ABS M1 - Coming back under a new name (with Cherry MX Blues)

[Tap]

Awhile back I picked up an ABS M1 from Newegg for $20 shipped.  I let my friend use it for part of the day at work and he loved it and wanted his own.  Newegg no longer had them in-stock so he called ABS to see what was going on.  Come to find out they are now discontinued.

The good news is that the customer service rep mentioned that they would be coming back from their parent company, Rosewill.  Rosewill is Newegg's private label brand. (ABS is too as they are located just down the street from Newegg).

My friend did a bit of digging and found that they were recently shown off at Computex.  There weren't too many stories about it because most of the press was focused on the fancy new cases (errr...the booth babes).

Within the past few days it seems they've finally posted some information on their site about the new KBs.  Same layout, size as the ABS M1s but with Cherry Blue switches!!!





*edit*  Model number = RK-9000

http://www.rosewill.com/products/1611/productDetail.htm

http://chinese.engadget.com/2010/06/02/computex-2010-rosewill-keyboard/

So now you know.  These will most likely only be sold at Newegg as it is their brand.  Pricing = TBD.  Available date = TBD

The board was briefly listed on Newegg but was taken down it seems.  Since Rosewill just recently posted the product on their site I can't imagine that it will be too long before you'll be able to order one.

http://www.newegg.com/product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16823201040

Thoughts?

[Phaedrus2129]

Might be a hard sell as a gaming keyboard, since everyone has been indoctrinated that MX blues are bad for gaming (though I think that unless you play competitively they're fine). But if it's at the same price point then it would be a much better option than the Adesso MKB-125B.

[washuai]

I'd rather have the fake alps, than cherry blues.  Although, of course I don't like clicky anyways, but I'm glad to hear that the bringing mechanicals to the masses saga continues.

This doing well, probably wouldn't help me get tenkeyless browns, reds or clears, though.  The bad layout iRocks doesn't have what it takes to dissuade me from continuing ergo badness with my G80-8200.

[spolia optima]

Ah, another *new* iteration of the DK-9000; hope it's priced well. Looks like ABS caps too... boring.
The rosewill logo looks pretty spiffy, I have to admit.

[spolia optima]

oh, mounted on a red plate too

+1 for the rosewill.

[spolia optima]

Lighting from the case makes it look red.

Look closely at the first pic

[spolia optima]

Ahhh.... Now I see the red tinge.

Still, I'd rather have true 6-key than a red pcb that I'll never really see.  They could use the money they save from dropping the Gold Plated USB Latency Enhanced connector and buy a few diodes.

The fact that manufacturers can call just about any keyboard "NKRO" really kills me.

And btw gold plated USB connectors lower fragging latency by 2ms- studies have been done.

[wellington1869]

Fukkas, RIP.

Cherry corp must be raking it in.

[Brian8bit]

Ah Rosewill, how I love your exploding PSUs.

[elbowglue]

Look out.  If this keyboard works well, it may be a filco full sized killa.  It's basically the same size and layout.

[muchadoaboutnothing]

Look out.  If this keyboard works well, it may be a filco full sized killa.  It's basically the same size and layout.

As soon as you quote something as an "[insert popular item here] killer" it's dead in the water.

If it's reasonably priced I could see it being popular.

I have an ABS M1 and the quality doesn't really compare. The plate mounting isn't as good (it's LOUD when you bottom out) and in general it doesn't feel as smooth. I'm not sure how much of that is the Fukka Alps vs. Cherry MX switches.

I'm very tempted to pick one of these up even if it isn't NKRO, I want to see if Blue Cherries are what they're cracked up to be.

[microsoft windows]

I'd just raher use a Model M. They're clicky too.

[muchadoaboutnothing]

I'd just raher use a Model M. They're clicky too.

"Click" and "clack" are two very different things.

:horn:

What I'm the MOST curious about is whether or not this keyboard is actually N-key rollover or not. The ABS M1 was not (and, as others have said earlier in this thread, was falsely marketed as being too) which makes me inclined to believe that this is not either. (I'm also ticked off at Rosewill still because I bought a modem that said it supported caller ID and, what do you know, the 5 cents in circuitry wasn't in it. Whoops!)

You think the people at Rosewill will give me an honest (or informed answer) if I email them and ask? (do the switches have diodes, maybe ask them to provide a screenshot of the Microsoft keyboard test if I really want to bust chops).

[ch_123]

No need to. One of them OCN types will buy it and I'm sure the appropriate information will trickle down to us...

[Brodie337]

We know that. Now go play with the other children.

Edit: To MW

[ch_123]

MW should donate his brain to science. The medical world could learn an awful lot from it...

[washuai]

Trolls or not, BS > blue cherries, especially if those cherries lack NKRO.  
It is red light, so that PCB could be silver, in which case it would be a plate not PCB?  There need be more pictures with some normal light or something, before that question is resolved.

[ch_123]

As far as I know, unless the keyboard is made by Cherry (which this one clearly is not) then it uses plate mounted switches. If it is made by Cherry, then it is PCB mounted.

[ch_123]

NKRO, that's that thing that no one really needs, right?

[washuai]

NKRO, that's that thing that no one really needs, right?

Yup, no one needs it.  Silly over achieving fast typists.  That is an over inflated software control scheme over there.  Why if they just learn crappy matrices and remap most things, they can carry on just fine.

Seriously, does the thing even offer 6KRO for common gaming combos?

[muchadoaboutnothing]

NKRO, that's that thing that no one really needs, right?

It is red light, so that PCB could be silver

Nope, from the Rosewill site:

in which case it would be a plate not PCB?  There need be more pictures with some normal light or something, before that question is resolved.

From the Chinese Engadget post:

不過鐵板那邊漆成紅色，一來符合品牌形象，二來似乎也滿好看的。

However the sheet iron that side paints red, one conforms to the brand image, two come as if also very good to look.

However, there iron painted red, one to fit the brand image, and second, seems full of good-looking.

However sheet on the other side painted red and one to meet the brand image, 2 to also appears to have full good-looking.

Seems to indicate it's a painted plate.

[washuai]

Thermaltake red . . Rosewill red . . Redrum, Redrum  
/me looks at black and blue rig  
.o0if I had a second rig would be black/green  
I think I'm gonna stop posting in this thread.

I know people that have red/black rigs, but they think cherry browns are loud . .

[ch_123]

I'm not trolling. I can type about 80-100WPM, and I don't have any problems with 2KRO keyboards.

If you're mashing down more than one key whilst typing, you're doing it horribly wrong.

[itlnstln]

I'm not trolling. I can type about 80-100WPM, and I don't have any problems with 2KRO keyboards.

If you're mashing down more than one key whilst typing, you're doing it horribly wrong.

This.  I type and have typed on 2KRO 'boards all the time with no problems.  I don't play games any more, so I don't know how much NKRO can affect gaming, but typing is fine on 2KRO.

[spolia optima]

If it's marketed to gamers, why not choose brown switches over blues? the blue release point kills it for FPS games, browns are a much better choice.

actually, i know the answer to that... it's the "clicky" thing, isn't it?

[elbowglue]

On that lateral view do you guys think that is Filco profile keycaps or cherry profile keycaps?

[itlnstln]

On that lateral view do you guys think that is Filco profile keycaps or cherry profile keycaps?

I would say Filco.  This looks like another Costar 'board like the M1.

[aegrotatio]

I will buy two of these immediately.  I'm glad those whiners didn't put them out of business with all the RMAs on the ABS M1.

And, my ABS M1, passes 6-key NKRO.  Later models have revised firmware.  I have two of them.  My only problem is key transposition but I do that on all keyboards so I don't blame the M1 as being any worse than others as my other posts about the M1 say.

[aegrotatio]

Oh, well I guess I could test it again, still, 4 keys are good enough at $20 per keyboard, but I bought it two months ago and ABS posted in the reviews it had been revised since last year.

[ricercar]

"Click" and "clack" are two very different things.

Don't they moderate Car Talk?

[phillip]

I'm very tempted to pick one of these up even if it isn't NKRO, I want to see if Blue Cherries are what they're cracked up to be.

This.  I don't know what kind of switches the cherry boards at my old job used, but I don't remember them anyway.  I've got a board with black switches, and I'd like to try out some others if the price is right :D

[majestouch]

With or without NKRO, this board will not retail *anywhere* near $20.

[Nonmouse]

With or without NKRO, this board will not retail *anywhere* near $20.

And neither did the M1- it just finally reached that low to blow the last few out...

[niz]

Why is the Elitekeyboard so expensive?

huh?

[aegrotatio]

I was not in any way suggesting this new one would be $20 but I will buy two at whatever price Newegg/Rosewill quotes.

(I'm typing this response on a $20 ABS M1.  Damn RMAers killed this board.)

[wellington1869]

Don't they moderate Car Talk?

broke my heart when I heard that they not only moderated it, but most of the calls are somewhat set up (caller talks first extensively with the shows director), and the best parts of each call are spliced together, and that prepped and taped and spliced and edited part is what they air "live".  

The number they give out during the show is indeed a live number - but they take your info and the following week the director calls you at home or something.

At least, thats what I heard... broke my heart cuz the show is so hilarious but if you think about it what show could be funnier than a sitcom and still be spontaneous, but i'm still a fan anyway.

[ch_123]

I was not in any way suggesting this new one would be $20 but I will buy two at whatever price Newegg/Rosewill quotes.

(I'm typing this response on a $20 ABS M1.  Damn RMAers killed this board.)

Yeah, god forbid people wouldn't like a keyboard with mediocre switches and a whole stack of controller issues.

[itlnstln]

At least, thats what I heard... broke my heart cuz the show is so hilarious but if you think about it what show could be funnier than a sitcom and still be spontaneous, but i'm still a fan anyway.

Even if that's the case, they are still spontaneously funny.  Those jokes weren't written before the call.  I have seen a few interviews with them, and they are genuinely that funny.

[wellington1869]

Even if that's the case, they are still spontaneously funny.  Those jokes weren't written before the call.  I have seen a few interviews with them, and they are genuinely that funny.

true.  they make me laugh, they make me cry.
one thing that was lame tho -- did you see that animated series based on cartalk at all? Didnt like it, it just didnt capture the feel of the radio show. Similarly there was a half hearted attempt at a sitcom based on it, starring george wendt from cheers (you know, your alter ego). Again totally failed to capture the feel of the radio show. It was actually a really boring sitcom.

Something about the radio format I think adds to the entertainment of that show. Not being able to see them, but only hear them, for some reason adds to the hilarity. There's not much to view anyway. In both the animated series and the sitcom, most of the time they just showed them sitting on a couch or something. not exciting to watch, distracting even.

[Viett]

I was not in any way suggesting this new one would be $20 but I will buy two at whatever price Newegg/Rosewill quotes.

(I'm typing this response on a $20 ABS M1.  Damn RMAers killed this board.)

I RMAed mine. Their own fault for false advertising.

[microsoft windows]

At least spell it right if you're gonna troll.

I Like Turtles!

Show Image

You're like the movie industry, running out of ideas.

[microsoft windows]

Don't they moderate Car Talk?

You mean "Cah-Tawk"?

[ch_123]

You're like the movie industry, running out of ideas.

Funny you should say that...

Clavier Mecanique? Lol

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

Now shipping at Newegg.    N-key.  Laser printed keys (which lasts long but doesn't look all that hot in my opinion - you can see the lower contrast even in this pic).

Show Image

$99.  I'd wait until it drops to around $70 (Adesso price range) if I were you.  Rosewill is a discount brand so the pricing is a little screwed up here.

I will wait until the price drops too.  I have wanted a Cherry Blue board ever since discovering that I can't type on a Cherry Brown.  I will wait to see how low they go.

[microsoft windows]

I'm just a little bit set in my ways.

[muchadoaboutnothing]

At $70 I would have probably risked it but for $99 it's just not worth the risk that Rosewill hasn't made some sort of mistake (like the ABS  M1, which wasn't N-key when it originally claimed it was).

I'll be keeping an eye out.

Anyhow, it's coming out today. If sales are slow, Newegg will drop the price. I doubt they'll raise it, you'd be adding another digit (huge perceptually).

[microsoft windows]

broke my heart when I heard that they not only moderated it, but most of the calls are somewhat set up (caller talks first extensively with the shows director), and the best parts of each call are spliced together, and that prepped and taped and spliced and edited part is what they air "live".  

The number they give out during the show is indeed a live number - but they take your info and the following week the director calls you at home or something.

At least, thats what I heard... broke my heart cuz the show is so hilarious but if you think about it what show could be funnier than a sitcom and still be spontaneous, but i'm still a fan anyway.

I haven't listened to "Cah-Tawk" in a long time.

[ThirdLap]

While they always seem to be of decent quality, to me Rosewill just has somewhat of a 'generic brand' aura to it.  I would jump all over this for $59, but for ~$100 I think I'd opt for the Filco.

Interesting that the Rosewill is 400g heavier though.

[ThirdLap]

Gold USB Connector.

Au is a heavy metal.

Must be it.  There's something to be said about a connector that weighs nearly a pound.  Gold is the only way to go if you want to ensure all of the zeros and ones get through.

[Megaweapon]

If you don't mind the 15% restocking fee...