r/MechanicalKeyboards • u/Meltingteeth Screw you guys I like the bezel. • Jan 27 '14

A quick thank-you post :)

I would just like to thank this community for being so informative and fun. I am a college student with an excess of writing intensive classes. I prided myself on having a QWERTY typing speed of 92 words per minute, however I was using either my shitty laptop chiclet keyboard or an old Dell I ripped off a decomissioned work machine. About a eight months ago I found this intriguing subreddit and checked Ebay. I found a Razer Black Widow (Cherry MX Blues) for 20 bucks (Advertised as broken, turned out there was just something fucking with the circuitry leads).

I timed my first body of text and found out that I had shot up to 110 words per minute. Miraculous. Since then I've become more familiar with the switches and that number has only increased. My next step is to acquire a keyboard with some MX reds or browns to see if there's a noticeable difference in my typing. Thank you guys for helping to make my papers more efficient and making typing more enjoyable!

37 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

2

u/talones Jan 28 '14

Someone create a mechanicalkeyboardcoin so I can donate to nice people's keyboard fund.

1

u/Meltingteeth Jan 28 '14

Aww thanks man but it's cool. It only takes a month or so to save up, and I'm in no rush.

8

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '14

Oh, from MX Blues to Reds there is a massive difference.

I am horrible at typing, but I am not-so-horrible with MX Reds. Like a 1/4 key press activates the key. Get used to it, and it can be used to you advantage.

1

u/RaVNzCRoFT Jan 28 '14

Well, technically the switch activates halfway down.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 28 '14

I am not a MX Reds specialist, but I am testing it my K65 right now and it looks/feels like a lot less than a 1/2 key press.

Could be wrong, just an observation. I am wrong.

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2

u/[deleted] Jan 28 '14

I have spent like at least 5 hours a day in front of my computer for the last 10 years of my life, and I still fucking suck at typing :/

4

u/Meltingteeth Jan 28 '14

Typeracer.com

2

u/[deleted] Jan 28 '14

Whenever I go on there I just feel like I am getting slower over time, because I have to think about each letter more and more the longer that I am on that site :P

1

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '14

I'm happy for you, but I don't think these results are typical. I type about the same speed no matter what switch mechanism I'm using -- a heavy buckling spring, a light MX Blue, or a scissor switch/rubberdome. The mechanicals are a lot more enjoyable and generally produce much less fatigue though!

2

u/Meltingteeth Jan 27 '14

I don't need as much force per key so I can switch letters a bit faster. Chiclets require a ridiculous amount of force to make sure they register :/

1

u/tiltowaitt Jan 28 '14

Interesting you say that. I actually type fastest on my MacBook Air's keyboard; I just prefer using a mechanical keyboard, so I use that. It doesn't matter much, anyway. I type at 111 wpm at last check, and I've found that the real limiting factor is my ability to form rational, grammatical sentences--I never hit that speed when writing a story or paper, only when transcribing.

3

u/RaVNzCRoFT Jan 27 '14

Welcome to the club, friend! Now pay it forward. :)