Keychron keyboard discussion

[transmaster]

Not the same.

MX BLACK CLEAR-TOP

The MX BLACK CLEAR-TOP is a re release of the community favorite "MX Nixie" which was manufactured for Nixdorf Computer AG in the 80s. In addition to the milky top housing, the switch is ...

www.cherrymx.de

I am new to hot swappable switches. My knowledge of changing switches out was at soldering new ones into a PCB era.

 

[transmaster]

This is my first RGB keyboard. It has nowhere near the control an RGB Corsair keyboard has but entertaining, The strobing colors rippling across the keyboard would be like flypaper to someone floating with curtain pharmaceutical enhancements. They would be stuck in a stupor staring at the rippling colors. 😳

 

[JTK Awesome]

What about Gateron switches instead of Cherry? Since the Keychron's come with Gaterons anyway. Gateron directly sells Pro Green switches... who knows when (if?) RGB Cherry MX Green switches will come to market.

Gateron G Pro Switch Set

We offer Gateron mechanical MX switches: Red, Blue, Brown, Yellow, White, Black, Green. All the Gateron Switches you want, you can find them here. The Gateron switches are one of the most sought mechanical keyboard switches renowned for their smooth and tactile typing experience.

www.gateron.co

 

[xraydoc]

What about Gateron switches instead of Cherry? Since the Keychron's come with Gaterons anyway. Gateron directly sells Pro Green switches... who knows when (if?) RGB Cherry MX Green switches will come to market.

Gateron G Pro Switch Set

We offer Gateron mechanical MX switches: Red, Blue, Brown, Yellow, White, Black, Green. All the Gateron Switches you want, you can find them here. The Gateron switches are one of the most sought mechanical keyboard switches renowned for their smooth and tactile typing experience.

www.gateron.co

The Gateron Greens are basically stiffer Blues (80gf activation versus 60gf on the Blues). For me personally, I'm finding 60gf to be the lower limit of what I like -- anything lighter and I tend to make more typing mistakes. I'm not a great touch typist, so if I kind of hit two keys at a time, if they're too light, I'll activate both by mistake. 60gf and higher and that happens less. And I don't play games, so I don't need ultra-fast key activation.

While I've never personally typed on Gateron Greens, I have typed on Razer Greens which are in between the Gateron Green and the Gateron/Cherry Blue and find them to be pleasant.

 

[transmaster]

I am really liking the Gateron Browns on this K10, but a better tactical feedback would be nice.

This getting used to this K10 the key placement is just a little different Then the Logitech's. I don't look at the keyboard while typing so tiny changes in position get me at first with a new keyboard.

 

[transmaster]

Can anyone point me to a more or less fitted silicon skin for my K-10. I had one on the bogus Apple Magic Keyboard clone it didn't get in the way, and I rather liked the protection is added.

 

[JTK Awesome]

The Gateron Greens are basically stiffer Blues (80gf activation versus 60gf on the Blues). For me personally, I'm finding 60gf to be the lower limit of what I like -- anything lighter and I tend to make more typing mistakes. I'm not a great touch typist, so if I kind of hit two keys at a time, if they're too light, I'll activate both by mistake. 60gf and higher and that happens less. And I don't play games, so I don't need ultra-fast key activation.

While I've never personally typed on Gateron Greens, I have typed on Razer Greens which are in between the Gateron Green and the Gateron/Cherry Blue and find them to be pleasant.

I think you missed my earlier posts - I'm coming from a Buckling Spring Keyboard and find Blues too soft. You're partially right, Greens are similar to blues in sound and tactility. Which is why I want Greens - they're like blues but closer to the actuation force of buckling springs.

My question was about the difference, if any, of Gateron Pro vs. Cherry MX. RGB Cherry MX Green aren't on the market (yet?), and I'm getting impatient with my typing inaccuracy on the Gateron Pro Blues that came with my Keychrons.

But it's a moot point since I just bought a bunch (enough for both of my keyboards + spares) of the Pro Green switches direct from Gateron. I was in a hurry since they seem to be running out of them, based on their website's reporting of stock available, and Keychron is sold out of them.

EDIT I also treated myself to Gateron's switch-puller tool. I've replaced plenty of keycaps but never a switch. This looks a lot easier than the tiny horseshoe tool that came from Keychron.

 

[xraydoc]

I'm coming from a Buckling Spring Keyboard and find Blues too soft. You're partially right, Greens are similar to blues in sound and tactility. Which is why I want Greens - they're like blues but closer to the actuation force of buckling springs.

Yep. Agreed. Standard Blues are just barely acceptable. I've got Gateron Baby Kangaroo tactiles on my Mac's Q12. While reportedly their weight is 59gf, they feel much heavier until the tactile bump, then they feel like 59gf for the rest of the way down. And while they don't click, the do have a nice deep tick when they bottom out. Personally I love them, but they're a bit of an oddball switch that few have even heard of.

The little metal switch puller that comes with the Keychron keyboards isn't really all that great. Works ok for loose switches, but anything that needs a bit of a tug is hard as it's not easy to keep a good grip on the circular shape. I've got one from Glorious which is just a $7 metal puller, but way better than Keychron's.

 

[transmaster]

Noted this YouTube short about the Gateron switch puller.

 

[transmaster]

well that didn't work???

 

[JTK Awesome]

Well he did get 800-1000 uses out of it before it broke. I only have about 200 switches to pull so I think I'll be OK.

PS: It isn't until buying my Keychrons that I realized mech. keyboards were a "thing." All I knew before now were my Unicomp KBs which of course can't be modded (much).

 

[transmaster]

Still getting used to this K-10 but I am all but there actually. I still have some bad habits I have not been able to break, I have a thing with if, and is. somehow I have got in the habit of interchanging the 2 words, very irritating.

I knew about the mechanical keyboard thing but I was stuck in the soldering new switches in thing. When I was told of hot swappable keyboards it was like manna had fallen from heaven. It was then I was told about the Keychrons. As I said elsewhere when I started to type on this K-10 the 1935 song from the movie Rose Marie floated into my head, "Ah, sweet mystery of Life at last I've found thee.....".

As I look at the keycaps however I am not happy with the size of the lettering. Yes I am a touch typist but I still like to be able to see lettering and symbols better. When you are entering a 15 character password generated by Bitwarden you are looking at the keys.

 

[Aggedor]

A Keychron thread!

I have a hotswappable K2. It cam with Gateron Browns, which I changed to lubed Glorious Pandas. Which are nice, but which had developed some leaf ping (slight squeaking sound). I've got a set of Boba U4Ts to try, which are apparently a step up from Glorious Pandas.

For the key puller, I just got one from Amazon. The Gateron key puller is hugely expensive for what it is. I had no trouble at all.

 

[JTK Awesome]

Gateron Pro Green switches installed on both Keychrons. What a difference! Typing is so much better; these really do approximate Buckling Springs. Also, the key travel is much less wobbly on the new switches vice the stock Blue switches.

The Gateron switch removal tool was good 2/3 of the time. There were a several very stubborn switches that needed the "horseshoe" tool supplied by Keychron. And a couple of very very stubborn switches where I needed my jewelers flathead screwdrivers to depress the locking tabs and pry out the switches 🤨

 

[xraydoc]

Gateron Pro Green switches installed on both Keychrons. What a difference! Typing is so much better; these really do approximate Buckling Springs. Also, the key travel is much less wobbly on the new switches vice the stock Blue switches.

The Gateron switch removal tool was good 2/3 of the time. There were a several very stubborn switches that needed the "horseshoe" tool supplied by Keychron. And a couple of very very stubborn switches where I needed my jewelers flathead screwdrivers to depress the locking tabs and pry out the switches 🤨

Nice. Glad they're good!

 

[FFabian]

So Keychron now finally sells the K3 Pro ISO version. Now the bummer: while the ANSI variant comes with PBT keycaps the ISO version has ABS. Damnit, I waited so long and PBT was the main feature for me.

 

[transmaster]

well so much for that. trying to post a photo.

 

[xraydoc]

So Keychron now finally sells the K3 Pro ISO version. Now the bummer: while the ANSI variant comes with PBT keycaps the ISO version has ABS. Damnit, I waited so long and PBT was the main feature for me.

The ISO ABS keycaps have, however, shine-though legends, I believe. The PBT do not.

 

[dotnet]

Having had a first hand look and feel of my son’s new C1 keyboard I talked myself into getting a Keychron as well. My simple justification was that I needed to fix the caps-lock situation on my dreadful work laptop (Windows). The damn thing seems to be coming on all the time (usually during password entry), a fleeting glance appears to be enough. No indicator light on it either, that’s on the opposite corner of the laptop.

From talking with Windows guys I learned that you can’t just remap modifier keys like in macOS. I would need to install some 3rd party utility, which I cannot do since the Windows build on the laptop is locked down.

Hence, an external keyboard with VIA support was needed

I was ogling the Q1, but couldn’t justify the cost, so I went for it’s plastic sibling, the V1. My desired combination of features and styles wasn’t in stock, so I got the barebones version with knob, the Gateron baby kangaroo switches and the wheat gray keycap set. I’m very happy with this combination. Despite the plastic case the keyboard is quite heavy, much heavier than the C1. I wonder how heavy the Q1 would have been…

Those baby kangaroos are delightful, BTW. They are very smooth with a nice tactile bump.

Also, thanks to VIA, the caps-lock key is now ctrl, just like the Unix gods intended.

 

[transmaster]

I looked at the Q1 but I use the number pad. My search for keyboards has ended. I plan on making changes in this K-10 pro. I like these Gateron browns but I would like the, heavier, and with the break action on the IBM type M keyboard. I want to change out the keycaps for another style with larger lettering. I don't look at the keys when I type but the punctuation marking could be larger.

 

[dotnet]

I looked at the Q1 but I use the number pad. My search for keyboards has ended. I plan on making changes in this K-10 pro. I like these Gateron browns but I would like the, heavier, and with the break action on the IBM type M keyboard.

I used IBM type M keyboards for many years, that’s just what our workstations at work had. I found the sound and feel a bit overbearing, like cracking walnuts all the time. I wasn’t sad to see them go when we got Cherry keyboards.

Edit: My son’s got the browns on his keyboard (although I think they are Keychron browns). They don’t feel very tactile to me, almost the same as reds. The Gateron baby kangaroos on the other hand give you that feeling of breaking through thin ice. It’s subtle but definitely there.

I want to change out the keycaps for another style with larger lettering. I don't look at the keys when I type but the punctuation marking could be larger.

I‘m a poor typist and look at keycaps frequently, at least to get me started. I’m not a snob when it comes to keycap lettering, but I do dislike keycaps that have the direct and shifted symbols side by side. I like them one above the other.

 

[xraydoc]

Having had a first hand look and feel of my son’s new C1 keyboard I talked myself into getting a Keychron as well. My simple justification was that I needed to fix the caps-lock situation on my dreadful work laptop (Windows). The damn thing seems to be coming on all the time (usually during password entry), a fleeting glance appears to be enough. No indicator light on it either, that’s on the opposite corner of the laptop.

From talking with Windows guys I learned that you can’t just remap modifier keys like in macOS. I would need to install some 3rd party utility, which I cannot do since the Windows build on the laptop is locked down.

Hence, an external keyboard with VIA support was needed

I was ogling the Q1, but couldn’t justify the cost, so I went for it’s plastic sibling, the V1. My desired combination of features and styles wasn’t in stock, so I got the barebones version with knob, the Gateron baby kangaroo switches and the wheat gray keycap set. I’m very happy with this combination. Despite the plastic case the keyboard is quite heavy, much heavier than the C1. I wonder how heavy the Q1 would have been…

Those baby kangaroos are delightful, BTW. They are very smooth with a nice tactile bump.

Also, thanks to VIA, the caps-lock key is now ctrl, just like the Unix gods intended.

I've got the Baby Kangaroos on my Q12. I love them, too.

The Q-series keyboards are quite heavy, but incredibly solid. My Q12 is 5.5lbs (2.5Kg)!

I have a suggestion that I've found quite helpful with regards to the Cap Lock key. While I've not remapped mine, I put a Cherry Blue switch on it instead of my Baby Kangaroos so I can hear if/when I accidentally tap it. The caps light on my Q12 does come on, but I'm not usually looking down to see it. It's been a looong time since I've used a keyboard with the CTRL key in the Cap Lock spot.

 

[transmaster]

I purchased the RGB K-10 but it does not have shine through keycaps which sort of makes the RGB part less useful. I was looking at the Keychron website and I don't see shine through keycaps. There are of different brands available
what should I look for.

 

[dotnet]

I purchased the RGB K-10 but it does not have shine through keycaps which sort of makes the RGB part less useful. I was looking at the Keychron website and I don't see shine through keycaps. There are of different brands available
what should I look for.

The K10 backlight video on keychron.com.au makes it look like the keycaps are shine through. The letters do light up:

These appear to be ABS keycaps. Did you get a different variant?

 

[xraydoc]

The K10 backlight video on keychron.com.au makes it look like the keycaps are shine through. The letters do light up:

These appear to be ABS keycaps. Did you get a different variant?

For the K Pro, V, and Q series --

ANSI models come with PBT non-shine-through keycaps.

ISO models (at least some of them) come with ABS shine-through keycaps.

As far as I can tell, Keychron's OSA-profile ISO ABS shine-through keycaps are not available separately at retail, but the PBT ANSI sets are.


All of the the K series (not the K Pro series) models come with OEM-profile ABS shine-through keycaps.