What does your favorite keyboard look like?

Learning and discussion
1

What does your favorite keyboard look like? :yum:

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I prefer something that looks authentically vintage. If it has some sort of large bezel or accent, I want it to look like it served a purpose. Iā€™ve settled on TKL being an ideal form factor for functionality as well as optimal for feel and sound.

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My favorite keyboard has a nice clean semi-gloss finish and lots of earth tones. Itā€™s bigger than it needs to be and looks like it belongs in the late 80ā€™s or early 90ā€™s with its details and greebles.

My other favorite keyboard is simple black case, black keys, white legends. Itā€™s a small 65% no-nonsense keyboard with timeless, minimal styling.

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Yeah I pretty much agree with everything you said here. Vintage, but not forced, any excess having a purpose, & TKL being the most ideal form factor are all things I have to come around to highly appreciate the longer Iā€™ve been in the hobby. Not that I wonā€™t get down with a crazy design, but it really has to speak to me for me to consider spending money on it nowadays.

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Holy Grail HHKB in white, with blank or sakura keycaps as an accent, would be my dream. I love the layout of the HHKB and my favorite color is a soft pink. Mnimalism with cleanliness of white and blank keycaps with minimal pink.

And what Iā€™ve learnedā€¦ HHKB wins every time. I have so many keyboards, but Topre is better than all the switches I use. I actually type all day and whenever I feel like I need to try something else, I go back to the HHKB after a few days. Ideal layout and best pressure point against finger fatigue.

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I donā€™t have one favorite - more like criteria. Where Iā€™ve been settled for a while is FRL or smaller and where the alpha + mod-area layout is staggered and balanced (I thought about writing more here, but I think it would get too long because my interpretation of ā€œbalancedā€ depends on the formatā€¦) with decent-sized bezels and a cherry lip or similar sloping at the bottom. And then throwing in a macro column or two and/or a numpad is fun (but not a numpad on an alice-style for me!). I consider the bottom even though I donā€™t see it that often - Iā€™m fine with plain, weights showing, stickers, or engravings, it just depends on the execution. Material, color, and coating really depend on the board and my build - I donā€™t have a favorite there.

But having said all that, my most recent purchase was a Hippo TKL :slight_smile: (and Iā€™m so excited for it!)

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I have to say, I think finding a keyboard you like is a process of seeking aesthetic alignment. :yum:

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I also like keyboards that are simple yet have some delicate small designs. Besides that, I donā€™t want the sound when pressing the keys to be too unpleasant.

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