geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: DasKwonDo on Tue, 04 September 2012, 05:26:14
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Hi folks,
Whats the difference between Cherry Keycaps Vs. OEM Profile Keycaps?
I'm a little new here - gotta start somewhere! I did search but didn't find the answer, if you can post a photo or two then much appreciated ;D
If I understand correctly my DAS keyboard has Cherry Keycaps on Cherry Switches? Loving my new DAS Ultimate S Silent. It can take OEM keys?
A ton of questions i know..
Cheers
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I don't know what you mean by OEM Keycaps. There are different profiles for different rows on the keyboard. There are also spherical keycaps which look a little different but otherwise I don't know of any differences.
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I have seen threads for group buys that state: "OEM profile" - what does this mean?
The conversations are like this.
User X: What profile are they?
User Y: OEM. Cherry & SP profiles are not so common in China.
Can you explain?
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I have absolutely no idea. But maybe somebody else can enlighten us. ;)
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I think OP was referring to the titanium GB thread (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34407.0), where feng had cherry profile, SP profile, and all others are considered "OEM" profile. This is the only place that I've seen it labeled as "OEM" profile.
Anyways, to answer your question, a keycaps' profile basically means how tall the caps are. Cherry makes their keycaps a little shorter than most other keyboards. Keyboards like Filco, Das, Ducky, CoolerMaster, Rosewill, Razer, etc, all have the same profile, and this is what feng labeled them as "OEM" profile. Most PBT caps also has the same profile as OEM (exception is imsto's thick PBT caps). Your Das uses cherry MX switches, but it also has OEM profile ABS keycaps. Hope that helps.
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OEM profile is basically everything you can get with a board attached to it and that doesn’t have Cherry in its name. :P (And a bit more, like stuff from China, yes)
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I think OP was referring to the titanium GB thread (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34407.0), where feng had cherry profile, SP profile, and all others are considered "OEM" profile. This is the only place that I've seen it labeled as "OEM" profile.
Anyways, to answer your question, a keycaps' profile basically means how tall the caps are. Cherry makes their keycaps a little shorter than most other keyboards. Keyboards like Filco, Das, Ducky, CoolerMaster, Rosewill, Razer, etc, all have the same profile, and this is what feng labeled them as "OEM" profile. Most PBT caps also has the same profile as OEM (exception is imsto's thick PBT caps). Your Das uses cherry MX switches, but it also has OEM profile ABS keycaps. Hope that helps.
You sir are a wise man! Such knowledge! But I'm still a little confused.
Can you answer another riddle:
If I'm looking to purchase just a few keys to replace some of my keys such as QWERTY (example as I haven't decided) and want to mix and match on the DAS will they have the same profile if I get these OEM keys? I was looking at these too: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34996.0
Would there be a heigh difference between some keys? (I believe you may have already answered this, see below)
So it seems that my DAS has OEM profile keys or ABS keycaps (as you've advised). Hope I understand correctly and I sincirely appologise as I very new to this forum with so many keyboard gurus. :-[
If I have this correct then who would be interested in these cherry profile, SP profile keycaps??? They must have particular brands of keyboards, I wonder if you could name some.
Could you enlighten me? I'm trying to understand what I should be looking out for and what also to avoid.
Much apprecaited.
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Cherry profile is roughly 2mm shorter, and generally 2x as thick keywall than 'oem' or more generally called around here Filco profile.
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I've had mixed profiles on a keyboard before. It's not too big a deal, as long as all your A-Z and number keys are the same profile. I would not recommend replacing only some of the keys in that areas, though I (and others)have done so with no great harm. You will notice a difference, however.
So, your DAS has OEM profile keycaps (If I remember correctly). You would want to replace them with keycaps of the same profile (More OEM keycaps). If not, it would be uneven.
If you just wanted to replace some modifiers, then I imagine it wouldn't be too bad.
In practice, I don't find SP profile to be too different than Cherry profile, my SP Moogle kit (replacing the modifiers) fits rather well with my cherry keycaps.
But both cherry and SP are noticeably shorter than OEM profile.
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Cherry profile is roughly 2mm shorter, and generally 2x as thick keywall than 'oem' or more generally called around here Filco profile.
Alright then, my DAS keyboard has oem profile?
This would mean mixing and matching Cherry profile with DAS keys would be a problem. (this like learning another language!)
Cheers,
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Cherry profile is my favorite by far, I try not to buy any other profile.
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I think OP was referring to the titanium GB thread (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34407.0), where feng had cherry profile, SP profile, and all others are considered "OEM" profile. This is the only place that I've seen it labeled as "OEM" profile.
Anyways, to answer your question, a keycaps' profile basically means how tall the caps are. Cherry makes their keycaps a little shorter than most other keyboards. Keyboards like Filco, Das, Ducky, CoolerMaster, Rosewill, Razer, etc, all have the same profile, and this is what feng labeled them as "OEM" profile. Most PBT caps also has the same profile as OEM (exception is imsto's thick PBT caps). Your Das uses cherry MX switches, but it also has OEM profile ABS keycaps. Hope that helps.
You sir are a wise man! Such knowledge! But I'm still a little confused.
Can you answer another riddle:
If I'm looking to purchase just a few keys to replace some of my keys such as QWERTY (example as I haven't decided) and want to mix and match on the DAS will they have the same profile if I get these OEM keys? I was looking at these too: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34996.0
Would there be a heigh difference between some keys? (I believe you may have already answered this, see below)
So it seems that my DAS has OEM profile keys or ABS keycaps (as you've advised). Hope I understand correctly and I sincirely appologise as I very new to this forum with so many keyboard gurus. :-[
If I have this correct then who would be interested in these cherry profile, SP profile keycaps??? They must have particular brands of keyboards, I wonder if you could name some.
Could you enlighten me? I'm trying to understand what I should be looking out for and what also to avoid.
Much apprecaited.
Those zinc keycaps you linked in feng's group buy are OEM profile, you will be able to mix and match with your Das caps without any problems. There are no height difference between the two different sets.
ABS is not a profile. It's a type of plastic material that most stock keycaps are made from. PBT and POM are also different types of plastic material.
Cherry Corp (http://www.cherrycorp.com/) is the company that makes electronics, including their own keyboard and switches. They are the OEM for all MX switches that you find in other keyboard brands. They also make their own keycaps, so that's why they have their own unique profiles, known as "cherry profile".
SP, also known as Signature Plastics (http://keycapsdirect.com/), is the company that we get all of our double-shot keycaps from. They have a different profile of caps from Cherry and stock OEM profile.
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Just some pics for reference:
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k221/undarken/Noppoo/keycapscomparsion1.jpg)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k221/undarken/Temp/Thickness.jpg)
Why I love Cherry Keycaps:
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k221/undarken/Temp/DSC_0822.jpg)
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k221/undarken/Temp/DSC_0833.jpg)
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Very nice! Great photos, thank you.
Well i'm hunting for just OEMs then.
If someone likes Cherry keycaps doesn't this mean you would change ALL the keycaps including modifiers??
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How can i purchase these o-rings?
I live in Vietnam, i have Visa card and can do the payment online.
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How can i purchase these o-rings?
I live in Vietnam, i have Visa card and can do the payment online.
IMSTO sells them, you should PM him about it.
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Thank you!