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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: lightsout714 on Wed, 03 July 2019, 12:53:16
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I am thinking of the like of Zealios or T1's. Any reason Gateron doesn't have a similar switch. Or maybe they do and I missed it?
They don't even have a knock off cherry clear. Its a bummer because all their standard switches are crazy cheap. Would be nice to have a tactile option in there.
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Gateron produces Zealios for Zeal, so that might be one reason... They probably get a fair share of the profits from those switches, considering their price. I'm sure they have a contract stipulating that they can't clone it and sell it unbranded. See what happened with the Stealios.
I always wondered why Gateron don't make a Cherry MX Clear clone though.
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Gateron's Brown (and Silent Brown) are slightly more tactile than standard Cherry MX Brown, but is not even close to Zealios/MX Clear. Kbdfans' "Aliaz" switches are variants of the Gateron Silent Brown with more lubricant/different spring.
Apparently, Zeal had originally invested in the moulds, so they are exclusive to Zeal.
Mind that Zealios (and Zilents) version 1 and 2 are different. The older version 1 was a clone of MX Clear, but with lighter springs. Zealios current version 2 has a sharper earlier bump.
BTW. Gateron did for a short time make tactile Clear switches without Zeal's permission, but Zeal found out and told them off, so they stopped doing making them.
You might therefore find mentions of this rare "Gateron Tactile Clear" switch. The "Gateron Clear" also exists, but that is a very light linear switch (30 gf).
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Thanks for the info guys. I have heard that thought thrown around in regards to Zeal. Seems like a lot of pull to have with gateron but I guess those switches sell pretty well.
I am currently typing on gateron browns. While they are in the tactile category I don't really put them their in my mind. Need something more!
I have some of those aliaz (spelling?) switches on a switch tester and they are not for me. I think they are supposed to be silent because the bottom out feels way different. Like it's cushioned. Not a fan.
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I enjoy Gateron Inks quite a bit, but there are many who will disagree that those are good switches. I personally love them though!
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Whoops, I just realized you were talking about tactiles, not linears. Oops!
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Greetings from the future,
Gateron has now released the Kangaroo Ink, which is a quality tactile like the Zealios or Holy Panda.
I have one in a switch tester. It's similar to the Zealios or Holy Panda, but with a few key differences: The tactile bump is snappier than the other two, and the travel distance is shorter, so it instantly bottoms out when you press it. The bottom out sound is loud like a Holy Panda, but deeper sounding because of the ink housing. The ink housing also gives it a smoother feel than either of the other two.
They're similarly expensive though, at about $0.90 per switch. If you're looking for a budget tactile this isn't your bet. But it definitely competes with the other tactiles, worth checking out!
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Thanks for the info guys. I have heard that thought thrown around in regards to Zeal. Seems like a lot of pull to have with gateron but I guess those switches sell pretty well.
I am currently typing on gateron browns. While they are in the tactile category I don't really put them their in my mind. Need something more!
I have some of those aliaz (spelling?) switches on a switch tester and they are not for me. I think they are supposed to be silent because the bottom out feels way different. Like it's cushioned. Not a fan.
If you want to be using a Gateron switch, you're not going to end up in the Zeal v2 range of tactility. If you're open to franken-switching, those Gat brown stems are very similar to a Zeal v1 stem and can be made to feel more tactile with a housing that has a stiffer leaf (like a Panda housing). If you're looking to go big, you're going to have to look elsewhere. T1s, Zeal v2 and Holy Pandas are all in the same league.