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geekhack Community => Reviews => Topic started by: thegunner100 on Mon, 04 June 2012, 22:28:51
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As you can see, the keyboard's exterior looks exactly like a Filco Majestouch. Im not sure how old the keyboard is, but the key shine indicates that it has undergone a lot of (ab)use. I have been told that this Filco Zero uses the XM switches, with is a nickname for Simplified Type II Alps switch. According to the Alps wiki (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=ALPS+switches), these XM switches require 70g (confirmed with nickels) of force to actuate. The Filco Zero is also no longer in production.
Build Quality
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Typical great Filco build quality since the case is basically the same as the majestouch's. No wobbly case this time though. The keycaps are the same as well, except they were made to fit the alps switch. Although the keycap's Futura font is awesome, the keycaps themselves are ABS and pad-printed, so they're not that great. I'm surprised that most of the pad-printing is actually still intact.
Feel
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This one is hard to describe... here goes!
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The filco zero w/ the XM alps switch is similiar to mx blues, but it is alot heavier(70g vs 50g), and much louder. They're also not as smooth. You feel the bump when you press down but it's smooth when you release. On the blues, you can feel the bump when you press and release. Because of the weight required, I end up missing alot of key strokes unless i push down really hard.
I personally don't like the feeling of the XM switch. It is way too heavy for my tastes, and the loud clicks are nowhere as satisfying as the MX blue's.
Overall
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Since I don't like the XM switch, this keyboard will likely end up in storage for a while. The Filco Zero is otherwise a good keyboard for heavy typists or for those looking to add to their Filco collection. Well, it was fun trying a alps switch for the first time, but it really isnt my type.
Thanks for reading! A review of my Realforce 87ub Variable and 87uw 45g will be coming up soon!
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Hmm not sure what's going on, it wont let me edit the page to fix some minor errors.