get a cm storm fire rapid with red switch from pchome. here is my first impression.

Shopping Experience:

i am always happy with pchome orders. i placed the order last friday and received it this Wednesday. yes, this Wednesday, faster than some domestic shipping method. and they still provide $10 shipping promo to US.


Packaging:

not a perfect package. but fine, my keyboard safely landed on my desk finally:)
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the bad thing is there is no keyboard cover coming with it.

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braided usb cable with gold coating connector.

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red wasd key caps and cm logo key caps. key puller is IOI type.
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Keyboard:

same size as Filco MJ2 87
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the height as filco without support feet.
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a little bit steeper than filco with feet.
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cable management slot. the design is ok, but the braided cable is not easy to fit in the slot:(
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feet without rubber grip:(
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red led. looks pretty for me.
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logo
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Conclusions:


pretty solid build quality with reasonable price, comparable with Filco tenkeyless imo.
red plate looks great with red switch.
multimedia keys and win lock function.
red led looks good.
Razer BW font. keycaps are just regular abs.
detachable usb cable with 3 direction management slot, though the braided cable not easy to fit in.
skin like top surface. i am not sure what the material exactly is but has comfortable touch feeling.
No ping on my kb.
ugly keycaps with those multimedia logo.
no keyboard cover.

Thanks for the mini review... Tempted to get one now.

:O, nice pics, thanks Btw, is there the link where you got the keyboard from? searched from PCHome: http://goods.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21108306993462

The keycaps do look ugly though, but should I get one I should be able to switch the caps for something else like a group from WASDkeyboards right? Anyone can
confirm?

Well, I don't think WASD is offering windowed keys... maybe if enough people ask they will try to source some though.  I suspect that the blanks are the same as WASD uses ABS and is same profile as Filco, Das, etc.

Different design for Red Switch CM Storm Keyboard

At 940g according to Ripsters Quality~Fg Theorem (RipQFT) the build quality should be fine - just a tad less than a Filco.  Looks Costar-ish to me.

Glad it didn't ping.

i have no scale to weight the kb. it is just slight lighter than filco. pretty solid build quality i think. from some reviews in chinese, the inner of cm is the same as filco mj2.


mine does not ping, though ripster's haters' might ping.

Oh nvm...it says about $97 usd
I can't wait till it hits amazon
Hopefully steelseries follows the tenkeyless trend and makes their own tenkeyless for even less than the cm : D
I'm hoping it'll be in the $70 range so I can afford BF3 and a keyboard
oh, and sweet pictures

I just received mine too.





It is 99% that it's OEM from Costar.
It uses Costar stabilizer and the same labeling for their keycap rows.

Those who miss their chance at the Filco R TKL. This is your second chance to get it.

I just received mine too.


It is 99% that it's OEM from Costar.
It uses Costar stabilizer and the same labeling for their keycap rows.

Those who miss their chance at the Filco R TKL. This is your second chance to get it.

The only way to confirm is to open it up.
Are you going to do that?

Very nice, especially with the red switch & plate. I'm seriously considering this now (once WASD gets new colour keycaps, ofcourse) What exactly is the difference between this, and the other cherry switch'd ones? I keep reading that the CM storm cherry red is somehow different, but I really can't tell from the pictures.

Also, how do you guys put up with the multiple-languages on the keycaps? It's not hard to get used to, I suppose?

where is your reading saying the difference? i did not notice this.

traditional chinese font on caps does not bothering me.

from the older topic:
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?21254-Here-comes-quot-CM-Storm-Quick-Fire-Rapid-quot-pictures

The translation of some of the quotes was that while it was available with red switches, the case design wolud be different.

I think I know what they mean, though. The red-switch'd one has a red plate, and black case, and the others have a grey plate and silver case. I think this is what they meant. If so, the red is clearly superior.

Is that CMSTORM wording pad-printed?

Mighty tempted to buy one and rub it off with alcohol so it's more 'civilised'.

You say it is the same size (width/length/height) as the filco - but in the two pictures you show comparing the two, it looks like the CM Storm is slightly larger...

sorry about that. i just measure them by eyes. from the products info on their webs, cm is 355*135*35mm, though filco mj2 is 356*135*33mm.

An affordable tenkeyless keyboard with red switches? I'm definitely getting this if I can somehow get my hands on it.

I already have custom keycaps from WASD to replace those ugly keys

Are the stock CM keycaps similar to the FILCO keycaps in terms of thickness?

Are the stock CM keycaps similar to the FILCO keycaps in terms of thickness?

quite close by eyes' measurement.

Damn those logos are ugly, but since the housing is coated maybe it's possible to remove that ****...
Also, anybody know if there's actually any possibility to buy this outside asia?

Damn those logos are ugly, but since the housing is coated maybe it's possible to remove that ****...
Also, anybody know if there's actually any possibility to buy this outside asia?

Cooler Master will release switch type based on region.
In Singapore, there will only Brown, Blue, Black.

Red seem to be only available to the Chinese.

Good to know.  I always thought this claim of Filco that Gen2 doublesided PCBs are gonna change the switch feel to be pretty bogus.  This looks like the Gen1 style singlesided pcbs.

The chinese seems pretty convinced that 1st Gen FILCOs or DAS Keyboards with MX Blues are better than FILCO Gen2s.

Placebo or not, them Chinese who got DAS keyboards laud the crispy sound of MX Blues.

Since the CM storm is made with single layer PCB, is it likely that it is based on FILCO Gen 1?

Any word on if this will be available in the EU, or will I need to order it from PCHOME Taiwan?

How different is it compared to the Linear R? And I'm in love with this, definitely gonna pick this up ASAP, although can't decide if I want to spend some
money on some new keycaps or get a whole new board...hmmm. At least I know that it isn't a limited edition and I'll probs be able to get one locally in HK so

I compared CM QuickFire Red with my Filco MJ2 87 and Filco R 104.
CM QF has a LED-modifier keys, newer casing and detachable cable. Other than that, they are same, right down the keycap mold.

Where can you order one of these without speaking Chinese? I never understand when company's do terrible things like not releasing a high demand product to those that want it. Release this in the US and they will outsell the blackwidow and steelseries 10-1 with decent marketing. Why is toyota the only Asian company that realises the BIG money is in selling to Americans.

What about Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Sony, etc.?

Crappy Japanese clones.

Wait...

Where can you order one of these without speaking Chinese? I never understand when company's do terrible things like not releasing a high demand product to those that want it. Release this in the US and they will outsell the blackwidow and steelseries 10-1 with decent marketing. Why is toyota the only Asian company that realises the BIG money is in selling to Americans.

Damn man. We could say the same thing for the companies that DO NOT ship to outside of the good ol' USA. Don't they realize the BIG money is selling to the Chinese? But then again, we learn English and find workarounds in order to get our stuff.

There's a PCHome buying guide somewhere but I just can't seem to recall it. You might wanna check it or post any enquiries in that thread. Some kind soul will try their best to help you to get it ordered.

Since when is American a race? Wasn't racist at all, Americans have far more purchasing power than the Chinese, Japanese and Europeans put together (purchasing power NOT GDP).

EU alone(Not even all of europe) have more purchasing power than the US

Solid looking keyboard, terrible typeface. Like a bastardized Bank Gothic ripped from the Futuristic section of dafont.com. Too dense, too stylized – a display face never intended to be used at such minute point sizes.