Rosewill or DAS?

[Dan Hibiki]

Since I've read the AnandTech review on the Rosewill, I started to read a little bit more about those keyboards and ended up with those two options (with Cherry MX Browns, since those seem to be a popular choice for the first mechanical keyboard). I am not a pro typer and will be playing some FPS (mainly TF2) and programming on those, so the browns should be okay.

Which one is a better choice?

I don't like the glossy finish on the DAS, but it does have a USB 2.0 hub, which is a plus (even though I have 2 USB ports on my monitor and 2 more on the computer case...) and it seems to be well constructed from what I have been reading.

The Rosewill seems to have this fading issue, but I don't know if there are other known problems. The logo is ugly too, but I can live with that. I like the classic look on it, everything that looks "modern" will look "dated" in not too long... The red plate underneath the keys is a nice touch, too.

Both are about the same price (116CAD for the Rosewill, 115CAD for the DAS), so it is more a question of build quality, known issues and stuff like that.

I would like to have a keyboard with a palm rest since I've been using one since a long time ago, so I considered other keyboards like the Xarmor U9 (cheap, but seems to have quality issues and is 2KRO only) and the Tte Meka G1 (with Cherry Blacks and doesn't have the left Windows key, which I do use), so if someone could give me some thought about those (or any other with a palm rest and Cherry Browns) it would be cool as well.

Thanks!

PS: Searching for the DAS on this board is a pain in the ass...

[slueth]

buy whatever you want, but buy a separate wrist rest..

[flyball]

welcome to geekhack

[slueth]

I got the rosewill, fine board, get some lube for the stabilzers.  I would even wait till there is a sale, if your not in a rush, to save 20 bucks.

[Gawkbasher]

I think the DAS is often avoided here because this is a place where "shiny things" are not well appreciated if they're made of plastic.

[jellowiggler]

I'd save a bit o money and get the Rosewill.  It's a good board, no glossy finish. :-)

[commandercup]

Get the Rosewill! I've seen both in person (friends) and the Rosewill is so much cleaner. If you really hate the logo you can probably just wipe it off with some serious scrubbing and alcohol. That gloss finish looks disgusting after you spend a few days typing.

[dimoniy]

For about the same price I would go for DAS. Rosewills are generally cheaper than DAS so DAS looks like a better deal

[Gawkbasher]

dimoniy, do you mean cheaper build quality? Because otherwise your statement confuses me greatly.

Anyhow, the DAS is a fingerprint magnet.  It will look like an oily mess after an hour of typing.  So if that matters to you, or price does, I'd say get the Rosewill.

[dreamingftw]

I was thinking about getting a Rosewill but hate the logo. Anyone have a picture of it with the logo removed? I was wondering if the alcohol will remove the paint of the case at all. I don't want to bother if the case paint will be discolored. Thanks.

[angry gamer]

I was thinking about getting a Rosewill but hate the logo. Anyone have a picture of it with the logo removed? I was wondering if the alcohol will remove the paint of the case at all. I don't want to bother if the case paint will be discolored. Thanks.

This what happens when you use alcohol repeatedly in the same spot:









See that nasty shine? I wasn't trying to remove the logo, I was using alcohol wipes to clean it and I just happen to hit that spot more frequently.

But what happened is that the alcohol would leave a smudge after the cleaning and I didn't notice it. What I realized is that if you wipe just so it wouldn't leave a smudge.

So I kept trying to rub it and consequently realized I was doing more damage than good. Sort of like the Seinfeld episode with the smell in the car. You try different things, then pretty soon you wind up with some sort of abomination of a funk.

I wrote to Rosewill and they said to use Clorox wipes rather than alcohol. I wish they would have included cleaning instructions.

To the OP about the DAS, it may have USB ports but you will lose rollover key function if you use USB, if I'm not mistaken.

[Atenacius]

Everyone craps really hard on the Das' glossy finish but I really like it. I don't get fingerprints on it much when I type. My only gripe about it is that the gloss finish highlights slight imperfections in the plastic molding process. If they could cast it with less deformation it would be perfect.

[Dan Hibiki]

For about the same price I would go for DAS. Rosewills are generally cheaper than DAS so DAS looks like a better deal

Yes, that's what I have been thinking. It seems that 116 CAD for a Rosewill is expensive since it can be found cheaper than that and the DAS at 115 is not a bad price.

With that being said, right now the Rosewill with Black switches is selling for 80 CAD... So I'm tempted to go this route since I never had a mechanical keyboard anyways (I won't know what the difference between browns and blacks will be). I'll read the forum about the black switches a little more before making a decision though.

Thanks for all the opinions, guys!

[rustybarnacle]

Teh DAS is indeed a glossy fingerprint magnet.  It's also a really well put together board.

[jellowiggler]

Newegg rotates which switch type rk-9000 is on sale.

There is almost always one of the models on sale.  If you don't like the model that is on sale now, just wait a few weeks.  It will change.

[Dan Hibiki]

Unfortunately, I can't wait because I don't live in Canada, I'll be ordering one and someone will bring it to me. :smile: