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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: turbocharged on Tue, 30 November 2010, 22:27:50

Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: turbocharged on Tue, 30 November 2010, 22:27:50: I found it in my parents house over Thanksgiving and after playing with it a bit, I came to realize that it feels much better than my previous rubber dome keyboards that I have had. It has an much more pronounced tactile feel than my previous keyboards...though I still haven't used a tactile mechanical board, so I can't compare it to that.

Anyone ever seen/used one of the boards before?

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13729&stc=1&d=1291177582)

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13730&stc=1&d=1291177597)
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: ricercar on Wed, 01 December 2010, 10:40:34: I've an untested theory (read: wild ass guess) that rubber domes with square sliders are more highly regarded than those with round sliders. People like us who say "but not bad for a rubber dome" are usually referring to a keyboard with square sliders.
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: db_Iodine on Wed, 01 December 2010, 11:14:03: Galant is a nice desk.
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: turbocharged on Wed, 01 December 2010, 11:21:28: Quote from: db_Iodine;254947
Galant is a nice desk.

:) Yes it is...I love it.

Quote from: ricercar;254930
I've an untested theory (read: wild ass guess) that rubber domes with square sliders are more highly regarded than those with round sliders. People like us who say "but not bad for a rubber dome" are usually referring to a keyboard with square sliders.

Interesting
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 01 December 2010, 11:26:47: Maybe, more specifically, it's that the slider on "good rubber domes" prevents key wobble. Since lateral movement is minimized, more force is directed down on the dome, thus making the press more efficient and the feeling "nicer." I believe this might be why Topres feel nice and smooth as well. Topres, though, have round sliders. The other thing I noticed is that this 'board has longer sliders. This will help prevent lateral movement similar to Topres.
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: JBert on Wed, 01 December 2010, 16:31:56: Quote from: itlnstln;254954
Maybe, more specifically, it's that the slider on "good rubber domes" prevents key wobble.
Indeed. Cheap-ass Logitech keyboards happen to have sliders that bind when pressed at an angle, and even the modifier keys with a stabilizer suffer from it. Never saw it happen with those KB-8923 IBM rubber domes made by Chicony.
The length of the sliders could also have something to do with it though: the G86 I have at work has rounded sliders but I believe they're 1.5 times as long as the keycap part.

While mentioning the IBM KB-8923: the case didn't flex and had a metal backplate. What kind of stuff it the HP keyboard above made of?
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: Pylon on Wed, 01 December 2010, 16:53:12: It's actually more than sliders. Separate square sliders do help reduce friction, but they aren't key.

If you look carefully, it looks like your rubber domes are individually molded.

There's two kinds of rubber domes:
1: Where the rubber domes are all molded together in one sheet:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/2582465196_7ddd3cef89.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20106852@N00/2582465196/)
IMG_0266 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20106852@N00/2582465196/) by cfishy (http://www.flickr.com/people/20106852@N00/), on Flickr
(not my photo, all credits to cfishy)

2: Where rubber domes are individually molded and glued down to the membrane sheet. It's more apparent on the RT7D5JTW-model Dell Quietkeys, which have bright blue domes.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/4994593534_f2148ba41a.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/10037058@N08/4994593534/)
DSC_0501 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/10037058@N08/4994593534/) by Pylon757 (http://www.flickr.com/people/10037058@N08/), on Flickr
(actually my photo)

From some old Compaq:
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4995249742_eaf9119312.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ripster55/4995249742/)
FLA_7043.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ripster55/4995249742/) by ripster55 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ripster55/), on Flickr
(taken from Ripster's Flickr stream)

In general, the second type usually offers better tactile feel, though it also varies on the actual shape of the dome and isn't necessarily true always (my Dell SK-8115 feels decent for a rubber dome and it uses the first design). I have an old electrically broken Compaq mutimedia with an integrated keycap/plunger design but individual domes, and it feels great. However, the arrow keys happened to use different domes, and those particular keys on the board were very mushy.
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: Pylon on Wed, 01 December 2010, 16:53:52: As for rattle, I have an HP KB-9970. Those have one pieces, but it's barely wobbly.
Title: HP FDA-104EB rubber dome keyboard...any one ever use one?
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 04 December 2010, 19:03:54: Never mind, my theory is wrong. I just got a Dell SK-8125 and it's awesomely tactile, but it has all its domes molded in a sheet.