geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: bujorc on Wed, 27 May 2020, 09:36:48
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I liked the snappiness of the domes on my older thinkpads, very precise typing as a result. Looking for something similar on my R2 PFU, do you recommend any replacement domes other than BKE Redux? Any difference in feel between v1 and v2 - and how come snappy domes are produced ONLY by Keyclack - do you guys recommend buying from them, seeing what happened with one of their GBs? Thanks
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Keyclack is the only one that have replacement custom domes for Topre. No one else makes Topre domes. They don't have a license or anything that they are the only ones that can produce custom domes. They are the only ones that makes custom domes no one else really bothered with it since the return on investment is bad compared to the MX scene.
We are even lucky that there is someone producing these custom domes since Topre is a niche inside this community and most people don't even want to mod there Topre boards since they are content with it stock.
I bought the first batch of BKE domes and i got them delivered on a timely manner but its all your own risk.
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Any reason you don't want BKE redux? I put either lights or ultra lights in all my topre boards. Or are you just curious what else is out there?
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Any reason you don't want BKE redux? I put either lights or ultra lights in all my topre boards. Or are you just curious what else is out there?
Oh, I want them but they don't have them in stock (V2 or V1 lights), there's no notification system and there's no answer when contacting them. Also, it's strange that only they tackled this problem with standard topre domes of not having a cleaner bump...that mellow bump is wasted energy and precision when typing on a still very good switch.
Cause otherwise, there's no shortage of "here's some pink keycaps to really give your keyboard an identity" sets and add-on crap.
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Though....... if you like thinkpad keyboard why don't you just buy a think pad keyboard?
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessories-and-monitors/keyboards-and-mice/keyboards/KEYBOARD-US-English/p/0B47190
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessories-and-monitors/new-arrivals/KBD-BO-TrackPoint-KBD-US-Eng/p/4Y40X49493
Not too sure what the difference are aside from wires. But otherwise this is as close as it gets lol.
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Though....... if you like thinkpad keyboard why don't you just buy a think pad keyboard?
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessories-and-monitors/keyboards-and-mice/keyboards/KEYBOARD-US-English/p/0B47190
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/accessories-and-monitors/new-arrivals/KBD-BO-TrackPoint-KBD-US-Eng/p/4Y40X49493
Not too sure what the difference are aside from wires. But otherwise this is as close as it gets lol.
Thinkpad keyboards went through at least 3 revisions. One was made somewhere in SE Asia (possibly Thailand) and was fantastic. Non-chicklet. Production was then moved in the aughts to China(?) and remained non-chicklet, still good but not as good. I've owned both.
Looked like this (I think some had touchpads, some didn't): http://www.technologyguide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/48086.jpg
Around 2010 or a couple years later, they moved to chicklet boards (as in your link) and they suck just as much as other chicklet boards- my current new model Thinkpad provides a totally meh typing experience. The differentiator remains in the Thinkpad pointer, but certainly not in the keys.
I miss my old Thinkpad standalone keyboard- I would be just as happy with it as any of my current boards. Probably the best daily driver I have ever owned- amazing feel, integrated mouse control, close to silent.
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Around 2010 or a couple years later, they moved to chicklet boards (as in your link) and they suck just as much as other chicklet boards- my current new model Thinkpad provides a totally meh typing experience.
It's even worse, the new and previous versions have nothing in common with Thinkpad, it's just the looks - but you need to look from far away. Wobble, different domes, bottoming out is like on a $2 board. Even with the crappy feel, shorter, unfulfilling travel, today's Thinkpad is much better. And if we're at that, T430 was the last one where you could have hoped for the "amazing feel", where they kept at least some of the domes feel - no Topre thocks but surely much more relaxing and also precise experience, they just had very good balance between travel distance, tactile bump and weighting in general.
But we digress... back to finding a way to make Topre feel like the old Thinkpads. But with thocks.
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As a side note, just received a nib keyboard for a T61... I thought that its quality was something I was artificially placing on a pedestal, in my mind, due to how our brains work regarding things from the past...
But man, it is exactly like I remembered it... good, balanced domes, just enough travel not to get your fingers tired, no key wobble, perfect stabs, good build, quality plastic, aesthetics, functionality, etc. This thing invites you to get stuff done!
Why are today's professional laptops made like for content consumers?