My Filco Arrived Today

[mkeeley]

Bought a 104 key yellow edition, with browns, from The Keyboard Company, wasn't expecting it until after the hols so t was a nice surprise. So far I'm pleased with it, the only "problem" are the LEDs that should have one of those laser warning stickers. Put some black whiteboard pen on them (that's all I had handy) and it takes the edge off, just. Makes you realise how totally, utterly awful my laptop and to a slightly lesser extent my mac keyboards are. Haven't used a mechanical since IBM days.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Wait ... you mean that your avatar is what you've been planning to buy? Thought you had that avatar before yesterday … Maybe I'm just trapped in a temporal paradox.

[mkeeley]

Drew the avatar (not much of an avatar) after I bought it and before the LEDs damaged my eyesight! Was slightly worried that it would be garish but I don't think it.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Hm, was sure you had that avatar before yesterday. Those caps are going to scourge your retinas before the LEDs. Little black beetles will love it though.

I put lavender WASD keys (but as the arrow keys) on my Realforce and sometimes I mistake the keys for being illuminated for a second before I realise that's stupid and impossible … Onset of senility I'm afraid. I'd prefer something more subtle, but keycap options for Topre suck.

I find that since the LEDs face the ceiling and not me, so long as I don't lean over the keyboard, it's no bother. Topre have set the LEDs much lower down in the Realforce and used light-diffusing plastic on top of that, so the LEDs are nowhere near as bad. As I've said before, I can stare into the blue LED of my display quite happily as, while it's bright, it's closer in intensity to a normal green LED. Dell's current keyboards also have blue LEDs that are darker than FILCO's green LEDs.

A quick search on the Internet indicates that you can dim an LED with a resistor (as opposed to pulse width modulation) so goodness knows why all these companies can't just slap in a resistor in the blue LED models – I guess even that level of customisation would cost too much? Surprised no-one actually sells factory-made No-Eyeball-Rape™ blue LEDs with an integrated resistor on the semiconductor. But then, in my Perfect World™, FILCO would use No-Eyeball-Rape™ blue LEDs for MX blue, orange LEDs for MX brown, and so forth … just can't decide on a colour for MX black :-/ (Leopold clears will take the white LEDs)

[mkeeley]

The LEDs are fine during the day it's mainly in the evening they're a problem, just have to keep num lock off unless I need it. If they start to really annoy me I'll give it to my brother to sort out.

Wouldn't normally choose a yellow keyboard but I just fancied it and it's easy to change if I get fed up of the colour.

[Surly73]

I have to say that I'm not quite sure why this is such a problem.  I have a Filco TKL w/ browns (so blue LEDs) as well.  I'll admit that they're bright, and Filco seems to have used LEDs without diffusion so they're pretty focused.  That being said, I have to bring my face right on top of the keyboard and stare into the LEDs to notice this.  This is NOT a normal typing position.  In normal typing positions (where my eyes are at least forearm length away) they are barely noticeable and certainly don't require "fixing".  Sure, I wish they used diffused LEDs in any colour but blue (am I the only one in the world that hates blue LEDs and think they are terribly overused?) but it's not a deal killer for me.

Frankly I find the Leopold's to be a lot more bothersome since a lot of light is emitted from the front face of the key right into my eyes.  Luckily I pretty much never have a lock set since it's also a TKL (so no perpetual NumLock).

[limmy]

I had the same LED issue with my Filco numpad. It was just too bright. I put some thick tape over it to mitigate the issue back in 2007. It is surprising they didn't fix/adjust the brightness after 5 years.. I guess people don't mind super bright LEDs..

[mkeeley]

I have to say that I'm not quite sure why this is such a problem.  I have a Filco TKL w/ browns (so blue LEDs) as well.  I'll admit that they're bright, and Filco seems to have used LEDs without diffusion so they're pretty focused.  That being said, I have to bring my face right on top of the keyboard and stare into the LEDs to notice this.  This is NOT a normal typing position.  In normal typing positions (where my eyes are at least forearm length away) they are barely noticeable and certainly don't require "fixing".  Sure, I wish they used diffused LEDs in any colour but blue (am I the only one in the world that hates blue LEDs and think they are terribly overused?) but it's not a deal killer for me.

Frankly I find the Leopold's to be a lot more bothersome since a lot of light is emitted from the front face of the key right into my eyes.  Luckily I pretty much never have a lock set since it's also a TKL (so no perpetual NumLock).

Perhaps the yellows are, or feel, brighter than blue? It's not a huge deal but even in the proper typing position they are too bright in low light. But it's only a minor complaint especially as it's only really num lock that I use.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Oh wait ... yellow LEDs? (Just checked – it has "Yellow LEDs" and "Blue LEDs" …)

The gimmicky things that go in the garden with solar panels that light up at night – blue is far darker than red or green, but on equipment, blue LEDs are brighter … go figure.

Don't normally see yellow LEDs, just the typical half-hearted attempt at green that's as much yellow as it is green. Real green LEDs are rare. Yellow LEDs, not sure if I've ever seen one.

[Surly73]

Perhaps the yellows are, or feel, brighter than blue? It's not a huge deal but even in the proper typing position they are too bright in low light. But it's only a minor complaint especially as it's only really num lock that I use.

Maybe different "beam width" LEDs are used and the yellows are wider beam than the blues.  I have to get my eyes right above the blues before you see the dazzle instead of just scatter light.  In a dark room, I'd almost expect the blues to light a circle on the ceiling.  Interesting...

[Daniel Beardsmore]

The blues do put a bright circle on the ceiling.

[mkeeley]

Oh wait ... yellow LEDs? (Just checked – it has "Yellow LEDs" and "Blue LEDs" …)

The gimmicky things that go in the garden with solar panels that light up at night – blue is far darker than red or green, but on equipment, blue LEDs are brighter … go figure.

Don't normally see yellow LEDs, just the typical half-hearted attempt at green that's as much yellow as it is green. Real green LEDs are rare. Yellow LEDs, not sure if I've ever seen one.

Yeah, yellow keys, yellow/gold logo and yellow leds (all three and slightly on the amber side of yellow). Also the case isn't black, the cable is blacker. That might be the standard Filco black I don't know and the yellow keys might make it look slightly greyer than it is.

My brother was there when I first plugged it in and we both commented how bright they were even from the side. Whether that's the actual brightness or perceived brightness I can't say. Anyhow it's not enough to spoil things.

[sth]

I love those yellow Filcos. I want dyesubbed PBT caps or at least a ninja version though.