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End User
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Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitches

Tue Aug 27, 2013 7:43 pm

This keyboard looks very cool. I really love the attention to detail:

We chose a standard Helvetica font for the keys, because the classics never go out of style. We’ve carefully positioned the symbols on each individual key so they are evenly lit by the LED underneath.


The CODE keyboard is as flexible as you are:

Do you prefer QWERTY, Dvorak, or Colemak?

Are you on a Mac, and need to swap Alt with Command?

Are you a gamer who wishes you could disable the Windows key? Wouldn’t it be nice if the useless scroll lock key and scroll lock indicator could be a Windows key lock function instead?

Do you think the Caps Lock key is pointless, and would be more useful as Ctrl?

All this and more can be configured via a row of DIP switches on the back of the keyboard.
 
kumori
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:02 pm

That seems very cool. I'm tempted to get one even though I already have two mechanical keyboards already (Das and Filco).

Do any other keyboards use these "Clear" switches? They seem kind of similar to brown switches.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:12 pm

I use a Dell AT101 at work, a IBM Model M comptact at home, and another regular model m at in the studio. Sorry I can't hear you over the clicking.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:26 pm

That looks like a very nice keyboard. A bit out of my price range though, IMO $150 for a keyboard is too much.
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End User
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:32 pm

just brew it! wrote:
That looks like a very nice keyboard. A bit out of my price range though, IMO $150 for a keyboard is too much.

It is a steal compared to the Optimus Popularis.
 
slowriot
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:36 pm

Besides having the MX Clear switches as an option I'm failing to see how this keyboard justifies a $150 price. Dip switches to do what I just as quickly with software does not justify the price to me.
 
NovusBogus
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:36 pm

Good to hear it's a quiet clicky. I wouldn't mind having a mechanical KB but like most people this thing is aimed at I work in a large and rather poorly ventilated cube farm where normal Cherry type stuff would be...poorly received by one's neighbors.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:44 pm

slowriot wrote:
Besides having the MX Clear switches as an option I'm failing to see how this keyboard justifies a $150 price. Dip switches to do what I just as quickly with software does not justify the price to me.

Low volume = $$$.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:45 pm

Huh? What's so "cool" about it? Anyone could get similarly - looking keyboard from Ducky for long time already, with whatever LED backlighting you want to or whatever Cherry switches you want to, including Clear...
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Airmantharp
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:49 pm

I'd like to compare the Clears with the Browns- and I'd like the option of a palm rest and a USB hub- but that's actually not a bad deal. White LEDs are my thing; they're 'clean' looking.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:54 pm

JohnC wrote:
Huh? What's so "cool" about it? Anyone could get similarly - looking keyboard from Ducky for long time already, with whatever LED backlighting you want to or whatever Cherry switches you want to, including Clear...

LOL
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:55 pm

That is absolutely beautiful, and also too expensive, but that's not the point.

The point is that nobody else has managed to make a plain, simple keyboard; OH NO, Everyone else has to do something funky with a logo, or weird key layout, or splash of colour for flair or use a weird CYBERFONT, or screw up which 105 keys to include in the layout or add a bunch of media keys.....

Why, why, why is the first "standard" mechanical keyboard $150, and why did it take a bunch of keyboard enthusiasts to create a keyboard that is stylish simply by NOT being drizzled in non-standard, worthless features or styling.
(This is also why Apple stuff sells so well - it normally looks like it was designed by an engineer rather than an Asian school kid dreaming of sci-fi movies)

As for the Ducky kebyoards, just no.
  • The spacebar has a snake, or a duck on it, even on their most basic model.
  • There are media keys, even on their most basic model
  • There's weird writing on the side of some keys.
  • The iconography is inconsistently positioned on keys
Last edited by Chrispy_ on Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:57 pm

End User wrote:
JohnC wrote:
Huh? What's so "cool" about it? Anyone could get similarly - looking keyboard from Ducky for long time already, with whatever LED backlighting you want to or whatever Cherry switches you want to, including Clear...

LOL

Yea, they come in different keycap colors too... What's so funny? :-?
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End User
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:03 pm

JohnC wrote:
End User wrote:
JohnC wrote:
Huh? What's so "cool" about it? Anyone could get similarly - looking keyboard from Ducky for long time already, with whatever LED backlighting you want to or whatever Cherry switches you want to, including Clear...

LOL

Yea, they come in different keycap colors too... What's so funny? :-?

The Duckys are cool but they are lacking in the elegance department. I would not use a Ducky with one of these. The CODE keyboard would look sweet next to one.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:13 pm

:lol: Well, if all you do whole day is drool over keyboard's looks, then perhaps you're right. Not sure if it matters to many other people, though. There is a huge orange-colored border around Logitech G710's macro keys - some people dislike it but I do not even notice it during the daily usage and especially in the dark room.
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Chrispy_
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:13 pm

Ah yes, lack of elegance. That was the je-ne-sais-quoi....

All anyone had to do was make a black, rectangular 105-key in the standard layout and be sure that the font is aligned the same on every key; it's not exactly rocket surgery but so many have fallen by the wayside trying because somone, somewhere has genius ideas like, "HEY GUIZE LETS REPLACE THAT BIT WITH A CARTOON DUCK, THAT'LL LOOK GRRRRRRREAT AND MATCH ALL THE OTHER PARTS OF THE KAYBORD!1" (add dribble, lazy eyes etc for good measure)
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:18 pm

Chrispy_ wrote:
The point is that nobody else has managed to make a plain, simple keyboard; OH NO, Everyone else has to do something funky with a logo, or weird key layout, or splash of colour for flair or use a weird CYBERFONT, or screw up which 105 keys to include in the layout or add a bunch of media keys.....

Why, why, why is the first "standard" mechanical keyboard $150, and why did it take a bunch of keyboard enthusiasts to create a keyboard that is stylish simply by NOT being drizzled in non-standard, worthless features or styling.

Umm... some QA issues when they switched OEMs about a year and a half ago aside, Rosewill has been selling relatively affordable plain vanilla mechanicals for a while now. I have a couple of the original RK-9000s (with the Cherry blue switches and without the problematic USB jack) and they're great.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
 
Airmantharp
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:19 pm

The Duckys are in the same price range- not that they have any Browns or Clears in stock. Wish Tiger Imports would put up a back-order capability with a shipping estimate, though.

Still, I'll need everything I want to upgrade from my Rosewill- a well placed hub and a palm rest, for starters. I'm also very interested in checking out the 'silencers' placed around the key posts, but that solution still sounds more like a hack. I just want the thing to be tactile and actually quiet, not the 'claimed' quiet. My Rosewill with Browns is far quieter than my Razor with Blues, but it's still quite loud as keyboards go- it's just not 'shrill' like the Razor.
 
JohnC
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:40 pm

Tiger Imports is not the only place that sells them. But yea, they seem to be currently out of stock in all of the places.
As for palmrest - you can buy these separately if you prefer "plain" keyboard... Or buy one of these "gaming" keyboards which already include them :wink: As for rubber rings for "silencing" - they won't make the keys totally quiet. You can buy a few of those to experiment with, they are pretty cheap.
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Airmantharp
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:54 pm

JohnC wrote:
Tiger Imports is not the only place that sells them. But yea, they seem to be currently out of stock in all of the places.
As for palmrest - you can buy these separately if you prefer "plain" keyboard... Or buy one of these "gaming" keyboards which already include them :wink: As for rubber rings for "silencing" - they won't make the keys totally quiet. You can buy a few of those to experiment with, they are pretty cheap.


I like how the palm rest was done on my G15 (admittedly an obnoxious, but useful, gaming keyboard) where the keyboard is usable with or without it, and it attaches fairly securely.

As for the rubber rings- I'd probably prefer silicone, as rubber would likely degrade to quickly, but I'd also prefer that the keyboard be designed with them in mind.

I'd really prefer that Cherry design an actually quiet tactile switch- one that is felt, but not heard.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:56 pm

1391401
What we have today is way too much pluribus and not enough unum.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:02 pm

Captain Ned wrote:
1391401


I have plenty of improvised weapons at my disposal, I don't need any that have cords attached! Well, I don't think I do...
 
slowriot
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:34 pm

The only thing "loud" in the design of my Cooler Master Quickfire Rapid is arguably the font. But.... there's not a single logo on the face. The finish is matte black. I got mine with Cherry MX Reds, they have other choices. It was only $70.
 
Airmantharp
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Tue Aug 27, 2013 11:15 pm

slowriot wrote:
The only thing "loud" in the design of my Cooler Master Quickfire Rapid is arguably the font. But.... there's not a single logo on the face. The finish is matte black. I got mine with Cherry MX Reds, they have other choices. It was only $70.


And yet, the full-size version with white backlighting and Brown switches is- nowhere to be found.
 
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:46 am

Airmantharp wrote:
slowriot wrote:
The only thing "loud" in the design of my Cooler Master Quickfire Rapid is arguably the font. But.... there's not a single logo on the face. The finish is matte black. I got mine with Cherry MX Reds, they have other choices. It was only $70.


And yet, the full-size version with white backlighting and Brown switches is- nowhere to be found.

http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/ind ... tail&p=322
Still plenty in stock. Your family/friends might not understand your choice but hey, as long as it is comfortable to you... :wink:

Seriously, though, you should just wait for Ducky Shine 3 models - they were just recently released so shops aren't getting enough of them yet.
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:50 am

Hm, that is kind of interesting. I'll dissent. I think a backlit keyboard for that price is actually pretty good. The standard bearer Filco is about that price off Amazon, and the WASD keyboards are just as good as the Filco. Throw in a bunch of LEDs and it becomes a pretty good deal. The Deck Legend with MX Clears is close to two bills (but arguably better quality and better keycaps), if you need comparisons.

Now the MX Clear are basically the MX Black spring with a modified Brown plunger, so it's stiff and the tactile bump is pretty pronounced. I have a Leopold Tenkeyless with MX Clears and it's just too stiff to use for prolonged periods.
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:54 am

Yeah, I guess if you really want backlighting it isn't bad. I just can't see spending an extra $50 (give or take) for a backlighting since I don't particularly care about it.
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:13 am

drsauced wrote:
The Deck Legend

Has a pretty average build quality despite its high price. I've used one - the Ducky keyboards have much better physical build quality (including keyboard casing and keycaps which look perfectly smooth and do not leak light unlike the Deck's keycaps).
Their tech support is pretty good, though - when a few LEDs burned out after a month or so (kinda common thing with backlit mechanicals regardless of their brand) they offered me an option of sending the keyboard back to them or sending me the LEDs for self-repair. Re-soldering new LEDs is not very hard as long as you remember to treat the screws that hold the back cover with extra care - the Deck uses pretty soft plastic and a little bit of overtightening of these screws will cause permanent shearing of the plastic threading for these screws...
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Wed Aug 28, 2013 6:55 am

Dang... I was almost certain I was going to buy one of these soon but I might have to wait for this one, it sure is a looker. :o
 
Airmantharp
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Re: Cool new keyboard - Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitc

Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:57 pm

drfish wrote:
Dang... I was almost certain I was going to buy one of these soon but I might have to wait for this one, it sure is a looker. :o


Yup.

I think I'll put one of these on my list- though I'm still keeping my eye out for one that has a quality detachable palm-rest, a USB hub (USB 3 with extra power would be awesome), and something to address the key 'clatter' without negatively affecting the keystroke feel.

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