Topre metaphors

[wordfool]

I got my Realforce 103 yesterday and instead of writing a traditional first-impressions review I thought I'd come up with a few metaphors to describe it.

Model M = car with fixed axles and leaf springs.
Realforce = car with independent suspension, coils and computer-controlled damping.

Realforce = like typing on a Model M immersed in a tray of soft butter.

Model M = built like a tank so it's able to withstand being run over by a car
Realforce = built like an aircraft, using the best materials and fine tolerances

Yes, as you can tell I like it, although it'll certainly take a while for my fingers to get used to it after hammering on my M13 for years. The only downside is that the soft clacking of the keys is oh-so soothing and might actually result in me dozing off, face down on the keyboard when writing about something particularly dull. If ever there's an 87U with 45g keys throughout I'll sell my dead grandmother to buy it.

Sadly, however, even all this Topre goodness cannot apparently prevent me from always typing "teh" instead of "the".

[msiegel]

Sadly, however, even all this Topre goodness cannot apparently prevent me from always typing "teh" instead of "the".

whereas the model m's higher activation force and strong hysteresis can

edit:

and congratulations wordfool, those Realforce are coveted

[ch_123]

Realforce = like typing on a Model M immersed in a tray of soft butter.

Like a grease modded Model M then? =P

Congrats on the new purchase. One day a HHKB will be mine. Till then...

[wordfool]

Like a grease modded Model M then? =P

if grease-modding an M can give create silence as well as a nice feeling of damping then I'm off to find my grease gun.

I can see how the addiction kicks in.... now I'm curious what the brown-cherry Filco I was considering would actually feel like and my eyes keep darting to my credit card

[msiegel]

This is where the BS is inherently better. It is just as smooth, but much more tactile at the contact point, and no technology that does not buckle has been able to reproduce it.

i agree; those force-displacement graphs don't lie.

(psst, you forgot to congratulate the OP

[msiegel]

lol, good one! XD

[ch_123]

if grease-modding an M can give create silence as well as a nice feeling of damping then I'm off to find my grease gun.

I can see how the addiction kicks in.... now I'm curious what the brown-cherry Filco I was considering would actually feel like and my eyes keep darting to my credit card

This depends on your definition of quiet. It's definitely a good deal quieter than a normal Buckling Spring board (it eliminates all ping as far as I can see) but still quite noisy by regular keyboard standards. There's a good comparitive recording here.

And it's not something you'd use a grease gun for - you only need a very limited quantity of grease for key. Less than half the size of a pea limited.

[rdjack21]

First off congrats on getting the 103U.

Yes, as you can tell I like it, although it'll certainly take a while for my fingers to get used to it after hammering on my M13 for years. The only downside is that the soft clacking of the keys is oh-so soothing and might actually result in me dozing off, face down on the keyboard when writing about something particularly dull. If ever there's an 87U with 45g keys throughout I'll sell my dead grandmother to buy it.

The 103U you have has weighted keys like the 87U. I'm hopping that with Realforce releasing those uniform Japanese boards we will see something similar for the US market. But like you I think I would like it to be uniform 45g instead of the uniform 30g and 55g Japanese boards they just released. Also don't forget you can mod your 103U to be a uniform 45g in the alpha area if you are willing to take it apart and cut the domes. See ripster's key weight mod for instructions on how to do it if you want that is. The only issue I ever had with the 35g pinky keys was the repeating aaaaaaaaaaaa and ;;;;;;;;; issue. But I have learned to not let my pinkies rest on the keys so I don't have the issue any more. And in all honesty my pinkies aren't sensitive enough to tell the difference between 35g and 45g.

I'm typing on my 55g short throw Topre right now and my pinkies still are not having issues even though I took a 20g jump in force. On a Model M though I have to remember to hit the keys a little harder.

[rdjack21]

This is where the BS is inherently better. It is just as smooth, but much more tactile at the contact point, and no technology that does not buckle has been able to reproduce it.

Oh I don't know if I would say that it is better. But I would agree with you that no one has been able to replicate the distinctive feel of a Model M. My only problem with the Model M and BS switches in general is how heavy they are. I would love to have a Model M with a 40-50g key weight. I would also agree that the Model M is one of the few keyboards if not the only one that is just as smooth as the Topre.

[AndrewZorn]

i remember posting that topre was like trudging through snow compared to brown cherry
cant remember the rest

[HungryPillow]

Congrats! Glad you were finally able to decide between the Browns and the Topre Did you get white or black? And how did you decide between the 87U and 103U? Was it due to availability?

And of course... post some pics!

[wordfool]

thanks... ended up with the 103 because it was in stock, probably cheaper than the 87U and I do use the numpad a lot. Got it in black because I'm a thinkpadder so everything has to be black and because I figured the low visibility of the black-on-gray lettering might actually help me become a better touch typer.  We'll see.

Problem is that now I'm gonna have to upgrade all my other desktop stuff, starting with headphones.

[PRISONER 24601]

i was gonna do ur mom last night, but she was so fat i couldn't topre

oh wait metaphor... no i got nothin