this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2023
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ErgoMechKeyboards

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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

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Low profile key switches have the obvious advantage of being smaller than MX switches…but the problem is that silent options, especially if you’re into tactile switches, are seemingly nonexistent unless I’m missing anything?

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[–] danieldk@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Did you try Choc linears? Even though I’d still like to try Sunsets, I think tactility is far less useful for low-profile switches. Click/tactility was originally added to MX switches to make it possible to type without bottoming out. But typical MX switches that actuate at 2mm still have 2mm post-actuation travel.

In real-world measurements, the overall travel of Choc switches is 2.8/2.9mm [1]. A typical Choc switch actuates at 1.5 to 2mm, so there is very little post-actuation travel. So if you add a perceptible tactile bump, it’s unlikely that you can type without bottoming out and the effect might be that you slam harder into bottoming out.

I think with low-profile switches, it’s better to accept that you are probably going to bottom out and get switches with a lower spring weight so that you bottom out with less force. Otherwise you’ll get an Apple Magic Keyboard - the steep tactile bump makes you crash into the wall at high speed.

[1] https://github.com/bluepylons/Open-Switch-Curve-Meter/tree/main/Force%20curve%20measurements/Kailh%20Choc%20Switches