Generic Mechanical Keyboard for Office

[MrBucket101]

I recently purchased the Black Widow Ultimate Stealth 2014. My girlfriend typed up a paper for on the keyboard and fell in love with it.

She also has a job working in an HR department and does quite a bit of typing.

Anyways, I'm hoping to get her a mechanical keyboard to use at work. She doesn't really need any of the fancy bells and whistles that my keyboard has. Since she works in an office environment with other coworkers I was hoping to get a keyboard that wouldn't stand out too much. I don't want her coworkers thinking of the keyboard as a fashion statement or anything. I'm purely interested in just the functionality.

I watched the Linus review of my new keyboard, and Linus compared the Razer switches to the Cherry MX Browns. So a keyboard with those switches would be a plus.

I looked over at newegg last night and I couldn't really find anything that seemed to fit what I am looking for.

If anyone has suggestions or models to stay away from, I would greatly appreciate the advice.

[Shd0w2]

Welcome btw, If you can afford it, a nice K70?

[jbr]

K70's look great, easy to clean and have a removable soft wrist rest.

[Darth Hideous]

Would you say sound would be an issue as she's in an office environment? 

[sirtoby]

I would suggest, you have a look at the Cherry MX-Board 3.0 it's clean, almost boring looking and cheap. At least in Germany.

Have a look: http://www.cherry.de/cid/keyboards_CHERRY_MX-Board_30.htm?rdeLocaleAttr=en&WT.mc_id=

 

It is hard to find them in the US but it seems that Newegg will have them in the near future.

[hawaiims]

This keyboard is absolutely fantastic:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Fold-out-Connectivity-Compatible-Dell/dp/B008C4JA66/

 

My friend has this keyboard, and I prefer it to my mx blue keyboard. It's a 20$ membrane keyboard, but it's the first membrane keyboard I've tried that isn't mushy and it allows me to type faster and more accurately than my mx blues or any other keyboard.

 

Absolutely amazing keyboard considering it's not mechanical (and don't tell me that crap about how mechanicals last longer because that's irrelevant. I've never heard of a membrane keyboard breaking from over use, and even if they did you could buy 4 for the price of one mech keyboard)

[WoodenMarker]

Check out the CM Storm Quickfire line. 

[SpaceSquid]

Well, it might get stolen but I would recommend Das because they look like normal office keyboards without fancy LEDs and looks.

[JustTooDank]

Check out the CM Storm Quickfire line.

Yup. I have the Rapid (tenkeyless) and it looks like a normal keyboard. They also make a version with the 10-key.

[elecxonica]

I'd suggest maybe a Ducky Shine Zero with out backlighting. However, I can't seem to find where you can get them over in the US.

[Marvzl1357]

I recently got a cm storm quickfire xt. It's probably as generic looking as it gets.

Other than a logo on the top back of the frame/housing (I don't know what it's called, a part you won't ever see), it's just a flat black.

It also doesn't need any drivers to function and comes with a p/s2 adapter and function.

No wrist rest though.

[xyza]

http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?m=&c=1&l=product_list&sortby=price:asc

 

there you go

[Avratz]

I'd find a vintage keyboard for cheap on ebay. The Dell AT-101W is a good choice.

 

http://tinyurl.com/mgnoach

 

That's about as no frills as it gets.

[MrBucket101]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, really appreciate it!!

 

I've looked at the CM quickfire line, and I really like the features with the no frills look. I've pretty much got it narrowed down to the CM Quickfire XT, or the CM Quickfire XT Ultimate. They're basically the same but one has a white back-light.

Do you guys think the white back-light would make the keyboard stand out more? Or in an office condition would it look the same as any other keyboard?  I think the back-light would give the keyboard a lot more longevity, in case she ever decides to take it elsewhere, she would have the back-light if she needs it.

I know you can disable the back-light, but in my experience typing with the back-light off isn't really an option. I like being able to glimpse the keycaps even if I don't HAVE to see them.

 

Does anyone have a keyboard with a white back-light? If so could you comment on the look that it has?

[ShadowCaptain]

 

 

Does anyone have a keyboard with a white back-light? If so could you comment on the look that it has?

 

My logitech g710+ has white backlighting, it actually looks very clean, it might stand out but she can just say that she wanted one backlit because she finds seeing the keyboard easier - then it wouldnt seem like uncessary bling, also you can just turn the backlight nice and low to avoid looking show off

 

I juse my old G15 at work its quiet and I like using the built in screen to monitor notifications 

[MrBucket101]

My logitech g710+ has white backlighting, it actually looks very clean, it might stand out but she can just say that she wanted one backlit because she finds seeing the keyboard easier - then it wouldnt seem like uncessary bling, also you can just turn the backlight nice and low to avoid looking show off

 

I juse my old G15 at work its quiet and I like using the built in screen to monitor notifications 

Thanks for that.

 

That was just what I was hoping to hear.

 

I just went ahead and purchased the CM QuickFire XT Ultimate w/ Cherry MX Browns.

[Tacitus]

I've just bought myself a Filco Majestouch 2 with MX blue switches. It's yet to arrive, but it looks like a bog standard keyboard and is supposedly of extremely good build quality and really nice for typing on. If this thread is still going when it arrives I'll update this post.

[MrBucket101]

Just wanted to give you guys an update

 

After she got over the intial WTF factor, that her bf just bought her a keyboard...She fell in love with it.  She didn't realize at first that I had got her a keyboard just like mine.

 

The backlight when fully on, and on the lowest setting, isn't even noticeable. It pretty much just looks like a regular keyboard at that point.

She's already called me to let me know her co-workers are claiming to hear her typing from across the office. My guess would be she's still bottoming out the keys from old habits. The brown switches don't make THAT much noise lol

She couldn't be happier. Thanks for the help!