Over the last 5 years I’ve managed to collect quite a few mechanical keyboards, to the point where I think I qualify as an (accidental) enthusiast.
Das Keyboard (3) Model S Ultimate
This was my first mechanical keyboard. The soft Cherry MX Brown switches make it my favourites for long periods of typing. Even so, I rarely use it any more. At the time of writing, this model is still available on the Das Keyboard website.
CODE Keyboard
I was really excited when Jeff Atwood announced the CODE keyboard. I already knew that I wanted my next keyboard to be compact and have backlit keys, so the CODE seemed to come at just the right time. Not long after buying the CODE, I purchased some Keycool rainbow keycaps so brighten things up.
The CODE has Cherry MX Clear switches, which makes for a much firmer keyboard than the Das. I find the clears preferable for short bursts of typing, but over long periods they tire my hands out.
ErgoDox
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I decided that I wanted a split-hand keyboard. After much searching, I settled on buying an ErgoDox kit from Massdrop. This was a really fun project and involved spending plenty of time at the London Hackspace soldering station. The ErgoDox is by far the most comfortable keyboard I’ve used – I like it so much I’ve even placed an order for the next generation ErgoDox.
My ErgoDox has Cherry MX Clear switches. Somehow the clears on the ErgoDox feel much softer than on the CODE, so I’m able to enjoy the feeling of firm keys without the fatigue I experience with the CODE.
