Topres: Easier to press than standard rubber domes?

[fuzzybaffy]

Considering a Topre. I'll probably purchase it despite whatever answer I get, but I just want to ask: Are they easier to press than standard/typical rubber dome keyboards?

[Will@Drop]

Topre has a variety of options for actuation force. I've never owned one myself but I was able to try a few at the bay area meet up and I'd say that most require a little more force than the average rubber dome. 

[scytheR]

i'm using a topre 104u variable and compared to my old logitech k200, i feel that the keys are easier to press. its more solid and has a more satisfying feel when you type, i sortof typed hard when i first got my keybaord because i was too used to smashing in the keys on my k200, not that it was hard to actuate keys but it felt good when u get a more solid 'thud'. but i get the better, more solid feel by typing normally on my topre.

[urbanus]

Considering a Topre. I'll probably purchase it despite whatever answer I get, but I just want to ask: Are they easier to press than standard/typical rubber dome keyboards?

Yes.  I've got a variable, and I find that it's at the sweet spot where if it were any lighter you'd have a problem with accidental keystrokes (c.f. MX red).  If you want something light and non-fatiguing, yet still accurate, you won't find much better.

[elitekeyboards]

"standard" rubber domes are designed to collapse completely when pressed whereas the domes in a Topre switch are designed to provide a smooth resistance change at the point of actuation. The resistance change in lightweight Topre switches (<35g) is barely noticeable; yet this change is very distinct and feels snappy in a 55g weighted switch.

[NKRO]

I received my HHKB Pro 2 Type-S in the mail today (45g uniform) and I have to wonder what kind of rubber-dome keyboards people have been using. It doesn’t feel like any rubber-dome keyboard I have ever used. I have to imagine that people saying that about these keyboards, have never used them, and are saying that based on what they think it will feel like due to the switch design.

There is tactility to the switches, but unlike the cherry keyboards I’ve used in the past, it feels a lot more linear when depressing the keys. There’s enough resistance that you can rest your fingers on the keys, but when you start pressing down it feels linear. With Cherry switches, I often found keys getting “stuck” on the tactile bump when I use a light touch, and I can’t see that happening here. With rubber domes, a lot more force is required to depress the key, and you need to hit the bottom of the switch to actually register a keypress.

[khaangaaroo]

I agree that topre domes feel different than standard rubber domes, so it's a little hard to compare. But based strictly on how hard the keys are to press, here's my take:

50g - heavier than any standard rubber dome that I've tried
45g - lighter than standard. similar to what you would find on a laptop keyboard
35g - close to mx reds
30g - even lighter. can barely rest the fingers on the keys.

[fuzzybaffy]

Thanks for letting me know. Really glad someone mentioned the "non-fatiguing" nature of Topres.

I actually measured my personal rubber dome board to require 70g of force to actuate (but I'm not sure of the accuracy of my methodology, which was why I asked the original question in this thread), and for some reason, even the lighter Cherry MX switches (red and brown) I've tried were still more fatiguing during sustained periods of use. And, needless to say, the blues caused more fatigue.

Not sure what it is, but my guess is the purely mechanical nature of the Cherry switches, and the fact that they require some travel down the keys to actuate, have something to do with it (I understand rubber domes technically require travel all the way down to actuate, but since the tactility point is at the top, and the force required to push the key past that point, takes the key all the way down anyway (almost all the time), it seems to me the actuation point, in the most practical sense, is at the very top). Also, I think the fact that rubber domes have... rubber domes where the keys bottom out has a lot to do with it, as well.

Anyway... Thanks for letting me know. Now I'm almost 100% sure I'll get a Topre, and pretty excited about it. It's just going to take some time to save money, but I'll get there!

[haylo75]

Long time lurker, first time poster.  I am typing on my one week old Topre 104UB from EK.  I came from using Unicomp Spacesavers for the past few years, and needed something quieter for the office.  People don't seem to like the loudness of the M or its clones.   I remember when I first started in the workforce, everyone had M's and no one seemed to mind.

It's taking me awhile to get used to the Topre.  I've been practicing prose typing on Typeracer, but that doesn't necessarily translate well to writing code, which is what I do all day long.  These things being said, I am slowly figuring out how to actuate the keys on my Topre in an accurate manner.  It takes a lot more finesse, and a lot less reliance on my very ingrained feel for buckling spring tactility.  I'm at the teetering point now, as I find myself committing more typos on my Unicomp at the home office.  I'm not sure I can afford another Topre though!

Regarding comparison to rubber domes, actuation "feel" is not dissimilar to some rubber domes I've tried recently.  However, the major difference is that I don't have to bottom a key out to actuate it.  That's what I'm having a hard time getting used to, yet at the same time feel will be a big benefit when I do.

I hope you enjoy your Topre if/when you get it.

[0100010]

If you sold your Unicomp SSK though, you just may be able to get another Topre.... 

[haylo75]

That's a good point, I can definitely sell one of my two...

[0100010]

I call dibs!