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After fantasizing about mechanical keyboards for years, I'm finally ready to take a plunge! But i cannot choose between the two!!

Should i go for a -
Das Professional Model S Silent - liked what i read about cherry brown switches and didn't want a loud clicky keyboard. + supposed to be good at gaming & regular usage
or
Corsair Vengeance K60 - liked the media controls and looks. + its slightly cheaper!

So if my general usage would involve moderate gaming and programming/coding & if i ignore the price factor - which one should i choose as my first mechanical keyboard!

Any inputs appreciated!

ps:
do these keyboard require a wrist rest? If yes, which ones are recommend?

Personally, I'd go with a keyboard with brown switches. I like the tactile feel better though. Entirely up to you. I'd give them both a try if you can. Find a friend or a store that has one in stock and go type on them.

You could also save a few bucks by going the Rosewill route.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823201042

DancinJack wrote:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201042

FWIW the Rosewill supposedly have terrible printing on the keys. Reading through reviews they seem to indicate that the printing wears off after 3-4 months of use.

Corrado wrote:

DancinJack wrote:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201042

FWIW the Rosewill supposedly have terrible printing on the keys. Reading through reviews they seem to indicate that the printing wears off after 3-4 months of use.

I'm sold. Das Keyboard used to charge extra for that. if that's the only complaint, I'm in.

I've read about few cases where the "laser etched" Das keys have actually faded!... or maybe they were just true power users!


Any recommendations on wrist rests?

aunlead wrote:

I've read about few cases where the "laser etched" Das keys have actually faded!... or maybe they were just true power users!


Any recommendations on wrist rests?

They're faded on my Das. I don't know if it's just "dirty" or what. I've tried to clean the keycaps to no avail.

I don't like wrist rests so I don't have any recommendations there.

FWIW the printing on my Rosewill keycaps has discolored/darkened somewhat on the most frequently used keys, but it does not seem to be wearing off (so far). I've had it for a little over a year.

just brew it! wrote:

FWIW the printing on my Rosewill keycaps has discolored/darkened somewhat on the most frequently used keys, but it does not seem to be wearing off (so far). I've had it for a little over a year.

My Model M was made in 1991 and the key caps are factory-perfect.

Captain Ned wrote:

just brew it! wrote:

FWIW the printing on my Rosewill keycaps has discolored/darkened somewhat on the most frequently used keys, but it does not seem to be wearing off (so far). I've had it for a little over a year.

My Model M was made in 1991 and the key caps are factory-perfect.

Dye sublimation FTW... the only thing better than dye sublimation is double-shot molding.

just brew it! wrote:

Captain Ned wrote:

My Model M was made in 1991 and the key caps are factory-perfect.

Dye sublimation FTW... the only thing better than dye sublimation is double-shot molding.

The only down side is that flipping the board over to read the birth certificate revealed an annoying level of board chow. Guess it's time to take it apart again.

Captain Ned wrote:

just brew it! wrote:

Captain Ned wrote:

My Model M was made in 1991 and the key caps are factory-perfect.

Dye sublimation FTW... the only thing better than dye sublimation is double-shot molding.

The only down side is that flipping the board over to read the birth certificate revealed an annoying level of board chow. Guess it's time to take it apart again.

I've been trying to keep my RK-9000s relatively chow-free by periodically flipping them over and giving 'em a few blasts of canned air. Seems to be mostly working; there's some hair down in there, but aside from that they are still pretty clean.

I don't consider the discoloring of the lettering to be a show-stopper (I buy mechanical keyboards to type on not to look at), but I expected better quality keycaps on a $100 keyboard.

just brew it! wrote:

I don't consider the discoloring of the lettering to be a show-stopper (I buy mechanical keyboards to type on not to look at), but I expected better quality keycaps on a $100 keyboard.

One of the other joys of a Model M. The keycaps (in a mesh laundry bag) and the upper frame go straight into the dishwasher.

For gaming/programming with low noise, but still mechanical, then I would lean toward cherry reds.

With that being said, most programmers and gamers use a membrane keyboard because it's cheap and quiet. You can hear a loud click-click-click... on vent/ts and at least for me, the sound of footprints and the game itself is more important than keyboard clicks. Even cherry reds are noticeably louder than membranes.

On the opposite side of the spectrum of my $14 keyboard, you can get a silent tenkeyless keyboard that has a gentle tactile feel, but quiet, but those are around $300.

As for Das,in addition to fading keys, the black glossy bezel is a fingerprint magnet. The K60 has mixed reviews with points taken off for build quality. Good luck.

Captain Ned wrote:

just brew it! wrote:

I don't consider the discoloring of the lettering to be a show-stopper (I buy mechanical keyboards to type on not to look at), but I expected better quality keycaps on a $100 keyboard.

One of the other joys of a Model M. The keycaps (in a mesh laundry bag) and the upper frame go straight into the dishwasher.

I would've stuck with my Unicomp Model M clones, except the variation in spring tension between 'boards bought at different times was pissing me off. The difference was quite noticeable, and having to re-adjust every weekday (I had one at home and one at work) got old. I suppose I could've bought a third Unicomp and swapped out the one it was the most different from... would've been a lot cheaper than the pair of RK-9000s! (But I do love the feel of those Cherry blue switches... )

If I were to replace my Blackwidow Ultimate (and I probably wouldn't), it would be with a keyboard that has Cherry Browns (the Blues are louder than I'd like), good per-key back-lighting, with pass through USB and audio being a bonus.

Do such things exist inexpensively yet? Around $100US?

just brew it! wrote:

I would've stuck with my Unicomp Model M clones, except the variation in spring tension between 'boards bought at different times was pissing me off.

That might explain why my wife mutters when she looks at my spares racks.

Airmantharp wrote:

good per-key back-lighting

How could any keyboard back-lighting be "good" and why would anyone want it?

JustAnEngineer wrote:

Airmantharp wrote:

good per-key back-lighting

How could any keyboard back-lighting be "good" and why would anyone want it?

Racing stripes.

I have one of these bad boys from the early 90s, got it off a scrap dealer

http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:9441

was actually in the market for a new one, but they cost too much, then found this on the way out, got it for $15
best hardware I ever bought

JustAnEngineer wrote:

Airmantharp wrote:

good per-key back-lighting

How could any keyboard back-lighting be "good" and why would anyone want it?

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod ... u=330-6214

This is the keyboard that the mech replaced, and I think its got a very good backlighting option, the ring around the keycaps is the key IMO, btw also found this at a scrap dealers, for about 20$ a few years back when I had the backlighting keyboard bug
Its actually quite nice for a membrane switch keyboard, what I would consider "good" feedback compared to the awesome feedback on the brown switches.

Hey, I understand the appeal of the tactile feedback that you get with a buckling spring or mechanical switch design. Those are superior components that help you type more quickly and more accurately. I'm still using the CVT Avant Prime (aka Northgate Omnikey) on my main PC. It uses Alps switches. I've got a couple of IBM Model M's that I use occasionally for spare PCs, and I just picked up a Rosewill RK-9000BR last week.

I don't need racing stripes on my keyboard. I've got an Ideazon Z-board here that's an interesting novelty, but the feel of that keyboard is so bad that I can't use it routinely.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

Airmantharp wrote:

good per-key back-lighting

How could any keyboard back-lighting be "good" and why would anyone want it?

I have a keyboard with good backlighting (good = brightly lit keys with minimal light "leakage" around the keys) and I do need it because I usually turn off all the lighting in the room when I use my PC and I do need to look at teh keyboard from time to time... Not sure why you're surprised about it

When I'm working with the lights off, the glow of the monitor is all the light I need or want. I actually covered up the num/caps/scroll lock LEDs on my Rosewill RK-9000 because they were too bright.

just brew it! wrote:

When I'm working with the lights off, the glow of the monitor is all the light I need or want. I actually covered up the num/caps/scroll lock LEDs on my Rosewill RK-9000 because they were too bright.

My keyboard is on a tray, and with the monitor set at head height, it doesn't illuminate the keyboard .

I understand what you guys are saying, and hell I mostly agree, but I find back-lighting useful- also, if you read laptop reviews, you'll find that it's one of the first thing a reviewer complains about when it's not included, and laptops have the screen mounted on the keyboard!

After your first few weeks using a keyboard, you shouldn't need to look at one when you type. Self-help is available.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

After your first few weeks using a keyboard, you shouldn't need to look at one when you type. Self-help is available.

Not everybody can use keyboard (all of the keys, for typing and for playing games) "blind" all the time. I can't, that's why I NEED the backlit keyboard. Has nothing to do with "training" or "practice" or any BS like this.