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Mechanical Keyboard Cheap Alternative?

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Espionage724
876 posts
Joined August 2011
Topic Starter
Espionage724
I was looking to try to get a hold of a Mech keyboard for playing osu! with, but there price ranges are pretty high (compared to rubber dome keyboards), and I was also hoping to get a blue backlit keyboard, and that also takes the price up a good bit.

I heard about some IBM Model M keyboard that can be bought somewhat cheaply in some places, but I read on another site somewhere that it was bad for streaming on osu! ?

I was on Newegg also, and when searching for "Mechanical Keyboard", I was presented with a realtively cheap option.

ADESSO AKP-220B Black 22 Normal Keys USB or PS/2 Wired Mechanical Numeric Keypad

I'm not an accountant or anything (yet anyway), so this particular device will probably be useless outside osu! (might be usable in StepMania or something), but would that be usable for osu! ?
Last edited by Espionage724 , edited 1 time in total.
kriers
1,963 posts
Joined April 2010
kriers
yes
Espionage724
876 posts
Joined August 2011
Topic Starter
Espionage724
Interesting :)

I got some more feedback from a few other people, and it looks like this keypad might be alright. I just put the order in, so I guess I'll find out if it was worth $28 or not :p

Anymore feedback on the keypad would be nice though :), It uses Blue Cherry Switches according to a comment someone made.
MMzz
Elite Mapper
3,979 posts
Joined June 2009
MMzz
Wow, that is a great idea.

I didn't even know they sold Mech numpads seperatly.
kriers
1,963 posts
Joined April 2010
kriers
I made galvenize and CXu buy 1 of those a year ago. Worked pretty well for them afaik.
Espionage724
876 posts
Joined August 2011
Topic Starter
Espionage724
I got the keypad finally :), it works nicely, but I keep bottoming out with it, and my accuracy fails with it (but this is probably expected for someone using a mech keyboard/pad for the first time)

Should I be trying to not bottom-out while playing osu! ? I've been trying to play for an hour, but I have to think about every keypress to try not to bottom-out
Nyu_old2
Nyu_old2
What do you mean?
Espionage724
876 posts
Joined August 2011
Topic Starter
Espionage724
http://esfiworld.com/feature/mechanical ... ide-gamers
...but the effort required to use a mechanical keyboard is about half that of a standard keyboard. Each key is designed to register your key press before you hit the bottom of the keyboard. (This is called bottoming out...)
I can feel the key registering when I press the key about halfway. The thing is though, I always want to press the key in fully when I play osu! unless I focus on trying not to (and even then, I can only press it halfway if I'm doing it real slowly).

Because of that, I think that is why my accuracy is also failing too (I expect the key to register when I hit the bottom, as is the case in rubber dome keyboards, but since the key registers halfway, and I press down fully...)

My question was, should I be trying to press the key just enough to register, or just press it all the way down?
Last edited by Espionage724 , edited 1 time in total.
Nyu_old2
Nyu_old2
You'll get used to it eventually and really won't even have to worry about it. I had a problem with accuracy too when I first switched over, it just takes a while to get used to. Tbh I don't think anyone has enough control with their fingers to be able to only hit halfway and then lift up. The only real problem is pressing the keys too hard which makes you lose speed. I have that issue at times which limits me around 200bpm sadly.

Also if you press the keys fast enough it won't make too much of a difference to you.
Frizz
4,131 posts
Joined April 2011
Frizz
Anyone who get used to rubberdome keyboards will bottom-out most of the time when they use mechanical keyboard for the first time. If it's tactile then it should help you pressing the keys without bottoming it out. It takes time to get used to it.
peppercatastrop
844 posts
Joined July 2010
peppercatastrop
After you get used to mechanical keyboard, you'll get frustrated when using some worn-out rubber-dome keyboard.
Krzysiek
237 posts
Joined March 2010
Krzysiek
Yeah, but IMO only for few hours.
Espionage724
876 posts
Joined August 2011
Topic Starter
Espionage724
Hmm, so recently I got a hold of an IBM Model M clicky keyboard. Can't say I like it for osu! though :/ I seem to have the same problem I had with that cheap mech keypad I ordered, my accuracy just drops mad compared to when I use my rubber dome keyboard.

I don't know what it is though. It could be I'm not used to the keys registering before the key actually hits the keyboard itself, it could be the key feedback I hear, it could be the different amount of force needed (less for the keypad, more for the model M), or all of that. I can use both the keypad and the model M in other places and games without much problem, it just seems to be osu! that problems start to arise :/

I saw a ALPS keyboard on Amazon for $50, but I don't know too much about that type of keyswitch, and don't think I found much info on it either. Is ALPS mechanical or rubber dome, or neither?

I use a Saitek Eclipse Keyboard ( PZ30AU ) keyboard mainly. If I recall right, one of the features about this keyboard was that it was good for touch-typists (I think that was the term used). I ripped it open earlier today, and it's definitely rubber dome, but I can't say how it compares to other rubber domes.
JAKACHAN
684 posts
Joined March 2011
JAKACHAN
Like others have said you just have to give it time to get used to it. It's nothing wrong with the keyboard/keypad (obviously since other players use them) it's just the fact that you don't give it time. I had the same exact problem when I first switched and still do when I switch between Reds and Blues.
Espionage724
876 posts
Joined August 2011
Topic Starter
Espionage724
Well my accuracy has seemed to of gotten a lot better :) Streaming overall is a bit harder though due to the force needed to press the key down (i think buckling spring is like 60g) but it does sound pretty awesome at least :p
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