Why should I flamed for using a good design? I am interested in making a good product. I am not copying their exact design at all. There are a lot of internal differences that affected my design. Like for instance, my connector is not in the center it is to the far right. I added my thoughts on their design. I think it is unfair to say that I will be flamed because I used ideas from their product...
I'm on your side, but let's drop the victim stuff, don't be so sensitive. No one was flaming ya buddy (well, maybe the cartoon pic... but that was also funny), the criticism was fairly constructive, and not overly negative.
They're right- at 1st glance, it looks too much like a RAMA product, and you're right- you changed a lot. But 1st impressions and perception are EVERYTHING.
Could you keep your design the same as it is now, have it pass IC, pass MOQ, deliver the product, and make some people happy (including ME)? Sure (If the renders/proto looked good enough). But why not work on the design some more, make it more yours, more special (not necessarily "unique") and have it be a keyboard people will be envying for years, instead of mistaking/mixing it up with some other one?
It's an easy fix:
Change the bezels- all the cool kids like big, Big, BIG ole bezels on their keebs!
I'm a sucker for those LED strips, like on Grid600.
I've been telling everyone- put a DAC/AMP in it.
And what I think is the biggest issue here: That weight.....changing that alone might be enough to not give the impression that youre copying exactly.
(Waiting till you had a render of that encoder, which sounds AMAZING, might of saved you a lot of "flaming"....)