Hey peeps
(Sydney) I'm wanting to get my first (customised) mechanical keyboard, is there any store with a good collection of keyboards just lying around with different switches that I can actually touch and know what colour of the rainbow feels like?
I went to JB/HN/etc and they have the usual suspects, but I'm hoping to go a bit beyond that price range but below $65/key sort of royality.
The range of keyboards on display at JB Hi-Fi and similar stores are a starting point, but they are no means indicative of all mechanical switches. Much better switches out there that will be smoother and/or more tactile than Razer's, Corsair's or Logitech G's offerings though they are a start if you haven't played with mechanical keyboards before.
YouTube and Reddit are also your friends! Lots of info/videos online which can help you make a good choice. Switch testers/samples are also available.
'Customised' means you're going to build it yourself out of sourced parts, or are you going with some weird high end Korean artisan thing?
What have you used in the past, and what are you considering?
Main thing's going to be switches, unless you also want to obsess about case materials and construction. With switches, there's a small handful of standard ones, and what seems like a zillion recent variants. The latter will be a bit hard to really try outside of some keyboard meetup nerdfest (not sure if these exist in Oz). Or smallish amounts of switches via Ali + a key tester.
Internet sources of information… I would be a bit wary of many sources. Lots of fairly braindead hype and circlejerking on places like Reddit.
Scorptec @ Silverwater has a nice range of switches on display
This
Get a job in an office with a bunch of keyboard snobs
Their preferred pronoun is keyboard enthusiasts.
Meh, been there. That just means a load of shitty boards with MX Blues and Reds and maybe one or two other boards that are not totally boring.
People who bring blues or other noisy switches into an office are the absolute worst.
PS: If you do this, your co-workers are talking about you even if they haven't said anything to you.
‘Capitol Computer’ is a tech store in Haymarket. They had demo units of quite a few brands, like Keychron, and gaming keyboards, etc.
The entrance is on George St (across the road from the Westpac and ANZ branch).
That name brings back memories. Used to have Japanese for dinner followed by ice cream at Capitol Square.
Attend the mechanical keyboard facebook group meetups.
Many take place, however during covid, there was an event where everyone had to wear gloves, which were provided.
I second this, everyone is quite friendly and I'm sure anyone would take the opportunity to teach you about the hobby just so they can chat about it :)
Go visit the Mwave showroom in Lidcombe
There's a new deal for a sub $60 keyboard on here.
Some of the larger Harvey Norman stores have a gaming section with plenty peripherals on display to try out.
The Flagship Store in Auburn certainly did couple years ago, not sure if they still do though. Might be worth a call in the morning to ask if they still do before you pop over.
Some JB Hi-Fi's have started putting some keyboards on display too though quite a limited range. Maybe check your local branch too.
Mwave will have a few in their showroom too.