Long Term Use Review- Topre Realforce 87UW55 (SE08T0)

At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Topre switches.  At the very beginning, I found it to be wonderful, then frustrating.  Further down the line, I found the combination that I can finally start to settle down toward appreciating its differences and finally, really embrace this key switch.

The keyboard that helped me turned the corner?  Topre’s Realforce 87UW55.  I was pretty sour after my frustrating experience with the variable keyboard the 104UB (XF11T0).  That keyboard drove me up the wall because I simply can’t find a rhythm.  I finally decided to give Topre switch one more chance to redeem itself and settled on the 87UW with uniform weighted keys.  Boy, did that make a difference.  I guess years of typing has betrayed me because I had a very difficult time adapting to the variable key weights.  I am sure that some people will appreciate that type of design; but for an old dog like me who was trained on a typewriter, it was rough outing to say the least.

However, enough about the past.  How does this keyboard stand on its own merit?  I personally come to really like this keyboard because I find the uniform key weight distribution comforting.  55g is a bit on the heavy side for some, but I am used to keys that push back a bit more.  It gives a more of a stable feeling during typing and working as each key stroke felt more assured and certain.  For things that I use it for, 55g is just fine.  The difference between 45g is 55g is subtle, but noticeable, however.  Key weights are more of a preference between these two.  I found 30g to be way too light, however.  The TKL design is fine for that I use it for in a tight space.  I don’t find that I miss the numeric pad much.  However, if someone is in need of Excel or other numeric input heavy applications, then numeric pad is a must.  I did find that sometimes the Num Lock is engaged after reboot or login and messes with password typing here and there.  The blue LEDs are bright.  Sometimes, too bright when looked on directly.  I think this is a problem with blue LEDs in general.

Comparing to Leopold ‘s FC660C, the 87UW is more stately and stable.  It has less of that perky personality and more muted in its presence.  Never the less, one will not mistakenly identify this keyboard as something else when someone starts to type.  The sound it makes is almost hypotonic, imbued with power, like a race horse trotting around the track, as one reviewer said.  Perhaps a bit over the top, but I can’t find any faults with that assessment.  Thus, that might be why a lot of people are willing to pay a premium for a Topre made keyboard.  Instead of focusing on the tactile feel, I think this is a good chance to evaluate the keyboard from an auditory aspect.  Suffice to say that Realforce did not disappoint.  The noise level is just a bit higher than run of the mill rubber dome based keyboard and I personally do think that it sounds rather pleasant.  So, it’s perfectly suitable in an office sitting or someone who share computing space with others.  The sound feedback is good, not too chatty and perhaps rather regal.  It’s not as drill sergeant like with the buckling spring, but instead, the keyboard rumbles just a bit so that one can almost feel a presence of a serene, but strong current.  For some, that's pretty irresistible.  I do find that typing on this keyboard is indeed a bit of a Zen like experience and it flows well.  As with any Topre switch related keyboard reviews, I won’t belabor about the Topre switch feel itself.  Suffice to say that some love it and some really don’t think it’s worth the money.  I am in the camp that loves it, but also appreciate the pragmatic side of things.  The price is such a joy killer sometimes….

The 87UW55 or its sibling 87UB55 (SE18T0) is almost the same except the color scheme.  87UB55 has the dark theme with almost impossible to read key legend in the dark.  It has a more of a “badass” factor, but perhaps a bit too much form over function from my point of view.  Since I am more of a typist and command line geek, I tend to stay with keyboard fashion design that helps me make fewer mistakes.  I am probably not cool enough to use the dark/black version anyway.

In conclusion, the 87UW55 is an incredible standard layout keyboard that can make many skeptics a believer.  The only got-cha is the price.  Therefore, it’s more of luxury item than essential stuff, but for someone who uses keyboard quite a bit, it’s well worth the investment.

Grade: A

More gaming oriented key switch and cap designs

One of the trends lately has been shortening the key stroke distance from the traditional 4mm to 3mm or so.  Another is shortening the height of the key cap itself.  Now, changing the key cap height doesn’t do anything mechanically since it is a rigid body.  However, they can affect the look, static key heights and perhaps reduce the key wobble because of a very so slightly lower center of gravity.  It’s probably more of an aesthetic and style choice.  Besides, it does save a bit of plastic.  In the cut-throat electronic business, that may mean something for the bottom line.

Tesoro’s new Gram Spectrum keyboard captures these trends quite well.  It features an “agile” mechanical switch, which is basically Kailh’s response to Cherry’s Rapidfire line.  This particular switch has a 3.5mm travel distance and supposedly features a clicky feel.  So, it’s a bit of a departure from the typical linear spring type favored by the gaming community.  The other thing is the “slim” key cap.  This key cap sort is the half-height version of the regular, standard issue Cherry MX kind.

Adding these elements together, Tesoro produced a keyboard with a different look and certainly a different feel because of some interesting key switch design choice.  Furthermore, looks like Tesoro will introduce an IR sensor switch based keyboard.  Now, let’s see how the market is responding to this after a bit.

So, what about some good ol’ wireless (Bluetooth) mechanical keyboards?

I mentioned in a few posts before about Razer making wireless keyboard specifically for the iPad product line and other tablets.  I also mentioned that there are some Bluetooth wireless mechanical keyboards as well if someone rather use a more classical keyboard device.  That piqued some interests

So, there are basically two options.  One is to purchase a USB to Bluetooth wireless converter.  At one end is USB port that the keyboard of choice is plugged in.  And, there is no other end, because it is wireless.  It converts whatever keyboard that is attached to a Bluetooth one.  Pretty cool tech, but it’s a bit bulky and power source can often be an issue.  Some keyboards draw a lot of power provided by USB port.  Thus, even at measly 2.5W max clip, it can drain most portable batteries dry quickly.  One can browse around eBay and find such device to purchase if the use scenario makes sense.

The other option is to buy a wireless mechanical keyboard.  Here, the options are more limited.  One of the bigger player in this space is good ol’ Filco.  So, if you are Cherry MX keyboard switch fan, you are in luck.  Filco is one of the most respected mechanical keyboard brands out there as it’s basically DIATEC Corporation, based in Japan.  They offer quite a few wireless keyboards configuration using Bluetooth protocol as well.  Besides the standard 104 keys Majestouch Convertible 2 and the 87 keys TKL variants, they also offer one called Minila, stands for minimum layout.  The Minila Air is the one with wireless connectivity.  Minila is a 67 custom keyboard layout design, much like a non-standard laptop layout.  However, like Leopold’s FC660 series, it uses full size keys.  So, no strange half-height stuff.  That’s a big plus in my book….  These keyboards are also designed to run wired if needed.  So, it is a much more versatile keyboard than what meets the eye.  The only drawback?  Price and availability.  Filco’s products are not easy to find and the stock comes and go.  Because of the added complexity, it doesn’t come cheap either.  So, expect some price premium over regular boards as well. However, one can search mechanicalkeyboards.com and amazon.com in US to see if anything of interest is in stock.

Now, if someone would come up with a Topre switch wireless keyboard…..

Logi or Logitech (whatever they are called these days) quietly introduced G910 Orion Spectrum

Maybe I missed the fanfare, but from my perspective, Logitech quietly introduced G910 Orion Spectrum along with some other product updates.  Now, Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum mechanical keyboard is the same one we have seen with G910 Orion Spark.  What's the difference then?  Well, the only thing that I can tell is that G910 Orion Spectrum does not have the 3 sided key cap that Orion Spark has.  In another word, G910 now uses the same key cap set as G810.  The funky caps pushed aside in favor of a more traditional key cap style.

Although this move comes rather expected, I guess the new key cap experiment didn't work out as well as Logitech had hoped.  The gaming community seemed to liked the new key cap design, however, the general population and specially the typists and programmers threw a fit.  The 3 sided key cap is designed to hold the fingers in place.  This makes a great deal of sense for a gamer, as they don't move the fingers from key to key much.  The fingers tend to say on the same keys.  However, this is problematic for typists and programmers since, well, their fingers dance all over the board during a normal use session.  So, the classical cylindrical design is back.  Beforehand, Logitech offered the "normal" key cap set for sale as an add-on package.  I suppose they decided to save potential buyers some trouble and offer the regular caps instead.  Also, they get to relaunch a product.  Marketing for the win.  Maybe they will reverse it and offer the 3 sided caps as a gamer's special after a while.  I wouldn't be surprised....

In any case, it's now a buyer's market.  If you are looking to see what the G910 Orion Spark is all about, it's now discounted.  If you can't put up with the 3 sided key caps, loved the G810, but wished for more.  Well, Logitech has that base covered too.

Musings about optical (IR) sensor based key switches

Circuit design from Tech Resources

Optical sensor on switch is not a new concept and certainly there are optical sensor based key switches that has been around for quite a while as well.  However, with dominance of spring centric keyboard switches such as buckling spring design or the entire Cherry MX line and its clones, optical keyboard switches are rare birds indeed.  On the other hand, analog switches are now coming back in fashion as the new bleeding edge in gaming sphere.  It is no coincide that mechanical switches are popular these days.  The simplicity, reliability, manufacturing ease and cost are factors that contribute to this.  Adding optical sensors and emitters put more complexity.  However, the benefits are starting to make a good case for an optical based switch.

Mechanical switches are, well, mechanical based.  When two separate metal pieces come in contact, an electrical connection is made and thus generating a signal.  Optical switch depends on an emitter, which is often the case, an infrared light source and a sensor.  When an object obstructs the light path or changes the reflectivity depending on the design, then the sensor knows that a key is pressed.  Now, some clever engineers already realized that if the object that is obstructing the light path is a gradient, then the sensor can capture a diminishing light emission as a function of distance.  Add some computing power, the senor can also calculate velocity and so on.  An optical based system might generate a clear on/off signal as well since physical connectivity is not always a sure and entirely consistent thing.  Because the sensor is entirely optical, the physical interaction of the key switch can entirely be up to the designer’s imagination.  Therefore, it is possible to design some complicated interactive switch that does not depend on any mechanical contact to trigger the switch.

For strictly typing keyboard, these added complexities have little benefit since typing just need to know if a key is pressed or not.  However, as a gaming device or navigational system for say a VR or AR device, then the possibility use cases make much more sense.  Thus, there is a sudden interest in these switches.  Perhaps sometimes later this year, we will see a mass marketed optical sensor based keyboard.  There are already a few prototypes and Kick Starters efforts floating around.  Let’s see what innovations these folks can bring to the table.

Hybrid rubber dome/mechanical keyboard from Razer- Meet Ornata

One of the things I emphasized is that rubber dome keyboards aren't inherently bad.  Some are great keyboards.  Many members of the famed Microsoft Natural Keyboard family line are rubber dome based.  However, with the return of the mechanical switch popularity and advances in scissor switch designs, the rubber dome keyboard seems to have lost the coolness factor.

If one really like that rubber dome feel, there are 2 paths before.  One is to invest into a Topre type keyboard which is unique, but not quite rubber dome like.  Or one can stick with a good ol' rubber dome board from MS or Dell.  What if neither is a reasonable?  Fear not, now, Razer is introducing a hybrid model, which is a rubber dome switch with simulated mechanical clicky feel.  It might be copying the clicky feel of a Cherry MX blue.  Based on the images published on the web, the Razer Ornata's key switch is most certainly using the rubber dome based technology.  The nib makes contact when someone bottoms out.  A half way press will not register, unlike a Cherry MX or a Topre type.  The mechanical click feel is emulated with a metal catch that is attached to the side of the silo on the plate.  As the plunger descends, the little fingers would activate the metal catch and create the click feel.  Razer is nice enough to provide an animated GIF to illustrate this new hybrid switch.

Rounding out the keyboard is the standard Razer fare such as software controlled LED lighting and other features such as detachable palm rest.  Another trends that I have begun to notice is the half height key caps that look more like a Chiclets key cap than a traditional Cherry MX or IBM Model M kind.  Mechanically, it doesn't make any difference, but perhaps it's for aesthetic reasons as well as conveying to the user that the key travel might be shorter than expected.  That would be subtle, but cool visual cue for a keyboard manufacturers to distinguish the key travel differences among its product lines.  Let's see if this trend catches on.  I think it would, because of the moves toward shorter travels.

Maybe it's marketed as a half-way device between rubber dome based keyboard and fully mechanical keyboard to help the users who prefer the rubber dome way of things, but have a case of click envy.

Virtual keyboard strikes again

I thought Apple would be the first one to try put out a virtual keyboard on a Macbook or the like given its penchant to make everything as thin as possible.  However, Lenovo has beaten Apple to the punch.  The new Yoga Book has a laptop clamshell design rather than a traditional slate design.  Instead of where the keyboard goes, it is a touch sensitive pad that is a digitizer and a doubles as a virtual keyboard.  It is not another touch sensitive display, however.  So, someone can trace drawings and it would transfer to the screen on top.  It's just like having one of those Wacom tablets attached a regular laptop or desktop.  From the images published, seems that the keyboard legends are simply baked into the pad itself and not reconfigurable.  Just lights get switched on or off as the pad changes its functions.  I think Apple might go with a reconfigurable design, judging from rumors of prototypes floating around.  Supposedly, the new Yoga Book comes in either Chromebook flavor or Windows flavor, with Chromebook version coming first.  Oh, it's also a 10" form factor.  Smaller than I thought.  So, the keys might be not be 100% sized either.  This is an interesting experiment that is worth watching closely.  Now, let' see if some clever marketers are going to jump onto the virtual 0mm travel as a competitive gaming advantage....