Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#371

Post by airmailspecial » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 1:43 PM UTC

Aeolun wrote: post #365

intrasight wrote: post #224

I have purchased and tried many of the high-end keyboards over the years. I always switch back to my IBM Model M made in 1985. I have a couple of spares for parts. Every few years, I take it apart and put it in the dishwasher. update: I just flipped it over and see that the particular Model M I'm typing on is from 1991.

You’d think someone would make exact duplicates, but I haven’t found any of those.

Not sure how exact you're looking for but I believe this company Unicomp[1] bought the rights and manufacturing equipment for the model M keyboards after IBM and Lexmark stopped making them. I don't have one but allegedly they're still made in USA to the same standards as the old IBM ones.

[1]https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/UNI041A

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#372

Post by stjohnswarts » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 2:01 PM UTC

I still love my plain old IBM style one. I bought a cheap Eagletec $40 knock off ibm keyboard and have been using it for the past 5 years for gaming and typing. I love the sound feedback. I can't use it in the office though :) . Too many people are annoyed enough by regular keyboards let alone clacky ones. It's not showing any signs of dying unlike my ROG asus keyboard that I have had to replace twice on my laptop. I don't know what's up with that thing.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#373

Post by wodenokoto » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 2:09 PM UTC

vehemenz wrote: post #216

Topre switches are great! But can someone explain the draw of HHKBs? Aside from nerd street cred, that is. A lot of programmers swear by them, but I don't understand why. Let's talk about the layout. As a Vim user, I need my CapsLock->Esc. Fine, so I'll remap Ctrl—but inexplicably, there are huge gaps where the regular Ctrl keys would be. There are no arrow keys or nav cluster, which means you need to use layers or k…

Yeah, the Japanese layout seems more useful: https://imgur.com/0yOTDx8

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#374

Post by susodapop » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

bjoli wrote: post #367

bastijn wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Silent switches saw quite an uptake since past two years or so. Never had matias quiet click myself but based on YouTube vids I'd say you can go a whole lot quieter without losing tactility these days. I run an office setup with U4S these days, these are good to go out of the box if you don't like to mod them. They are so silent your coworkers keyboards will sound loud in comparison. Their tactility is still awesome.…

The matias quiet click arent really meant to be very silent. I think it alludes to the tactility of their clicky switch minus the click. Their quiet linears are dampened light linear switches, and sound less than most rubber domes. Matias boards are just no-nonsense boards for typists. I dont like fiddling with my keyboard. No keycaps. No lubing. No swapping switches. I have done that. It is a distraction for me. I l…

After five years, I gave up my Matias quiet click due to its abysmal reliability. I had three units during that period: my original and two replacements under warranty. I love the keyboard and their customer service. But the interruption and administrative hassle were too much.

I use a Leopold with Topre 45g silent switches now. It’s not as nice IMO but it works all the time.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#375

Post by hnrj95 » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 3:14 PM UTC

TacticalCoder wrote: post #233

hnrj95 wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100%. i’ve tried everything. model m, model f, cherry, etc. nothing feels the same way the hhkb does for me. and the layout, as an emacs user, is sublime

Model Fs are the capacitive ones? I know they're good but I never got into that: I found Topre before going there and I'm a happy camper since then!

i’d recommend you try a model f. despite the model m’s quality, it was actually made as a cheap alternative to the model f. the f is basically an m on steroids. i don’t prefer it to the hhkb for 2 reasons: (1) it’s ridiculously heavy, and i take my keyboard around with me (2) the layout doesn’t suit my workflow very well

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#376

Post by hammyhavoc » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 3:27 PM UTC

bsdubernerd wrote: post #345

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…

As other posters mentioned, the recent "mechanical keyboard" subculture is all about show and boasting. It's not a surprise it seem to have boomed with gaming rigs and streaming channels. The keyboard in these circles is all about status, not function. If anything, I would compare it to "dubious" car mods like "cambered wheels". Due to RSI I tried dozens of keyboards over the years. When I see these new keyboards bei…

Cambered wheels are the automobile equivalent of wearing pants round your knees.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#377

Post by fuzzfactor » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 3:30 PM UTC

csdvrx wrote: post #77

nicopappl wrote: post #49

I have the privilege of owning a Happy Hacking 2, it has topre keys. I used it for about a year. And I hated it! It's insanely noisy, to the point of distraction. It's so damn loud. But the dealbreaker for me is how heavy and deep the keys are. It's just too much energy and travel time for efficient typing IMO. After long sessions my fingertips felt sore from the blunt damage of pushing down the keys. But I'll recogn…

I agree so much!! I've tried my best to like mechanical keyboards... but no, I hate them. The noise is distracting, they require too much strength on every key, and they are big and expansive! I thought I might have the wrong keytypes, so I even purchased key testers: the red keys are less noisy, but that doesn't solve the other problems. So I just can't find a reason to like them. My favorite keyboard is the Thinkpa…

I like this kind of keyboard:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/9bypxi...

IBM KB-7953

Weighs as much as a tablet PC.

Mine is from 1999, one of the most silent mechanicals, it's PS2 not USB.

It's beginning to stand the test of time and show proof of being as durable as you would want.

The office PC it is connected to is no spring chicken either.

>why can't they make smaller mice??

For an inexpensive less bulky office mouse ASUS AM1D is somewhat smaller than average and ambidextrous:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEMyuDKRmnc

You get surprisingly more use out of your limited mousepad/benchtop area.

Only takes up half as much room in a laptop case and anything smaller can be much less ergonomic.

It looks like about the same size as the Viper Mini gaming mouse.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#378

Post by regus » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 3:46 PM UTC

I've always been intrigued by the HHKB, if I ever got one I would get hasu controller and modify the layout so I could get vim style arrows.

However my keyboard journey has lead me to the conclusion that I prefer split keyboards.

Using standard keyboard layouts gives me a lot of pain in my arms. I noticed this pain when using the standard mac keyboard, an ibm model m (this one hurt my fingers as well), or a 60% board.

Right now I'm using a kinesis freestyle 2 and it's tenting feature helps alleviate the pain.

Are there any split keyboards that use topres?

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#379

Post by intrasight » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 4:15 PM UTC

Aeolun wrote: post #365

intrasight wrote: post #224

I have purchased and tried many of the high-end keyboards over the years. I always switch back to my IBM Model M made in 1985. I have a couple of spares for parts. Every few years, I take it apart and put it in the dishwasher. update: I just flipped it over and see that the particular Model M I'm typing on is from 1991.

You’d think someone would make exact duplicates, but I haven’t found any of those.

Years ago, I bought several on eBay - so I'm good until I depart. I told my daughter that I'll include them in my will.

Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?

#380

Post by memco » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 4:41 PM UTC

donio wrote: post #297

memco wrote: post #87

> You’ve seen people test Topre boards such as the HHKB, Realforce, Leopold, and some Topre-clone boards too, and many rave about the way they sound and feel. No, I haven't heard of Topre or seen any reviews until now. > Topre boards, why are they so expensive? ... $250 ... Although I suspect many keyboard enthusiasts might usually hover in the $100-$200 range for their pieces, $250 for parts and labor isn't that exp…

Datahand keyboards used to cost $500-$1000 depending on the model and time of purchase.

Thanks for the interesting rabbit hole. I’ve been using a split ortho keyboard and while I’m quite happy with it I think there’s a small bit of FOMO whenever I see a unique design. Applies to the Topre and the Datahand equally: would be curious to try them, but probably not enough to procure one.