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I had never heard of mechanical keyboards until there was a ton of hype that FruitDealer was using one. I haven't kept up with Starcraft 2, and had no idea who he was, but was intrigued with all of the positive reviews about these old-school now too-cool-for-school keyboards.
As an avid typer, when I heard things like "this will make you want to open notepad and type random things", and, "it will increase your wpm", I was already hooked. I started looking at the available keyboards and was set on making a purchase.
I ended up with the Razer Blackwidow, mostly in part of seeing it just come out at a store. Here are my thoughts:
- It is really fucking loud. In the beginning, my girlfriend, who works with me, would incessantly complain, but now it seems she has learned to block the clicker clacker from her brain. I have too, but if I listen to it, it is loud - in an annoying, nonpeaceful way.
- It hasn't improved my typing - I don't exactly regret the purchase, seeing how I use it daily, but if I could return it I would. I'm sure I can find another keyboard (non-mechanical or not that better suits my needs). I am thinking of trying the horse again and getting the "god-level" Filco (with the tenkeys, for poker), so expect a review sometime in the future.
- It gets dirty easily, and the shiny look is cheap and retarded. It is not an ascetically pleasing keyboard at all, and it is _very big_ (which could be a con or a pro).
- The one pro ended up being the programmable M1-M5 keys on the left side of the keyboard, but I'm sure this is also possible with some random keybinding software. This is the one feature that ended up being surprisingly clutch.
Anyway, the reason that I decided to write this review is because I recently made 2 very expensive misclicks in poker costing me ~800 dollars. I don't necessarily blame this on the keyboard but the lack of teamwork between me and this black board means that she's definitely not the perfect fit for me.
P.S. Logitech mice suck: the Anywhere MX, which is awesome, is buggy as shit (randomly double clicks for a single click). Logitech M555b, a wireless bluetooth mouse, is one of the most uncomfortable unergonomic mice I have ever tried. Any of the Logi mice that come in their cheap "mice+keyboard" setups are total ass, but of course that is to be expected.
Using a Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 which is acceptable right now, but has no driver support to make it go faster than the standard Windows control panel settings (any fix to this?)
 
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On December 27 2010 01:15 exalted wrote:
- It is really fucking loud. In the beginning, my girlfriend, who works with me, would incessantly complain, but now it seems she has learned to block the clicker clacker from her brain. I have too, but if I do listen to it, it sounds loud - in an annoying, nonpeaceful way.
You know that Razer provided you with blue switch on the keyboard. Why didn't you look up the spec and see how it sounds like on youtube, as well as other reviews before buying the keyboard?
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I think there are better keyboards than Filco's, like the topre ones.
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I got a blackwidow for xmas and really like it 
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On December 27 2010 01:15 exalted wrote:
P.S. Logitech mice suck: the Anywhere MX, which is awesome, is buggy as shit (randomly double clicks for a single click). Logitech M555b, a wireless bluetooth mouse, is one of the most uncomfortable unergonomic mice I have ever tried. Any of the Logi mice that come in their cheap "mice+keyboard" setups are total ass, but of course that is to be expected.
I have been using the logitech MX518 for years now, even buying another to replace my first one when it eventually stopped working, I think many others will agree it is a brilliant mouse. I can't talk for the rest of the logitech range though as I haven't really used them.
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On December 27 2010 01:15 exalted wrote:
It is not an ascetically pleasing keyboard at all, and it is _very big_ (which could be a con or a pro).
Hmm...kk, but I still dont see why you'd want a keyboard - nevermind the size - while on your sojourns in the Himalayas in search of the key to life and destiny. Different strokes for different folks, I guess...
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I love my Black Widow... It makes me feel so gosu when I spam.
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u should probably try majestouch. those things look sexy <3
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My theory is that the mechanical keyboard people just lie to themselves about the benefits similar to the audiophile people. The clicks are merely just reinforcement into them thinking they made a good decision, i'm sure if you blinded them and deathen them and made them type of several keyboards with the same 4 bottom out they wouldn't be able to tell jack. Or if you made them use other types of mechanical keyboards.
Blues are very annoying they are high pitched, you can live with brown but blue is clearly an acquired taste.
Also you shouldn't blame logitech's wireless for all their products. Wireless if iffy, esp if environments where they can be alot of wireless signals going around like apartment buildings etc. Although you seem to like wireless mice. You probably like them because you don't have a cord fing up things but instead an iffy wireless signal There are gaming wireless mice like the sidewinder x8 and the G700, which only makes them gaming grade because you can always plug them into being not wireless lol.
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On December 27 2010 01:15 exalted wrote:
P.S. Logitech mice suck
yeah, after that I pretty just have to ignore anything you ever say.
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On December 27 2010 03:41 howerpower wrote:yeah, after that I pretty just have to ignore anything you ever say.
Agreed Logitech mice have been the best all round mice for me. They never have any problems and can take huge beating and work perfectly. The only problem I had is the contacts on the charging for wireless ones eventually fail after about 3+years. But 3 years is pretty damn good.
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infinity21
Canada6683 Posts
On December 27 2010 01:15 exalted wrote:
and it is _very big_ (which could be a con or a pro).
Are you really ok with having a giant spider on your desk again?
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infinity21
Canada6683 Posts
On December 27 2010 03:57 Adeeler wrote:Show nested quote +On December 27 2010 03:41 howerpower wrote:On December 27 2010 01:15 exalted wrote:
P.S. Logitech mice suck yeah, after that I pretty just have to ignore anything you ever say. Agreed Logitech mice have been the best all round mice for me. They never have any problems and can take huge beating and work perfectly. The only problem I had is the contacts on the charging for wireless ones eventually fail after about 3+years. But 3 years is pretty damn good.
Ehh I've had mixed experiences with my Logitech mice. MX518 was decent, although too heavy for my tastes. Then after a few years I got the G9 which had sensor failure within a year. Then when I tried to contact customer support several times, they never responded to my requests. Probably never going to buy another Logitech mouse.
On a side note, I use the Logitech illuminated keyboard and the Z-2300 speakers which are working pretty good so far except one of the legs on the keyboard got bent so now I have to constantly keep it higher with something underneath.
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On December 27 2010 03:06 semantics wrote:
My theory is that the mechanical keyboard people just lie to themselves about the benefits similar to the audiophile people. The clicks are merely just reinforcement into them thinking they made a good decision, i'm sure if you blinded them and deathen them and made them type of several keyboards with the same 4 bottom out they wouldn't be able to tell jack. Or if you made them use other types of mechanical keyboards.
Have you ever typed on a mechanical keyboard before?
Seriously, I am in the market for a new keyboard since I am building a new computer. Like you, I thought mechanical keyboards are ridiculous, but I decided to try them before I knocked them. So i went to my local Fry's and tried out every single keyboard there without looking at what they were. I started typing on a keyboard that felt amazing, and then I looked at the product label. Lo and behold, it was a Siig mechanical keyboard. Trust me man, there is a difference. I could tell the difference if I was blind and deaf, just from the feel, and I've never used a mechanical keyboard before that day.
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On December 27 2010 03:06 semantics wrote:
My theory is that the mechanical keyboard people just lie to themselves about the benefits similar to the audiophile people. The clicks are merely just reinforcement into them thinking they made a good decision, i'm sure if you blinded them and deathen them and made them type of several keyboards with the same 4 bottom out they wouldn't be able to tell jack. Or if you made them use other types of mechanical keyboards.
Once you go mechanical, its really hard to go back. Its really easy to tell a rubber dome keyboard from a mechanical one by feel alone.
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Mechanical keyboards are great for typing, but I found them to be a little tough if you spam a a lot in RTS... it is just physically easier for me to 1a2a3a4a5a on my rubber dome eMachines keyboard that was free than it is on my keyboard with alps or buckling spring switches.
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On December 27 2010 02:20 SushilS wrote:Show nested quote +On December 27 2010 01:15 exalted wrote:
It is not an ascetically pleasing keyboard at all, and it is _very big_ (which could be a con or a pro).
Hmm...kk, but I still dont see why you'd want a keyboard - nevermind the size - while on your sojourns in the Himalayas in search of the key to life and destiny. Different strokes for different folks, I guess...
Hahaha epic typo, nice catch.
Is there such a thing as a laptop with mechanical keyboard? I can't find one, and it seems that it would make the keyboard way too heavy, and the price infeasible....but....might there be one?
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I just recently converted to mechanical (replacing my old g15). Can't go back to the membrane type, just doesn't feel right anymore lol.
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On December 27 2010 03:06 semantics wrote:
My theory is that the mechanical keyboard people just lie to themselves about the benefits similar to the audiophile people. The clicks are merely just reinforcement into them thinking they made a good decision, i'm sure if you blinded them and deathen them and made them type of several keyboards with the same 4 bottom out they wouldn't be able to tell jack. Or if you made them use other types of mechanical keyboards.
Blues are very annoying they are high pitched, you can live with brown but blue is clearly an acquired taste.
Also you shouldn't blame logitech's wireless for all their products. Wireless if iffy, esp if environments where they can be alot of wireless signals going around like apartment buildings etc. Although you seem to like wireless mice. You probably like them because you don't have a cord fing up things but instead an iffy wireless signal There are gaming wireless mice like the sidewinder x8 and the G700, which only makes them gaming grade because you can always plug them into being not wireless lol.
I think its pretty clear you have some serious hatred for audiophiles. No worries i used to feel the same way (of course i kept such opinions to myself as i knew i was ignorant having never tried a nice set of headphones). I went out on a limb and bought some nice audiotechnicas and my opinion has completely changed. I have a feeling mechanical keyboards are the same way...
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I like the feel of my BlackWidow, got it beginning of December. It's got a very nice feel to it and the response of the keys under my fingers feels great.
My problem is the lineup for the keys is somewhat off, I keep mistyping a lot more than I would on a normal keyboard. The F-keys are all displaced, and the ESC key is far from the corner because of the macro keys.
If you're still willing to give Mechanical Keyboards a try, a company is making the successor to the Model M is the PCKeyboard's Customizer 101 seen here.
or you can buy an original Model M for $80. They're not as attractive as the Razer so much, but you get the clicky without these crazy configurations for keyboard.
Though in your OP you said you like the macro keys and these don't have those, I highly recommend one. ( i know 2 people with the Customizer 101, and I like it more than my Razer)
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EPT
