Lycosa, Sidewinders, other shorter-travel domes?

Over the last couple of years I've been basically throwing stacks of cash down the drain by buying what to me are inferior / different-and-not-in-an-effective-way mechanical keyboards in comparison to my Sidewinders. Every time I buy a new one, I end up going back to the MS keyboards. I'm not that miffed about it - I now have way more experience than your average mechanical-keyboard-a-holic thanks to the buying spree, but it's not really resulted in any particularly tangible everyday benefit for me in the end.

So I'm wondering if these really are the top of the pile for fast-reacting, shorter-throw domes. Anyone have suggestions for a similar, or more importantly, even better keyboard in the same vein? Backlit or not, don't care. Media controls would be nice as would a reasonable number of macro buttons, especially those I can label in some way.

 

I've used the Lycosa briefly. I don't like it nearly as much as my mechanical, but it did have nice short key travel, laptop-style. I don't know if it actually used laptop-style scissor switches, but it sure felt like it.

 

Scissor Switch seems to be the way to go for short throw membrane (aka laptop keyboards)

While you sort of down the idea of o-ring mods, the effect that can be achieved is also exactly what your asking for.

Mechanical switches dont bottom out like membrane to activate, they only need to go down about half way. So applying an o-ring to the stem to reduce max travel to just beyond the activation point effectively reduces the travel for the key and then your left with a short travel mechanical key switch that I greatly prefer to membrane.

 

The concept of bottoming out on a dome is greatly emphasised by mechaholics without realising the comparative travel and force required. With a short-throw dome, contact is made pretty much straight after you've passed the key break, i.e. before you can stop your finger after making the effort to press the key.

In terms of break and feel, it's absolutely not anywhere near an equivalent to the laughable o-ring mod. (and yes, I got smeone else to do not just one, but three keyboards - red,brown and blue. He was really happy about it ) It's slightly less laughable when you use a less dense / more compact material as I experimented with (and not those alternative foam stickers) - but certainly WASD for one doesn't sell anything like it.

 

Hey guys. I'm looking into getting a keyboard to replace my Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600, so I've been looking at gaming keyvboards and of course mechs..

I followed the other thread aswell and I'm impressed by your knowledge and experience with different keyboards.

I hold you opinion on the matter highly, Vogelbung, and when you recommended the Sidewinder X4 over the mechs (I've really had my eyes on the new corsairs, although they're a bit more than what I'm willing to spend for now) it took me a bit by surprise, and I've been looking into them more.

Now, the real reason for this post is to get som clarification on some of the lingo you guys are using in this thread. So I was wondering if you could clarify what you mean by:
- "travel"
- "key break"
- "throw"

Also, if anyone has used the 600, is it much different from the X4? I usually game alot, but I also write a lot of papers for my studies, etc.

 

Well, I'm not going to ram any down your throat but the new Corsairs are actually pretty decent - apart from the slightly jarring transition between the dome and mech keys (not all the keys are mech, and the domes are IMO ' meh domes' in the Logitech vein). But the feel that results from the way they're mounted I like (for a mech), and the reds are - as I've said before several times - the only keyswitches I think that makes sense for an everyday-use / gaming double-duty mech IMO, with the browns running a reasonably close second. I like the way they're styled, and I like the ergonomics (again, for a mech).

Ultimately you can only decide what you like, and while I doubt many others will go to the lengths I've done to effectively throw a few thousand dollars down the plughole to find out what I actually like (and it's very likely partly the reason that I can commit that sort of money on a nerd whim that I don't suffer from purchase justification as well), if you like these there's nothing wrong. There is something to be said for the mechanical snick of these keys while you're pressing them, although the tactile benefit is really truly only when you're pressing down on them slowly.

Travel = distance key moves
Key break = the point at which the key begins relevant movement that actuates the key. i.e. initlial movement of the key in effect
Throw = same as travel in effect