Are linear switches bad for typing? - eviltoast

I’ll preface this by saying I’ve only used cherry mx brown switches before.

Recently I decided to try Akko Silver linear switch, and while it feels great when I’m gaming, for work I’ve been getting the tips of my fingertips hurting. Is it just me or are they not for this sort of thing?

  • Kogasa@programming.dev
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    8 days ago

    I’m a hobbyist speed typer (200wpm+), generally prefer linear switches. I do bottom out almost always. To reduce the impact of bottoming out, if this is an issue for you, you can:

    • use a softer and/or more flexible plate. An aluminum or brass plate is very stiff and will absorb less of the impact compared to an FR4 or polycarbonate plate. The mounting style of the keyboard can also affect this, e.g. a gasket mount has the pcb “floating” on rubber pads that absorb shock, and a plate that is screwed directly into a metal chassis will absorb almost nothing. The plate/pcb can have flex cuts added to improve flexibility and absorb more shock.

    • use switch springs with a higher actuation force. Common choice is 63.5g or 68g, which is a little heavier than the Akko switches’ ~45g. The spring can also have a variable profile such that the resistance increases more as the spring is depressed, so it kind of cushions the impact a tiny bit. I use extra long springs which has the opposite effect, the response curve is more constant.

    • use rubber o-rings on the switches. This will make them feel squishy and I don’t really recommend it, but it’s an option if replacing your keyboard isn’t.

    FWIW I mostly use an Odin75 keyboard with an FR4 plate and stock alpaca switches. This is gasket mount + soft plate with lots of flex cuts, so it’s a reasonably soft typing experience.

    • qaz@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      I’m a hobbyist speed typer (200wpm+)

      I didn’t know that was a thing. 200wpm is pretty impressive imo, I can only do 25.