This 'board has white Cherry sliders, and it's cheap

[xsphat]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250194650790&ru=http://search.ebay.com:80/250194650790_W0QQfrppZ50QQfsopZ1QQmaxrecordsreturnedZ300QQfviZ1

I contacted the seller and he took off a cap and told me they had white sliders.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

Well spotted. Are the white ones clicky?

[xsphat]

No, they are tactile though.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

So are they the same as the brown ones then?

[Nonmouse]

So are they the same as the brown ones then?

Nope.  They're the "semi-mechanical" ones- a membrane with a spring over it.  Keyboards with the MX switches will start with G80, and ML-switched boards will start with G84.

There is a G80-1800 keyboard that looks the same, but has the MX switches.

[Bluemercury]

How are the ML- Switches? are they clicky? i just found a store here in Portugal that seems to have some Cherry keyboards, they have the G84-4100, they say it has MX switches but at the european cherry site they say ML switches.....

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

So are they the same as the brown ones then?

Nope.  They're the "semi-mechanical" ones- a membrane with a spring over it.  Keyboards with the MX switches will start with G80, and ML-switched boards will start with G84.

There is a G80-1800 keyboard that looks the same, but has the MX switches.

Well done!  I can't believe I didn't spot the G81 in the model number. Wishful thinking, I guess. This one should have linear feel.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

How are the ML- Switches? are they clicky? i just found a store here in Portugal that seems to have some Cherry keyboards, they have the G84-4100, they say it has MX switches but at the european cherry site they say ML switches.....

They don't click.

[xsphat]

So what switches so the G80 American keyboards have? and are the "MX gold crosspoint" switches the blue sliders?

[mr_sf_applet]

So what switches so the G80 American keyboards have? and are the "MX gold crosspoint" switches the blue sliders?

Not necessarily. The Deck keyboards brag about their Cherry MX gold crosspoint switches, and we all know they're black linear.

[elmomax]

How does this keyboard compare with black alps.... not sure I understand what is meant by a semi-mechanical board.

Can anyone help on this? Thanks

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

It should be similar to the Cherry MX linear mechanical switches. Long linear travel, no click. You are supposed to type on faith i.e. not expect a "break-through" feeling in your fingers, but just press and go.

[Nonmouse]

This site has pictures of a G81-1800 keyboard that's been disassembled.  The babelfish translation from Japanese lets you get some idea of what he's talking about.  The actual switch is a membrane-contact sheet, but each has a mechanical key-return sitting on top of it, so it's got  more tactile feel than a cheap membrane keyboard, but not as much as a keyboard with individual switches.  

[xsphat]

You know, I give up on Cherry. It seems like they handed out a secret decoder ring to get through all the marketing ploys and I didn't get mine.

[Nonmouse]

You know, I give up on Cherry. It seems like they handed out a secret decoder ring to get through all the marketing ploys and I didn't get mine.

Just stick with G80- or G84- boards- the G80 have MX switches, and the G84 have ML switches.  I haven't been able to figure out how to tell if they're white, blue, black or brown sliders, though, short of popping a keycap off.  I think it varies by market (i.e., gringos don't like clicky keyboards, do the blues aren't sold here anymore)

[Bluemercury]

You know, I give up on Cherry. It seems like they handed out a secret decoder ring to get through all the marketing ploys and I didn't get mine.

Yeah its stupid that they dont specify which switches are in the keyboards.....

[mr_sf_applet]

Just stick with G80- or G84- boards- the G80 have MX switches, and the G84 have ML switches.  I haven't been able to figure out how to tell if they're white, blue, black or brown sliders, though, short of popping a keycap off.  I think it varies by market (i.e., gringos don't like clicky keyboards, do the blues aren't sold here anymore)

A few weeks ago I downloaded a PDF product data sheet for the Cherry G80-3000 series keyboards, and it had the following info:

Order description
Order number             Colour        Connection             Key action
G80-3000LPMxx-0     light grey         PS/2                     linear
G80-3000LQMxx-0     light grey         PS/2                     soft
G80-3000LSMxx-0     light grey         PS/2                     click
G80-3000LUNxx-0     light grey         USB                      linear

So I looked all over the web to see if there was any place where I could order a G80-3000LSMUS-0. Couldn't find any. Still amazes me that it is so difficult in the US to find a keyboard, whether full size or compact, with blue Cherry MX switches (except for the two we already know about).

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

The datasheet is from here: http://www.cherry.de/english/products/public_sector_g80-3000.htm

[xsphat]

What is the difference between US and European layouts? Do they work with American stuff?

[xyzzy]

What is the difference between US and European layouts? Do they work with American stuff?

Typically, EU keyboards have 1 more key than US ones. So they're 102 keys (vs 101 US) for the standard AT layout and 105 keys (vs 104) for the enhanced layout with Windows keys.

The result is that you normally have a smaller left-shift to make space for the additional key. See this page on Wikipedia for the details of the most common European layouts.

If you don't mind to having a smaller left-shift key (and to the different marking on the keys in case you don't get one with blank key tops), you can use an European keyboard and set it to US layout from the O.S., with no additional complications.