What OEM makes WASD keyboards?

[Crake]

What company is the original equipment maker of WASD Keyboards?

[Exort]

costar (same as Filco).
It uses costar stabilizer.
They sell costar stabilizer on their website too.

[feng]

I was told it's ione. Who made OEM keyboards for WASD, Mionix, Qpad, and many others.

[Exort]

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/products/keyboard-parts-1.html
Look at the bottom few product, those are definitely costar style stabilizer.
Unless iOne copied it.
Either I'm not sure, I heard the OEM is costar from someone else too, never have any solid prove beside it use costar stabilizer.

Edit: someone confirm that iOne uses costar stabilizer too.

[Crake]

I was told it's ione. Who made OEM keyboards for WASD, Mionix, Qpad, and many others.

So they are not very good?

[placebo guy]

They're freaking awesome.  Definately worth the money if you want a full 104 keyboard.

My main issues are no plastic cover and the edges are rounded.  I like the Filco straight edges.

[Exort]

So they are not very good?

From the review, in term of the build quality I heard nothing but good things.
Example: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?23385-WASD-V1-Keyboard-Review

I don't own one but I might in the future. They have version 2 of their keyboard coming end of this year. With tenkeyless board and PBT keycap.

[Crake]

I thought IOne was not very good.

[Exort]

I thought IOne was not very good.

Acutally Keyboardlover of this forum said "These keyboards are made by Costar and therefore are very similar to a Filco." in this review.
He have 9,383 post so he might know what he is saying.
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?23385-WASD-V1-Keyboard-Review

[Crake]

Acutally Keyboardlover of this forum said "These keyboards are made by Costar and therefore are very similar to a Filco." in this review.
He have 9,383 post so he might know what he is saying.
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?23385-WASD-V1-Keyboard-Review

Thanks. One was shipped to me today, so I guess a case of buyer's remorse.

[Crake]

iOne's US website, http://www.ione-usa.com/company-profile.html , has a map showing the headquarters are in Taipei, which I think is in Taiwan but it shows its factory is in mainland southern China across from Taiwan.   Costar is in Taiwan, as well as its factories I think.  And the WASD keyboard is stamped "Made in Taiwan", per the link within the link above (picture below.)  So unless iOne's stamps "Made In Taiwan" because the corporate office is there (would Chinese authorities even allow a product made in a mainland Chinese factory to be stamped "Made in Taiwan" since they consider Taiwan is China), I assume this eliminates iOne and makes a case for Costar being the OEM.  


I am just playing guessing-detective, so I am not sure - are any of my assumptions/logic above wrong?   Or can anyone confirm iOne or Costar?

* [ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 49109[/ATTACH]

[laffindude]

Edit: someone confirm that iOne uses costar stabilizer too.

You're misinformed. They're similar but not the same.

iOne's US website, http://www.ione-usa.com/company-profile.html , has a map showing the headquarters are in Taipei, which I think is in Taiwan but it shows its factory is in mainland southern China across from Taiwan.   Costar is in Taiwan, as well as its factories I think.  And the WASD keyboard is stamped "Made in Taiwan", per the link within the link above (picture below.)  So unless iOne's stamps "Made In Taiwan" because the corporate office is there (would Chinese authorities even allow a product made in a mainland Chinese factory to be stamped "Made in Taiwan" since they consider Taiwan is China), I assume this eliminates iOne and makes a case for Costar being the OEM.  


I am just playing guessing-detective, so I am not sure - are any of my assumptions/logic above wrong?   Or can anyone confirm iOne or Costar?

* (Attachment Link) 49109[/ATTACH]

WASD is a Costar reference design.

[ch_123]

He have 9,383 post so he might know what he is saying.

[Crake]

WASD is a Costar reference design.

The case looks the same but that reference board has a large return key. Same?

[Crake]

The WASD, absent the USB and media pass through/backlighting/function media control, seems very similar to the Mionix.  I noticed the WASD pictures looked very much like the Mionix and a WASD person confirmed it was essentially the same.  I found many web references that Mionix was Costar  made, as well as many stating that WASD is and both look like that Costar picture from link above, except the bigger return key (case and everything look the same though.)

I sent a message to WASD asking if someone there would confirm iOne or Costar. I added that there is disagreement on Geekhack on who the OEM is, so hopefully someone will reply to straighten it out - I assume someone will  unless there is some contractual reason WASD cannot tell what company the OEM is.

[Crake]

This is becoming fun.  I found this shipping notice from some import-export site.  It states a shipment from Costar to Wasd keyboards.  But I am not sure if Wasd keyboards is the company WASD or just a generic term but it states Buyer: Wasd keyboards Supplier: Costar Electronics, Inc.   http://www.greatexportimport.com/b-wasd_keyboards/2029084

It list products: Keyboard And Keycaps (Weight 1024 kg)

Shipped from Taiwan to Oakland, California (so the San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area makes sense for WASD.)

Note:  that would be over a ton of keybaords, so about 800 keyboards I guess and the date was 7-2011 or about 8 montsh ago.  I doubt WASD does a mass volume (about 100 a month sounds about right), so that shipment probably lasted until the recent back-order that just finished for WASD.

This research is kind of fun.

[Squelos]

I think you put your finger on it.
But damn, how the hell can these transactiosn be available publicly ? I find this really disturbing :/

[alaricljs]

In general product border crossings are a matter of public record.  Frequently, so are human border crossings.  There's not THAT much detail really.

[Crake]

In general product border crossings are a matter of public record.  Frequently, so are human border crossings.  There's not THAT much detail really.

Hi, do you know much about this? I was going to research if there is required public disclosure on imports/exports.  I want to find out:

1) If there are requirements for public disclosure.
2) If the information is readily available like the example I posted.
3) What the time lag is between shipments and postings.
4) If large public companies do these transactions under "dummy" corporate names so the public does not know that XYZ has done x amount of business.

I thought I would call some universities and try to talk to some people in the supply chain management field but maybe you or someone here knows.

[alaricljs]

1) yes.   What specifically, I have no idea.  Frequently companies disclose more information just to make sure it's enough.  There is a lot of documentation on these laws and they vary with industry, product segment, and country of origin.
2) It's not generally readily available, but the more modernized the supply chain gets the more easily it will be found
3) same as 2, some could get neglected, others happen quickly because of short timing between passage and data processing
4) of course they do, just look at how they handle taxes.

[feng]

Then I guess the Mionix Zibal 60 is made by Costar as well. It uses the exactly same mold as WASD V1.

[Crake]

Then I guess the Mionix Zibal 60 is made by Costar as well. It uses the exactly same mold as WASD V1.

I found lots of forums stating it was Costar too but not sure if posters really knew or not. It seems like a nice keybaord but they cost $150.

[laffindude]

Then I guess the Mionix Zibal 60 is made by Costar as well. It uses the exactly same mold as WASD V1.

Don't forget TT Meka G1 and Ozone Strike

[Human]

I was told it's ione. Who made OEM keyboards for WASD, Mionix, Qpad, and many others.

Nope. Mionix, WASD, Filco, Thermaltake Meka G1, CM Storm Quickfire Rapid and some say even Ducky and CM Storm Trigger are from Costar(立寶).
iOne made stuffs like Razer BW, Tesoro Durandale and some others "gaming" boards(CM Quickfire Pro and Gigabyte Osmium, not really confirmed yet as lack of info for the time being) coming soon to the market.

The easiest bet is the 1.5x sized modifiers for Ctrl and Alt, a standard that is rare in nowadays and pretty much exclusive to iOne made boards.

[Crake]

The easiest bet is the 1.5x sized modifiers for Ctrl and Alt, a standard that is rare in nowadays and pretty much exclusive to iOne made boards.

What is the standard and on the Costar - about 1.25?

[squarebox]

Filco = Costar
CM Quickfire Rapid = Costar
Rosewill = Costar
Mionix Zibal = Costar
Ozone Strike = Costar
Thermaltake Meka G1 = Costar
WASD = Costar

Razer Blackwidow = iOne
CM Trigger = iOne
CM Pro = Unconfirmed (most likely iOne)

Leopold = Unknown (possibly Strongman)

Ducky = Unknown (possibly Datacomp)

Milestone = Datacomp

Cherry = Cherry

People need to use the search function more...