WASD CODE 60% (Vortex & WASD Collab.)

[xtrafrood]

I just received an email alert from WASDkeyboards.com about the CODE 60%. Any you have thoughts about this? The keycaps aren't the best but it is a collaboration with Vortex.

One little excerpt that caught my attention

Multimedia Shortcuts
- Play, Stop, Next, Prev, Vol Up, Vol Down, and Mute shortcuts

Looks like WASD brought full media control functionality to the Pok3r 60%.
+ Metal Case 

Edit - Pic

[hwood34]

Eh, nothing really new tbh. There's already boards that look exactly like that are fully programmable anyway.

[inanis]

I wish the caps the CODE came with weren't such garbage. If they are working with Vortex they should do something about that. Good, stock backlight compatible caps would be nice. This is not something I would buy, but that would at least makes it somewhat unique. Media keys are good thing, too.

[asdfjkl36]

Got the email as well

And like most
I don't think it's anything special

Just reminds me of a poker.

[xtrafrood]

I wish the caps the CODE came with weren't such garbage. If they are working with Vortex they should do something about that. Good, stock backlight compatible caps would be nice. This is not something I would buy, but that would at least makes it somewhat unique. Media keys are good thing, too.

Full media key functionality out of the box is the only detail that really caught my eye. Same CODE caps 

[KHAANNN]

1+ years ago WASD told me they would roll out a new product in ~1 year, I hoped for an aluminium TKL with internal padding pads etc.

Certainly didn't expect a re-branded lousy poker with a white plate, I mean, go with a black plate at least ...

IMO, they should make their own keyboards, if they are going to re-brand another keyboard, I would buy a Varmilo VA68M, with no tramp stamps, and costar stabs instead of cherry stabs

[taylordcraig]

1+ years ago WASD told me they would roll out a new product in ~1 year, I hoped for an aluminium TKL with internal padding pads etc.

Certainly didn't expect a re-branded lousy poker with a white plate, I mean, go with a black plate at least ...

IMO, they should make their own keyboards, if they are going to re-brand another keyboard, I would buy a Varmilo VA68M, with no tramp stamps, and costar stabs instead of cherry stabs

I have no comment about the rest of this thread but you prefer costar? I mean no hate, to each their own. I have some wacky-shack keyboards. I've always been firmly on cherry > costar, though.

[pastapinata]

well im a n00b. so i bought one  . my 2nd mech keyboard coming from a k70. dont laugh at me.

[NiceAndCreamy]

So you pay more for less? I don't get it.

[xtrafrood]

1+ years ago WASD told me they would roll out a new product in ~1 year, I hoped for an aluminium TKL with internal padding pads etc.

Certainly didn't expect a re-branded lousy poker with a white plate, I mean, go with a black plate at least ...

IMO, they should make their own keyboards, if they are going to re-brand another keyboard, I would buy a Varmilo VA68M, with no tramp stamps, and costar stabs instead of cherry stabs

I have no comment about the rest of this thread but you prefer costar? I mean no hate, to each their own. I have some wacky-shack keyboards. I've always been firmly on cherry > costar, though.

Costar seems so tedius. This is why I was looking at the QFR-i a while ago. I thought it was weird how everyone in the QFR-I review Youtube videos poked fun at the 'I', and completely missed the fact that the board has Cherry stabilizers installed.

well im a n00b. so i bought one  . my 2nd mech keyboard coming from a k70. dont laugh at me.

Let me know how you like it. I'm definitely curious about the keyboard 

[ideus]

Another Poker X clone, there is nothing special here.

[pastapinata]

So you pay more for less? I don't get it.

im just testing the waters man. ive been typing on these reds for so long. have to start somewhere, right? i was looking at the pok3r on massdrop but they ran out of the best color/switch options pretty quickly. the email i got @ 4pm from WASD advertising the 61 key code was screaming my name at that point.

Let me know how you like it. I'm definitely curious about the keyboard 

oh for sure. i am too lol. its hard for me to imagine using a 60% after being on this monstrous k70 for so long

[vivalarevolución]

Oh, this is cute.  Could set a new standard for the quality of a 60%

[robscomputer]

I had a Code TKL and the keyboard didn't feel as solid as the WASD keyboards. At the time, they only sold the TKL as the Code, so my reference was the V1 104. Maybe it's the caps, which were thin and IIRC painted.

The pluses I see here is the painted plate and the media controls, which are a plus. But the pricing for ABS keycaps with LED's compared to the PBT version, not sure if I would go for it.

[rowdy]

I wish the caps the CODE came with weren't such garbage. If they are working with Vortex they should do something about that. Good, stock backlight compatible caps would be nice. This is not something I would buy, but that would at least makes it somewhat unique. Media keys are good thing, too.

I find them to be quite servicable for a work environment - not overstated, white backlighting is not gaudy.

What didn't you like about them?

[inanis]

I wish the caps the CODE came with weren't such garbage. If they are working with Vortex they should do something about that. Good, stock backlight compatible caps would be nice. This is not something I would buy, but that would at least makes it somewhat unique. Media keys are good thing, too.

I find them to be quite servicable for a work environment - not overstated, white backlighting is not gaudy.

What didn't you like about them?

I have not one, but two CODE keyboards. I had one at work which I used every day for a week and the black coating on the "a" and "s" key was largely removed by the end of that week. Now - I have long nails, so I know that made it worse, but a week? Terrible. I swapped the caps out on the other one almost immediately.

Really any of those black coated caps are terribad. They just don't last. Vortex makes the doubleshot POM/PBT caps, if they are partnering with them, that would have been a wise upgrade to include. It would make it stand out from a heavily saturated 60% market.

[daerid]

I absolutely love my CODE boards (as well as my V2). However, the caps are straight garbage.

I'll probably get one of these for work (Jeff Atwood cofounded my company after all). I might get it in Browns, which I haven't had in a looooonng time. I'll be sure to post a review, too.

[chuckdee]

From someone at Massdrop that messaged WASD:

"I emailed WASD asking about any differences and this was their response (which was very prompt I might add): "These are manufactured by Vortex (they make the Pok3r). We have rebranded them in our CODE line, so only real difference is ours say “CODE” on the bottom, and theirs says “Pok3r”""

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/vortex-pok3r-backlit-compact-keyboard/talk/374716

[garage_logician]

How can that be?  I thought the Poker did not have media keys, and the CODE does?

[xtrafrood]

How can that be?  I thought the Poker did not have media keys, and the CODE does?

Oh wait a sec.. I guess Vortex released a firmware update for media controls when I wasn't looking. http://theniunai.com/pok3r-firmware-update-v1-1-5-new-media-keys/

hmmm.. 

But to be fair, people had to wait a bit for full native media functionality.

[KHAANNN]

1+ years ago WASD told me they would roll out a new product in ~1 year, I hoped for an aluminium TKL with internal padding pads etc.

Certainly didn't expect a re-branded lousy poker with a white plate, I mean, go with a black plate at least ...

IMO, they should make their own keyboards, if they are going to re-brand another keyboard, I would buy a Varmilo VA68M, with no tramp stamps, and costar stabs instead of cherry stabs

I have no comment about the rest of this thread but you prefer costar? I mean no hate, to each their own. I have some wacky-shack keyboards. I've always been firmly on cherry > costar, though.

You can mod costars so they rattle less than non-stabilised 1u keys, so much that, you start realising how much non-stabilised keys rattle :)

With cherry tho, you are doomed with the stiffness and rattling, however, some manufacturers have some pretty decent cherry stabs too, tho I haven't found one that reaches 0 rattling like costars can reach

There is also the serviceability aspect, you can service costar's easily, even replace every component on the fly

So all in all, if you are going all the way, and have effort to spend, costar's outperform cherry's by a high margin

[daerid]

Always have preferred Costar > Cherry. Even clipped. Just never liked the way they feel.

[xtrafrood]

Sigh, I guess I should keep my mind open to costar. Maybe I'll try both and see which I like best.

[ideus]

Costar sucks, unless you never change your key caps.

[redbanshee]

[xtrafrood]

Yea that pretty much sums it up

[daerid]

Costar sucks, unless you never change your key caps.

I change my caps all the time

Costar still better :-P

[ideus]

Costar sucks, unless you never change your key caps.

I change my caps all the time

Costar still better :-P

Show Image

I cannot fight that Alien.

[xtrafrood]

Costar sucks, unless you never change your key caps.

I change my caps all the time

Costar still better :-P

Show Image

I cannot fight that Alien.

Believe in yourself

[rowdy]

I wish the caps the CODE came with weren't such garbage. If they are working with Vortex they should do something about that. Good, stock backlight compatible caps would be nice. This is not something I would buy, but that would at least makes it somewhat unique. Media keys are good thing, too.

I find them to be quite servicable for a work environment - not overstated, white backlighting is not gaudy.

What didn't you like about them?

I have not one, but two CODE keyboards. I had one at work which I used every day for a week and the black coating on the "a" and "s" key was largely removed by the end of that week. Now - I have long nails, so I know that made it worse, but a week? Terrible. I swapped the caps out on the other one almost immediately.

Really any of those black coated caps are terribad. They just don't last. Vortex makes the doubleshot POM/PBT caps, if they are partnering with them, that would have been a wise upgrade to include. It would make it stand out from a heavily saturated 60% market.

I must admit that is pretty bad.

Do your nails scrape the keycaps much?  I rarely have nails of any length to speak of, but I don't recall them scratching the keys last time I did.

My CODE I have used daily for maybe six months with no signs of wear anywhere on it.

In fact the only criticism I have is that the corners of the case are not rounded, and dig into my hands when I rest them against the corners.

[inanis]

I must admit that is pretty bad.

Do your nails scrape the keycaps much?  I rarely have nails of any length to speak of, but I don't recall them scratching the keys last time I did.

My CODE I have used daily for maybe six months with no signs of wear anywhere on it.

In fact the only criticism I have is that the corners of the case are not rounded, and dig into my hands when I rest them against the corners.

Yeah, they do, in fact, on my left and I'm more likely to hit the key with my nail then with my actual fingertip.

Even the keys that didn't scratch up tho, the shine was crazy apparent in no time. And I actually like shiny caps, give me a set of shiny GMK and I'm in heaven. But this is not a good shiny. It's just blah. The board itself I have no real issues with (both mine do ping a bit). One of them I painted a kick ass purple and it looks great, I put white and pink caps on it and now it is being used every day by my daughter. 

[KHAANNN]

I wish the caps the CODE came with weren't such garbage. If they are working with Vortex they should do something about that. Good, stock backlight compatible caps would be nice. This is not something I would buy, but that would at least makes it somewhat unique. Media keys are good thing, too.

I find them to be quite servicable for a work environment - not overstated, white backlighting is not gaudy.

What didn't you like about them?

I have not one, but two CODE keyboards. I had one at work which I used every day for a week and the black coating on the "a" and "s" key was largely removed by the end of that week. Now - I have long nails, so I know that made it worse, but a week? Terrible. I swapped the caps out on the other one almost immediately.

Really any of those black coated caps are terribad. They just don't last. Vortex makes the doubleshot POM/PBT caps, if they are partnering with them, that would have been a wise upgrade to include. It would make it stand out from a heavily saturated 60% market.

I must admit that is pretty bad.

Do your nails scrape the keycaps much?  I rarely have nails of any length to speak of, but I don't recall them scratching the keys last time I did.

My CODE I have used daily for maybe six months with no signs of wear anywhere on it.

In fact the only criticism I have is that the corners of the case are not rounded, and dig into my hands when I rest them against the corners.

I've recently discovered that rounded corners make cherry/oem keycaps look bad :D

TEX cases are pretty rounded for example, while Vortex 60% cases have sharp corners, GMK keycaps look waaay better on the Vortex case, If only Vortex had a black/gray case

Rounded corners ~ DSA - maybe rounded OEM's
Sharp corners ~ Cherry, OEM

So, it might hurt, but at least it probably looks good :)

Also, in general, sharp cornered keyboards look better imo, probably a 2mm border radius would be ideal

[LiquidEvilGaming]

The only major case i can see for buying one of these over a Pok3r is if you live in the US and have an issue under warranty it would be WAY easier to get this served than an actual Pok3r.

[xtrafrood]

The only major case i can see for buying one of these over a Pok3r is if you live in the US and have an issue under warranty it would be WAY easier to get this served than an actual Pok3r.

Huh, why didn't I think of that?

Warranty Page

We offer a 1 year replacement warranty on all our UV printed keycaps.

Welp.. that's interesting.

[xtrafrood]

Double Post 

I thought it was worth mentioning that the default layer multimedia functions are limited to volume up, volume down, and mute.
http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/media/vp3-user-guide.pdf

Website:

Multimedia Shortcuts
- Play, Stop, Next, Prev, Vol Up, Vol Down, and Mute shortcuts

PDF:

FN +
S - Volume -
D - Volume +
F  - Mute

I'm not sure what is going on with that. Does it really have all of those media functions? For those that bought the VP3 I would really like to know