What's the difference between a Topre Switch and a Hybrid Capacitive Switch?

[Nikelu]

Explain please

[SpAmRaY]

the stem?

[snipars]

'hybrid capacitive switch' is a description of what a topre switch is 
it's a hybrid rubberdome/mechanical switch that is capacitive

[SpikeBolt]

the stem?

Elaborate? That doesn't explain anything.

[SpAmRaY]

the stem?

Elaborate? That doesn't explain anything.

I was thinking of CM's novatouch it is a topre board but has MX compatible stems.

[FrostyToast]

Topre is a specific type of hybrid capacitive switch.
However, there are of course other variants of this design.
It's like asking what the difference between Cherry MX and a mechanical switch is.

[ideus]

Topre is a specific type of hybrid capacitive switch.
However, there are of course other variants of this design.
It's like asking what the difference between Cherry MX and a mechanical switch is.

What would be examples of these other variants?

[tbc]

the difference is branding.

i'm assuming CM doesn't want tneir customers going 'wtf is a topre' and then finding topre realforce keyboards.

[FrostyToast]

Topre is a specific type of hybrid capacitive switch.
However, there are of course other variants of this design.
It's like asking what the difference between Cherry MX and a mechanical switch is.

What would be examples of these other variants?

I don't know of too many companies, however Noppoo does have hybrid capacitive switches which are not Topre, however are very similar in design; clones.

[Findecanor]

CM Storm is asking this question in their marketing for the Novatouch. Their marketing team has got a brainfart, if you ask me.

I'm sorry, dudes, but you do.

[BrewCaps]

The stem is cherry MX key compatible.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Yeah that was my reaction to the survey — what on earth is a "hybrid" capacitive switch? What's funny is that I had to honestly answer "no" to their question, despite being quite familiar with the NovaTouch itself.

Apparently it's just Cooler Master's made-up term for what Topre call "electrostatic capacitive", i.e. just plain "capacitive" to everyone else (unless you don't class BTC, Alphameric, Key Tronic etc as being electrostatic capacitive).

Marketing hype is lost on me.

[Oobly]

Explain please

Topre are hybrid capacitive switches insofar as the term means "combination of rubber dome and spring" capacitive switches. Hybrid has not really been defined clearly in this context. Noppoo also make a similar switch board that's a clone of Topre (with some small differences like LED positions).

IBM Model F is also capacitive, as are some "foam and foil" boards.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It's marketing rubbish. "Capacitive" just means that it uses capacitance. There's no requirement that a capacitive switch take the form of any particular design, be it a spring, flipper or foam and foil. The Topre electrostatic capactive switch goes back to 1983, so while it's not the oldest design (it was first demonstrated in 1981, the same year that the Model F was introduced), it's old enough to not need any "hybrid" qualifier.