[ cw: vore ]
Ae like to share aer interests

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I'm trying to find the perfect silent linear switch right now ... I used to really be into clicky switches and loved getting really loud
keyboards. But then I tried out a silent cherry red keyboard and even though I don't like cherry switches (and it was pretty
scratchy and rough feeling ... ) it made me realize that actually, clicky switches are not as appealing as I thought. So, like, now I'm
stuck here with these loud ass keyboards that aren't hotswappable because I got them before that really became widespread
and wasn't as much of a deal to me at the time, so if I want a new keyboard switch, I either gotta go through the pain of
opening up this solid plastic brick somehow (which I still haven't found a way to when I was attempting to poke around in it to
fix an issue that later randomly fixed itself, long story,) or buy a whole new damn keyboard just to try different switches. So this
time, I'm definitely 100% without a doubt getting a hotswappable keyboard. Although saying that, since I want smooth linear
switches, a contactless keyboard is perfect for me. Although then it wouldn't be hotswappable since that stuff isn't
standardized yet (I think. Not actually 100% sure. I think I saw there were hotswappable gateron optical switches but
presumably they're only compatible with other gateron opticals. Like, they need their own connections separate from just a
standard keyboard switch, right?) The absolute smoothness of them sounds sick, but also like, if I never try them, I'll never
know better. Are they so smooth that standard switches will all suddenly feel terrible from that point on? Its weird how
contactless switches suddenly made a comeback out of nowhere. Like, they were used in old ass keyboards cause they never
die, but then they just kinda disappeared entirely. But now they're back? It's very odd. But I'm glad for sure. I got into
mechanical keyboards just late enough to catch a glimpse of the nothing but cherry mx rgb gamer keyboard era. My first
keyboard was one, actually. It was terrible and I paid way too much for it. It actually made me hate cherry switches way more
than I do now because the keycaps and stabilizers were like, actually terrible. All the stabilized keys felt stiff and mushy and
while the keyboard base was heavy enough to put a sizeable dent in a wall, the keycaps were so poopy and thin and also didn't
stick properly onto the stems so they kept popping off. Not helped by me later just kinda keeping it on the floor under my desk

so it took quite a beating for a few years until I finally gave it away. It was in such bad shape and wasn't even good in the first
place so I didn't really care to sell it at all. But yeah, we're since turned around a little bit on cherries. Now instead of being bad
they're just kinda scratchy and mediocre ... But like, I liked the silent reds enough to make me wanna seek out other silent linear
switches. Though also the fact that I don't just wanna get more silent reds does kinda show that my first thought was to get
something better rather than more of the same. Hm ... But yeah, linear keyboards are cool to me now. I can type super fast on
one because I don't even have to press the keys all the way down. Turns out theres actually quite a number of silenced linear
switches but they're all hidden away. I can't find a single keyboard that comes with them pre-installed. So, I got a hotswappable
keyboard. It's not here yet, but I'm very much looking forward to not being stuck with a single type of switch for the rest of that
keyboards life. Even outside of the customizability aspect, like, it just makes sense for longevity! If a switch on a keyboard starts
to die, you're kinda screwed unless you have the knowledge and tools to replace it. And also assuming your keyboard can be
taken apart without damaging it. Why didn't we have hotswappable switches years ago? But now its so commonplace you can
find even budget cherry clone keyboards that are hotswappable. It clearly wasn't too expensive to do. An interesting effect of
that is that it seems like the variety of switches available has increased multiple times over. Now there's a whole market just for
selling individual switches without needing to develop or find a keyboard to sell them with, and that means theres tons of
different types that aren't just direct cherry clones, and that's only gonna become more the case I hope. It feels like a return to
the wild west days of the early keyboards before rubber domes became the budget standard, if maybe a bit more refined now
that its entirely an enthusiast market. It's funny because there was some bad ass switches back in the day, but also there was a
whole lot of absolutely garbage ones because there wasn't rubber domes to fall back on as the "cheap" option. Companies had
to make their own cheap switches and, lets be real, they were worse than rubber domes. Rubber domes aren't even bad. Only
reason I started using alternative switch mechanisms is because they're just boring. Also I really like the crispy feel when you
don't have rubber padding out the bottom of the keys, which is funny because silenced switches kinda bring that back a bit. But
it feels different to me. Probably because you don't have to push the keys all the way to the bottom to have it register? Also the
complete lack of a tactile bump is weirdly satisfying in its own way. I feel like I'm in a period of self discovery now, where