Hello everyone!
I'm an avid reader and first time poster of the Geekhack forums, which I discovered a short time ago while looking for some info on Topre's RealForce keyboards. I'm really glad to have stumbled upon such an active community of like-minded keyboard enthusiasts, and I hope I'll be able to contribute some interesting posts in the future.
Moving on... The reason for my post is that I have temporarily relocated to Japan and, during my last keyboard window-shopping spree, I came across a new keyboard model dubbed «
Dharma Tactical Keyboard» (from Japanese manufacturer Dharmapoint) which I thought you guys might find interesting.
Has anyone heard of these? After trying a unit at my local Yodobashi Camera, I was quite impressed. It's marketed as a gaming keyboard, oddly enough, but it seems to be quite frill-free and businesslike: no USB ports, no shiny LEDS all over the place, no performance monitor screen, no special shortcut keys...
The keyboard was impressive in action, though. From my very limited understanding of Japanese, their website claims that they use capacitative keyswitches, and indeed the feeling of the keys is similar to the Realforce keyboards in the shop.
In fact, it could well be a customised version of the RealForce 91: the layout is definitely identical and even the labelling in the keys bears more than a passing resemblance to Topre's products. The main difference I could spot was that the finish on the key tops was matte, more similar to the Filco Majestouch line than the Realforces, and quite a bit nicer if you ask me.
All in all, I left the shop with a pretty good impression and I'm seriously considering getting one of these, even though I'm a buckling spring kind of guy. Sadly, I had to leave my beloved IBM Model M15 back at home before moving here, and the ****ty Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard I'm currently using as a stopgap is making my fingers
weep tears of blood.
If anyone has tried one of those for any extended amount of time, could you post your thoughts? I'm pretty tempted by this beauty, but it's pretty damn expensive at ¥22000 (same price as a HHKB Pro, give or take). I would certainly love to have a second opinion before splashing for one of those.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Fran