My keyboard sucks - discussion and recommendations

[Monkey]

I am a single binder and I play Arma on a desktop computer (PC). For a few months now I have been using a mechanical, gaming keyboard with "Cherry MX black" keys. It was a very expensive keyboard (£75). The build quality is very good but the fundamental design of the "Cherry MX" keys is awful. The problem is that the switch is not at the bottom like on normal (membrane) keyboards but in the middle of the key! This is a nightmare for Arma. Depending on how hard you press the key, you often overshoot or undershoot turns. I have also tried the blue, red and brown "Cherry MX" keys but they suck too. Most mechanical gaming keyboards use these switches. They are ok for some games but not Arma, which requires much more accuracy.

Help me please! Are there any other desktop users that know of a decent keyboard for Arma? I don't care if it's not mechanical, I just want a decent keyboard. Ideally it should be one where you can press quite a few letter keys at the same time (so glancing and braking don't interfere with turning). I would be especially interested in hearing from other single binders. If you use a laptop then please say so, although I won't be buying one just for Arma. Also, please don't tell me that I need to learn to double bind

Any constructive input on the matter will be appreciated.

[ppotter]

Isn't the point of having the actuation point halfway down so you can just lightly press the key and have it register. I recently switched to a mechanical keyboard and it was hard to get used to to begin with (not just for Arma) but after using it for a few days I've gotten pretty used to it. The hardest thing to get used to was the size/layout of the keyboard. I used my previous keyboard for over 10 years, I got kind of used to it :c

But yeah, I don't think it's the switches that's the problem, I struggled to begin with because I used to rest my fingers pretty heavily on the turn keys so they were always nearly fully depressed, had to stop doing that. xD Now I've adjusted and it seems fine.

[Monkey]

Having the switch in the middle sounds like a nice idea in theory but in practice, at least for me, it fails completely. I too thought I had gotten used to it but I realise that I just haven't at all. Give it a few months on Arma and see how you feel ppotter. I now think I need to get a good keyboard with keys that work at the bottom of the keystroke.

Out of interest, what keyboard have you got? Mine is the Qpad MK-50 with Cherry MX black switches.

[Clutch]

I use a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate, cost me about $120 CAD. Works great for me, except for the fact that everyone will bitch about your keyboard on Teamspeak/Skype, since it makes a pretty audible clacking sound

[ppotter]

CM Storm Trigger Z with Cherry MX Blue switches.

[takburger]

2€ dell keyboard works perfect...

[epsy]

I agree, Dell's basic keyboard for PC has been my favourite high-key keyboard, though I've never tried any gaming-branded keyboard.

[karas]

From my experience laptop keyboards work best. First I played arma on some old pc with really cheap keyboard and it was ok. It was missing some keys but heh Later I switched to a mechanical keyboard (razer black widow ultimate) and it was awful at first. After I got used to it, it was somewhat better than the old keyboard. Next : cheap laptop - worked much better for me than the pc. I really like the small keys on laptops, I guess that had something to do with it. However, being a cheap laptop with poor graphic card it would get hot a lot and if dust accumulated on the fans it would shut down so I had to clean it quite often. Right now I'm using a mid class laptop, with decent graphic card (nvidia geforce gt 740m) so laptop keyboard + high fps + probably better response time = best for me. Here's my top :

1. laptop keyboard (better graphic card helps)
2. old pc + mechanical keyboard
3. old pc + cheap keyboard

[takburger]

I also prefer laptop keyboards for everything.

My macbook keyboard is the best ever

[Vogue]

Steelseries 6Gv2 with black switches here, try it.

[ppotter]

The keyboard on my laptop makes me want to die.

[delinquent]

£20 Logitech K120 from Argos was ******* lush. Keys are proper crisp, even being low profile. The wireless one (K270) is a bit less satisfying, but still OK. The reciever needs to be pretty close though. I'd just go wired tbh, especially if you're just using it for arma.

Eehhhh, just went for the link, it's actually a tenner now.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/se ... m/k120.htm

[Monkey]

Thanks for all the input so far...keep it coming.

I will probably go for the logitech one that delinquent has suggested (the wired one, I don't care for wireless anyway). I actually used to have a cheap logitech keyboard and I'm sure it performed better than my current one.

@delinquent

With that logitech keyboard, can you press several letter keys at the same time without having a key clash? My last cheap keyboard wouldn't allow more than two letter keys at the same time, IIRC, although it was an extremely cheap, unbranded product.

[delinquent]

I think it's a max of three tbh, although it's been a while since I last used it.

[Phytotron]

I'm not sure most of you even fully read or understood the original post. I don't think a mechanical keyboard is what he wants here.

I would think you might just want a regular, inexpensive membrane keyboard, something with a really low action so you can make your consecutive turns more quickly—since you, like myself, do it legit instead of letting the computer do it for you.

Is there any place near you where you can just go "test drive" some various keyboards?



EDIT: Membrane, that's the word I was looking for.