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Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 1:01 pm
by just brew it!
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?ab3=b& ... %3D1140102

$58 for a full size 'board with Cherry MX blue switches sounds like a great deal to me. No idea how good the build quality is on this, but for that price it is probably worth taking a chance on if you're looking for a no-frills mechanical.

Re: Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 1:12 pm
by tanker27
If the build is as good as their cables then it would be great. The customer reviews seem promising.

Re: Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 1:14 pm
by Glorious
Am I crazy, or does that page not list the connector type?

I guess it is USB, ironically because of the explicitly mentioned lack of a built-in USB hub. :P

Re: Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 1:21 pm
by superjawes
My observations:

-It looks like (if the box picture can be believed) this one has the USB cord going into the keyboard, as opposed to the Rosewill designs that use mini-USB. From what I hear from JBI's experience, this is a good thing.

-It looks like this also has a bigger footprint than a Rosewill, looking more like a model M.

-The reviews only have minor complaints--bright LED indicators and glossy finish.

I think this is a good baseline model as it is cheaper than the comparable Rosewill model. Speaking of Rosewill, it seems their 9000 models are sold out. 9200's are available, but those are running around $120 because of backlighting :-?

Re: Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 1:24 pm
by DancinJack
Looks to be USB from the reviews.

I don't get why so many people say in the reviews that it feels/reminds them of a Model M. I don't know about you guys, but blues are significantly lighter than the springs I remember. Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe it's just the click people associate it with.

Re: Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:03 pm
by just brew it!
superjawes wrote:
-It looks like (if the box picture can be believed) this one has the USB cord going into the keyboard, as opposed to the Rosewill designs that use mini-USB. From what I hear from JBI's experience, this is a good thing.

Using a mini-USB connector is only a problem if done wrong (and yes, Rosewill did it wrong). Some keyboards with detachable USB cables recess the connector underneath the keyboard; if done that way it isn't an issue since it isn't getting bumped all the time.

DancinJack wrote:
Looks to be USB from the reviews.

I don't get why so many people say in the reviews that it feels/reminds them of a Model M. I don't know about you guys, but blues are significantly lighter than the springs I remember. Maybe I'm crazy.

No, you're not crazy. *Some* buckling 'boards are indeed a lot stiffer. Of the two Unicomps I own one is quite stiff, but the other one is only slightly stiffer than Cherry blues. The inconsistency of the Unicomps (one was at home and one was at work so I was switching back and forth daily) was one of the reasons I decided to switch to Cherry-based 'boards.

DancinJack wrote:
Maybe it's just the click people associate it with.

I'm sure that's part of it. An MX blue 'board without o-rings is pretty loud; I'd say the sound is similar but not identical to a Model M, with the main difference being that the "click" at the actuation point is higher pitched.

Re: Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:13 am
by just brew it!
They sold out shortly after I started this thread. One of my co-workers managed to get one of the last ones before they sold out, and has been happy with it. They're back in stock now, for anyone who is still interested...

Re: Mechanical keyboard at Monoprice

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:19 am
by superjawes
Comparisons to the Rosewill? I won't be running out to buy one, but it would be nice to know if this should be the new baseline recommendation for mechanical keyboards.