I’m using silent red and I don’t find them too noisy.
One of the main advantages of a mechanical is that they are often programmable so you no longer have to rely on software based methods to change key mappings. Caps lock is Escape everywhere all the time.
I have Caps Lock mapped to Ctrl, like a UNIX-style keyboard. Otherwise, my requirements for a mechanical keyboard are simple:
1. High quality, tactile switches (Cherry MX Blues or Browns)
2. Programmable keymapping
3. TKL layout
4. 6NKRO
5. PBT double-shot molded keycaps (not ABS)
6. Steel baseplate with as little flex as possible
7. Removable USB-C cable
8. Black or grey (dark colours)
I don't care at all about RGB, that's a gimmick to me. I'm not a gamer. I need something I can blaze on when doing heavy Vim editing or writing (I type +/- 150 wpm) after a nap and a few cups of good coffee.
This would be a limit: I use AHK to have chorded keys:
- caps is esc if used alone, control if used with another key
- enter is enter if used alone, control if used with another key
- shift left is page up if used alone, shift if used with another key
- shift right is page down if used alone, shift if used with another key
- alt left is home if used alone, alt if used with another key
- alt right is home if used alone, alt if used with another key
This makes many shortcuts very easy: ctrl-l can be done one handed with the right hand by pressing enter-l
Likewise, to control-shift-home, I press caps+shift left+alt left.
To move between tabs, on the left caps then shift left, or on the right enter then shift right.
Better: the two thumbs "beginning then end of file" to have a quick look at some code: right alt then left alt (so right alt=alt, left alt=home) and the same 2 keys but in the opposite order, left alt then right alt (so left alt=alt, right alt=end)
This is super interesting. I absolutely love AHK, too. But can you please clarify how you achieve, "caps is esc if used alone, control if used with another key"? Is it based on whether the key is still down (pressed) vs. up (released)?
If you don't mind, can you please share your script? My Capslock-as-a-modifier setup is very simple. I just use Capslock + various keys to do stuff:
Silent reds are also known as pink, in case anyone is looking for them. They were exactly what I was looking for after trying brown (still too loud and a little too much force required), silver (way too many false clicks when I rested on the home row), and various Zilents (OK, until I tried the pinks and realized I don't like tactile switches at all).
One of the main advantages of a mechanical is that they are often programmable so you no longer have to rely on software based methods to change key mappings. Caps lock is Escape everywhere all the time.