses, while mechanicals last for 5,000,000. If you're a light user it obviously wont matter, but for some people it helps not having to replace the keyboard every 2 or 3 months (like me....I used to have to buy 3 keyboards at a time lol). Mechanicals are generally heavy and remain in place even for the people that type like they are trying to murder a cat with every key press. If you're light on your fingers, this won't matter to you. And yes, in this way you can't say they are necessarily superior, because it comes down to personal preference. But there is a more than obvious difference in quality between mechanical boards and the others.

Its like comparing, say, a Lamborghini Diablo to a Nissan Pathfinder. The Diablo's engineering is superior in every way, but if you've got kids and live in the mountains where it snows a lot you'd probably go for the Pathfinder even if you could afford the Lambo. Or get both and let the Lambo sit in the garage most of the time.

If you prefer dome switches then great. The only thing I consider a shame is that there are tons of people out there who have never tried a mechanical or don't even know they exist, and may end up absolutely loving them.

__________________
For Sale: [Conus] CM Storm Scout, TEC, WC, Laptop, A900, Model M, GPU, Audio, and a ton more!!