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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: SCTony on Thu, 19 November 2009, 05:53:06

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: SCTony on Thu, 19 November 2009, 05:53:06

In the December issue Gift Guide section, CPU magazine recommends the Topre Realforce 103UB as "the Ferrari of keyboards" and gives a link to Elitekeyboards. "The Realforce 103UB also features precisely weighted keys, durable keycaps, n-key rollover that actually works, ..."

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Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: AndrewZorn on Thu, 19 November 2009, 11:25:02

if the 103UB is the ferrari then what is the HHKB?  the lighter, optimized version?

if the 103UB is the ferrari then the filco brown is like the NSX or MR2

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 11:30:39

Quote from: AndrewZorn;134059

if the 103UB is the ferrari then what is the HHKB? the lighter, optimized version?

Bugatti Veyron

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: AndrewZorn on Thu, 19 November 2009, 11:33:43

no, you must have read "heavy, stupid, superfluous waste version"

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: AndrewZorn on Thu, 19 November 2009, 11:45:17

bmw?  hells no european car branding on a japanese keyboard

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: majestouch on Thu, 19 November 2009, 11:55:27

Curious, I didn't even know!

Too bad they used that awful pic, I don't send review units out, but I do supply a nice photo if someone asks. I just put new photos up for the 103UB a couple days ago...oh well.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: didjamatic on Thu, 19 November 2009, 12:22:16

Quote from: AndrewZorn;134059

if the 103UB is the ferrari then what is the HHKB?  the lighter, optimized version?

A Ducati

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 12:23:03

Hate to sound like a fanboy, but I think HHKB Pro2 is just the cat's ass of keyboards, but it's not the Ferrari of them. Maybe the Porsche of them though.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: wordfool on Thu, 19 November 2009, 13:39:44

Realforce 103 is the Maserati Quattroporte and the HHKB is the Maserati Gran Turismo.

Just bought a Realforce and glad I chose it over the FIlco after seeing how thin the plastic on the Filco keys is in the photo above. You'd think for a $130 keyboard they'd have some heftier keys.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 13:45:23

Quote from: wordfool;134096

Just bought a Realforce and glad I chose it over the FIlco after seeing how thin the plastic on the Filco keys is in the photo above. You'd think for a $130 keyboard they'd have some heftier keys.

While Filco keycaps aren't the greatest, the thinness isn't that much to get excited about; it really doesn't make that much of a difference.  That said, regardless of thickness, the Filco keycaps go shiny quite quickly.  It does kinda make me wonder if I'll wear straight through the keycaps one day.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: AndrewZorn on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:07:32

most of the exotic cars can be customized for the owner
when you buy your ford off the lot, everyone gets the same thing

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:12:00

I wonder if they would switch my gear shift and my turn signal lever. Us old school guys never had the Ctrl... err... gear shift in the middle of the car. Three on the tree, FTW. I mean, who uses their turn signal, anyway.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: D-EJ915 on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:33:17

if anything I would say the HHKB is more like a British sports car like a Lotus not a grand tourer like Italian cars...

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: majestouch on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:34:15

The difference in key thickness varies over all keys on both FILCO and Topre boards. Ripster's red Esc Topre happens to be the thickest topre key in existence, probably because it is made after the fact with atypical Japanese reinforcement. Ripster's red Esc Filco key is the thinnest FILCO key, probably because it is made after the fact with typical Taiwanese frugality, but it doesn't reflect the thickness of the normal keys on FILCO boards. How thickness relates to performance, longevity, and feel are up in the air.

Here is a photo of the "up arrow" from a FILCO and Topre for comparison. The difference in thickness of these two keys is about 0.3 mm, the FILCO key has a slight bevel on the edge which makes a comparison a little difficult from the photo. I used a caliper for measurement. Both keys flex when compressed diagonally.

(http://www.elitekeyboards.com/press/filcotopre800.jpg)

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:35:56

Good pic, majestouch. Thanks for posting that.
 
EDIT:  From that pic, it almost looks like the Filco would be a little more stout that the Topre as it looks like it has more reinforcement.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:40:32

Quote from: ripster;134129

But I think the plastics are different too. Unverified, and Youtube is a rotten source, but some guy published specs on the Topre and it was PBT (which Cherry claims takes Dye Sublimation well). PBT stands for Pretty *****in Keys.
 
Filco is some unknown substance but I think PVC. I'd do an acronym but you wouldn't like it.
 
EDIT: Oh, we're not in the Vendor Forum. That means I have NO RESTRAINTS!!!!!

PVC = Pretty much Very Crappy.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: majestouch on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:45:32

Quote from: ripster;134129

But I think the plastics are different too.  Unverified, and Youtube is a rotten source, but some guy published specs on the Topre and it was PBT (which Cherry claims takes Dye Sublimation well).  PBT stands for Pretty *****in Keys.

Filco is some unknown substance but I think PVC.  I'd do an acronym but you wouldn't like it.

EDIT:  Oh, we're not in the Vendor Forum.  That means I have NO RESTRAINTS!!!!!  I'll start posting Double Shot pics and those stomp em all.

Yea, I don't have the specs on the plastic composition. The Topre plastic does seem to have a little more softness to it, so it may just be necessary to make them thicker so that they hold their shape.

I gave up all restraint after some old hand around here started talking like a real live nazi a few weeks ago...

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:49:30

A nazi of Indian origin? That's a new one.

Balliwood here he comes!

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:49:48

Stop trying to sell me keycaps, majestouch.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: majestouch on Thu, 19 November 2009, 14:58:08

Quote from: itlnstln;134134

Stop trying to sell me keycaps, majestouch.

:sorry:

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:13:35

You guys wanna see how a real double shot key is made?

The one on the left is a 1963 Smith Corona, the one on the right is 2008 HHKB Pro2

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/4117658111_3241ffb16a_o.jpg)

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/4118427514_04e51d449c_o.jpg)

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:20:27

I give up. I'm not allowed to post pictures here anymore.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:21:20

That SC cap is a slab.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:22:48

Wait, does the pic show up for you?

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:26:11

I have to use a "workaround," but I could see it.  It appears broken here at work.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:31:43

I posted it from Dropbox and it was slower than something that is really slow. I posted them from Flickr and now they actually load.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:33:35

Yeah, now I get a "." where the pic should be (meaning Websense blocked it) instead of a broken picture.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:34:46

Quote from: itlnstln;134162

That SC cap is a slab.

The SC keycap is a true double shot and it is completely solid. I'm thinking of buying a second set of keys for the HHKB and attach these SC keys to the stems of the new keys, after trimming away the rest of the key. I think it would look pretty good.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:41:45

I was just thinking that it would be pretty nice to have keys shaped like that.  If you look a the tip of your finger straight on, it looks similar to the vague triangular shape of the SC cap.  I would imagine it's pretty nice to type on.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:44:29

Quote from: itlnstln;134186

I was just thinking that it would be pretty nice to have keys shaped like that.  If you look a the tip of your finger straight on, it looks similar to the vague triangular shape of the SC cap.  I would imagine it's pretty nice to type on.

They are, and that would make going back and forth between the 1955 SC that I use and the computer easier.

I bought the 1963 at a warehouse thrift sale (you should have seen the people there! Frakin' yikes!) and it turned out to be a paperweight. Cosmetically mint condition though.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 15:48:29

Quote from: xsphat;134189

you should have seen the people there! Frakin' yikes

Were they anything like this (http://www.peopleofwalmart.com)?

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 16:03:13

Quote from: ripster;134202

Hey, half of them were from GeekHack looking for keyboards. Hell, I was probably there looking for Legos!

I bet microsoft windows was there.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: AndrewZorn on Thu, 19 November 2009, 16:06:03

your HHKB Esc key looks like it has a bolder font than mine
at first i thought you had somehow created a double shot topre key
because thats what it looks like compared to mine

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 16:13:05

Quote from: itlnstln;134193

Were they anything like this (http://www.peopleofwalmart.com)?

OMG that site is awesome! I never saw that before and I was laughing my ass off at the first page! In fact I still am. Thank you for that, that was the best thing that's happened to me today.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 16:14:53

Quote from: AndrewZorn;134209

your HHKB Esc key looks like it has a bolder font than mine
at first i thought you had somehow created a double shot topre key
because thats what it looks like compared to mine

Really? That is just the one that came with my HHKB, which I bought from Japan like two months before EliteKeyboards opened.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 19 November 2009, 16:15:31

Quote from: xsphat;134217

OMG that site is awesome! I never saw that before and I was laughing my ass off at the first page! In fact I still am. Thank you for that, that was the best thing that's happened to me today.

This one (http://ugliesttattoos.com) is pretty good, too.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 16:16:33

Quote from: webwit;134218

Aww, look, xsphat's Smith Corona spawned some bastard DataHand and 3278 Terminal keyboard key caps.



Now those are double shot caps.

P.S. Real men don't need legends.

Webwit, leave it you and me to have the weirdest and most hardcore keycaps.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 19 November 2009, 16:29:33

Who here do you think this is?
(http://media.peopleofwalmart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/512.jpg)

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: xsphat on Thu, 19 November 2009, 17:18:02

Congrats, you made the site!

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 19 November 2009, 17:43:59

Im pretty sure you could get arrested in many parts of the world for that. For good reasons too...

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 19 November 2009, 17:47:03

There's the disadvantage of non-discrimination policies.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: AndrewZorn on Thu, 19 November 2009, 18:05:33

i mean some of them a kind of mean because they are simply laughing at fat people, and ive definitely been to walmart in pajamas before.  but its funny how many people get mad over pictures of people that truly deserve to be made fun of... the fact that they are in walmart has nothing to do with it.

went to a few different pages... a guy wearing nothing but shorts shopping for a TV, pimps in stereotypical fluffy pimp wear, and general redneck antics

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 20 November 2009, 08:05:58

Quote from: microsoft windows;134237

Who here do you think this is?

Show Image

(http://media.peopleofwalmart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/512.jpg)

I wonder if he's having a boy or a girl.  From the looks of it, it might even be twins.  
 

I bet this guy doesn't even remember what his **** looks like.

Title: CPU Recommends Topre
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 20 November 2009, 08:33:02

The recession hit Santa hard if he is shopping at Wal-Mart.  I guess he had to lay off some of the elves and outsource to China via the big "W."