What keyboard for coding?

[kingdorian]

I'm looking into buying a keyboard for my new laptop since I hate typing on laptop keys. I'm going to do a loooooooot of coding and typing other kinds of tekst. So I was wondering what type of cherry switches do you guys recommand.

I'm most likely going to buy a DAS ultimate but are there any other keyboards that  are not all led lighted and not cramped up with all kinds of useless "gaming" features like the das keyboards.

I'm in the Netherlands but I don't mind ordering from a store from the UK, Belgium or Germany.

 

I'll be transporting the keyboard in my bag from univeristy to home everyday...

 

 

CM STORM:

This one is about 70-74 Euro's

 

DAS KEYBOARD:

This one is about 130-140Euro's. 

I always wanted to buy a keyboard without the letters on the caps. The only one I knew that had one was das. A lot of people said the built quality is amazing but since they switched factory they wouldn't recommand buying one anymore.

[Cacao]

Cherry MX switches are quite a personal choice, you should buy one of those little testers and see which one you like best. Keep in mind that if you order form the UK for example, the key layout will be different to what you might be used to in the Netherlands.

[kingdorian]

Cherry MX switches are quite a personal choice, you should buy one of those little testers and see which one you like best. 

I think I'll just go to the local shop and try some out then, but there is no switch most people like? I don't really want the super noisy ones. Well I would like to but its not so nice when everyone can hear you type during a lecture.

 

Keep in mind that if you order form the UK for example, the key layout will be different to what you might be used to in the Netherlands.

Jeah I got that in mind

[Phage]

Cherry Mx Browns doe

[kingdorian]

How about the CM storm quickfire is that a nice keyboard?

edit I'll make a poll.

[Guest andyysplash]

I've never used one, but it has clear switches (essentially stiffer browns) on the quieter model and green switches (essentially heavier blues) on the louder model - the Code keyboard. It comes in fullsize and tkl variant. The keycaps are top printed, but they look all standard size so you could buy a blank PBT set (PBT are better quality than ABS). It does come with a white backlight but you could just turn it off as other than that it's a standard look keyboard with no 'gamer' features.

 

If you're not interested in one of those then I'd either recommend the Das Ultimate, the Quickfire Rapid or a tkl Ducky (because of their solid build quality).

 

Edit: there's currently a massdrop on for a Code board - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tenkeyless-code-keyboard

[WiiManic]

From what I'm reading something like a Poker II or a Leopold FC660m with browns seems like it would be best?

 

Gives a small size for transporting, and if you are using in lectures blues/greens would be too loud really to use.

Neither come with blank keys, but you can always just buy a blank set.

Both come in non-backlit, decent PBT keycaps.

 

FC660m gives you arrows if your editor of choice uses them.

FC660m also comes in Clears if you wanted something a little more heavy.

 

Poker II is smaller and due to not having the arrows/other 2 keys, should be easier to replace keys.

Though the arrows on the board are under a function layer so if you don't use something like vim could be more awkward to move around an editor.

[kingdorian]

I've never used one, but it has clear switches (essentially stiffer browns) on the quieter model and green switches (essentially heavier blues) on the louder model - the Code keyboard. It comes in fullsize and tkl variant. The keycaps are top printed, but they look all standard size so you could buy a blank PBT set (PBT are better quality than ABS). It does come with a white backlight but you could just turn it off as other than that it's a standard look keyboard with no 'gamer' features.

 

If you're not interested in one of those then I'd either recommend the Das Ultimate, the Quickfire Rapid or a tkl Ducky (because of their solid build quality).

 

Edit: there's currently a massdrop on for a Code board - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tenkeyless-code-keyboard

 

Thanks I'll take a look at that. However with the 30Dollars shipping cost to the Netherlands + import fees it becomes expensive very quick.

 

From what I'm reading something like a Poker II or a Leopold FC660m with browns seems like it would be best?

 

Gives a small size for transporting, and if you are using in lectures blues/greens would be too loud really to use.

Neither come with blank keys, but you can always just buy a blank set.

Both come in non-backlit, decent PBT keycaps.

 

FC660m gives you arrows if your editor of choice uses them.

FC660m also comes in Clears if you wanted something a little more heavy.

 

Poker II is smaller and due to not having the arrows/other 2 keys, should be easier to replace keys.

Though the arrows on the board are under a function layer so if you don't use something like vim could be more awkward to move around an editor.

Damn those leopold keyboards are expensive here. They're like 190-200euro's in Dutch shops.... But they seem to be very nice.

Poker II is not an option considering not having the arrow keys.

Now that I think about it arrows are a must have... I actually never use my mouse during coding.

[Guest andyysplash]

Just for reference, how much does it cost for a Ducky in your area? It might end up being around the same price as importing some other keyboard, and if so it would be worth it for the extra build quality.

[Fuzzy112]

DAS

[kingdorian]

Just for reference, how much does it cost for a Ducky in your area? It might end up being around the same price as importing some other keyboard, and if so it would be worth it for the extra build quality.

140ish... But that is available here, so I pay 140 euro's and get the keyboard delevered. When I import it from us or something its most of the time 30dollars (23euro's) shipping cost and then there is 21% vat that adds to it and if you're unlucky you even have to pay customs fee but thats very rare luckely.  So yeah...

 

edit: the keyboard at massdrop is roughly 100 euro's. So that makes around 140-150 to import it. 

 

But then there is the part of convincing my parents (they're paying because its for uni if its not like 250 euro's). They think 50 euro's for a keyboard is expensive "because why can't you just use a 10 euro logitech keyboard?".  So I might be able to convince them to buy a 100-130euro's keyboard for me but not if it is a rare exotic kind of keyboard to be imported from the us.

 

There is a con tho, we use the US International keyboard layout here

[Guest andyysplash]

140ish... But that is available here, so I pay 140 euro's and get the keyboard delevered. When I import it from us or something its most of the time 30dollars (23euro's) shipping cost and then there is 21% vat that adds to it and if you're unlucky you even have to pay customs fee but thats very rare luckely.  So yeah...

 

If it's €140 compared to nearly €200 for a leopold, and $155 for a fullsize code (+ $30 for shipping, making $185 or €136 according to google's converter thingy) then out of a Ducky and a Code, pick the one you like the most. Ducky will offer clear switches in some models, so that's something to think about.

[kingdorian]

Since they're already paying the most of the costs of my study (beer is about the only thing I'm going to have to pay for myself [/joke]) and buying a 1000euro notebook for me I'm feeling kinda bad also making them buy a "too expensive" keyboard. So I'm leaning very much towards just buying the CM storm one in my local store...

 

So I might even end up buying it myself

 

I hope you understand.

 

But I'll think about it some more thanks for the help

 

edit: Oh wow I see they have cheaper ducky keyboards in a store here in the Netherlands, starting from 70 euro's. But they weren't listed on a price comparison site

edit: How about func?

[kingdorian]

Its a bit a shame ducky hasn't got any tkl keyboards as far as I can see

[ObeseWalrus]

Get the new das keyboard 4. Really nice quality and good looks

[exousia7]

I don't know how the new Das keyboards are, but I've heard good reviews about them. I'd go for the Das keyboard from that list of options.

[kingdorian]

I think the new das keyboard might be to wide but I'll have to take a look at it. I'd rather go tkl, I'm leaning very much towards the ducky zero tkl at the moment. Also I heard from some guys I know that have the new DAS they don't like the glossy fihish because you see dirt on it very easily. Also the das keyboard is about twice the price of the ducky one

[kingdorian]

I went for the ducky zero tkl (dk2087 I believe) but the guy of the shop made a mistake so I got the version with the LEDs sent to me, so he emailed me I can keep it because it was him that made the mistake, now thats service And I'm soo happy with it it types so nice

[Amr0d]

Filco Majestouch 2 TKL, Ducky Shine 3, DAS, Vortex Race 75%, HHKB

 

//edit

 

just saw that you got the Ducky. Good choice.

[Mojo-Jojo]

May I recommend a layout instead of recommending a keyboard here?

 

I learned to type on Dvorak layouts a year ago or so. I will not go back to QWERTY ever.

For programming AND typing normal text it's a much better layout than QWERTY and I can highly recommend you look into it.

[Gronnie]

I have a daskeyboard 4 (the newest one) as well as one of the das Mac keyboards and they are excellent, but holy balls are they heavy. I wouldn't want to be transporting them back and forth all the time.