Cherry revelation, not kidding.

[xsphat]

I called Cherry today and got connected to a guy named Jeremy. I asked him about how to get a Cherry board with blue or brown sliders, and he told me that the only stem color Cherry uses on it's in-house keyboards are black. Remember not that long ago when I called Cherry and the guy had no clue what I was talking about when I asked about blue sliders? This guy I talked to today had a knowledge of them, and here is what he told me.

The MX switches sold to manufacturers are MX-MY switches, Cherry is the only one that uses true MX switches, and they are better than the ones in third party made keyboards.

To go further, he said that the keyboard he prefers, the G80-11900LUMEU-0 (I told him I wanted USB, tactile click, and lite grey) is the one to get. I am going to call him back and try to get info on what we know as the browns.

I'll keep you guys posted. This is real news, and it really makes sense now, about time. That 'board runs about $150 and has the touchpad, but I it is the next keyboard I am going to buy.

[xsphat]

I just called a distributor of Cherry made 'boards, Datacal, and he confirmed that the model number above IS a clicky keyboard made for the US by Cherry and that they stock it! All I have to say is f'ing A!

 

It costs $126, BTW

[fkeidjn]

You might want to look into ebay for some

[xsphat]

After I figure out the rest of the Cherry model number scheme, I am going to watch eBay a lot more closely for the Cherry boards. I think I want to buy this one brand new though.

[Bluemercury]

Humm i ordered a DAS II keyboard, i thought they're made by Cherry....

[Nonmouse]

Well, I just picked up a couple of (used) MX-8100 boards- G80-8113HRBUS-2/02.  They have 120 keys, integrated touchpad, 41 re-legendable and 59 re-programmable keys, plus a credit card reader.  They're intended for POS systems, hence all the extras.

As you can see, they've got the brown "tea axis" reduced-force tactile feel switches.

[


This site has pictures of an MX-8100 with the white sliders- so Cherry at least used to use different colored sliders on their own keyboards.  Considering that the last person you talked to at Cherry hadn't heard of blue sliders at all, maybe Jeremy is just confused.  According to this site (bottom of page), the MY switches are the spring return system on the G81 membrane boards.  I can't find any references to an "MX-MY" keymodule- not to mention that it would be much more expensive to maintain two separate production lines for "in-house" and"export" versions of the same switch than to just make one grade of switch.

As far as information on the brown slider MX switches, this PDF has force diagrams at the end that seem to equate pretty well to the feel of the brown switches.  The switch itself is essentially noiseless- the keyboards I've got one make any noise with the keycaps on the switches, and it's clearly the cap bottoming out.  The actuation point on the switch is pretty high- maybe 1/3 of the total travel, and it's a very subtle feel, much lighter than ALPS white sliders.  The total travel distance of the keys is also longer than the ALPS- maybe 50% longer.

[mr_sf_applet]

MX-MY switches? Cherry keeping its best switches for its own keyboards?

I am soooo confused.

[fkeidjn]

MX-MY switches? Cherry keeping its best switches for its own keyboards?

I am soooo confused.

Well, we know that Filco also uses the brown Cherries on their wired and bluetooth keyboards.

Something sort of out of topic, I think that Cherry is sort of keeping its best switches for its own keyboards, but I'm also beginning to think that the U.S. competition is making some kind of backdoor deal to prevent this good technology from easily getting into the U.S.  I could also expand on this ridiculous theory (how it relates RSI, carpal tunnel, and those making millions off it)

[karlito]

can anyone confirm that G80-11900 will have browns as they are dirt cheap on ebay...

Nonmouse where did you find those G80-8113HRBUS-2/02 boards? it seems to be discontinued.

**edit

I see thinks like "MX gold crosspoint keyswitches" and "MX switches" (http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/Industrial/11900/index.htm

anyone know what gold crosspoint means?

[xsphat]

Jeremy didn't call me back today, but when he does I am going to have him run through the whole thing with me. I have seen Cherry keyboards with different colored switches to, like the whites that we all know are semi-mechanical. When I talked to Jeremy, I asked specifically about the tactile click switches that are like the blues, so we didn't even get into those switches. A little bit ago there was that Cherry branded ergo board taht sold for like four bills on eBay and that one had brown switches, so I don't know anything but what I know, and that is that all the Cherry branded boards that use MX switches have black stems, according to Jeremy and he does know keyboards. So I would be pretty careful when buying a Cherry board off eBay because now, after all this, there is no way of telling what you'll get.

But now I like Cherry more than I ever have before.

[xsphat]

can anyone confirm that G80-11900 will have browns as they are dirt cheap on ebay...

Ask the seller, I did, but no reply yet. The Raptor K1 has brown switches, look it up on Flickr or Google, I found pics last night.

[karlito]

Ask the seller, I did, but no reply yet. The Raptor K1 has brown switches, look it up on Flickr, you'll see the pics too.

oh damn! Due to their Cherry Gold Crosspoint contacts and the adjusted coil springs, the buttons of the RAPTOR-GAMING K1 offer a very soft and in particular by 30% shorter stroke than conventional keyboards.

maybe "Gold Crosspoint" stands for brown switches!

G80-11900LPMUS-2
  Black 16" PS/2 keyboard with touchpad. US 104 position key layout, two PS/2 connectors. MX gold crosspoint keys-witches.

G80-11900LTMUS-2
     Black 16" PS2 keyboard with Touchpad. US 104 layout, 2 PS2. Option for serial Touchpad interface with included adapter. MX switches.

Seems plausible that gold crosspoint is brown right!?!

[fkeidjn]

I wouldn't exactly say that.  Das Keyboard mentions on their website that they use "gold-plated" key switches, and the keyboard uses blue Cherries.

[xsphat]

Can't say, dude, I only asked about the tachtile click. Call them, it's the only way we'll ever know. In all truth, I'm not too into the brown switches, I don't think I'd like them very much.

I know I change my mind a lot.

[karlito]

bah humbug, where's that guy that decoded cherry model numbers?

quoted from cherrys http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/Industrial/11900/index.htm

G80-11900LPMUS-2
Black 16" PS/2 keyboard with touchpad. US 104 position key layout, two PS/2 connectors. MX gold crosspoint keys-witches.

G80-11900LTMUS-2
Black 16" PS2 keyboard with Touchpad. US 104 layout, 2 PS2. Option for serial Touchpad interface with included adapter. MX switches.

Logically you would think the T in the model number means tactile but then they just throw around this gold crosspoint crap here and there to confuse me!

[mr_sf_applet]

bah humbug, where's that guy that decoded cherry model numbers?

quoted from cherrys http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/Industrial/11900/index.htm

G80-11900LPMUS-2
Black 16" PS/2 keyboard with touchpad. US 104 position key layout, two PS/2 connectors. MX gold crosspoint keys-witches.

G80-11900LTMUS-2
Black 16" PS2 keyboard with Touchpad. US 104 layout, 2 PS2. Option for serial Touchpad interface with included adapter. MX switches.

Logically you would think the T in the model number means tactile but then they just throw around this gold crosspoint crap here and there to confuse me!

Don't think the model number is going to help you determine the type of keyswitch being used:

http://www.nationalbarcode.com/Cherry/PDF/Datasheet_G80-11900.pdf

[karlito]

oooh thx mr_sf_applet i guess one can now assume they all use the same switch. Hopefully one of us will figure out which it is then.  I sent an email to cherry...

[mr_sf_applet]

JA little bit ago there was that Cherry branded ergo board taht sold for like four bills on eBay and that one had brown switches, so I don't know anything but what I know, and that is that all the Cherry branded boards that use MX switches have black stems, according to Jeremy and he does know keyboards.

But nonmouse has just shown us his two recently acquired Cherry keyboards with brown switches, and here's another Cherry board (number 4 on the list) with brown switches:

http://www.elanso.com/CampArticle/SOQcNiKzONONL9TDKzRRONIi.html

So what's Jeremy talkin' about?

BTW, that Cherry board on that "This is lavish" website is a dead ringer for Das Keyboard II.

[xsphat]

I knew this phone call would spark some controversy.

I am going to take his advice and pick up one of the 'boards he told me about from the distributer he told me about who had the same knowledge base as Jeremy, since I think it is just too hard to believe that no one at Cherry knows a god damned thing about their own product. In a month and a half, I will have the money to buy a new board, and that is when I will know for sure what is going on.

Watch, I'll get a board with all different color switches, hell, it might have a couple buckling springs and some $&%^ Strongman switches in it to.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

JA little bit ago there was that Cherry branded ergo board taht sold for like four bills on eBay and that one had brown switches, so I don't know anything but what I know, and that is that all the Cherry branded boards that use MX switches have black stems, according to Jeremy and he does know keyboards.

But nonmouse has just shown us his two recently acquired Cherry keyboards with brown switches, and here's another Cherry board (number 4 on the list) with brown switches:

http://www.elanso.com/CampArticle/SOQcNiKzONONL9TDKzRRONIi.html

So what's Jeremy talkin' about?

BTW, that Cherry board on that "This is lavish" website is a dead ringer for Das Keyboard II.

I don't think that Maltron is the genuine article.  I believe Maltron licensed their design to some American company which makes a (apparently bad) copy for "only" $200 or so.

[xsphat]

JA little bit ago there was that Cherry branded ergo board taht sold for like four bills on eBay and that one had brown switches, so I don't know anything but what I know, and that is that all the Cherry branded boards that use MX switches have black stems, according to Jeremy and he does know keyboards.

But nonmouse has just shown us his two recently acquired Cherry keyboards with brown switches, and here's another Cherry board (number 4 on the list) with brown switches:

http://www.elanso.com/CampArticle/SOQcNiKzONONL9TDKzRRONIi.html

So what's Jeremy talkin' about?

BTW, that Cherry board on that "This is lavish" website is a dead ringer for Das Keyboard II.

I don't think that Maltron is the genuine article.  I believe Maltron licensed their design to some American company which makes a (apparently bad) copy for "only" $200 or so.

I think we all need a vacation.

[karlito]

hey, does anyone work for a company where they order all the computer stuff from dell and have a good sales person that they can talk to? reason i ask is dell sells cherry keyboards:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/brand.aspx?category_id=2999&brandid=257&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04

So maybe just maybe if someone knows a competent dell sales person they could know.

[xsphat]

JA little bit ago there was that Cherry branded ergo board taht sold for like four bills on eBay and that one had brown switches, so I don't know anything but what I know, and that is that all the Cherry branded boards that use MX switches have black stems, according to Jeremy and he does know keyboards.

But nonmouse has just shown us his two recently acquired Cherry keyboards with brown switches, and here's another Cherry board (number 4 on the list) with brown switches:

http://www.elanso.com/CampArticle/SOQcNiKzONONL9TDKzRRONIi.html

So what's Jeremy talkin' about?

BTW, that Cherry board on that "This is lavish" website is a dead ringer for Das Keyboard II.

I don't think that Maltron is the genuine article.  I believe Maltron licensed their design to some American company which makes a (apparently bad) copy for "only" $200 or so.

I think we all need a vacation.

Don't you?

[xsphat]

hey, does anyone work for a company where they order all the computer stuff from dell and have a good sales person that they can talk to? reason i ask is dell sells cherry keyboards:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/brand.aspx?category_id=2999&brandid=257&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04

So maybe just maybe if someone knows a competent dell sales person they could know.

That would be the exact same thing as asking a clerk at Wal-Mart what grade of pork is used in Alpo brand dog food and then getting pissed off when they look at you like you are a stalker.

[mr_sf_applet]

I don't think that Maltron is the genuine article.  I believe Maltron licensed their design to some American company which makes a (apparently bad) copy for "only" $200 or so.

Except it does have a Maltron label. Is it this company you're thinking of?:

http://www.ergo-comp.com/

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

I don't think that Maltron is the genuine article.  I believe Maltron licensed their design to some American company which makes a (apparently bad) copy for "only" $200 or so.

Except it does have a Maltron label. Is it this company you're thinking of?:

http://www.ergo-comp.com/

Yep. Except the reviews I found weren't flattering.

[xsphat]

I don't think that Maltron is the genuine article.  I believe Maltron licensed their design to some American company which makes a (apparently bad) copy for "only" $200 or so.

Except it does have a Maltron label. Is it this company you're thinking of?:

http://www.ergo-comp.com/

That board is fugly, wow. What kind of learning curve is there when you start using one of those bad boys?

[xsphat]

Check out the Kinesis Maxim, the features page says it has full n-key rollover and I have never seen that said about any other Cherry switch than the browns, so that is most likely what it has. Do you guys like it?

http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/

[Nonmouse]

can anyone confirm that G80-11900 will have browns as they are dirt cheap on ebay...

Nonmouse where did you find those G80-8113HRBUS-2/02 boards? it seems to be discontinued.

**edit

I see thinks like "MX gold crosspoint keyswitches" and "MX switches" (http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/Industrial/11900/index.htm

anyone know what gold crosspoint means?

Hell if I know what's going on with Cherry switches by this point.  On their website, they list a G80-8113LRBUS-2, which appears to have the same options as the keyboards I have, but it lists >50,000,000 keystroke life, which I believe indicates the linear switches- the tactile switches are "only" rated for 20,000,000 keystrokes.  

Google searches show up HRBUS, HRDUS, LRBUS and LRDUS and several other versions- all of which have descriptions of being rated for 50,000,000 keystrokes (although the wording is identical on all of them, so I assume it's taken from a Cherry product sheet).  I picked mine up (used) on ebay- new they run about $250 a piece; I got both of mine (and an Adesso membrane keyboard) for <$40 with shipping.  There are a few used ones on there going for ~$30 with shipping- search for "MX-8100".  I think the only way you'll know which sliders they (or the G80-11900) have is to get the seller to pop a key off.

As far as the "gold crosspoint" description, I'm pretty sure that it refers to all MX switches- they have gold-plated contacts...

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

Check out the Kinesis Maxim, the features page says it has full n-key rollover and I have never seen that said about any other Cherry switch than the browns, so that is most likely what it has. Do you guys like it?

http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/

No, membrane.

[xsphat]

No, membrane.

Well F that then. I am sick of keyboards - I know so much about everything that's out there that it seems like they all suck. WTF

[mr_sf_applet]

The Raptor K1 has brown switches, look it up on Flickr or Google, I found pics last night.

Is the Raptor K1 even available in the US? Is it even available with a US layout?

I always thought it had black Cherry MX linear switches, maybe because the other high-end mechanical-switch gaming keyboards -- the Deck boards, the Steelseries boards -- have black linear Cherries.

Just found this site:

http://www.nokytech.net/raptor_gaming-327-z.html

Sure looks black to me.

[Bluemercury]

It uses black linear mx switchkeys right? Anyway what's the best way to take out a keycap to see under?

[mr_sf_applet]

Anyway what's the best way to take out a keycap to see under?

You can buy a keycap puller from http://www.cvtinc.com for $189 (USD) plus shipping, etc. They throw in a programmable mechanical-switch keyboard with it.

Or you can buy one from a place like this:

http://hooleon.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PLST

Or you can improvise one of your own from paperclips, like xsphat did.

[karlito]

i've found needle nose pliers work well to pull key caps off. Just dont squeeze really hard as it doesnt take much to pull them off.

[Bluemercury]

I tried using a small blade but it was too flexible....need to try that clip trick if i find one around here.

[xsphat]

Use two paper clips on opposing corners. hook them on the corner and pull straight up. Cherrys pop right off, but some Alps are in there good.

[Bluemercury]

Yep i did it, just confirmed the blue cherry switches......thanks

[xsphat]

Jeremy called me back and he said Cherry only uses click and linear switches on domestic mechanical keyboards - no teabag axis here.

It's exam week, so I need to dip out for a bit. Talk at you guys in a few days.

[xsphat]

Oh, and one more thing he said is all G80-3000 have click switches like the blues.

[mr_sf_applet]

Jeremy called me back and he said Cherry only uses click and linear switches on domestic mechanical keyboards - no teabag axis here.

No tea axis? NO TEA AXIS?

Damn.

[Nonmouse]

Oh, and one more thing he said is all G80-3000 have click switches like the blues.

That's weird, because Cherry's (German) website specifically says that it's available with linear action, soft contact or keyclick, as does the datasheet available from retailers that carry them, with the stock code working out as G80-3000
LAxxx = linear action, AT connector;
LPxxx = linear action, PS/2 conector;
LQxxx = soft contact (tea axis?), PS/2;
LSxxx = click action, PS/2;
LUNxx = linear, USB connector;
LADxx = linear, USB with 4 downstream ports.

The L stands for laser-etched keys- which makes sense; my g80-8113HRBUS keyboards have printed keys rather than laser-etched.

[karlito]

it's impossible to know because if you google for g80-3000 even more model numbers pop up.  like that datasheet says "P= Linear action PS/2 connector" but I've seen retailers w/ LPM model numbers that say they are USB...

[fkeidjn]

Maybe I should get a bunch of brown Cherries and do what this guy in Taiwan did with his keyboard.

[iMav]

You can buy a keycap puller from http://www.cvtinc.com for $189 (USD) plus shipping, etc. They throw in a programmable mechanical-switch keyboard with it.

No tea axis? NO TEA AXIS?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!  You guys are cracking me up tonight.

Maybe I should get a bunch of brown Cherries and do what this guy in Taiwan did with his keyboard.

So, this guy just swapped out the necessary parts without actually de-soldiering/soldiering?

[fkeidjn]

So, this guy just swapped out the necessary parts without actually de-soldiering/soldiering?

It's what this guy also did.

You can buy a keycap puller from http://www.cvtinc.com for $189 (USD) plus shipping, etc. They throw in a programmable mechanical-switch keyboard with it.

Or you can buy one from a place like this:

http://hooleon.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PLST

Or you can improvise one of your own from paperclips, like xsphat did.

Ooooh, I actually want some of that stuff...

[karlito]

Maybe I should get a bunch of brown Cherries and do what this guy in Taiwan did with his keyboard.

good luck finding a place that will sell you brown switches and if you do let me know!

[karlito]

So, this guy just swapped out the necessary parts without actually de-soldiering/soldiering?

desoldering is required when a back plate is involved IE scropius m10 and SMK-88 both have backplates.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

These guys sell non-linear cherries?
http://www.racoindustries.com/cg801800.htm

[mr_sf_applet]

Okay,  folks, I just received the Cherry TouchBoard G80-11900 I bought on eBay. The specific model number of my new Cherry board is G80-11900LUMEU-2, so it should be exactly the same keyboard that Jeremy the Cherry guy recommended to xsphat as reported on the first post of this thread, right? Except it's black rather than light gray, G80-11900LUMEU-2 rather than G80-11900LUMEU-0. No differences other than color, as signified by the last number, right?

I'll be returning this board either for a refund or a replacement, because the left mouse button doesn't work. But you don't care about that, do yo? You just wanna know what the keyswitches on this board are, right?

Well, I'll tell you.

They're real. And they're spectacular.

Oops, sorry. I was thinking of something else.

They're black. And they're linear.

They're black. And they're linear. And that's the truth of the matter.

 So what does this say about Jeremy's knowledge of the products he represents? What does this say about the DataCal guy who told xsphat that this was a clicky keyboard? Maybe they just put the wrong switches on my keyboard, huh?

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

Sorry about your loss. Trust no one.

[mr_sf_applet]

Well, it's not really a loss, except for the left mouse button not working. Because, guess what? I sorta like the black linear Cherries. I would have kept this TouchBoard had it been in perfect working order. But after a few minutes experiencing the black linear Cherries for the first time, I am now more likely to order the Steelseries 7G.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

How do they compare with the other switches?  How noisy are they?

[xsphat]

I am going to buy one of the click Cherry boards new to end this ****.

Look, for 6 pages you guys have done everything in your power to try to convince me that every person I talk to about keyboards is a total back-woods, 7th generation inbred retard, so I give up. Look, the -0 at the end of the Cherry model number, only for US G80s, means click. -2 means linear, I thought this was established months ago. And I don't care what a damn German Cherry site says, they have different things for different markets, all international companies are like that, even the ones you guys talk to. And Micheal, owner of ErgoCanada, told me Cherry stiffs the North American markets because they are German elitists, but I am sure you guys will say he is a total ass-birth next because he talked to me, right? And then you'll back up your accusation with a Google translation of a blog post from Russia dated from 2002, right?

I was only trying to help.

[mr_sf_applet]

Look, the -0 at the end of the Cherry model number, only for US G80s, means click. -2 means linear, I thought this was established months ago.

See here:

http://www.cherry.de/english/products/documents/e_Datasheet_G80-11900_V09.pdf

for Cherry's numbering system for this model. Nothing about clicky vs. linear. Nothing about for US G80s only.

[xsphat]

See here:

http://www.cherry.de/english/products/documents/e_Datasheet_G80-11900_V09.pdf

for Cherry's numbering system for this model. Nothing about clicky vs. linear. Nothing about for US G80s only.

That says it is the Enlish version of the German product form. Check the contact info on the bottom when you don't believe me.

[mr_sf_applet]

How do they compare with the other switches?  How noisy are they?

They're practically silent, except for the clackiness of bottoming out (and if you have a light touch, I think it's possible to avoid bottoming out much of the time). They're clickless, of course. They remind me most of the brown soft-tactile Cherries. About the same travel, a bit stiffer, and with no tactile feedback. The ergocanada.com page on keyswitches is wrong when they say that light tactile keyswitches, of which they cite the brown Cherry switches as an example, "provide a small amount of click feedback (both audible and force)." Maybe there are other light tactile switches that are clicky, but the brown Cherries offer no audible click at all (except as provided by firmware in the Kinesis contoured boards). But the ergocanada.com page is right on when they say that "this tactility is often so slight that people will mistake the keyswitch for a linear keyswitch." This is indeed true of the brown-stemmed Cherry MX switches. And so the black-stemmed Cherries are probably closer to the brown-stemmed Cherries, with their very slight tactility, than they are to anything else.

I've only played with them for a few minutes, but I'm not sure why the black, linear Cherries have such a bad rep. Sure they're stiffer than the blue, clicky Cherries or the brown, soft-tactile Cherries, but they still require less force than the IBM buckling springs or the White Alps sliders on the Avant Stellar and on my version of the SMK-85. This may be a matter of taste more than anything else. The black Cherries don't strike me as being bad. Not bad at all. And as I said before, I'm now less hesitant about getting a Steelseries 7G.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

Thanks for the comprehensive report.  I think that the brown cherries would be the next switch for me to try... if they still make them, that is.  BTW, have you confirmed that 7g is basically the same as a Filco?

[mr_sf_applet]

BTW, have you confirmed that 7g is basically the same as a Filco?

No, I've made no such confirmation, but the striking resemblance is very intriguing.

If you examine the pictures of the Steelseries 7G, you'll see some differences though, both in styling and in features. The edges of the Majestouch case at the sides and the back have a straight, squared-off profile; the 7G, on the other hand, scoops out the lower portion of the edges so that the base is recessed from the top edge. Also, the 7G has microphone and headphone ports, plus two USB ports, along with multimedia controls (although I have no idea where the multimedia controls are). The Majestouch has none of these, nor does it have gold-plated plugs for everything like the 7G seems to. The 7G doesn't call it that, but from the description it obviously has N-key rollover. My version of the Majestouch has it too, but the basic version does not.

So there *are* differences. And yet... And yet, the basic footprints of the two boards seem identical. And if you compare the 7G with handrest attached with the brushed aluminum version of the Majestouch, once again the resemblance seems very suggestive.

And of course, they're both made in Taiwan. Strongman?

[mr_sf_applet]

So the story continues...

To recap, I have just gotten a Cherry TouchBoard keyboard, one of the G80-11900 boards, specifically, model nubmer G80-11900LUMEU-2: black, USB connection, US International layout (US layout with a Euro symbol added, as far as I can make out), black-stemmed linear Cherry switches, and a bum left-mouse button.

Here is the Cherry web page on the G80-11900 and its variants:

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/Industrial/11900/index.htm

And on that page is a link to the product data sheet:

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/pdf/CHE_213636_G80_11900_r1.pdf

You can draw your own conclusions about how the numbering system parses.

But I needed to do something about the non-working left mouse button of this new-in-open-box Cherry G80-11900, so I called the eBay seller today to arrange for a replacement or a refund. The guy I reached seemed reluctant to do anything, and said that since the keyboard is under the manufacturer's warranty, I should call Cherry. I didn't like his attitude at all, but I figured I should at least call Cherry before forcing the issue with the seller. I asked for contact info for Cherry, and he didn't have it, and that pissed me off even more, and I began to feel stranded with a keyboard with a non-functioning mouse button.

So I did some searching and decided that the number to call would be North American keyboard tech support (it's the number listed in the lower right hand corner of the web page for the G80-11900). I called and reached a guy named Ed. I told him my problem and he first suggested I contact the seller to get a replacement. His reasoning was that under the Cherry warranty I would need to send the keyboard in for repairs, and since this was a new keyboard just acquired, the preferable route would be to just get a replacement. I pointed out that it was the seller who passed me off to Cherry, that the seller seemed reluctant to go out of his way to do anything, and that he was unlikely to have another G80-11900LUMEU-2 in stock.

So Ed looked in his database and determined that they were currently out of stock for that particular model but that a new shipment should be coming in around January 11. I said I was willing to wait (left unsaid was that I preferred to deal directly with Cherry than to deal with that seller again). Ed said I should call back around January 11. I asked if I should ask specifically for him, and he said it didn't matter because he was the only person to answer that number. So I was speaking to the one person handling tech suport for Cherry keyboards for the entire North American continent.

I then sprang the $64,000 question on him, and asked if this keyboard only came with black, linear switches or if it was also available in clicky versions. Ed said that the G80-11900 only came with linear keyswitches. No clicky version at all. Was what Ed the North American Cherry keyboard tech support person said.

[Nonmouse]

Look, the -0 at the end of the Cherry model number, only for US G80s, means click. -2 means linear, I thought this was established months ago.

Well, not trying to be confrontational, but I'm >99.9% certain that the -0 and -2 numbers just refer to the case color.  -0 are light grey, -2 are black, and no extension are beige.

My G80-8113HRBUS-2 boards are black case, US market, with brown MX switches.  And the switches are light tactile feel, with a slight increase in force just before the keys activate, and a slight drop after, along with a very, very slight audible click at activation.  With the keycaps removed it's almost silent, and slightly (but only slightly) louder with the keycaps on.  The noise of the caps bottoming out is significantly louder than the activation point.

And, if anyone's interested, there's a keyboard on eBay with white (non-clicky, tactile feel) MX switches....

[xsphat]

Well, not trying to be confrontational, but I'm >99.9% certain that the -0 and -2 numbers just refer to the case color.  -0 are light grey, -2 are black, and no extension are beige.

Oops, my bad. I am not normally that snappy, but everyone has their limits. Thanks for the correction.

[pex]

Series recommendations (I gather this from gpkeyboards.pdf wherever I found it):

mx  - G80
ml  - G84
ftsc - G81
rubber dome sheet(?) - G83
- G86 (seeing CyMotion Expert keyboards  G86-22000 with this designation)
- G85 (seeing eVolution keyboard, G85-23010, CyMotion Pro G85-20050 keyboards with this designation)

It's possible the "G" is not important and simply stands for "General Purpose (series)".

Sacred keyboard switches are probably generally
MX1A?1NW
where ? is the code for switch type:

Code
   
Operating Characteristics, Actuating Force and Key Style
0
   
Special
1
   
Momentary, single-pole, 2.1 oz., standard keyswitch, black keystem
2
   
Momentary, single-pole, 2.8 oz., spaceba, grey 37 keystem
3
   
Alternate action, single-pole, 2.1 oz.
C
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.3 oz., clear keystem
D
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.8 oz., spacebar, grey 39 keystem
E
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.1 oz., "click" differential movement, blue keystem
F
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.8 oz., "click" differential movement, spacebar, green keystem

This begotten from http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm

However, where is white, what are these two different greys?  Can someone confirm this is the full color set?

[Nonmouse]

Series recommendations (I gather this from gpkeyboards.pdf wherever I found it):

mx  - G80
ml  - G84
ftsc - G81
rubber dome sheet(?) - G83
- G86 (seeing CyMotion keyboards with this designation)

It's possible the "G" is not important and simply stands for "General Purpose (series)".

Sacred keyboard switches are probably generally
MX1A?1NW
where ? is the code for switch type:

Code
   
Operating Characteristics, Actuating Force and Key Style
0
   
Special
1
   
Momentary, single-pole, 2.1 oz., standard keyswitch, black keystem
2
   
Momentary, single-pole, 2.8 oz., spaceba, grey 37 keystem
3
   
Alternate action, single-pole, 2.1 oz.
C
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.3 oz., clear keystem
D
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.8 oz., spacebar, grey 39 keystem
E
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.1 oz., "click" differential movement, blue keystem
F
   
Momentary, single-pole, tactile feel, 2.8 oz., "click" differential movement, spacebar, green keystem

This begotten from http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm

However, where is white, what are these two different greys?  Can someone confirm this is the full color set?

I'm pretty sure that what they call 'clear' is what we call white- they are sort of translucent.  I'm not sure about the two different greys- I'm assuming that they are just different shades.  The MX-xx2xxx switch (grey 37 stem) is the linear action spacebar keyswitch, and the MX-xxDxxx switch (grey 39 stem) is the tactile feel spacebar keyswitch.  I just went and looked at the spacebar on my MX-8100 board, which has brown (tea axis) stems.  The spacebar stem is a very pale grey (#39, apparently), and the tactile feel is much more noticeable than on the other switches-it seems they don't make a tea axis spacebar switch.

[dw_junon]

The colour set also includes actuator type "G", the brown ("tea axis" colon D) "soft tactile feel" variant.  This, bizzarely is documented in the PDF on the link to Cherry's MX page given above.  But the PDF is poor as general reference, it lists only three acutator types, including misleading the click type "E" as type "3", type 3 currently apparently being (according to the html and to suppliers) an alternate action switch, not too appropriate for most keys on keyboards...

There may be other types still that are obsolete and undocumented by Cherry, not to mention what are apparently internal variants...

I'm pretty sure that what they call 'clear' is what we call white- they are sort of translucent.

Aha...  Thanks, I was wondering about that.