Five Mechanical-Switch Keyboards: Only The Best For Your Hands

"You will find keyboards even pricier than these, but that's a consequence of built-in special functions and gimmicks, not better quality or suitability."

That's a bit ignorant, since you didn't test them. Try a Topre Realforce and tell me it's a gimmick.

Great write up! I have a tenkeyless Leopold cherry brown and love it.

Where is the Filco Majestouch in the product list?

Poorly done overview. A lot of keyboard missing in action.

Hmm looking at those keyboard's layouts make me wince. I don't think I could stand a huge enter key, a nonexistent "\", Y and Z being switched, and a funky shift key. I'm happy with my blank das keyboard, thank you very much.

I actually went away from mechanical keyboards about 7 years ago. I really prefer a solid rubber dome keyboard. I currently use a Logitech MX5500 for gaming and a Logitech Wave for typing. Never had any issues with either for their purposes. I do miss the tactile feel, but honestly the 5500 is a MUCH better gaming board, plus the noise doesn't drive me crazy.

For all of you with exotic keyboards, you must be extra special picky I type 110 wpm without error and have no trouble with the wave or 5500.

My Model M is too cool for this review.

wheres the das keyboard model s ultimate?

I kind of wished they had compared them to some mainstream keyboards like the cheapy walmart logitech, dell keyboard, or ibm. Sure they work great, but compared to what. I'm not a fan of loud and clicky ibm, but thats as far as my interest in key-presses goes.

I bought my G110 for the extra macro keys that I never use. In fact I use the onboard volume control more often.

Where is the Model M? Is it too cool for this review?
And it's "buckling spring", not "bent spring"

You did miss one criteria for comparison and that's typing noise. SteelSeries went through allot to successfully keep typing noise at a minimum while the Razer is a screamer! It would suck to invest in a quite rig and then end up with a keyboard like that.

I wish they gave out sample for me to try before buying....

Its more about the switches than the keyboard brand/manufacturer. there is a good explanation of how the different Cherry MX switches work at EliteKeyboards. I would have to say picking the switches is defiantly personal preference over anything else. For me its Topre 55g all the way!

It should be 50 000 000 not 50 000!

I would only buy the Ione based entirely on the fact that they didn't flub up the layout. Seriously, what's with the enter key from these other companies? Why would I want to reach my pinky finger FARTHER to reach a commonly used key? I see no benefit to those layouts.

What about daskeyboard? I saw a pic while looking at cherry MX keys yet no review?

My $30 wireless Logitech is still better

dragonfang18What about daskeyboard? I saw a pic while looking at cherry MX keys yet no review?

they choose the keyboards based on the switches inside. there was no real need to review multiple boards with the same switches for their purposes because it was more a review/explanation of the different switches than of the keyboards.

I have an old MS Internet Keyboard Pro from 2000 - does anyone know what kind of switches it uses? Are they mechanical?

You should specify that the macro 'functionality' of the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate is actually done through their windows software and does not work on OS X or Linux, which makes the feature kind of useless for some people.

michaelahessFor all of you with exotic keyboards, you must be extra special picky I type 110 wpm without error and have no trouble with the wave or 5500.

Your Logitech board won't last 10+ years like my mechanical board will. Mechanical boards are also *always* the exact same stroke for every single key, and the consistency makes them a bit more pleasurable to type on.

personally, topre realforce is the best keyboard
to bad their availability is really limited and the price is expensive but worthed
although you can find it rather easy if you in japan

pros:
-the switch is topre switch not cherry switch
-made in japan
-recent version have soft weight switch thinggie to set the weight 45,55,60gram
http://www.archisite.co.jp/topre_xe01b0.htm

"Bent Spring" ? , This is known as the bucking spring used for model m keyboards which are extremely popular and still made by unicomp. The review also doesn't have the Das Keyboard.

Overclock.net is a website with user generated information and images. You should have attributed those images to the user in question and linked back to the Mechanical Keyboard guide you took them from.
If anyone wants a more in depth guide go search for Mechanical Keyboard guide on Overclock.net. Manyak put a lot of time into it. Also user Ripster has a lot of good info.