Hacker News Reader

Comment by jabroni_salad | Hacker News Reader

Here's my opinion as to why you might avoid a linear switch: They are just too easy to press. That is indeed nice for gaming, but you will send keystrokes just setting your fingers on the home row.

Also, this guide seems to be a rehash of what was available 10 years ago. It would be nice if you covered some of the newer options. Personally I dipped my toes in the water for the first time about 6 months ago and didn't recognize anything that was actually on the market compared to when I bought my first board with MX Blues back in 2010, and this is more or less the extent of the knowledge you could get back then.

View on HN

That's an issue with extremely light (read: cherry red or equivalents), but if you get heavier switches you are very unlikely to have this issue. You are more likely to accidentally actuate a cherry brown than a black, for example.

Also I agree with your second point. If nothing else, it should be mentioned that you're more likely to see Gateron/Kailh in mass market boards these days. They do use a very similar color scheme which makes it easier for beginners though.

I'm currently using a Cherry G80-1800 with blacks (just got it, still got the honeymoon factor). I'm not really a gorilla man but I've had a lot of accidental presses. My normal board is running holy pandas which are lighter weight, but I never get accidental presses because the tactile bump keeps me away from the actuation point unless I actually want to press it.

Fair enough. I guess if you use the bump of the keys as your resting point then linears could give you trouble. I tend to just gently rest my fingertips on the keys without depressing them at all (I'm on 45g linears right now with no trouble). I guess it just depends on your style.

I got a board with silent reds (Durgod K320), and they felt really soft after using blue switches for a while before that. So I ordered a Leopold with black switches, figuring I'd enjoy the quieter linear switches but make fewer mistakes.

I was amazed at how much different the black switches felt. Pressing them a few times felt good, but when I actually tried to work with it my hands got tired really quickly and it became distracting.

The K320 with silent reds is now my go-to board, except for a wireless Vortex Tab 75. I'm currently waiting on a Tab 75 with silent reds, and I hope that will be my One True Keyboard.

I have a K320 with browns. Maybe browns are for you, they have a tactile feedback like the black, but it's much weaker, like the blues so you don't get tired. They are much more silent than the blues (no click), but are a bit louder than the silent reds.

I have the very same kb with silent blacks. I had had reds before and found them too easy to press - I suppose I do a lot of drumming fingers on the keys or just resting hands on the keyboard. I found the silent blacks to be perfect and not at all tiring after a full day of use.

I think it goes to show everybody is different and has different habits.

I just don’t get why so many say this. It never happens to me.

I find reds to have just the right pressure.

it takes a minute to get used to.

when i first got my MX Brown keyboard i was making typos all over the place. i wasn't used to how little i had to apply pressure to actuate a key. over time, i got used to it and i forgot i ever had that problem.

i remember when i see people who've never used Browns before sit down and struggle in the same way i first did.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com