Thank you everyone for taking time to help out. While looking for keyboards, I’ve found a great deal on a new Keychron C3 Pro at Amazon for around $30. It’s a wired keyboard, but it’s got hot swappable brown switches and I figured there’s no way I’d find something better to dip my toes in this hobby.
And I’m really glad I did! The feel and sound of it is just so much better from my regular keyboard it’s not even funny.
I’ve got some sample switches and o-rings in the mail to further dampen the sound but I’m very happy with my purchase.
Original text below:
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?
Can you give examples of the "really sweet compact keyboards" that are both expensive and windows-only?
For custom mechanical keyboards, $200 is about the starting point.
I don’t have anything off the top of my head because I didn’t dig much into it once I found out they didn’t support Linux or the price was more than I’d like to pay for something that might not suit me. But I am not really looking for something custom.
Trying to find something as an example there’s this Iqunix unit that is interesting (though I’d prefer a more cassette futurism design).
I’m not saying it’s not worth it, it didn’t seem a good fit for me. That was before I learned from Shareni here that I wouldn’t strictly need a VIA unit. The other issue is I had no clue if the noise would be acceptable, or even if it’s a reasonable expectation to have out of a mechanical keyboard to be quiet.
So dropping that money on something that might not fit me in any way is a hard ask. I hope I made myself clear, if not, let me know.
For what it's worth, QMK/VIA/Vial all work on Linux. A few years ago the docs were not complete and I remember I had to run
echo 'PATH="$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 switch.
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.
https://ymdkey.com/products/gb-ncr-80-r2-vintage-mechanical-keyboard-kit?_pos=1&_sid=6bb93662c&_ss=r&variant=39487470469181