All those really sweet compact keyboards are super sexy and I want one. But the ones I like are both:
- very expensive
- have windows exclusive software
I’m not even sure mechanical keyboards are for me, to be honest. I don’t type that much, and the keyboard I have - a Logitech wave ergonomic keyboard - suits me, except for the humongous size and the noise (I do a lot of video calls and it gets distracting to my interlocutors).
From my research, a QMK/VIA 65% keyboard would be ideal. The VIA part would allow me to configure the few extra keys and layouts so I can make the most of the keys I’ll have. And it’s Linux compatible. However, it seems the controllers for VIA keyboards make them significantly more expensive. Then there’s the noise issue. The click clack, while tactile satisfying, is a no go for me.
I went down the rabbit hole and to find something that has a chance of suiting me, the cost quickly balloons above $200, and for something which I don’t know if I’ll like. If at least I knew it wouldn’t be too loud I might justify forking that kind of money.
Is there a keyboard for me? How can I tell if it’s going to be too loud? Or should I just give up that search and go for a normie tenkeyless keyboard?
You can use kmonad to configure keys, layers, layouts, etc. on any keyboard. AFAIK unless you’re going to use the keyboard on random computers, it can replicate all of the functionality you’d want.
For sound:
- find a physical model to try out
- order one of those switch samplers
- find info from reviewers
Additional food for thought: get a keyboard with hot-swappable switches to possibly replace them with quieter ones. Also there are tricks to make it quieter like adding o-rings and a shock absorber for the bottom plate.
unless you’re going to use the keyboard on random computers
That’s great! The keyboard is meant to be stationary, indeed.
- find a physical model to try out
I’d love to, but where? Are there stores that stock them?
replace them with quieter ones.
Hoping to avoid buying something I won’t use, but I’ll keep that in mind.
Thanks a lot for the tips!
That’s great! The keyboard is meant to be stationary, indeed.
Try it with your current one first. I’ve only installed it through nix and guix, so it might be a possible issue for you if it’s not easily available.
I’d love to, but where? Are there stores that stock them?
No clue. If you can’t find that keyboard in the area, look for keyboards using the same switches. It’s not the only factor, but probably the most relevant.
If you’re in the US and have a microcenter nearby, they tend to have a lot on display
Can you give examples of the “really sweet compact keyboards” that are both expensive and windows-only?
For custom mechanical keyboards, $200 is about the starting point.
I don’t have anything off the top of my head because I didn’t dig much into it once I found out they didn’t support Linux or the price was more than I’d like to pay for something that might not suit me. But I am not really looking for something custom.
Trying to find something as an example there’s this Iqunix unit that is interesting (though I’d prefer a more cassette futurism design).
I’m not saying it’s not worth it, it didn’t seem a good fit for me. That was before I learned from Shareni here that I wouldn’t strictly need a VIA unit. The other issue is I had no clue if the noise would be acceptable, or even if it’s a reasonable expectation to have out of a mechanical keyboard to be quiet.
So dropping that money on something that might not fit me in any way is a hard ask. I hope I made myself clear, if not, let me know.
I built a budget custom board using this chassis, gateron yellows, and cheap no-name keycaps from amazon for about $150. Judging by the images I found online for “cassette futurism”, this may be your style and is pretty quiet.
For what it’s worth, QMK/VIA/Vial all work on Linux. A few years ago the docs were not complete and I remember I had to run
echo 'PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> $HOME/.bashrc && source $HOME/.bashrcbut on my last install I followed the docs and I guess they are complete currently(or rather I am no longer on a janky system). So basically probably almost anything QMK based is gonna work on Linux. I have 2 Cantor Remixes, A Sweep36, a Ferris Sweep, a Planck, and an XD75 all running Vial which is a similar QMK fork as VIA with a GUI. And they all run fine on Mint with zero issues. I can plug an play on any other system too since the boards used firmware instead or relying on an installed software.
If you want a cheaper option, The Anne Pro 2 has a Linux build of their software but soldered switches so you are stuck with stock. But the board isn’t great, ngl.
For quiet switches, you won’t get a silent clicky switch but if you want the tactile bump and don’t mind it not being as “snappy”, look into something like Gazzew Boba U4. The stems have rubber feet that cushion the noise. You can check YT videos for sound comparisons. They won’t be as good as real world examples but you can get an idea. For chocs, They just released a brand new line of silent v1 switches. The 2 linear variants are already out but the silent Sunset version, which is the low profile equivalent of the Boba, is gonna be out soon. I daily the original Sunsets and they are easily my favorite twitch.
I’ve got a Keychron V1 and it’s great. The software works fine on Linux. Once you configure it, it’s all stored in its firmware. The brown switch version of any option you look at is probably what you want if you don’t know what you want/need.
Keychron V2, choose the prebuilt with either red or brown switches. If those are too loud, you can swap the switches for silent ones. I am out of date with switches nowadays, but Rtings says TTC blueish-white are good, so that might not be a bad starting point for your research.
Quick edit: for the software, you could also run it in a Windows VM then give the VM access to the USB port.
Also, if you can make do without keyboard specific software, there are some new old stock BTC 5100C boards on eBay. You’ll need an AT to PS/2 converter if you want to connect it to a desktop, but all in it should be under $70 USD, excluding shipping. The layout (75% but really really weird) takes getting used to, and it doesn’t have N key Rollover if that is something that matters for you, but they are a quieter keyboard than most due to their BTC dome with slider mechanism.
Chyrosran22 did a review of the switch [link]. Fair warning: I don’t know if he does in that video, but he can use very non-PG language at times, so if you aren’t OK with that you might want to avoid the video.
Edit edit: also on mine the space bar stabilization is utter garbage, its been a while but I think only after a bandaid mod and lube was it acceptable. Legit I think even a person who just uses generic office keyboards might complain about the space bar, it’s that bad.
You can checkout Nuphy. They have a number of relatively affordable options that support QMK/VIA and they have put a good amount of thought on reducing noise. The Air60 V2 may fit your needs though it is a low profile keyboard.
The Halo65 is also another option if you want high profile. It is not currently QMK/VIA compatible though but the V2 should be when that ends up getting released.
