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Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

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Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#251

Post by GuB-42 »

Looking at the replies here, one thing for sure, keyboards are a very personal thing.

I have a Topre RealForce BTW. I've chosen it after trying out a bunch of keyboards, some Cherry MX, rubber domes, scissor switches, IBM Model M, ALPS, etc... My first reaction with the Topre was "oh, that one feels really nice" then I looked at the price and "wtf?!". I eventually bought it, because I didn't find anything better, and compared to a good PC, it is not that big of an expense.

I've been using it for 8 years now, and I expect to keep it for many more. Also the author is now wrong saying the cable is the weak point, I had to change it last year, a wire broke inside, which surprised me because despite not being fancy, it looked like a good cable. I blame the way it channels from under the keyboard and the lack of strain relief.

BTW, before my RealForce, my keyboard was a Keytronic KT2001, which I really liked despite being a lowly rubber dome keyboard. In fact, maybe that's the reason why I love Topre so much. Topre switches are essentially better rubber domes.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#252

Post by jolux »

Aloha wrote: post #183
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked at a company that gave people generous leeway to purchase computer gear they wanted. We already had good computers and monitors, so fancy mechanical keyboards were the #1 purchase for most people. The mechanical keyboard fans nerded out over different switches and other hardware, spending countless hours doing research and trying out different types of keys. And then slowly nearly everyone went back to regul…

I'm a diehard Model M guy, but it's not a mechanical key switch.

Yes it is, it’s buckling springs.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#253

Post by adwf »

csdvrx wrote: post #152
godot wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To you and the parent poster and the grandparent poster, I wonder if you've ever tried a mechanical keyboard with low profile keys and keycaps? I enjoy mechanical keyboards myself, and even so, I found myself liking the low profile ones a lot better. Like you said, I love the tactile feel, and I also find regular sized mechanical keyboards too high. I currently use two: The Keychron K1 "Ultra thin" for work and the H…

So many people seem to rant and rave about mechanical keyboard that I'm still willing to give them a try! Could you recommend a model that's not too noisy and doesn't require too much force, but which also has the page up and page down keys on both sides of the up arrow? This seems a rarity for mechanical keyboards, while it's quite standard on laptops. Since I spend most of my time on laptops, I'd like to at least m…

Vortex Tab90M with silent reds. Best keyboard I've ever owned. Compact, quiet, mechanical, just fits all my needs for both work and gaming.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#254

Post by numpad0 »

formerly_proven wrote: post #45

The notion that a capacitive switch is somehow expensive to manufacture because the PCB is allegedly "special" (doubt) seems odd to me. All other capacitive sensing stuff uses bog-standard PCBs with nothing special about them at all and it's not like the rubberdome is hard to manufacture either (considering that a more complex kind of rubberdome mat is the centerpiece in cheap rubberdome membrane keyboards). And then…

The really inexcusable part is they killed off Lite models and jacked up the entry price to where they are.

My Lite2 PS/2 Kana-less JP from well before the earthquake is still fine and it was “was $49.99” anywhere back then. I know some RealForce US are real good but no way I’m spending $200 on a keyboard.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#255

Post by FPGAhacker »

bayindirh wrote: post #75
InternetPerson wrote: post #67

For me, one nice thing about working from home all the time now is that I don't have to listen to everyone's annoyingly loud mechanical keyboards. I kinda hope this fad dies before I have to work in an office again...

We have a bunch of old Sun Microsystems mechanical keyboards at the office, and they're not loud. I use a Cherry MX Brown equipped keyboard and it's not loud either. Does everyone use "Blue" switches over there? BTW, I don't believe mechanical keyboards are a fad. They're much better than the better rubber dome keyboards. Especially as they age.

Out of curiosity, have you done typing tests? I did once with some keyboards I was comparing. For me there was a difference. At least in the moment. It's possible I was just better on one because it was similar to what I had already been using.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#256

Post by GekkePrutser »

Aloha wrote: post #183
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked at a company that gave people generous leeway to purchase computer gear they wanted. We already had good computers and monitors, so fancy mechanical keyboards were the #1 purchase for most people. The mechanical keyboard fans nerded out over different switches and other hardware, spending countless hours doing research and trying out different types of keys. And then slowly nearly everyone went back to regul…

I'm a diehard Model M guy, but it's not a mechanical key switch.

Buckled spring is about as mechanical as it gets though. I really hated those back in the day because of the clangy noise and the heavy resistance.

At the time I thought it was made to appeal to the tastes is mechanical typewriter users who were still very common in those days. I just had a cheap BTC foam-foil one which was really nice actually but did need a full take-apart and clean every year or so. But the touchwas so much lighter than the model Ms at my dad's work.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#257

Post by csdvrx »

adwf wrote: post #253
csdvrx wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So many people seem to rant and rave about mechanical keyboard that I'm still willing to give them a try! Could you recommend a model that's not too noisy and doesn't require too much force, but which also has the page up and page down keys on both sides of the up arrow? This seems a rarity for mechanical keyboards, while it's quite standard on laptops. Since I spend most of my time on laptops, I'd like to at least m…

Vortex Tab90M with silent reds. Best keyboard I've ever owned. Compact, quiet, mechanical, just fits all my needs for both work and gaming.

Sorry but like most of the 70% the up arrow has "shift" on the left, and "end" on the right.

The closest is the GMK UNIQEK C70, with pagedown on the right... but shift on the left. I might be able to remap FN, and to find a cap with the right slant... but then it's not low profile.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#258

Post by GekkePrutser »

bayindirh wrote: post #75
InternetPerson wrote: post #67

For me, one nice thing about working from home all the time now is that I don't have to listen to everyone's annoyingly loud mechanical keyboards. I kinda hope this fad dies before I have to work in an office again...

We have a bunch of old Sun Microsystems mechanical keyboards at the office, and they're not loud. I use a Cherry MX Brown equipped keyboard and it's not loud either. Does everyone use "Blue" switches over there? BTW, I don't believe mechanical keyboards are a fad. They're much better than the better rubber dome keyboards. Especially as they age.

Did Sun ever make mechanicals? I mainly recall the type 5 but it was rubber dome. The ones that came after were like cheap $10 pc keyboards.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#259

Post by debo_ »

> The Realforce R2 TKL we bought came with 55g Topre switches. The tactility is similar to lubed Drop Holy Pandas with Tribosys 3203, with the legs lubed.

This paragraph was worth the price of admission for me.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#260

Post by csdvrx »

2muchcoffeeman wrote: post #234
wyclif wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your best bet for mechanical switches that aren't too noisy are probably Cherry MX Browns.

I’m using silent red and I don’t find them too noisy. One of the main advantages of a mechanical is that they are often programmable so you no longer have to rely on software based methods to change key mappings. Caps lock is Escape everywhere all the time.

> Caps lock is Escape everywhere all the time

This would be a limit: I use AHK to have chorded keys: - caps is esc if used alone, control if used with another key - enter is enter if used alone, control if used with another key - shift left is page up if used alone, shift if used with another key - shift right is page down if used alone, shift if used with another key - alt left is home if used alone, alt if used with another key - alt right is home if used alone, alt if used with another key

This makes many shortcuts very easy: ctrl-l can be done one handed with the right hand by pressing enter-l

Likewise, to control-shift-home, I press caps+shift left+alt left.

To move between tabs, on the left caps then shift left, or on the right enter then shift right.

Better: the two thumbs "beginning then end of file" to have a quick look at some code: right alt then left alt (so right alt=alt, left alt=home) and the same 2 keys but in the opposite order, left alt then right alt (so left alt=alt, right alt=end)

This is so super practical with AutoHotKey...

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