Comment by MaxGripe

4 days ago

I've had so many keyboards that I can't even count them. I've owned five mechanical ones alone. Out of the ergonomic ones, I've only had one - a Microsoft and it was pretty nice. Almost all of them have been replaced because they broke. Either the keys stop working (most often) or the stabilizers start failing.

In my opinion, the best keyboards are the ones that are very easy to clean :) Ideally, switches should be chosen based on your hands since everyone has different preferences. I'm currently using Keychron K5 SE ultra-slim with Low Profile Optical hot-swappable "Banana" switches, and it's the most comfortable keyboard I've ever had — and it's not even that expensive (for a mechanical keyboard). Before that, I had SteelSeries' top model, and it broke after about a year.

Building custom keyboards is next-level, and I think I'll pass on that. What matters most is that it's comfortable to type on and easy to clean. A piece of advice for beginners: don't buy keyboards from Logitech or Apple. They're overrated and not worth their price.

23 comments

MaxGripe

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MrLeap  4 days ago

I feel like I am your hardware destroying cousin. For me it's mice, not keyboards.

I've had the same keyboard for like a decade, but I go through mice every 3-6 months. I've tried logitech / corsair / no-name / razor. 90% of the time I replace a mouse because of phantom double clicks or the mouse3 button just ceasing to work.

More rarely, the mouse will reconnect cycle over and over, or the scroll wheel will break.

I don't THINK I abuse them, but my body count indicates maybe I'm too hard on them and don't know it.

Maybe we need hardware that'll give us data on how mean we are to them so we can gain perspective. :p

  • arkh  4 days ago

    It may be due to the hardware most constructors use and how they use it.

    If you're ready for 1h of info on some switch and how they're misused in mice enjoy this in-depth video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5BhECVlKJA

    I think the gaming mouse market is ripe for a ruggerized mouse with only optional software which does not require some account creation if you don't want to. If you could make it cheap enough you could call it the 2CV.

  • blangk  4 days ago

    You can disassemble and replace mouse switches quite easily and very cheaply if you already own a soldering iron and some basic tools - mouse switch failure is the typical reason for misclick double click problem

  • misiek08  4 days ago

    I'm using very niche mouse nowadays - Bloody. Weirdly they work ok, they have (IMHO) good parameters, if you are not a gaming master race. I was using two of them, each for 3 years and changed only because I lost replacement for the "legs". Also the first one started to loose some material on the button - probably because of cleaning spray I was using.

  • garyfirestorm  4 days ago

    ummmm what? I have had an MX Master Mouse for over 8 years and as an automotive engineer i have dropped it numerous times while testing vehicles, inside the vehicle, while getting out of the vehicle, just walking from desk to the cars in parking lots... and it still survived 8 years! what are you doing to your mouse exactly?

    • nsxwolf  4 days ago

      Do they make them the same as they did 8 years ago? It seems that whenever I want to replace a product I really enjoyed 10 years ago, the replacement is a cost-reduced piece of junk.

    • gh02t  4 days ago

      Counterpoint/anecdata, I've had 3 MX Master mice and 2 died in under a year and the third lasted about 2 weeks past the 2 year warranty expiration. And this was babying them, no mistreatment.

      I gave up and switched to a clone (Rapoo MT760) that I actually like more.

  • veunes  4 days ago

    "You’ve clicked Mouse1 2.3 million times and scrolled 12 miles this month. Chill out!"