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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: DamienG on Thu, 07 March 2013, 01:21:11

Title: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: DamienG on Thu, 07 March 2013, 01:21:11
Just saw this keyboard on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rapoo-V7-87-keys-fully-programmable-PRO-Mechanical-gaming-Keyboard-yellow-shaft-/280897072580?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item4166c52dc4

Switches look like some MX clone in... yellow. Specs look like a bad tolerance red.

Anyone seen these before?

Meh: Just found another thread with this already. Please ignore. I forget search is context sensitive.

[)amien

Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: esoomenona on Thu, 07 March 2013, 07:18:38
Speaking of, the context sensitive search should tell you what context you're searching in.
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Thu, 07 March 2013, 11:58:46
Most that have encountered these in real life have been fairly disappointed. Here you can view the shameless copying of MX in detailed tear down by Kailh (http://www.kailh.com/gb/Newsdetail.asp?Newsid=37) themselves.
However if you happen to have some spare real MX switches laying about, you can improve the keyboard itself by replacing the switches with some that don't break.
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: FoxWolf1 on Thu, 07 March 2013, 12:02:30
If I recall correctly, these yellows were one of Kailh's earlier attempts at an MX clone. Wonder if they've improved?

Force was supposed to be somewhere between MX Red and MX Black, I think-- a promising idea, perhaps, but only if the switches actually hold up.
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: whiskytango on Thu, 07 March 2013, 12:10:25
I love how the write up starts with "developed with independent intellectual property rights" and then proceeds to detail how they copied the Cherry switches in almost every dimension and detail. You are correct, that is shameless
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 07 March 2013, 12:11:59
improved????

seriously???

this is 2013 people... we're well beyond improving this level of tech...

It comes down to "cost", which is why the mx was even copied in the first place.
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: alaricljs on Thu, 07 March 2013, 12:14:27
Speaking of, the context sensitive search should tell you what context you're searching in.

The lowest context possible... so if you are looking at a thread, context is *that thread*, if you are looking at a sub forum, that's the context... and so on up the tree.

As an example, while reading this thread, search for leopold, then backup and try kailh.  Then go to the keyboards forum and try it again. :)
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: esoomenona on Thu, 07 March 2013, 12:23:00
Is there a user context?
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: esoomenona on Thu, 07 March 2013, 12:23:46
Also, would it be possible to have links of that tree to easily move up it to our desired context?
Title: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: phetto on Thu, 07 March 2013, 12:47:25
Has anyone confirmed if those stems fit a real cherry switch? I don't want to hear the same thing as the last time I asked, about how bad they are.. It's purely aesthetics for some cool modding a boring Sunday night :D
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: DavinDidIt on Thu, 07 March 2013, 13:56:55
The form factor and aesthetics of the board as a whole actually look pretty good!
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: cannedlemons on Thu, 07 March 2013, 21:50:56
I actually own one but is a different brand but I believe they are essentially the same. They aren't THAT bad but then I haven't used any actual Cherry keyboards yet, only ALPS so I can't really compare. But I can say that they have no clicky noise or tactile feedback so a silent keyboard...
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: mcgci5450 on Fri, 08 March 2013, 23:25:42
http://www.kailh.com/en/products.asp?Categoryid=113&rel=15       Definately a cherry clone

I wonder what else these switches are used in. I think it would be interesting to see which cherry switches they feel the most like.
Title: Re: Rapoo - "Yellow shaft" MX clones?
Post by: Hak Foo on Sat, 09 March 2013, 00:11:14
The profile on that stepped key looks interesting-- like they found a way to make it stepped and still fit a centre mounting pin.