by Lox » Fri Aug 25, 2017 4:01 pm
First off, I do not have experience using the topre switches or realforce boards.
Everything I read suggests that the switches are good and both the realforce and happy hacking pro 2 boards get a lot of rave reviews. I think the bottom line is that any board with mechanical keys is better than a stock rubberdome dell. Topre has a rubber dome in the key, so some 'purists' say they aren't a true mechanical keyboard. But fuck those hataz.
What do you want it for? You want a board that is silky smooth while typing that you can buy an occasional accent cap or even a tasteful artisan cap for... get the realforce 87 and don't worry too much about keycap set availability. If you want something a bit more streamlined, look at the happy hacking. I did.
Ultimately, I wanted more programmability in the board and less board around the keys, so now i have vortex boards. For cherry switches and clones, you can buy keycaps in various looks and profiles, which is nice but its not like you do it all the time. I got a board and cap set that meet my needs and look good and now I just type the shit outta it.
It's like shoes or a mattress... if you're gonna use it 8 or more hours a day, invest in a quality product that feels good to use and looks badass.