I’ve been looking to move on from membrane keyboards and go mechanical, but no matter where I look literally every mech has some form of obnoxious RGB lighting on it. Are there any that just… don’t have it?
Almost all RGB keyboards have a switch to turn off the lighting since some people have their computers in their bedrooms.
Build your own how you like it.
You can almost choose like Legos.Did Das Keyboard go RGB? That’s a (pricey) but great keyboard.
E: just had a quick look. Still expensive, backlit but not RGB, full keyboard. We’ve had one for a decade.
I also recommend the Das Keyboard. Been using my Pro 4 for nearly a decade and it just keeps working, despite many spills. I type so hard and much that some of the keycaps crumbled earlier this year, so I got new keycaps for $10 and it just keeps chugging along.
I’m using Logitech MX Mechanical Mini. It has nice subtle lavender white backlight. Other notable thing about it is, it’s wireless and comes back after inactivity in fractions of second. Something many wireless mechanical keyboards struggle with.
Check out https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/ They have a ton of non led-lit keyboards. I’ve ordered a few from them and their pricing and service is excellent.
Gotten two boards from them, great experience both times. Highly recommended
Das keyboard? Keychron?
You can usually shut off the rgb lighting all together.
look around ebay for a Model M keyboard
Simple solution: turn off rgb. Usually can be done throigh software or theres a dedictaed fn key combination for it
Or you can go down the mech keeb rabbithole and start collecting nice boards
From what I have experienced the obnoxious RGB lighting is just a settings option. They usually come with a few different types of settings. On my system, I just turn it so it blinks white after I push the button. Makes it nice to glance down and see if I hit the right key sometimes. Otherwise I never use the flashy colors or stuff except to show off to someone who hasnt seen it.
Unfortunately, many if not most RGB keyboards default to some sort of rainbow theme and require Windows or Mac software to adjust them. This is pretty crap for Linux users.
Unfortunately the hardware support is limited. For example my K100 Air isn’t supported.
In addition, most keyboards have the option to just turn it off completely.
There are many, many non-RGB and even non-backlit keyboards. Where are you looking?
Here is a basic mech kb with no added frills.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/products/ducky-origin-blackDamn that Ducky Origin looks good! Wish there was an 80% option.
Ducky has a bunch of TKL options, including black on black.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/products/ducky-one-tkl-pbt?_pos=14&_sid=cd72f4d81&_ss=r
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/products/ducky-one-2-phantom-black-tkl?_pos=13&_sid=cd72f4d81&_ss=r
Problem is I can’t find them in nordic layout. Would also want cherry mx black. Oh well
Ducky Tinker: opt to bring your own switches and caps, QMK programmable.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/products/ducky-tinker-75?_pos=1&_sid=d9b8a85c7&_ss=r
Unfortunately I need TKL (80%), the tinker seems to only exist in 75% or 65%
Damn I’m bad at searching, then. Thanks!
Why are the feet things on “basic” keyboards always on the wrong side?! I’m not a kid anymore. My wrists don’t bend like that
… wut?
Do you want the keyboard angled down?
Technically, yes, a keyboard recessed and angled down+away from you would be the best ergonomics. Or tented, so the centre of the keyboard is raised while the left and right sides are flush with the desk, so that your wrists are rotated with palms facing each other. A lot of pro eSports players rotate their entire keyboards by 30-90° to better suit left wrist alignment, since the right hand only has to operate the mouse.
I’ll die on this hill - the generic modern keyboard is absolutely terrible for your wrists, and is responsible for so many people having RSI!
But it’s not anything modern. Typewriters have basically always had the row behind be higher than the row in front. You’re supposed to float your wrist over the keyboard, or just get a wrist wrest if you’re lazy.
https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/iCHTgoaB/ibm-model-m/ergonomics-large.jpg?format=auto
A lot of pro eSports players rotate their entire keyboards by 30-90° to better suit left wrist alignment
That’s because they sit at their desks like goblins.
Typewriters were not designed for ergonomics at all. They were made to make mechanical levers attached to the keys functional.
The up-angled keys are basically just a relic of mechanical design that people got used to. Like the QWERTY layout, which is also designed for mechanical function of a bunch of tiny levers swinging at a piece of paper, it’s actually designed to slow down typing speed and is also terrible for ergonomics.
https://www.therevisionist.org/ergonomics/best-keyboard-tilt-for-reducing-wrist-pain-to-zero/
Negative tilt is the actual ergonomic position.
Much like QWERTY, keyboards are designed with positive tilt for no reason other than “it’s always been that way” and “people got used to it”
In both the positive and nuetral tilt position they have their wrists on the table which nobody says is ergonomic. But in the negative position they actually have their wrists off the table.
If you float your wrists off the table (or just have a wrist rest) then you’ll be at an actual ergonomic position. And the upward angle keeps the further back keys just a little bit closer to your fingers so you don’t have to stretch for them.
it’s actually designed to slow down typing speed
This is a myth
I don’t think that appealing typewriters as an authority on ergonomics is really a great move.
I have a nice das for sale. You can’t have my IBM model m though.
I bought one of the reproduction Model Ms and the only difference between it and my original is the case yellowing. It even has the steel plate in the bottom to give it heft. Buckling springs feel incredible and last forever. Only drawback is the noise.
You need to leave away the firstname “Gaming” from your search terms.
I love the WASD Code it’s just built like a workhorse. Their newer models have backlighting but it’s all white, the only thing you can RGB is the 3 indicator LEDs (caps lock etc…) which are very discrete and personalizing them is entirely optional. No software, everything is done & stored on-board. They’re pricy but usually they’ll have some banger black friday or holiday sales.
Ducky Origin
