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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: didjamatic on Fri, 20 November 2009, 22:49:49

Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: didjamatic on Fri, 20 November 2009, 22:49:49
Has anyone heard of any new boards from Realforce?  I love my 103u and am looking forward to an 87u but wondering if something else is coming down the pipe.  I would be really bummed if I bought 2 87u's and then something even cooler came out.

(http://www.diatec.co.jp/image_prod/SE0700_01.jpg)


(http://www.diatec.co.jp/image_prod/SE1700_01.jpg)


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2620/3794066921_54e089fb11.jpg)


(http://www.gruponeva.es/userfiles/Realforce_91UBY_001[1].jpg)
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: patrickgeekhack on Fri, 20 November 2009, 23:05:03
There will always be something new coming out. My advice is buy the one you like now and just move on. Don't look back. If you do, then you'll always be unhappy or you'll wait forever.
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: msiegel on Fri, 20 November 2009, 23:09:47
wow, modifier key colors that actually make sense! :D

those are the best i've seen yet :)

Quote from: didjamatic;134813
Show Image
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2620/3794066921_54e089fb11.jpg)

Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: patrickgeekhack on Fri, 20 November 2009, 23:11:07
Quote from: msiegel;134817
wow, modifier key colors that actually make sense! :D

those are the best i've seen yet :)


This keyboard does look great :-)
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: Rajagra on Fri, 20 November 2009, 23:51:01
What would be really depressing would be buying a HHKB Pro then hearing a new model was due with a - shall we say - more general purpose layout.
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: rdjack21 on Fri, 20 November 2009, 23:59:18
Lets see

1st - 87UW - White 87U with US layout
2nd - 87UB - Black 87U with US layout
3rd - White 87UKW or 87UKW55 with Korean custom keys. Hard to get over here in the US but you can if you are willing to pay out the nose for them. The keyboard with out the custom keys is around $330 before shipping. Not sure of the cost on the keys it has been awhile since I've looked them up.
4th - 91UBY - Basically the 91UB with yellow keys. I would not be surprised if Realforce offers this option for the 87U. But not to sure I really like the yellow keys they are just a little to bold for my tastes.

The only new one in your line up is the 91UBY but Realforce also released some other derivatives of the 91U at the same time and a couple of 108U updates as well. Essentially all they did was take the current 91U and added some yellow keys for the 91UBY the others they just changed the key weighting a uniform 55g board for both the 91U and the 108U and a uniform 30g of both as well. The 30g boards are not really new as they have been OEM products for some time.

EDIT: Forgot that this thread was started by one of our new members which means he most likely does not know where to see all these boards. Here is a link to diatec keyboard section (http://www.diatec.co.jp/shop/list.php?cate_c=1) the Realforce boards and HHKB Pro boards are about halfway down the page. They are not hard to find just look for Realforce and you will find them. Clicking on any of the boards will bring up that keyboards details along with a bunch of better pictures of the board.
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: rdjack21 on Sat, 21 November 2009, 00:03:29
Quote from: Rajagra;134823
What would be really depressing would be buying a HHKB Pro then hearing a new model was due with a - shall we say - more general purpose layout.


Personally I like the layout the way it is. But I would not mind seeing them remove the FN key from the current position and placing one on each end of the space bar row. The only other update that would be worth while in my book would be to make it programable.
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: AndrewZorn on Sat, 21 November 2009, 12:26:04
yeah, needs more fn keys, programmability, and keys in the corners.
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: msiegel on Sat, 21 November 2009, 12:37:50
Quote from: ripster;134951
Makes sense to me for a compact board you're dragging to all kinds of places to have built in firmware programmability.


that's a good point... in this price range, why not add an extra $5 for a really robust controller chip :)

(yes i know, it requires more software engineering = much higher cost for development and testing)
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: msiegel on Sat, 21 November 2009, 12:45:39
don't ask ronald, "i can has cheezburger?" ;(
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: AndrewZorn on Sat, 21 November 2009, 13:06:58
...
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: rdjack21 on Sat, 21 November 2009, 16:12:47
Quote from: ripster;134951
Yah! For the HHKB2 programmability and FCN keys in the corner I woulda bought one.  Makes sense to me for a compact board you're dragging to all kinds of places to have built in firmware programmability.

I'm so proud of myself.  I didn't even mention dip switches.

I do have to say it took me an hour to adjust but I'm back on my Realforce 87U just for a change and it feels gooood.


That's one of the reasons I really like the MD01B0. It is pretty compact but has all the keys. It is actually only about 1 inch longer and about 2 inches wider plate mounted sliders and still is very light slightly heaver than the HHKB. Most of that extra length and width is just empty space plastic but the big extra space at the top contains the controler.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5857&stc=1&d=1258840881)
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5858&stc=1&d=1258840881)
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: msiegel on Sat, 21 November 2009, 16:28:43
:) it's surprisingly attractive for having such unusual key arrangement... and sizes!
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 21 November 2009, 17:16:42
That HHKB's pretty thick!
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: joneslee85 on Sat, 21 November 2009, 19:08:27
Quote from: msiegel;134817
wow, modifier key colors that actually make sense! :D

those are the best i've seen yet :)


I would love to get the green and blue cap. Do you where I could get?
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: ricercar on Sun, 22 November 2009, 14:01:30
Quote from: ripster;134971
Next LOLCat I see gets sprayed.


Can you has meaning "spayed"?
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: msiegel on Sun, 22 November 2009, 15:15:47
the imperial channel has been going downhill ever since murdoch took it over
;D
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: rdjack21 on Sun, 22 November 2009, 16:26:33
Quote from: joneslee85;135092
I would love to get the green and blue cap. Do you where I could get?


Head over to KBDMania (http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/) and ask them. One of the Korean vendors is having them made but I'm not sure which one.

Oh they have set up a English section so ask there.
Title: New boards from Realforce?
Post by: Rajagra on Sun, 22 November 2009, 17:18:35
Quote from: ripster;135333
You asked for it.

Commander, you think sending LOLcats over the Imperial channel is FUNNY!

Just look what Darth did to Luke's cat!

(http://www.g-ray.co.uk/pictures/Tripod-lo.jpg)