Cherry ML cheap and new WORTH IT?

[ianxblog]

I can get this exact keyboard http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_G84-4100 for like 15-20 NEW unopened box in my country. Apparently the back says D-91275 Auerbach/opf so it must be legit.

It has cherry MLs right? is it worth it?

Can you pull MLs keycaps without breaking anything?

[ianxblog]

Also he says it measures 28x13 just like the original! But he doesn't even list it as cherry, I had to ask. 

[CPTBadAss]

That's about what they were going for NIB on eBay in USA. I thought it was a decent board. Felt awful with off centered strikes though.

[nubbinator]

ML is worth trying, but not worth owning, IMO.  I got one and was sorely disappointed.

[Hyde]

The switch itself is not bad.  I actually quite like the ML switch.

BUT the only thing I didn't like about the keyboard is the keycap spacing.

It's meant to be a space saving keyboard so the keycap area are actually smaller than standard, which feels a bit crammed in practice.

And I already have small hands and even I find it a bit crammed.  So like people said it's worth it to try but probably not daily driver worthy.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Can you pull MLs keycaps without breaking anything?

Easily.

It has cherry MLs right? is it worth it?

Correct. I have a late 90s G84-4400 and it's really nice to type on. The layout doesn't suit me, but I had it set up on my desk for a morning recently and I really enjoyed using it. I don't experience any of the off-angle binding that many people report.

I also have a newer G84-4135 (the black one on the wiki page you cited is mine) and that feels more cramped (the 4100 series has the keys crammed in more than the 4400 series) and the switches seemed too stiff and awkward. I didn't enjoy that one at all. I still have it though.

The feel of the switches varies between keyboards, and I consider the 4400 to have a nicer layout, especially in Europe as it's got room for a proper ISO layout, while the 4100 does not.

As with all purchases, it's a gamble on both condition and personal preference. Going purely by the exchange rate (not counting actual living costs), 20 ARS is only GBP 1.55, which is a no-brainer, so I figure 20 ARS is worth more than its nominal converted value.

[davkol]

PBT dyesubs are neat and infilled black POM keycaps are good as well, but I'd avoid the pad-printed ABS version.

Don't wiggle keycaps to sides, when removing them, and be careful around the switches, if you open them, because it's very easy to damage the leaf that causes tactility—if you remove it altogether, the switch becomes nicely linear, if you're into that. I definitely recommend opening them though, because lubing helps a lot with scratchiness and off-center presses IME.

[ianxblog]

Thanks for all your replies! So I read some reviews and mostly it had good reviews, and some not so good but nothing like "IT SUCKS" because you know is like a personal thing. I also read about the offcenter thing that some users reported.

But I bought it (pictures to come, worth a new thread with some review after using it?), and typing on it. I can agree the layout is kinda crammed but I think I can get used to it in some days, I've used similar spacing keyboards in the past with no problem. My gf's netbook spacing is WAY worse and I literally mi**** one key to the side most of the time. What bothers me most is the little big backspace and in general I'm not so used to ANSI (I generally type in ISO so L shaped enter [not bigass enter]) So sometimes I miss it, but that's personal. On the offcenter thing: I don't think is much of a problem; I mean in my case it only happens if I press one key with one finger trying to reproduce it. When typing normally I don't have that problem. I mean, is worse on some membranes and even in a Microsoft Natural Keyboard with ages on it that I had lying around, some long keys without stabilizers literally flex and you can't press them offcenter .

I think I'm gonna do some remapping on the home-end-ins-etc cluster so the DEL button is on the top (where pause is) then from top to bottom it would be del-home-end-pgup-pgdn.

For what it costed me, it's cherry, even if I don't end up using it as a daily driver (I may be getting some help fixing the blackwidow 2013 te that I broke with my noob soldering so I doubt it) is a great collectable item, at least in my country where this things are rare and generally ages old and some with the yellowing of ABS (most old keyboards that actually use PBT keys use ABS cases anyway).

The sound is kinda satisfying. It really would be a GREAT switch with some longer travel (around 3.5mm) and regular size keycaps. The tactile feedback is good but not overwhelming like blues can be for some people, and the actuation force is PERFECT (well, that's for me /subjective)

Greetings.

m/n is G84-4101PPAUS /3

[dante]

PBT dyesubs are neat and infilled black POM keycaps are good as well, but I'd avoid the pad-printed ABS version.

In Cherry's defense they did a really nice job pad printing these; yea it's pad printed - but it seems to stay fresher longer than some modern lasered keycaps.

[davkol]

PBT dyesubs are neat and infilled black POM keycaps are good as well, but I'd avoid the pad-printed ABS version.

In Cherry's defense they did a really nice job pad printing these; yea it's pad printed - but it seems to stay fresher longer than some modern lasered keycaps.

I'm not too concerned about the printing itself (which happens to be worse than on doubleshots with complementary printing), sticky ABS bothers me though… a lot. I have a well broken-in G84 lying here, but I refuse to use it, because the keycaps are gross.

It's a pity OP got an ABS one, unless he enjoys the sticky feeling of worn ABS or has very dry fingertips.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Wait, do you have a trackball model then? Or is G84-4401 (an extremely odd article number) inconsistent?

[ianxblog]

I mistyped the model number, there I corrected it. It was the only one available, I don't have near as many choosing options with keyboards as you northamericans do honestly I don't find the ABS keycaps that much of a problem. That's just being picky unless times proves me wrong. (obviously pbt is better but still)