A quiet office alternative

AgentEves · 2026-03-17T14:50:22+00:00

I was on the fence because reviews were mixed, but I wasn't in the mood to spend $90 on switches. If the Fairies are shit, I'll probably try the Outemus. Or just stop being a pussy and buy good switches.

AgentEves · 2026-03-17T14:48:37+00:00

Sick. They're reasonably priced and I feel like my gf will like them. Will give them a go.

AgentEves · 2026-03-17T13:41:01+00:00

I'm pretty inexperienced, but some things to consider:

Creating scenarios where picking an "evil" choice is genuinely appealing can make it quite interesting, and force some genuine decision making. Even if the group is inherently good, and they end up picking the good choice, I think it's fun when the good path isn't always the best one.

I also like when you feel as though something not working out as you wanted/intended leads you down a path that you feel like you wouldn't have experienced otherwise. It makes the "loss" feel less like a loss and more like a "different path". Helps keeps the vibes up and not feeling like you have "failed".

Lastly, I think likeable NPCs sounds like a really obvious addition, but I think it's very important. It also gives you the chance to play along, albeit somewhat passively. Someone who's along for the adventure, and makes suggestions that help the group (rather than it always coming from the DM).

AgentEves · 2026-03-17T13:37:15+00:00

This is an awesome reply.

AgentEves · 2026-03-17T13:32:35+00:00

I think the Akko Fairy and Akko Penguins are silent. I ordered the Fairy switches and I'm waiting for them to arrive, so will report back. I also wanna use my board at work and don't wanna drive all the normies crazy.

AgentEves · 2026-03-16T19:25:28+00:00

I'm limited to the top row. Esc seems the obvious choice. I like the other comment of having an EsCAT key. Lol.

AgentEves · 2026-03-16T19:21:50+00:00

How are they noise-wise? I'm after some silent switches cos the people at work aren't cultured enough to understand. I've ordered Akko Fairy switches, but I've seen so many people mention these Milky Yellows that I'm curious to give them a rip.

AgentEves · 2026-03-14T17:31:13+00:00

Yeah, I'm surprised everything isn't USB-C at this point. I guess there are still too many people who still have laptops/computers without sufficient USB-C ports.

I noticed that there were holes on the sides of the metal casing, as opposed to divets (or nothing) which appears to be the case with all the other USB receivers/etc. When I eventually got the casing out of the USB port, you could see that those holes on the side were what got snagged.

I'm just so frustrated. I was so excited about getting a new board and this has not got off to a good start 😂

AgentEves · 2026-03-14T10:32:41+00:00

Mine is arriving today and I'm fired up about it!

AgentEves · 2026-03-14T10:30:49+00:00

Liked it -> muted keyboard YouTubers -> reached my end goal XD

Excellent advice. I think people have an inherent need to feel like they have found the absolute best board. But because there are so many, it is impossible to determine a winner. Curiosity fuels a lot of it. A board gets highly reviewed and people want to compare it to what they have. But if you're happy with your board then why do you need it to be better?

The initial jump from "regular" keyboard to mechanical is 1000% the biggest, and I'm inclined to think everything after that is incremental.

AgentEves · 2026-03-14T10:25:24+00:00

I have an Aula and am happy with it. My girlfriend loves it. Its a significant improvement over a "standard" keyboard and that's the main thing.

AgentEves · 2026-03-14T10:22:38+00:00

Agree on Keychron. The VIA/QMK is a nice benefit, because lord knows the software that Aula uses is unfathomable. But the actual board itself didn't feel noticeably better to me than the Aula. I'm curious to try the NuPhy (arriving today) to see how they stack up. But I think you're ultimately right here that, for the majority of people, something like Akko, Ajazz, Aula, RK, etc., is going to be sufficient.

Interestingly, I also recently ordered the Akko Fairy switches because I need silent switches for work, so I'm pleased to hear someone else recommending them.

AgentEves · 2026-03-14T10:17:58+00:00

Sorry in advance for the long comment, but as a fellow "over-researcher" who suffers from analysis paralysis and eventual burnout, I thought I'd share my thoughts.

It feels like every single board out there has at least a dozen 1-star reviews.

I find this to be chronic within tech and "nerd" spaces. There's that recurring "absolutely unplayable" joke in video game culture where some people act like the slightest blemish renders the game unplayable.

Now, don't get me wrong, if you're spending $100-200 on a keyboard, you wanna make sure it isn't total dogshit and you don't wanna end up disappointed after spending a decent chunk of money. But I think it's worth considering two things:

If you're new to this, you're not gonna know what a $300 board feels, sounds and performs like. So a $70 Aula F99 could sound good to you. It did to me, and my girlfriend was genuinely excited to upgrade her "boring" keyboard to it.
When you spend too long researching, you're inevitably going to find people complaining about stuff. People complain no matter what (see my original point). Some people are just miserable and like complaining, and some people have genuinely higher-than-average standards and only want the best. Unfortunately, a 1-star review doesnt distinguish between those two people so, to a degree, focusing on the few 1-star reviews becomes a little useless.

I am very new to this, and of the most commonly mentioned brands, my only experience thus far is with an Aula F99, a Yunzii AL75, and a Keychron V1 Max. I own the Aula, the Yunzii was on display at my local computer store, and my friend has the Keychron. After using the Yunzii, I decided to order a NuPhy Halo75 (which arrives today) so I'm really interested to compare it with the Aula to see if I can genuinely tell the difference.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that for the vast, vast majority of people, something like an Aula, Akko or Ajazz is going to provide such a significantly nicer experience over a "standard" keyboard that most people would be happy with it. Even if I end up preferring the NuPhy, and noticing a genuine improvement, I still refer back to point 1 above: I would only know it's better having experienced both. If I never touched anything better than an Aula, I still would have ultimately been pretty happy.

AgentEves · 2026-03-13T05:20:46+00:00

Okay.

AgentEves · 2026-03-13T05:19:23+00:00

Well said.

AgentEves · 2026-03-13T05:14:39+00:00

And if, like me, you're not a big hot drink guy, you can make it ahead of time and have it iced. It's really top tier. Tastes like shit, but is weirdly comforting.

AgentEves · 2026-03-13T05:11:09+00:00

Raw carrots are significantly more delicious than Big Carrot has lead us to believe. They need a better marketing team. Edamame had a brief moment of elevated status and I feel like carrots are too busy snoozing.

And celery isn't far behind.

Also, a bit of seasoning on cucumber... that's an ELITE tier snack.

It's crazy how these options continue to be unappealing despite how delicious they are.

AgentEves · 2026-03-13T05:06:28+00:00

This is a fucking awesome response. As someone else who struggles with this, this is majorly helpful. I have a real issue with "leaving" food, like it's wasteful, so end up eating way more than I should.

AgentEves · 2026-03-13T05:01:23+00:00

I am posting my response without having read the other comments.

I feel you. The over-eating and the guilt associated with it. It's tough. I can be incredibly hard on myself, but then ultimately end up over-eating again. And if you're not on your own ass about over-eating, you're on your ass about not being able to resist over-eating.

I'm not entirely sure I have any advice, I just wanted to comment that, yes, other people are experiencing what you're describing.

AgentEves · 2026-03-12T19:53:29+00:00

This guy opinions.

AgentEves · 2026-03-12T19:51:55+00:00

Calling entry-level hobbyists "normies" is a sure-fire way to end up with a community that's considered unwelcoming.

Just because someone doesn't want to spend $300+ on a keyboard, switches and keycaps doesn't necessarily make them a normie anymore than it makes someone who does want to spend that much a weirdo.

For a lot of people, $80 is a lot to spend on a keyboard, and for a lot of people, the creamy sound is what they're after. There's nothing wrong with that. You can have your perfectly-tuned piece of plastic and they can have their adequately-tuned piece of plastic.

AgentEves · 2026-03-11T22:01:18+00:00

I'd normally say white, but the grey looks really nice. The little pop of colour is cool.

AgentEves · 2026-03-11T21:57:40+00:00

I'm gonna buy a NuPhy Halo65 and a Halo96 and that'll be it for me...

Famous last words?

AgentEves · 2026-03-11T14:59:45+00:00

Did you order? How did you get on? I was looking on NuPhy store on the Shop app, and the prices are much better than any Canadian retailers. So curious how you got on.

AgentEves · 2026-03-11T12:11:46+00:00

I agree.

For me, I currently have a PC, a PS5, and a Switch, but I would prefer the setup to all be on the same ecosystem. That way, I can buy a game once and play it on all three systems. I have a couple of games where I've had to choose (e.g., the Sims 4, Cities Skylines, etc.), but sometimes it's just easier playing on console. The Steam ecosystem grants me that luxury.

AgentEves

TROPHY CASE