Unicomp again?
Unicomp again?
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?
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.
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.
modelfkeyboards.com is a thing, too. (I'm not a customer, nor associated with them.)
I'm all in on MX-style keyswitches, because you can make keywell keyboards such as the Dactyl Manuform with them. See for example [email protected]. Keywell keyboard design and manufacturing is... shall we say, much more decentralized than Model M keyboard design and manufacturing? :) Many people can make you a curvy keyboard, and there are many varieties, or you can make one yourself, and customize its form as you wish. But this is all far afield from what you actually want, I'm afraid.
Your question also brings to mind beamspring switches such as https://kono.store/blogs/keyboards/silo-beam. Similarly that does not appear to lead to the same kind of experience of clicking a button, paying your money, and getting a pre-existing keyboard removed from a warehouse shelf and shipped to you in a few days, as you would get with Unicomp.
I think my taste in keyboards is possibly slightly more vanilla than those cyberpunk rigs i see in ergomechkeyboards ;D I would love to get a chance to try out these oneoff alt boards but I get the impression that custom built ones run into the absurd dollars range.
Mass-produced ergonomic keyboards are around $400 USD these days. The more of it you build yourself, the cheaper. I can build one for some $15, having already sunk the costs of a 3D printer, soldering station, some switches, some keycaps, a few Pro Micro boards, and lots of time learning about it.
But before my wrists started hurting, I never went for expensive nor weird keyboards. An IBM Model M passed into my life a long time ago, and quietly back out of it after only a few years, relatively unappreciated... Crazy, I know!
I don't know about optical switches, but I know that you can still buy new ALPS alike keyboards from Mathias. I have 4 different models of them e.g. this one. There is a PC version that is branded "quiet pro" that I have been using in the office for a while, but I stopped using it when COVID came.
I had an Ergo Pro, and I can't recommend more against it.
It had a problem with ghosting / doubling keystrokes that kicked in after about nine months. It was intermittent at first, until I realized I was compensating for it consistently. Beyond their support timeframe by then.
The reason I put up for it for so long is that I haven't found a keyboard before or since that had such a great feel to the keystrokes.
I've had several Unicomps and none of them failed in any way. The buckling spring keyboards feel better over time as you keyboard with them.
There's a newer Unicomp that's the standard size layout but with a reduced overall keyboard case size. That one is the best, IMHO. It sounds just and good as it feels. The others have more of a "spring" or hollow sound, versus like a chunk of metal sound.
Downside to the USB Unicomps: there's noticeable latency. In comparison to say, a Logitech K840 or G513.
I type on a Logitech G513 today. Decently mechanical, good key travel, zero noticeable latency.
I have a quiet pro! It's nice, I used it for work for a while, now it's connected to my G3. Same situation; it was my office board but then my office became my house.
This was a while ago so it's possible their quality control has improved over the years, but I had two Matias TactilePro keyboards fail: the first developed keybounce/chatter after a few months, the replacement developed it after a few weeks then had keys fail. They gave me some mild run around the second time and I just wrote it off rather than deal with them.
I have a number of other keyboards, including Unicomp, and only Matias and a Filco Majestouch gave me problems and the Filco went several years of daily use before needing a key switch to be replaced.
You can get extremely heavy switches which will give you more of that old school typing experience. I like Zealeos and Gazzew Boba U4 68gs. I find the cherry browns way too light.
I've had my usb unicomp keyboard for about 4 months now and so far it's been really nice. My only complaint with them so far is a broken key cap in a set I ordered.
So I guess my vote would be a yes for another one. I've not had the problems mentioned by some others, and really like the thing. Heh, just my two cents.