Sell my blackwidow and get a DAS?

[wompwomp]

I posted this on OCN but didn't get much useful feedback.

So i've had my blackwidow for about a month not and I absolutely love mx blue switches. But lately I kind of want to sell my blackwidow and get a das, here's why.

Well the MAIN reason why I want to sell my blackwidow and get a DAS is because the larger keys (excluding the spacebar) are MUCH stiffer than the regular keys. It's beyond annoying.

But if I do decide to sell it and get a da, I'll be losing a lot of futures. I'll be losing the macro keys which I don't use that often but its nice to have. I will also be losing the media keys which isn't a big deal but again its nice to have.

So I need your help and plz only answer to this if you have used/owned both of these keyboards.

How does the DAS feel in comparison to the blackwidow, larger keys as well as the smaller ones.

Do you guys think its worth it? I'll cost be a total for $40 more dollar.

[Wallach]

Personally I think the construction quality difference justifies the price difference. However, you're going to have to weigh the media keys and macro keys on your own; personally I view them as a negative more than a positive, as it just increases the profile of the board and I've never used them on boards that had them in the past.

The problem you're speaking to about the stabilized keys doesn't exist on the Das Keyboard. They use a different stabilizer mechanism that preserves the switch feel almost perfectly, though you'll hear a tiny bit of rattle out of them instead (from the metal wire in the stabilizer).

[manfaux]

have you thought about Filco/Leopold? I kinda dislike the shiny finish on the Dases

[wompwomp]

I have but they're kind of out of my price range.

As for the shinyness, it doesn't bother me that much.

[The Solutor]

Well the MAIN reason why I want to sell my blackwidow and get a DAS is because the larger keys (excluding the spacebar) are MUCH stiffer than the regular keys. It's beyond annoying.

 
I tough this was a placebo effect, given that with the same spring + heavier keys + the additional weight of stabilizer and hinges, larger keys should be less stiff than the little ones.

So I used my Switch-o-meter* to test the BW and the results confirmed this, smaller keys requires less force than larger ones.

*I call Switch-o-meter an upside down switch used to push the switch I want to test, it not gives an absolute value like ripometer, but is way quicker and effective to compare the evenness of the force required to push a number of keys, with more switches with different activation forces, also a reasonable absolute value can be obtained.

[spitfire6000]

Ah... you are in lucky my friend...

Because I just went through 2 blackwidow ultimates, both defective...and now im on my 2nd das keyboard professional S silent...

The problem with the das is also build quality...but moreso with the cosmetics than the keys. Typing wise the two das that I have (one is a RMA that im waiting to ship out), one is a little lighter and one is a little tighter...so theyre NOT all the same.

MY replacement das has a defect in that the led numlock is a dimmer color and shade of blue than the other lights on the keyboard.

The WORST part about a das keyboard is this...

http://jpegbay.com/gallery/001009354-1.html#1

yea those are my pictures that i took off my blackberry...so you can imagine how crappy it looks in real life. The das you see in the advertisement pictures isnt the same thing ur gonna get when u open that box....prepare for many scratches and blemishes that you cant remove without chemicals, and even then...not permanently.

Im going to be ordering a filco off amazon sometime this week, I am praying its going to be better than the das...even though theyre pretty much from the same factory, same OK quality control sticker on the back.

[Ascaii]

you really should mention that you didnt buy your DAS directly from them, but rather from a retailer...a lot of the issues you have experienced can just as well the (and probablly are) the fault of the retailer, not the DAS itself. I still believe you were sent used boards, so stop hating the DAS for no reason.

[spitfire6000]

you really should mention that you didnt buy your DAS directly from them, but rather from a retailer...a lot of the issues you have experienced can just as well the (and probablly are) the fault of the retailer, not the DAS itself. I still believe you were sent used boards, so stop hating the DAS for no reason.

You could not be any further from the truth, check out what they told me when I spoke to das

Ticket #163****: Quality control issues on brand new Das keyboar...
Status: solved
Comment by: Das Keyboard Support
.---
| Hello,
|
| Thanks for contacting us. I'm sorry you received a keyboard that appeared to have been used or refurbished. All the keyboards we have shipped to NewEgg have been brand new.
|
| I can't say for sure about the LED, but it's most likely a manufacturing difference between the bulbs. If it does burn out soon, and you are outside of your warranty with NewEgg, you can come back to us for an exchange as long as you are within the one year warranty we offer.
|
| As far as which keyboard is newer, that would be the first one you listed. It was manufactured in March 2011, and the other one in January 2011.
|
| I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions.
|
| Kind regards,
|
| Das Keyboard Support
`---

--------------------------------------------------------------
A comment has been added to your helpdesk ticket.

I had some serious faith in das, I figured they were an awesome German keyboard company that is in it for the love of keyboardnig...but that was before I figured out their scheme to trick people into thinking theyre actually a german company making german keyboards.

In realilty...they are a bunch of regular american dudes from texas..whom one guy happens to be named something really german sounding....and they like keyboards. Otherwise they have nothing to do with germany or the cherry company aside from ancestry, they live in TEXAS and they have their "german engineered keyboards" not "german engineered switches" which is all they really are,..made completely in Taiwan and even quality controlled IN taiwan.

The worst part is whats written on the back of the Das keyboard box...
"If you type eight hours a day, it might as well be on the best available keyboard. I initially created this uncompromising keyboard for myself, and now I am excited to share it with you."

I gotta hand it to them....that is one of the greatest series of lies made into marketing hype I have seen in the longest time. Heck I fell for it and I only found out the truth after getting the keyboard.

[PlayerZero]

I have but they're kind of out of my price range.

As for the shinyness, it doesn't bother me that much.

A Leopold from EK is $109, not sure about shipping (depends on location I guess.)  That's cheaper than a Das, and I hear Leopolds are on par with Filco quality; Filcos are kind of the standard for build quality here. (And Leopolds have lasered keycaps over the pad printed on Filcos)

[Ascaii]

What they say changes nothing about what I said. They shipped new boards to Newegg, and if Newegg sends you used boards, thats Neweggs fault.
As for your rant about DAS not being german...wow...google it first? As for them not being affiliated with Cherry...that would be true except for the DAS II keyboard, which was a rebranded Cherry G80-3000. Im not a fan of the way their new design looks and prefer the DAS II, but still I think you are over the top with your accusations. You are the first one ive seen to complain about these kind of issues and this version of the DAS has been selling for a while. What I find most offensive about your posts is how you blame and rant at the makers of the DAS, accusing them of lying, blatant greed and marketing-lies. Instead all I see is a troll that didn't research a product before buying, complains about issues caused by the retailer, not the manufacturer. I understand your frustration at having gotten 4 "bad" keyboards, but there is a line between justified anger at a defective product and blaming the wrong guy for said problem.

You could not be any further from the truth, check out what they told me when I spoke to das

Ticket #163****: Quality control issues on brand new Das keyboar...
Status: solved
Comment by: Das Keyboard Support
.---
| Hello,
|
| Thanks for contacting us. I'm sorry you received a keyboard that appeared to have been used or refurbished. All the keyboards we have shipped to NewEgg have been brand new.
|
| I can't say for sure about the LED, but it's most likely a manufacturing difference between the bulbs. If it does burn out soon, and you are outside of your warranty with NewEgg, you can come back to us for an exchange as long as you are within the one year warranty we offer.
|
| As far as which keyboard is newer, that would be the first one you listed. It was manufactured in March 2011, and the other one in January 2011.
|
| I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions.
|
| Kind regards,
|
| Das Keyboard Support
`---

--------------------------------------------------------------
A comment has been added to your helpdesk ticket.

I had some serious faith in das, I figured they were an awesome German keyboard company that is in it for the love of keyboardnig...but that was before I figured out their scheme to trick people into thinking theyre actually a german company making german keyboards.

In realilty...they are a bunch of regular american dudes from texas..whom one guy happens to be named something really german sounding....and they like keyboards. Otherwise they have nothing to do with germany or the cherry company aside from ancestry, they live in TEXAS and they have their "german engineered keyboards" not "german engineered switches" which is all they really are,..made completely in Taiwan and even quality controlled IN taiwan.

The worst part is whats written on the back of the Das keyboard box...
"If you type eight hours a day, it might as well be on the best available keyboard. I initially created this uncompromising keyboard for myself, and now I am excited to share it with you."

I gotta hand it to them....that is one of the greatest series of lies made into marketing hype I have seen in the longest time. Heck I fell for it and I only found out the truth after getting the keyboard.

[Chobopants]

A Leopold from EK is $109, not sure about shipping (depends on location I guess.)  That's cheaper than a Das, and I hear Leopolds are on par with Filco quality; Filcos are kind of the standard for build quality here. (And Leopolds have lasered keycaps over the pad printed on Filcos)

Not on par but as close as you're going to get without going into Filco price, yes.

[HaveANiceDay]

Talk about German engineering and no ripster around? what?!

[daerid]

Ascaii, agreed 100%. If what spitfire6000 is saying were true, then my Das Keyboard would be a POS, rather than the rock solid 15+ hour a day daily driver it's been for roughly 8 months straight. And it's cosmetically perfect (except for the smudges and dust magnet finish, which are easily removed with a cotton cloth).

[Atenacius]

I also have to vouch for Metadot. My Das is pretty sturdy when it comes to the switches. Typing on it feels pretty good. My only complaint is not the glossy finish as much as the slight imperfections around openings since the gloss kind of brings out those flaws. There was also a bit of flashing left over from the forming process. I put doubleshots on it and now it sounds better than before. Stabilizers do feel a little different now but that's not their fault

[wompwomp]

What do you mean exactly by the stabilizers feeling different? The stabilizers is the main reason why I plan on selling my blackwidow.

[False_Dmitry_II]

Ignore what spitfire was saying. Mine came straight from das and is perfectly new, not even a single smudge on it. Until I touched it anyway. I don't really see why you'd pay the same amount or more to buy from a retailer anyway.

[Atenacius]

What do you mean exactly by the stabilizers feeling different? The stabilizers is the main reason why I plan on selling my blackwidow.

 
They only felt different after I switched out the keycaps (not sure why). Before that, I never had a problem with the stabilizers. Maybe the bigger cherry keys aren't optimal for the Das stabilizers

[Atenacius]

No way, not under my watch

[Atenacius]

I don't see how a keyboard can get that bad unless you're bringing the wood shop to your computer desk.

[Atenacius]

I lurk mostly, not experienced enough to do most of the handiwork. Well, trading in a backlit glossy keyboard for a sturdier non-backlit glossy keyboard that costs less. The backlight isn't necessary for anyone who thinks they need a mechanical keyboard.

[jpz]

I had some little problems with the first das model s  professional silent.  The space bar had a metallic sound when hitting it on the right side but not on the left.  This was most likely a problem with the how the space bar sat on the stabilizer.  I sent it back to das and they did find it to be defective and refunded me $8 for the shipping and gave me a brand new keyboard that does not have the problem at all.  With the new keyboard i really enjoy typing and gaming on it.

[theferenc]

If you're a student, the Das is cheaper than a Leopold ($98 shipped, vs. $109 + shipping), and comes in a full 104 layout, rather than the leopold 87 layout. Not everyone wants a tenkeyless, after all.

[Atenacius]

Remember that the Browns cost slightly more so they end up being around the same thing

[theferenc]

The browns are $102.60 for the Das, shipped. So still nearly a $20 savings. Plus the number pad.

[IvanIvanovich]

Personally, i would go with a Leopold. But that is what I did, as it's my preference. The glossy finish of both Razer and Das is off putting to me, and I wanted a tenkeyless. Also it's of my opinion that the build quality of the Leopold is superior to both. I dare say that Leopold = Filco in build quality. It just depends on if you prefer in key lock indicators or not, a rounder body or not, a detachable cable or not, if you're particular about stabilizer type, and how likely you are to want to do a full keycaps swap.
Otherwise Newegg are having a 10% off all keyboards right now. So that may also leave you to look at some other options they carry from Cherry, Adesso, Siig, Zowie, Steelseries, and Thermaltake which fall into your price tier.

[Wallach]

Personally, i would go with a Leopold. But that is what I did, as it's my preference. The glossy finish of both Razer and Das is off putting to me, and I wanted a tenkeyless. Also it's of my opinion that the build quality of the Leopold is superior to both. I dare say that Leopold = Filco in build quality. It just depends on if you prefer in key lock indicators or not, a rounder body or not, a detachable cable or not, if you're particular about stabilizer type, and how likely you are to want to do a full keycaps swap.
Otherwise Newegg are having a 10% off all keyboards right now. So that may also leave you to look at some other options they carry from Cherry, Adesso, Siig, Zowie, Steelseries, and Thermaltake which fall into your price tier.

I don't see the 10% off all keyboards promo. Can you share a link?

[IvanIvanovich]

I got it in a subscriber email, so you might have to be one as well, but : BTEKDHK29
Enter after in cart to get price adjustments.

[Wallach]

I got it in a subscriber email, so you might have to be one as well, but : BTEKDHK29
Enter after in cart to get price adjustments.

That's weird, I'm a subscriber but I don't see that code in the latest promo mail. It does say it is a valid code, but doesn't work on any keyboard I've tried.

[looserboy]

I don't see how a keyboard can get that bad unless you're bringing the wood shop to your computer desk.

same thought in here.  and i agree 100% with ascii about this used keyboard thing and hating stuff. neverless.

i am going to buy a das ultimate silent on wednesday, too.
the cool thing: getdigital is in kiel and i will drive there and test filcos and das keyboards :-) before buying one.

one good reason for the das is the integrated usb hub, too.

[IvanIvanovich]

Oops, my bad. After looking closer it is one of the 'loyal customer' subscriber offers. **PROMO CODES ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE and may only be redeemed using the Newegg account yadda yadda.

[Wallach]

Oops, my bad. After looking closer it is one of the 'loyal customer' subscriber offers. **PROMO CODES ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE and may only be redeemed using the Newegg account yadda yadda.

 
Ohhhhh okay. No worries.

[jpz]

Well Steelseries is out unless you like the non tactile heavy black key switches.

[wompwomp]

Or should I just try to fix/modify my larger keys?

anyone have any idea on how to correct the stabilizers?

Oh and I have another question, the backspace on my blackwidow doesn't feel like it bottoms out when I bottom it out. It feels like there's a cushion underneath the key or something but I popped it off and nothing, its just like every other key. What's causing this?

[Zet]

I haven't used any of both, but if seeing that the only thing stopping you are things I solved so easily with a much more simpler keyboard, please allow me to introduce you to Autohotkeys, you will be capable of achieving anything with your keys with this, or nearly anything.

[looserboy]

^^ in 8 hours i ll get the chance to test the whole spectrum of the das keyboards and filcos from a seller near to me.  and i bet there will be no scratch on them :-)
maybe they will allow me to make soem pictures (but i think they wont, its against our laws to photograph products from sellers even for private purpose, if they have something against this idea)

wompwomp do you have ordered a das already?

[wompwomp]

Na huh not yet.