I’ve been typing on my milky ones for an hour or two now, and I’m really impressed - especially since these can be had for ~40 cents each. (shoutout to @davisthegreat for stocking these @3DKeebs and shipping them fast)
@pixelpusher is right; these aren’t skate-smooth like Inks or Tealios - but they are worth checking out because there’s something about them.
I think it’s a few things, most of which revolve around that new internal shape. The key-travel itself feels more stable, and the contact of the plastic parts has a pleasant sound and feel. It seems really subtle in-hand, but I have to agree again that they really shine once they’re in a board.
They don’t skate - but they’re at least as buttery as a typical Gat Yellow, with the aforementioned benefits for your extra fifteen cents.
I think these represent another very welcome entry into my favorite sector of the keeb market; extremely solid “middle-shelf” stuff that genuinely approaches the next shelf up. At least with these milky versions, no money is spent frivolously - but what’s spent is used well.
There’s a good recent thread here about how this hobby relates to diminishing utility - and I think products like these do the most to keep even the material side of the hobby from being dominated by that.
If all you’re after is a keyboard that provides an excellent typing experience, you don’t have to hollow-out your wallet - and in [current year] you can get so much more for your money than you could five years ago. For me, these switches are a welcome part of that.
Whether or not you start at (or stay with) a modest-yet-solid foundation, there’s basically no ceiling when it comes to expression (or what you can spend on it).
For me, these are very stable and satisfying linears that represent a subtle but significant iteration in the MX-compatible space. I’m interested to see if Gateron develops any tactiles on this foundation!
Edit: they already have blue and brown versions - hmmm…
