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Unicomp again? (lemmy.sdf.org)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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i have a Unicomp ps2 keyboard that I've been using for about 25 years that seems to be nearing the end of its service life. it gave me a scare a few years back so i bought a cherry mx board as a backup but the thing gave me doublestrikes all the time so that's not a long-term solution for my next iteration. considering going for another unicomp since i like the chonkyness of it. i always think about a keyboard i encountered back in the 90s that had a special MACRO section onboard, and the old SIIG ALPS keyswitch keyboards. anyone used one of those new-fangled optical keyswitch boards?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I would consider these: https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/ instead, if you're the kind of person who really uses something for 25 years at a time. You won't care about the cost amortized over that period, and the build quality is really much higher. Unicomp is not bad, but Model F Labs is simply higher.

Alternatively, look at whatever other keyboard you want to try in a modern layout (Keebio has some amazing kits) and get a super tactile switch, like a Kailh Box Jade or Box Navy. It's true that Cherry MX aren't always amazing, but also, the keyswitch world is a rich place if you want to experiment, and many switch types are every bit as accurate as buckling spring. Naturally, they'll have a different feel, the buckling spring is really an outlier, but a good switch doesn't double or anything really off by default.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago

Thanks, I looked through those ones on modelfkeyboards.com. Using the model M repro for so long has really made me appreciate the significant 'border' (by which the board can be easily handled without mashing keys), and I do so like the ctrl-alt gap without the 'windows key' (bleh) or the dead keys (bleh).

The keyboard mod community seems to love extreme spacesaver boards that just look like floating keyswitches but I've always sorta hated typing on those long-term since you can't easily move the board around without mashing keys.