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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Blackbird++ on Sun, 27 June 2010, 04:07:01

Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Sun, 27 June 2010, 04:07:01
Hi,

I want to buy a keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches and blank keycaps. My favourite is the Majestouch  Tactile Touch "Otaku" NKRO (http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=filco_keyboards,majestouch_104key&pid=fkbn104mnpek).
But I'm living in Germany. Elitekeyboards doesn't sell to anything other than USA and Canada.
Getdigital.de sells the Das Keyboard, but not the silent (C-MX-Brown) edition.

Do you have an idea from where I can get this kind of keyboard?
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: sixty on Sun, 27 June 2010, 04:26:58
(http://imgur.com/wWA7I.jpg)

?
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Sun, 27 June 2010, 04:33:28
Hm, ok...

They just said that there could be problems with international shipping. But seems like Germany is supported as well.
Thank you!
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: sixty on Sun, 27 June 2010, 05:26:10
Quote from: Blackbird++;196871
Hm, ok...

They just said that there could be problems with international shipping. But seems like Germany is supported as well.
Thank you!


I ordered around 5 or so boards from EK and I never had any problems. One time a parcel got stuck somewhere, but Brian (the owner of EK) was very helpful and had it resolved in a day.

Enjoy your board, after our customs rape it that is :D
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Sun, 27 June 2010, 05:30:59
http://www.keyboardco.com/ - AFAIK the only Filco reseller in Europe.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Sun, 27 June 2010, 06:16:45
What a crap website! Anyway, thank you! Does somebody know whether they are reliable?
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: mike on Sun, 27 June 2010, 06:21:01
keyboardco.com? yes and yes.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Rajagra on Sun, 27 June 2010, 07:16:21
Yes, terrible concept, telling customers exactly what they sell in a clear, organised list! Web designers are supposed so seduce potential customers with glossy imagery - or better yet, Flash animation - then make them jump through hoops to find and buy anything!

http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net//) puts it in perspective. :smile:
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: British on Sun, 27 June 2010, 07:29:01
The title of this thread should probably mention "from a good-looking website - nothing else matters".
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Sun, 27 June 2010, 08:14:34
Ok, sorry :biggrin: It's not crap.
But they could have made an overview of all categories, so one can see at first gaze what categories they have.
Just for an example.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: British on Sun, 27 June 2010, 10:21:31
What categories are you expecting ?
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Rajagra on Sun, 27 June 2010, 10:35:03
Elite Keyboards site pretty much nails how it should be done. (IMO)

I suppose one danger in having a website with an outdated/basic look is that visitors may suspect it was designed years ago, the company has shut down, and the website is just a dead relic on some forgotten server. There have been some other sites that I've avoided placing an online order on for just that reason. In my case I do look for signs of recent updates, but some people might not bother.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: vhaarr on Sun, 27 June 2010, 19:22:31
Quote from: Rajagra;196913
I suppose one danger in having a website with an outdated/basic look is that visitors may suspect it was designed years ago, the company has shut down, and the website is just a dead relic on some forgotten server.

If said person had no clue what he was buying, sure. Anyone knowledgable enough can see that keyboardco stocks Filco boards, and as such can't be as outdated as they might appear.

An e-mail, or indeed even a visit to their vendor forum on geekhack.org would also alleviate such concerns.

A "Web 2.0 design" would solve no problem on their site, except for those random shoppers who think "this site must be dead" and move on - but perhaps keyboardco doesn't want to serve to that kind of crowd either.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Phaedrus2129 on Sun, 27 June 2010, 20:58:11
Quote from: vhaarr;197030
If said person had no clue what he was buying, sure. Anyone knowledgable enough can see that keyboardco stocks Filco boards, and as such can't be as outdated as they might appear.

An e-mail, or indeed even a visit to their vendor forum on geekhack.org would also alleviate such concerns.

A "Web 2.0 design" would solve no problem on their site, except for those random shoppers who think "this site must be dead" and move on - but perhaps keyboardco doesn't want to serve to that kind of crowd either.


"Boss! People are leaving our site because it looks like it's from 1998! We're losing thousands of dollars of revenue each year!"

"We only want money from people who appreciate the utility and functionality of ca. 90s web design."

"But, but we need money for the servers... for electricity, air conditioning... I just sold our backup NAS so we could pay our building rent!"

"PRINCIPLES MUST PREVAIL. THE BEAUTY OF 90S WEBSITES SHALL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN."




(http://renaissanceronin.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/titanic_sinking.jpg)
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: 1839cc on Sun, 27 June 2010, 22:47:29
Quote from: Phaedrus2129;197054
"We only want money from people who appreciate the utility and functionality of ca. 90s web design."
Classic.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: vhaarr on Mon, 28 June 2010, 02:02:49
Haha, are they hiring?!
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Wed, 04 August 2010, 14:04:34
Hm well, I just realized that buying a keyboard form Elitekeyboards would be cheaper for me than to buy it from The Keyboard Company... (???).
Just for all of them, who will have the same problem.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Thu, 05 August 2010, 14:08:00
Keep in mind you'll have to pay 19% import tax and another couple bucks in customs fees when ordering from the US.
When I ordered my Filco a while ago, overall cost would have been roughly the same. (Keyboardco didn't have my board in stock though, so I ordered from Elite.)
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Wed, 11 August 2010, 09:27:44
Yes, that's true. I've heard that argument from other people just before.

BTW, Getdigital sells Das Keyboard Model S until septemer with 20 EUR (~ 26 USD) price advantage for actually 89 EUR (~ 117 USD).
Do you think, that would be a good deal for me, even if the Filco would be my favourite?
Filco would have cost about 200 USD for me.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: spolia optima on Wed, 11 August 2010, 10:24:52
Elitekeyboards has a picture-perfect website for peddling their wares. It's simple, classy, modern, easy to navigate, and totally accessible.

I considered, at one point, emailing unicomp and offering a free website facelift. I hesitated because (1) others have PROBABLY already done this, and (2) they probably have a good reason for their "circa 1997" design.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: microsoft windows on Wed, 11 August 2010, 10:26:36
Their web site actually used to be much better before.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 11 August 2010, 10:32:16
Quote from: spolia optima;211374
Elitekeyboards has a picture-perfect website for peddling their wares. It's simple, classy, modern, easy to navigate, and totally accessible.

I considered, at one point, emailing unicomp and offering a free website facelift. I hesitated because (1) others have PROBABLY already done this, and (2) they probably have a good reason for their "circa 1997" design.


Keep your website like your product.  You wouldn't want to give people the wrong impression.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Wed, 11 August 2010, 10:58:18
Eeh, could please someone note my question? xD
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Wed, 11 August 2010, 11:22:15
Thank you. I think I will use the US layout anyway, because it's layout looks more logical to me, but there are different versions / combinations (Layout/Switch/Keycaps) available on Geekhack as well.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Thu, 19 August 2010, 09:03:04
Hi,

I'm writing this on my brand new DAS keyboard model S silent...
Just received it from Getdigital.de, all fine.
Title: Where can I buy a Cherry MX keyboard in Europe?
Post by: Blackbird++ on Thu, 02 September 2010, 04:34:01
Ok, well. First say, this is the best keyboard I've ever had.
Although I'm a bit disappointed. Yes, it is tacticle, but I would have wished a bit more resistance on key pressing. I often don't get the tacticle point and then push the key too much. :-(
But I think, the Blue switches would have been too loud for my silent room. Complicated.

But alltogether I would say, it was a good idea to buy this keyboard.