How many keyboards do you really need?

Community
21

Depends on your intentions! I sell any that I don’t find myself using regularly, and usually, over this past year, have one build/project in the works at any given time. But what do I want out of this hobby…? Do I want a slew of usable options for the sake of keeping typing fun? Do I just enjoying building so much that I will keep building and selling indefinitely? Do I want to build one and call it done because buying more of something I already have is impractical?

I think Ive found that my intention is to have one for home and one for travel, selling the rest for the sake of minimization, but the pull to keep building and exploring is a bit stronger than my desire for simplicity I’m afraid…

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22

Sums it up well

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23

My take is that if you don’t have a tactile, a linear, and a clicky, you’re missing out because you cant know your preference for sure. I’m still planning my first clicky but you can hold me to that.

24

The real answer is 2, but I’m way too far in for that.

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25

Need != Want LOL. That being said, I change mine out depending on what I’m in the mood for using. Different boards have different sounds (and some have no sounds), so depending on the need for something more quiet or tactile or whether I’m playing game or in the middle of a meeting will depend on which board I switch to for that day.

But generally speaking I do swap out using all of my boards so they all get used, just some get used more than others.

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26

I agree, one type of every keyboard. Maybe throw in a Topre keeb, some tactiles with bumps at the top versus in the middle, and a vintage buckling spring (although I know nothing about those)

27

It varies.

Plot two lines, line 1 number of keyboards, line 2 guilt over spending money on keyboards.

Wherever the intersection falls at any given time determines how many I need.

28

I’d be interested to see the correlation between amount of keyboards and savings.

29

You mean people save money by buying keyboards?

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30

Depends, if you bought Topre as your first board you’d have no reason to buy anything else.

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31

To be fair, my pingmaster has literally risen 10x in value :joy:

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32

Topre was my first board and after 12 years, they now sit in my closet for 3 reasons.

  1. qmk is insanely powerful. Since I reprogram my boards, I can optimize anything I use my board for.
  2. I use colemak and due to number 1 I had to rely on software in the OS to remap my keys.
  3. I switched to ortho and the only ortho board with topre switches cost as much as 3 of my split boards (and it’s not a split board).

When someone creates a split ortho board with topre switches that can reprogrammed like qmk that will be as close to endgame as a board can get.

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33

It would be nice to have an MX alternative to topre with similar feel and sound, but I’m not sure it’s possible just because of how different the technology is.

34

My mind fundamentally rejects this question. And now I will leave this thread never to return. Good day.

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35

It’s more of a joke than anything but good day. :wave:

36

Sorry for the low-effort reply but… THIS.

37

This, but also low-profile :wink:

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38

I was joking too :wink:

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39

Oh… I didn’t realise when I wrote my answer that it was need- to which I’d answer, where does need come into it? :slight_smile:

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40

I thought this fits here as well