Thoughts on 60% layout keyboards

[Donut417]

What are you're thoughts? Ive been considering downsizing my keyboard to make a little more room on my desk. I currently have a Razer Black Widows Ultimate from 2013, with Cherry MX Blue Switches, got it just before they released the new boards with their own switches. After doing research it seems you dont really loose any functions on the keyboard. They use the FN key to make each key have secondary functions. 

 

Also what switches are good now days? I mean when I bought my keyboard it pretty much was Cherry. Now there are eleventy billion different key switches. Ive only have had experience with Cherry MX Blues. I haven't had a way to try out different switches. 

[dean_5234]

2 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Also what switches are good now days? I mean when I bought my keyboard it pretty much was Cherry. Now there are eleventy billion different key switches. Ive only have had experience with Cherry MX Blues. I haven't had a way to try out different switches. 

What are you looking for? Linears, clicky, or tactile?

[Donut417]

1 minute ago, davemc said:

What are you looking for? Linears, clicky, or tactile?

Thats the problem. I have not used ANY other mechanical switches. I dont know how any feel. Ive only use Cherry MX Blue Switches. I do a bit of typing, which I know Blue Switches were good at. But Im no longer in school, back when I bought the keyboard, I was in school. I use my keyboard between my MacBook Pro, Gaming PC and Linux Server. 

[Slottr]

1 minute ago, Donut417 said:

Thats the problem. I have not used ANY other mechanical switches. I dont know how any feel. Ive only use Cherry MX Blue Switches. I do a bit of typing, which I know Blue Switches were good at. But Im no longer in school, back when I bought the keyboard, I was in school. I use my keyboard between my MacBook Pro, Gaming PC and Linux Server. 

Grab a switch tester off ali express or amazon. It'll help you narrow down what you actually want super easily.

[Donut417]

11 minutes ago, Slottr said:

Grab a switch tester off ali express or amazon. It'll help you narrow down what you actually want super easily.

Aliexpress takes a month. Amazon wants like $25 for a kit. I just find a hard time justifying paying $25 for something Im going to use for 2 seconds and have no use for it ever again. I have a Best Buy close that I could see what they have in terms of key switches. Blue Switches are fine, but I have noticed that some boards dont come with those. Also I was talking more about all the different companies who make switches. Like I said Cherry was pretty much the standard back in 2013. Now there are many companies making their own switches. 

 

Im more wondering about how the adjustment from a full-sized to a 60% keyboard goes. 

[Dr0y]

60% are quite nice boards but it does takes some adjustment ... I still look at the second layer on the keycaps a lot and that tells me I'm not ready to use another set than the stock one when I use my kemove snowfox. 

 

If you're not sure about the switches you want well the best thing to do would be to go try some tactile and linear switches in store ... you already know what an ok clicky switch feels and sounds like for having used cherry blue all those years. 

 

My suggestion would be to get an hotswappable board so you can change the switches without soldering/desoldering them so you can just try some out when you feel like it ... it's also convenient when one fails, if you want to lube them or if you want to deeply clean the keyboard. 

 

There's more and more option for hotswappable board such as the gmmk, kemove snowfox/shadow, gk61 ... just to name a few ... To that I would suggest you get some kailh box white (light spring, light click) or kailh box jade (light spring, heavy click) or kailh box navy (heavy spring, heavy click) to have clicky switches since you already know clicky switches and seems comfortable with them ... those kailh box have a different click mechanism (click bar) and produce a way more sharper click than the cherry blue (click jacket) and also the tactility is way better.  

 

Tactile switches have about the "same" (not exactly the same) tactile feeling as the clicky but without the intended click sound.  Some have rounder tactile bump, some sharper tactile bump ... some tactile switches are barely tactile such as the cherry brown that feels more like a really scratchy linear switch (avoid cherry brown for your sanity).  If you want some suggestion for tactile switches just ask here. 

 

Linear switches are just linear and that's it ... "smooth" travel from top to bottom, some are smoother than others ... it can be disturbing at first but some people really like them (I don't so far). 

 

Also some will say that red and brown (meaning linear and tactile) are silent ... that is not true ... Those are not silent switches as they will still make noise when bottoming down and coming back up and sometime other kind of noises.  They just don't have specific click mechanism to produce additional noise.  If you want really silent operation then you have to look for switches that state specifically silent in the name or description ... such as cherry silent red, kailh silent box pink or brown, zilent, aliaz silent and such (a lot more exist) ... those switches have little rubber dampers inside that dampens the sound of the switch when typing.  Silent switches are not the same as adding o-rings to the keycaps ... with o-rings you only dampen the downstroke and the upstroke will still make noise which is kinda weird ... it also can add some mushiness to the switches.  

 

Well hope that helps a bit. 

 

[Javilen]

I would push for 65% layout.  Arrow keys are nice to have and i would rather not have it be a function layer under wasd.

[Donut417]

15 hours ago, Javilen said:

I would push for 65% layout.  Arrow keys are nice to have and i would rather not have it be a function layer under wasd.

Ill check those out. Because the arrow keys might come in handy when Im doing shit in Linux command line. 

 

What Im trying to do is make a little more room on my desk. I have two ultrawide monitors. My desk has a built in monitor riser, but only the 34 inch one fits up there. The 25 inch one has to sit on my desk surface. The issue is, you can knock the monitor when you walk by because my bedroom door is there. I might look at a VESA stand to replace the stand LG provide, and get a stand that has the ability to use the monitor in portrait mode. The issue is, the foot print on those stands are a bit bigger than the stand that comes with the monitor. 

[Donut417]

19 hours ago, Javilen said:

I would push for 65% layout.  Arrow keys are nice to have and i would rather not have it be a function layer under wasd.

https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k6-wireless-mechanical-keyboard?variant=31441087037529

 

Thoughts on these guys? Ive looked at their keyboards before. Looks like its a wired/Bluetooth model. 

[Jarsky]

Personally i'm not a fan of 60% keyboards. I have a couple, and its just annoying to remember all the Fn shortcuts for everything. I have a few 65%-70% keyboards and theyre far more usable, and better for daily use. 

 

If you're interested in a 70%, my favorite one I have which is a decent price is the RK71 by Royal Kludge https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Keyboard-Wireless-Bluetooth-Portable/dp/B07S6T64BX

[Dr0y]

I have a 60% ... and I'm looking for 65% or 70% ... something a little bigger than 60% but smaller than tkl ...

[minibois]

65% is my go-to small size keyboard, because I use the arrow keys a lot still, but things like the F-keys not so much (and I have a seperate numpad).

Many 60% boards will have arrow keys under another layer, but I use the arrows keys together with Shift and Ctrl enough that I would need to have those keys seperate.

[ramava]

When I've looked at smaller layouts, I always think about "How often do I use those missing keys?" It's what keeps me from switching to anything but a full size.

 

Just keep that in mind when you're looking at things like the 60% and 65%. Do you use those keys often enough that holding a modifier to get them instead is going to slow you way down or be a major annoyance.

[Javilen]

On 6/14/2021 at 7:23 PM, Donut417 said:

https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k6-wireless-mechanical-keyboard?variant=31441087037529

 

Thoughts on these guys? Ive looked at their keyboards before. Looks like its a wired/Bluetooth model. 

Not a bad choice.  I would push for hot swap and budget $50 for switches.

[Donut417]

Just now, Javilen said:

Not a bad choice.  I would push for hot swap and budget $50 for switches.

That keyboard is hot swap though. I rather get a board that comes with switches then spending a bunch on a board and a bunch on switches. Money doesnt grow on trees you know. I know I like blues. Which the keyboard has. I know it can come hot swap able which is nice. Also had a backlight which I also want. I just dont know about the brand. Never heard of them before. 

[Javilen]

1 minute ago, Donut417 said:

That keyboard is hot swap though. I rather get a board that comes with switches then spending a bunch on a board and a bunch on switches. Money doesnt grow on trees you know. I know I like blues. Which the keyboard has. I know it can come hot swap able which is nice. Also had a backlight which I also want. I just dont know about the brand. Never heard of them before. 

They are reputable brand.  It was actually reviewed by ShortCircuit a few months ago (k4 version).  If you know that blues are what you want then there is no need to spend extra on hot swap.

 

 

 

[geo3]

On 6/14/2021 at 4:40 PM, Donut417 said:

Ill check those out. Because the arrow keys might come in handy when Im doing shit in Linux command line. 

I'm in the CLI all day and use FN+wasd for arrows. Yes it's an adjustment to make coming from dedicated arrows, but I find it superior because the keys are right there under your finger tips already.  No need to move your hand away from home row. 

[Donut417]

I haven't bought anything yet. But Im looking at the Keychron K6 Wireless, as it can be used wired or with Bluetooth. Im looking at the RGB Backlight with Aluminum frame which is $89, which really isn't that bad. I was looking at the Blue Switches because well I like the clicky switches. My question is what's the difference between Gateron Mechanical and LK Optical? All I see if a $10 price difference, but Ive not really heard of optical switches. 

[Donut417]

22 minutes ago, James Evens said:

. Go to your local store. You won't find a lot of options but at least some.

Yeah Best buys selection was crap and Walmart is not going to be any better. 

 

The fact is I know what Blue Switches feel like so Ill stay with those. I just need to know the difference between the mechanical and optical switches.