I would like to buy an Atreus with Speed Copper switches and Blank keycaps, but I’ve been looking for a while and it always shows “sold out”…
Does anybody know why?
Do you think I should buy another variant; if yes which ones are good for typing? (Actually I have no knowledge about switches; I have just browsed the Internet and it seems that Speed Coppers are efficient for typing but I will believe you if you tell me they are not.)
The coppers are, I think, linear switches with a very low activation distance (vis-a-vis reds etc). I do not feel that to be necessary for typing, and they might actually be a liability for negligent triggering just from resting the fingers on the keys.
I have another hot swap keyboard ergo keyboard and purchased both Kailh red and navy box switches. I started with the navy (a heavier version of the clicky whites you can also choose with Atreus) then had to share a space with somebody else and swapped to the red, and can’t be bothered to swap back. I don’t really feel the need for tactile or audible feedback but many users do. I find the reds are lovely and soft, whereas the navies required a bit more of a ‘whack’.
Many who are new to mechanical keyboards go for brown (tactile) as a good interim choice - a little feedback so your fingers can learn where the activation point lies without being noisy or too ‘chunky’ in feel.
Edit: I am glad some of the options are starting to run out as it provides the opportunity to reappraise the switch options for future batches. I would like the “Quiet box” switches added to the options in subsequent batches. Should Keyboardio be willing retool then a thinner more portable Atreus designed around Cherry Low Profile switches might be even more desirable…
The switches of the Keyboard.io Atreus can be changed easily, so you could take any variant, buy some Speed Copper switches, and swap all the keys you want
You can even mix the switches if you find that modifiers are too prone to error with short activation distance, or have a harder resistance for the thumbs…
… Just experience it, and use what you enjoy the most
I think I will buy the model with brown switches and, later, buy other switches if I think I need it.
But huh, I just realized that it is not available with blank key-caps anymore. I think I won’t wait so I might buy a Qwerty tomorrow (even if I use a Bépo layout).
I didn’t take a video of the actual replacement of the switches. But I’ve replaced the Kailh Box Brown switches that came on my Atreus with Gazzew Boba U4 switches.
Pulling Out Existing Switches
Was easy to do with a $10 USD (per pair!) switch puller from Amazon.
Grab the switch front and back, rock gently as you pull, and try to get the switch to come out as vertically as you can.
The switch puller may break one or both tabs in the switch that lock it into the board - that’s okay, as the switches will go back in and hold pretty firmly after that.
Inserting New Switches
Inspect each switch before mounting. Make sure the pins are as straight as possible.
Push the switches down vertically. It shouldn’t require a whole lot of force.
Replace one or two of your least-used switches first, then plug the keyboard back in and ensure they’re working fine. Doing this helped me realize early that I’d bent a pin completely flat on one switch. (Was able to bend it back, then insert the switch. Might not have been smart, though - the pin may break if I remove that switch later.)
Search YouTube. That’s where I got the above tips. And you’re right - watching someone else do it while talking through the process is the best way to learn. That’s how I’ve learned how to replace keyboard switches, repair clothes dryers, install backup cameras, …