I know this is a Bad question that will lead me down the Path of Darkness. But…
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@mia Oh, it's a deep $$$ rabbithole indeed. As most have pointed out, there are 'tester' keys you can get, but personally, I think they suck, as they're not a real keyboard, just fidget toys.
All however, is not lost, as you can go to a mechanical keyboard nerd meetup, and eeeeeeveryone wants you to check out and try their stuff. It won't be the same as testdriving it for a week, but maybe it'll give you some options to consider in a more real-world scenario (ie, real keyboard you can use).
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@mia I wonder if there are meetups where people bring all their kits and let other people try them. I’d love to try Topre switches for instance, but do I want to spend $300 just to *find out* if I like them?
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@octothorpe @mia Where does one find out about these meetups?
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@mia yes it’s a path and it’s costly and maybe find some friends that have already done this and you can try theirs.
For me, I have moods. My keycap sets will change but I like my silent cherry red switches! So the switches stay the same even if the keycaps change. It’s a whole thing.
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@octothorpe @jsit I found a Denver Area Piano Group, so… That would probably lead me down a better path?
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@octothorpe @jsit I have a vast wealth of local friends who could drag me down that path. But I will never give in! (maybe)
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