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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Jason on Wed, 28 October 2009, 23:54:47

Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: Jason on Wed, 28 October 2009, 23:54:47: Hey all,

New Canadian member here, greetings. By way of introduction, I'm a long-time Unix guy with a modest collection; a Filco tenkeyless with browns, a Customizer 101, a Sun Type 5c, a Fujitsu FKB4725-501 (I know!), and an Apple white plastic bluetooth (binds so bad on long keys I can't stand to use it really).

Here's the thing, my `desktop' machine at home is a Mac (at least it has a proper terminal and BSD-like environs). I'd read much of others success in employing the exemplary customer service offered by Unicomp to obtain some custom Mac keycaps for their 104-key models, and decided to try and get some for my 101-key model.

I wrote a polite and concise email to support, and was promptly advised that they would be able to help me out. Yay! I was after a Caps Lock with Control on it, and Alt and Ctrl with Command and Option respectively. For the 101-key model.

More than a month later, I received a bag of random keys of an assortment I can only describe as bewildering. During this time, the folks at Unicomp were variably communicative, with all apologies for the times they were not. No biggie, I'm no *******. Times are tough.

The keys I did finally receive are interesting; they include what may be a standardized set of Mac keys for a 104-key model, and are completely useless to me. Thrown in for good measure are an extra Caps Lock key, with Caps Lock printed on it, albeit in a different font, and across two vertical lines, rather than the single line shown on the keycap that came with my Customizer. In fact, none of the keys have the same typeface, weight, or letter spacing as the stock keys. I also got a couple extra Control keys, and Alt keys, but it's the Command and Option keys that are troubling. As custom jobs, I might expect the typeface to not match, but at least the lettering could be straight, and solid. One of the Command keys its blotched out in the middle; faded, like the stamp didn't quite hit the center hard enough. And it's crooked. Even if these were correctly sized for my 101-key model, I doubt I'd use them; they look that bad.

So, what's my point? I've never read anything but glowing reviews about the service at Unicomp. I'm genuinely concerned, as I love the keyboard, and I think they're doing fine work actually making something in the USA of today. I wish them all the success in the world, but I'm hesitant to lay out for the SpaceSaver I've been meaning to buy from them. But mostly, I'm hoping to save somebody else in the onternets from getting their hopes up about wonderful Mac keys for their 101-key Customizer. That's all. Nothing malicious. Still love the keyboard anyway, and hopefully the folks at Unicomp can either refund my monies or make it right. I'm sure they will.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: Jason on Thu, 29 October 2009, 00:15:41: Quote from: ripster;128968
Actually to be precise you are disappointed in the quality of the keys. No dispute there - even IBMs varied all over the place.

Sorry if I was unclear; I'm more disappointed in the fact that it took more than a month with spotty communication and some effort on my part to order them, and that I did not received what I ordered, and that what I did receive I'm unable to use. The fact that the keys aren't very good-looking on top of it wasn't exactly the catalyst for the post.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: overdriver on Thu, 29 October 2009, 00:29:44: LoL.. is this real? Das make that?!? lol
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: iMav on Thu, 29 October 2009, 02:35:45: Have you called them to get things straightened out? They won't stick you with keys that you didn't want / can't use. I would be shocked if they didn't do what it takes to make things right.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 29 October 2009, 03:42:09: Yeah, they used to be pretty cool about fixing this sort of stuff. It would be a great shame if that was no longer the case.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 29 October 2009, 07:46:34: Quote from: ripster;128968
Actually to be precise you are disappointed in the quality of the keys. No dispute there - it's mentioned constantly in the reviews section. Even IBMs varied all over the place.

Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=3873&stc=1&d=1250665121)

Still haven't figured out why one is missing a nub. Almost feels like it's been violated.

I've heard that some Model F's do not have nubs.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: timw4mail on Thu, 29 October 2009, 08:10:03: Quote from: microsoft windows;129023
I've heard that some Model F's do not have nubs.

None of them have nubs.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 29 October 2009, 08:43:24: Maybe we kicked Unicomp in the ass too much, and they don't like us now.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 29 October 2009, 09:04:22: I have no problems with them either, and they sound like a great group of folks, but there are, ahem, other members that haven't been so kind.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: timw4mail on Thu, 29 October 2009, 10:24:30: They offered to refund my set of blank black keys because I had "bar" stabilizers in my numpad + and Enter keys. Then they sent me inserts for the keywells, so that I can now use either kind of stabilizer.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: ocdonkb on Thu, 29 October 2009, 21:09:04: Well, I received my Spacesaver today.

Great feeling keys, however two things make me not as completely happy as I could be.

1) The top half of the plastic keyboard housing doesn't tightly fit with the bottom half. The right side of the keyboard is kind of loose. The top half squeaks and moves when I pinch the plastic it by the Num pad. The left side fits nice, and is solid.

2) I called ahead, and confirmed with the guy on the phone(Jim?) for some FREE Mac keycaps. Well, I got them, but they decided to charge me $10. This is for the 5 keycaps: 2 commands, 2 options, 1 blank. Considering it's a $80 keyboard, charging another $10 for 5 keys seem a bit... how should I put it.... "unfriendly" ?

From what little I've tried, I can already tell I'm going to like this keyboard. And I love the business-like beige color, with the white and dark-grey keys. Overall I'm satisfied cept the above two things.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 30 October 2009, 04:44:33: The key charge seems strange - usually they sell an entire set of blank keys for $20 which works out with each key costing about .20c

As for the casing, I'm afraid that isn't entirely uncommon. One time my Endurapro fell onto the fall and the right hand side almost popped open,

[cues the obligatory "They're too poor to afford new machinery" discussion]
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 30 October 2009, 07:09:38: It's probably shipping.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: ocdonkb on Fri, 30 October 2009, 11:29:21: Quote from: microsoft windows;129337
It's probably shipping.

It's not. My final invoice came to be:

$69 for the the Spacesaver
$10 shipping, UPS Ground, KY to CA
$10 for the 5 mac keys
-----
$89 total

Used the board more last night. I *LOVE* *LOVE* the key action, and its tactility. My typeracer speed noticeably went up(69'ish to 75 wpm). For the time being, this BS spacesaver is definitely preferred over my Filco cherry brown.

It is pretty loud though :) so my office mate would be pissed if I used it there. Perhaps one day when I've climbed the ladder a bit and get my own office....
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 30 October 2009, 14:05:14: I've always liked the buckling springs. They definitely feel better than other keyboards. That's why when I found a Model M5-2 (a Model M with a trackball) in the garbage at work, I just couldn't resist giving it a new home.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: Jason on Fri, 30 October 2009, 21:12:09: Well, just for the record, I received a reply from the folks at Unicomp, and they were very apologetic, and have apparently rushed out a new set of correct Mac keys for me.

I knew they'd make it right. I'll post a follow-up when I receive them.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: Jason on Fri, 30 October 2009, 21:32:23: Quote from: ocdonkb;129388

... this BS spacesaver is definitely preferred over my Filco cherry brown.

It is pretty loud though :) so my office mate would be pissed if I used it there. Perhaps one day when I've climbed the ladder a bit and get my own office....

I know what you mean. I prefer my Unicomp M to my Filco with browns as well, but a week at the office with the Unicomp generated /many/ comments about how loud my new keyboard was. In the interest of keeping the peace, I use the Filco w/browns at work, and the Unicomp at home. A satisfactory compromise for all involved...

I've even trained myself to avoid bottoming out on the Filco, which makes it even quieter.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: bigpook on Fri, 30 October 2009, 21:34:19: I like my unicomp's. The keys are a little bit lighter then my IBM's and they are great to type on. I only wish that unicomp would make a tenkeyless version. That would be just about awesome. Until then, my filco fukka plays nice.
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: Jason on Thu, 12 November 2009, 19:52:50: I received the correct keycaps today, and they're fantastic. It was a long wait, but the folks at Unicomp did make it right, and I'm very happy they did. Best Mac keyboard ever :-)

I only have a crappy cellphone pic to share for now, but isn't this perfect? The right control key stays as control...
(http://jason.indelicate.net/KB/unicomp_mac.jpg)
Title: Unicomp: love the board, disappointed with the service.
Post by: BucklingSpring on Fri, 13 November 2009, 06:18:02: Quote from: ch_123;129001
Yeah, they used to be pretty cool about fixing this sort of stuff. It would be a great shame if that was no longer the case.

Same here, always had great service from these guys. I have to say though, I own few of their boards and many of my nostalgic old fart friends went to Unicomp to relive again.

Even called them once crying because I broke a cheap but critical part while cleaning a real M. They mail me the part for free.

Maybe they got the man in suit syndrome of offshoring everthing.

I hope not.