CM Storm Novatouch

[Carter]

Why didn't it ship with PBT  keys?

Just as the concept with the original rapid,  we wanted to give you a solid chassis with the freedom to express your own keysets. We could have included high end PBT caps @ an increased price point, but every single one of you here like different color variations and lets not get started with font types....

We did go with an old skool cherry style font

Whats the point of offering Cherry compatible stems if you dont plan to use this unique feature?

[davkol]

Well, both Unicomp and Cherry Corp. have PBT keycaps on their keyboards that cost half or less of what is currently asked for the novatouch. I believe this could be a keyboard not only for gamers/enthusiasts, but also professionals, who don't plan to pay a fortune for a custom set only because of aesthetics… and who likes their keycaps shiny? I mean, image a mix of the first two generations of the Das Keyboard, only tenkeyless.

[jameslr]

Update: I just swapped the caps over on my Novatouch to my Leopold PBT and I have to say I really enjoy the way these feel on the 45g Topre. It's like a super high quality Realforce 45g (yes, you read that right). Sounds amazing too. This is going to become my favorite keyboard of all time - I can just tell. Swapping the caps out was so effortless. No worries about costar stabilizer clips and whatnot. Just awesome!

P.S. Sorry for all the hype. I have just been so excited about this board, and have even been pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoy typing on it.

How did you get a Novatouch already? Are you a reviewer for CM, or did you travel to Asia to pick one up?

I purchased it from a third party. That's all I'll say. I'm not a reviewer for CM, nor am I in any way affiliated with CM. Never been to Asia, but would definitely love to go.

[osi]

 Any plans to sell those pbt caps mentioned as stand alone later?

DAT texture

[PadawanGeek]

Whats the point of offering Cherry compatible stems if you dont plan to use this unique feature?

Exactly! Though like a noob, I'd tried to fit Topre keycaps in before realizing they won't fit. I've put the Miami key set to good use on this keyboard....and I swear that it sounds closer to my Topre, didn't really think keycaps would affect the sound. Anyway, here's what it looks like with the Miami key set.....note I didn't receive the 'F12' key, so I made do with that smiley key cap instead.


There's a little blemish on my baord though, not a deal breaker for me, but it might arouse the ire of the fussier buyers of keyboards, note that little discoloration on the corner of the case in the pic below.


Edit - BTW, from Asia where we pay thru our noses for hardware, but we do get stuff early from time to time, props to CM on an excellent keyboard. This Novatouch's going to be my daily driver on my 2nd rig.....the one I use most. 

[Hypersphere]

Why didn't it ship with PBT  keys?

Just as the concept with the original rapid,  we wanted to give you a solid chassis with the freedom to express your own keysets. We could have included high end PBT caps @ an increased price point, but every single one of you here like different color variations and lets not get started with font types....

We did go with an old skool cherry style font

Whats the point of offering Cherry compatible stems if you dont plan to use this unique feature?

Excellent points!

[CPTBadAss]

Novatouches. They just landed in the port @ Long Beach

Am I doing this hype thing right?

[pbtforever]

Why didn't it ship with PBT  keys?

Just as the concept with the original rapid,  we wanted to give you a solid chassis with the freedom to express your own keysets. We could have included high end PBT caps @ an increased price point, but every single one of you here like different color variations and lets not get started with font types....

We did go with an old skool cherry style font

Whats the point of offering Cherry compatible stems if you dont plan to use this unique feature?

Excellent points!

Meh.

[halfkiller]

Definitely getting one of these.

[strict]

Why didn't it ship with PBT  keys?

Just as the concept with the original rapid,  we wanted to give you a solid chassis with the freedom to express your own keysets. We could have included high end PBT caps @ an increased price point, but every single one of you here like different color variations and lets not get started with font types....

We did go with an old skool cherry style font

Whats the point of offering Cherry compatible stems if you dont plan to use this unique feature?

Excellent points!

Meh.

Show Image

I would sooner see them offer a board without key caps. I guarantee most people will ditch whatever keys are included regardless if they are pbt, abs, pom, etc.

[HPE1000]

The PBT vs ABS argument gets as old and annoying as AMD vs Intel/Nvidia fanboys. If want some pbt keycaps you can buy them, and if you really are so crazy about pbt keycaps, you should already have some sets sitting around.

[pbtforever]

They should have shipped with PBT keys and spent the extra $10.

[bueller]

They should have shipped with PBT keys and spent the extra $10.

No, they shouldn't have. What's the point of this board if you're going to use ****ty $10 caps? Then everyone would be pissing and moaning that they'd wasted money on caps they're going to set aside.

If you're that into stock caps just go buy a Realforce.

[davkol]

They should have shipped with PBT keys and spent the extra $10.

No, they shouldn't have. What's the point of this board if you're going to use ****ty $10 caps? Then everyone would be pissing and moaning that they'd wasted money on caps they're going to set aside.

If you're that into stock caps just go buy a Realforce.

That's the opinion of an enthusiast keycap addict.

The keyboard could be a competition for WASD Code as well though. Much bigger market BTW. Novatouch has simple looks, probably decent build quality and good switches, normal layout. I get a ton of PMs from software devs at local forums, regarding keyboard recommendation—the Code has to be imported with expensive shipping and import tax. I usually tell them to get a black Cherry G80-3000LQCEU, because of the normal layout, no-BS looks, decent switches and good keycaps... for €60. Or Filco MJ2 with custom keycaps. This could be an alternative answer. Because The Keyboard Company's pricing doesn't look very reasonable.

[Elrick]

The coating is a bit of a Hybrid. Feels like a thin rubberized coating, but is actually UV coated. Glad to see the positive responses.

Imagine how many MORE positive responses you'll get when you lot actually release the product BEFORE Christmas 2014  .

[CPTBadAss]

This hype video though.

From this website

[SpAmRaY]

^^ That video is pretty cool!

[osi]

Agreed. I liked it!

[Quardah]

They should have shipped with PBT keys and spent the extra $10.

No, they shouldn't have. What's the point of this board if you're going to use ****ty $10 caps? Then everyone would be pissing and moaning that they'd wasted money on caps they're going to set aside.

If you're that into stock caps just go buy a Realforce.

They wouldn't be $10 PBT keycaps.

They would be the actual cost of current ABS keycaps + $10.

It would be ok to say that mass produced keycap sets are mostly about/close-to $10 difference on average in between PBT and ABS.

[Mooby]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

[Xowie]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

I think that this discussion really ramped up when it was leaked that the Novatouch will be around the same price as a realforce instead of a typeheaven. I think people want the option of changing out caps, not the obligation (especially for a premium priced board).

[Mooby]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

I think that this discussion really ramped up when it was leaked that the Novatouch will be around the same price as a realforce instead of a typeheaven. I think people want the option of changing out caps, not the obligation (especially for a premium priced board).

Murican problem. Realforce boards are very cheap there compared with most part of Asia (except Japan) and Europe (keyboardco lol). So in those unimportant parts of the world the Novatouch will be considerably cheaper even at the listed price.

[jameslr]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

I think that this discussion really ramped up when it was leaked that the Novatouch will be around the same price as a realforce instead of a typeheaven. I think people want the option of changing out caps, not the obligation (especially for a premium priced board).

I don't see how anyone is obligated to change out the stock caps. The stock caps are arguably as good as stock caps on other "premium" boards (Filco and Ducky come to mind). They're cheap ABS caps for sure, but they're not terrible. I used the stock caps on my Novatouch for a few minutes and wasn't appalled by them. I have better sets available so it's not a big deal to swap them out with something better. It has been said many times before that this is a new product, so CM has to get their development money back out of it. I don't see why the community is balking at this as no other company seemed willing to ante up that development money to bring something so desired into fruition. Since then a couple have followed suit (Noppoo's EC board comes to mind). It's a big risk to bring something like this to market because they're catering to a niche of a niche.

I think without CM's involvement in the community (kudos to Carter and Rajiv) this would have never happened. I, for one, applaud them for bringing a fresh product to the community and is largely something we have asked for. This is a high quality board. Definitely the highest quality board that CM has produced in my opinion. I would put this up against a Realforce any day in terms of durability and build quality. Time will tell the true tale of course as I have just started using mine.

By and large when compared to how much the majority of this community's members spends on novelty caps (yes I'm talking about the $400 clack buyers), the price of this board is a drop in the bucket (and well worth it IMO). The sheer fact that I have an option of customizing this board with caps of my choice is worth it for me, and I assume many others out there. Look at the options you have with the Realforce boards. Perhaps 6-8 different colors of the same profile caps made out of the same material and they have to be sourced from Leopold through non-official channels (ebay via widebasket) at a significant premium ($150 per set + shipping).

[Hypersphere]

I tend to agree with jamesir. It seems to me that CM has done things as right as possible with the introduction of this new keyboard. If they had opted for stock PBT caps, this would have pushed up the price, and enthusiasts would probably replace these anyway. As Carter pointed out, the whole point of putting Cherry mx-compatible stems on the Topre switches is to enable us to swap out caps to our heart's content, drawing from the rich universe of Cherry mx caps that are available, including ABS and PBT doubleshots and dye-sub PBT sets. It also makes sense to equip the board with some kind of caps, so that it is usable out of the box. Otherwise, they would be selling the "NudeTouch" with naked stems that would obligate us to cover them with a new set of caps.

[Xowie]

I don't see how anyone is obligated to change out the stock caps. The stock caps are arguably as good as stock caps on other "premium" boards (Filco and Ducky come to mind). They're cheap ABS caps for sure, but they're not terrible. I used the stock caps on my Novatouch for a few minutes and wasn't appalled by them. I have better sets available so it's not a big deal to swap them out with something better. It has been said many times before that this is a new product, so CM has to get their development money back out of it. I don't see why the community is balking at this as no other company seemed willing to ante up that development money to bring something so desired into fruition. Since then a couple have followed suit (Noppoo's EC board comes to mind). It's a big risk to bring something like this to market because they're catering to a niche of a niche.

I think without CM's involvement in the community (kudos to Carter and Rajiv) this would have never happened. I, for one, applaud them for bringing a fresh product to the community and is largely something we have asked for. This is a high quality board. Definitely the highest quality board that CM has produced in my opinion. I would put this up against a Realforce any day in terms of durability and build quality. Time will tell the true tale of course as I have just started using mine.

By and large when compared to how much the majority of this community's members spends on novelty caps (yes I'm talking about the $400 clack buyers), the price of this board is a drop in the bucket (and well worth it IMO). The sheer fact that I have an option of customizing this board with caps of my choice is worth it for me, and I assume many others out there. Look at the options you have with the Realforce boards. Perhaps 6-8 different colors of the same profile caps made out of the same material and they have to be sourced from Leopold through non-official channels (ebay via widebasket) at a significant premium ($150 per set + shipping).

Here are my final thoughts for this topic (hopefully). I think the majority of the mixed reactions can be attributed towards the sticker shock of the price. During CM's extended hype campaign for this product, it was rumored that the novatouch will be priced very attractively ($100-150). This seemed to have stemmed from reps at expos. I think that if this was promptly corrected by the reps here, there wouldn't have been this expectation building up for months.
My personal worry is that it might not gain much traction in the wider mechanical keyboard at this price point, especially if this is perceived to be in QFR category rather than a Filco/Ducky category.

[Hypersphere]

I tend to agree with jamesir. It seems to me that CM has done things as right as possible with the introduction of this new keyboard. If they had opted for stock PBT caps, this would have pushed up the price, and enthusiasts would probably replace these anyway. As Carter pointed out, the whole point of putting Cherry mx-compatible stems on the Topre switches is to enable us to swap out caps to our heart's content, drawing from the rich universe of Cherry mx caps that are available, including ABS and PBT doubleshots and dye-sub PBT sets. It also makes sense to equip the board with some kind of caps, so that it is usable out of the box. Otherwise, they would be selling the "NudeTouch" with naked stems that would obligate us to cover them with a new set of caps.

[PadawanGeek]

Indeed, for the price I'd paid for the Novatouch, I can only dream of buying a RealForce (excludes Type Heaven) or HHKB. Though the black on the key caps seemed somewhat off from the pics I'd taken, they looked just fine under normal lighting. As jamesir had said, the ABS key caps are of standard quality much like those on Filco's, and aren't terrible at all. The stand out point that this board has over other Topre boards is the ability to use Cherry key caps. I have two HHKB Pro 2's, a RF and a Type Heaven, as well as a Leopold FC660C.....the thing that gets me down about them is the cost of buying Topre key caps. Not at all cheap and rather limited in range, the price I'd paid for two full sets of PBT key caps was sufficient to buy this Novatouch.

Kudos to CM for coming out with this kickass board, I might just get another since I can source for Cherry key caps easily enough....not gonna cost me an arm and a leg like the Topres', that's for sure.

[jameslr]

Here are my final thoughts for this topic (hopefully). I think the majority of the mixed reactions can be attributed towards the sticker shock of the price. During CM's extended hype campaign for this product, it was rumored that the novatouch will be priced very attractively ($100-150). This seemed to have stemmed from reps at expos. I think that if this was promptly corrected by the reps here, there wouldn't have been this expectation building up for months.
My personal worry is that it might not gain much traction in the wider mechanical keyboard at this price point, especially if this is perceived to be in QFR category rather than a Filco/Ducky category.

Here's the thing though...$100-$150 for this board is unrealistic. It just proves that most people have no concept of the cost involved in putting a new product into market. I bet even at the expected price of $199.99 USD (rumored and unconfirmed US launch price) CM is making a pittance on this board. After marketing costs, R&D, no telling how many production modifications, prototyping, you name it - I'm sure CM is probably breaking even or taking a loss on this first round of boards hoping that it will get traction in a very fickle (and *****y!) market. Support the company that brought us something awesome! The hype train is making its final stop. HACK YOUR WALLETS FOR NOVATOUCH!!

[PadawanGeek]

Damn, having so much fun with the Novatouch that I'm seriously thinking of getting another, I have just ordered a Bumble Bee set + translucent space bar.......damn, I'm getting sucked in!!!

[feizor]

Damn, having so much fun with the Novatouch that I'm seriously thinking of getting another, I have just ordered a Bumble Bee set + translucent space bar.......damn, I'm getting sucked in!!!

Can I please ask where you are ordering them from?

[PadawanGeek]

Can I please ask where you are ordering them from?

I'm in Asia, the Novatouch is available in the retail shops here in my neck of the woods. I love Topre but replacement key caps for Topre boards ain't cheap, that's why I love the Novatouch. The Miami set looks great on it, and I thinking of getting another for the Bumble Bee set I'd just ordered.

[Rayne]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

i agree with this, i feel like the point if this keyboard is the fact that we can now put all of our fun and/or colorful keycaps on a topre board. Who cares what the stock caps are, i want my fun custom caps on it.

[davkol]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

i agree with this, i feel like the point if this keyboard is the fact that we can now put all of our fun and/or colorful keycaps on a topre board. Who cares what the stock caps are, i want my fun custom caps on it.

Do you actually believe that a few thousands enthusiasts (at best) will justify the costs put into R&D?

[Mooby]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

i agree with this, i feel like the point if this keyboard is the fact that we can now put all of our fun and/or colorful keycaps on a topre board. Who cares what the stock caps are, i want my fun custom caps on it.

Do you actually believe that a few thousands enthusiasts (at best) will justify the costs put into R&D?

Do you actually believe they designed the stems for their standard gaming audience?

[davkol]

Designing a keyboard purely for a small enthusiast community is very likely charity, not business. There has to be some attraction relevant to the masses, should novatouch generate profit or alter brand recognition to the better.

[intelli78]

I think they've got big plans in mind. The reps have alluded to this in past comments. Is the Novatouch the right way to bring high end mechanical keyboards to the mass market? I don't know, but CM definitely isn't doing this for charity. Whether they are right or wrong, they think it's going to pay off. I hope it does.

I also agree that all the complaining is stupid. It would be great if it came in at $150, but $200 is perfectly fair for what you're getting. Also, CM products are always selling for less than MSRP.

[Magna224]

Also, CM products are always selling for less than MSRP.

Very true. The Quickfire rapid was what like $80 or $90  MSRP? Used to sell for like $60 all the time. I might be able to find out how much the novatouch is costing shops to buy from CM when they are fully released. I'm kind of interested to find out how cheap they could be on a nice sale...

[bueller]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

i agree with this, i feel like the point if this keyboard is the fact that we can now put all of our fun and/or colorful keycaps on a topre board. Who cares what the stock caps are, i want my fun custom caps on it.

Do you actually believe that a few thousands enthusiasts (at best) will justify the costs put into R&D?

You massively underestimate the amount of mech enthusiasts that CM can reach globally.

[davkol]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

i agree with this, i feel like the point if this keyboard is the fact that we can now put all of our fun and/or colorful keycaps on a topre board. Who cares what the stock caps are, i want my fun custom caps on it.

Do you actually believe that a few thousands enthusiasts (at best) will justify the costs put into R&D?

You massively underestimate the amount of mech enthusiasts that CM can reach globally.

First, Ripster claims that /r/mechanicalkeyboards is the biggest keyboard-related "community" (perhaps outside Chinas/Korea); it has under 50k subscribers and judging by its content, most people have just cheap stock gaming keyboards there.

Second, how many people actually participate in the group buys? It's in hundreds at best.

[Mooby]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

i agree with this, i feel like the point if this keyboard is the fact that we can now put all of our fun and/or colorful keycaps on a topre board. Who cares what the stock caps are, i want my fun custom caps on it.

Do you actually believe that a few thousands enthusiasts (at best) will justify the costs put into R&D?

You massively underestimate the amount of mech enthusiasts that CM can reach globally.

First, Ripster claims that /r/mechanicalkeyboards is the biggest keyboard-related "community" (perhaps outside Chinas/Korea); it has under 50k subscribers and judging by its content, most people have just cheap stock gaming keyboards there.

Second, how many people actually participate in the group buys? It's in hundreds at best.

Is this just people being insulted that CM doesn't give Novatouches out for free? Do you think Filco or Topre produce keyboards for those who complain that a QFR at 60$ is still to expensive? I don't, but somehow these companies get by without targeting the audience, that's complaining about the Novatouch being too expensive. There are cheaper alternatives. They're not Topre boards though. 

[Xowie]

I don't get that keycap discussion. People seem to forget the purpose of this board. Do you think someone will buy a keyboard with those fancy sliders to use the ****ing stock caps? Even if they were PBT?

i agree with this, i feel like the point if this keyboard is the fact that we can now put all of our fun and/or colorful keycaps on a topre board. Who cares what the stock caps are, i want my fun custom caps on it.

Do you actually believe that a few thousands enthusiasts (at best) will justify the costs put into R&D?

You massively underestimate the amount of mech enthusiasts that CM can reach globally.

First, Ripster claims that /r/mechanicalkeyboards is the biggest keyboard-related "community" (perhaps outside Chinas/Korea); it has under 50k subscribers and judging by its content, most people have just cheap stock gaming keyboards there.

Second, how many people actually participate in the group buys? It's in hundreds at best.

Is this just people being insulted that CM doesn't give Novatouches out for free? Do you think Filco or Topre produce keyboards for those who complain that a QFR at 60$ is still to expensive? I don't, but somehow these companies get by without targeting the audience, that's complaining about the Novatouch being too expensive. There are cheaper alternatives. They're not Topre boards though.

I think the point is that CM exploits the "average quality, great price" market. This is the double edged sword. They have been very successful in that niche but because of it they are now tied to it. To be clear, this is not a bad thing. This is why people are raising eyebrows at CM releasing a premium priced product. This doesn't mean that CM shouldn't try to release a premium product, but the hesitation it is receiving shouldn't be surprising.

[davkol]

lolwut? Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions, gabendamn assumptions.

I give exactly 0 ****s about custom novelty keycaps and fancy sets. I don't even care about modern keyboards with the normal layout anymore. However, I do see the inflated interest in solid keyboards for professional use, started by Atwood's Code hype. That's the market of Topre [Realforce], Filco [Majestouch2], WASD, perhaps KUL,… and Cherry G80-3000. Ordinary G80s are the keyboards that I usually recommend [to fellow devs], mostly because of quality keycaps. Once again: €60 G80-3000 has Cherry MX switches (including clears) and thick POM keycaps. Novatouch might be a decent alternative… but I don't see how it's better than the competition now, unless availability and pricing are at least on par with Filco MJ2 in Europe.

[Mooby]

I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

[Quardah]

I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

hmmmm yea

davkol, with all due respect i appreciate your input on the subject, you drive conversations, but this last message is very hard to understand.

Please clarify and don't kill me. 

No offence of course.

[davkol]

Let's say I'm an engineer and I want to get a solid keyboard to use in my job. I have zero interest in customizing it, and it would be great, if my employer bought it for me. Why should I get the novatouch instead of WASDv2/Code, Filco MJ2, Das Ultimate or Topre Realforce? Or a black Cherry G80-3000LQCEU? (BTW this is a pretty common question that I get asked all the time, only without the novatouch… just yet.)

[Mooby]

Let's say I'm an engineer and I want to get a solid keyboard to use in my job. I have zero interest in customizing it, and it would be great, if my employer bought it for me. Why should I get the novatouch instead of WASDv2/Code, Filco MJ2, Das Ultimate or Topre Realforce? Or a black Cherry G80-3000LQCEU? (BTW this is a pretty common question that I get asked all the time, only without the novatouch… just yet.)

That's absolutely legitimate. But is it so hard to understand that there may be enough people who want a topre and who want a wider choice of keycaps? I understand both sides and that's why I understand both purpose and pricing of the novatouch.

[Kmynis]

As I see, the whole point of this board is to put those fancy sets on topre switches. If you don't care about the fancy sets, but care about topre, then you could have bought a RF many years ago. If you don't give a damn about any of those, this board is simply not for you.

[davkol]

That's what I want to know. Granite GB has been the thing recently, even at Reddit… about 370 people bought it, according to SP's website. About 300 people participated in the last Ivan's PBT GB, if I read it correctly. These are the bigger GBs out there. I simply don't see novatouch being an overall success, based on these numbers. I'd love to see CM Storm partner with some vendor and offer limited editions with custom key sets though.

Then the people, who don't care about custom keycaps. I'd love to recommend them more options to consider, but I don't see any reason to include novatouch in the list, given the features and current pricing estimate. It's hard to tell people to pay €150+ premium for a higher quality rubber dome and then buy not-exactly-cheap replacement keycaps. Or €100+ premium over the G80-3000 that has better keycaps. OTOH the G80 is a no-brainer, you get good switches (clears) and sweat-resistant keycaps for a reasonable price.

[YuukiHaruto]

I understand your point on the design, but if they were to address an issue (the stem compatibility) then they should have, as well, address the backlite issue, don't you think?

I know the Topre switch itself offers very little modification to its original design but that being said it doesn't mean there is NO WAY to do it. If Realforce made a design that isn't perfect, then they did not fail, they found a way not-to do it properly.

Also i said "Newer boards" should have it, not expensive ones. Any new mechanical boards especially MX should have backlite available or as an option imo, even basic backliting.

Why don't you try being a EE for a day?

That's what I want to know. Granite GB has been the thing recently, even at Reddit… about 370 people bought it, according to SP's website. About 300 people participated in the last Ivan's PBT GB, if I read it correctly. These are the bigger GBs out there. I simply don't see novatouch being an overall success, based on these numbers. I'd love to see CM Storm partner with some vendor and offer limited editions with custom key sets though.

Then the people, who don't care about custom keycaps. I'd love to recommend them more options to consider, but I don't see any reason to include novatouch in the list, given the features and current pricing estimate. It's hard to tell people to pay €150+ premium for a higher quality rubber dome and then buy not-exactly-cheap replacement keycaps. Or €100+ premium over the G80-3000 that has better keycaps. OTOH the G80 is a no-brainer, you get good switches (clears) and sweat-resistant keycaps for a reasonable price.

People buy HHKBs and Topre RFs ... your point is? This is on par with an RF when it comes to quality. And when it comes to feel it's far more crisp.

Mine came in a retail box. The nice black magnetized one with the velvet keyboard cover inside. Rubber coating definitely still there.

Mine too, as my pics had shown. I'll admit that now that it's been said, there could be a rubberized coating on the case, I thought it was a matt surface, feeling it now and comparing it with the Quickfire TK, there is some similarity. Pardon my error as IF it had been like the rubberized coating on the Trigger, it'd have been more easily recognized by me. The surface feels matted, but it could very well be a very thin rubberized coating, kind of hard to tell......

I've been playing around with it, using a set of Ducky PBT keycaps and the feel and sound with the PBT's is about the same as with stock caps.

Show Image

I compared the feel and sound between the Novatouch and my Leopold FC660C, quite similar in feel and sound.....perhaps I'm not adept enough to pick up the subtle differences between the two, that I will admit.

The possibly rubber coating is head and shoulders above any rubber coating that came before and the same may apply to the QFR-i which is just a little bit more than the old QFR.

I must say I didn't bother with a teardown because it's nothing much of interest and I was afraid I'd break it.

[davkol]

People buy HHKBs and Topre RFs ... your point is? This is on par with an RF when it comes to quality. And when it comes to feel it's far more crisp.

It has crap keycaps out of the box. Realforces don't. Neither do $100 Unicomps, Cherry G80s or some cheap Asian gaming keyboards (choc mini, keycools).

According to webwit's sources, Topre has superb quality control for realforces. Not consumer-grade product QC. This may, or may not be the case of the novatouch.

I'm looking for a killer feature other than the stems, but I don't see it. For example, WASD offers custom printing and DSK/Colemak support in firmware—these things separate it from Filco MJ2 or Das 3… that's an obvious difference. Maybe there's no such feature in case of novatouch, and people, who don't care about aftermarket keycaps, ought to skip this one and get a realforce or some costar board. I find it kinda hard to believe though. Disappointment?