Thermaltake Knucker "Plunger" switch keyboard

[Vintage]

Not sure if this has already been discussed but did anyone notice the ttesports keyboard that came out that uses so called plunger switches with white-ish stems from the looks of it? I know it's not a typo because they also have a rated life of only 15 million presses as opposed to the 50 million of Cherry MX.

Looks kinda interesting. Anyone know about or tried this???

http://usa.ttesports.com/products/product.aspx?p=33&g=ftr

[wetto]

Nothing new there, same thing as the i-Rocks KR-6260:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823204034

Which isn't really good. By the way, both are made in the same factory (i-Rocks).

[tp4tissue]

Nothing new there, same thing as the i-Rocks KR-6260:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823204034

Which isn't really good. By the way, both are made in the same factory (i-Rocks).

how do you know they're the same?

[wetto]

Nothing new there, same thing as the i-Rocks KR-6260:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823204034

Which isn't really good. By the way, both are made in the same factory (i-Rocks).

how do you know they're the same?

Thermaltake has been doing business with i-Rocks since long time ago...

[tp4tissue]

See, I don't believe this is a good design for the sliders. While large form fitting sliders increase "stability", they also generate more friction.

It would be better to have a much simpler design with a sharp slider with much smaller contacting area.

[Vintage]

I was more talking about how the switches differ from others out on the market or if anyone ever tried them. It sounds like these are tactile and clicky.

Pretty good deal ATM for $33 on amazon. Probably better than cheap RD's.

[FoxWolf1]

I was more talking about how the switches differ from others out on the market or if anyone ever tried them. It sounds like these are tactile and clicky.

Pretty good deal ATM for $33 on amazon. Probably better than cheap RD's.

They feel like typical rubber domes, and are not clicky. I know this because I had the i-Rocks version (and yes, the sliders were absolutely identical to the ones pictured above). For $33, you can get a MicroConnectors ALPS board, or even (on a lucky day) a Model M off eBay. Occasionally you'll even see something with Cherry switches at that level from some sort of extreme sale. So perhaps not such a good deal, really...

[Vintage]

Ahhh... that stink's. I was fooled by those darn marketers.

I figured they would still maybe beat out cheap RD's.

[BucklingSpring]

Quote of the day "Mechanical Keyboard-like Typing" -> We gotta give it to the marketing guys... That's creative.

Then I read:
"capable of delivering incredible 15 million keystrokes of elasticity, and quite audible feedback"

I bet the Kucker II will be the first rubber dome based keyboard that pings.

[FoxWolf1]

What really gets me about the tT version is that they make a big deal on their website about having done lots of "research" to design the plunger, when really all they've done is made use of something that their OEM previously used in one of its own products. Pretty sketchy.

[laffindude]

^That's just standard marketing practice. Most marketing people will say their company developed the wondertech, when it is just their suppliers who did the work. Look at Carl Matsu and how he fooled keyboardlover into thinking he designed the keyboard when it is basically a CST104 inside.

[FoxWolf1]

Standard or not, it's still bull**** and I'll have no qualms either about pointing it out to others or letting it influence any considerations I might have for buying products from the company.

[tp4tissue]

ACTUALLY,, the only thing a manufacturer needs to do is put a little spring under each rubber dome, and they'd essentially created Topre...

Topre is nothing more than a rubber dome keyboard with a conductor that actuates at 2mm instead of 4mm..

[FoxWolf1]

ACTUALLY,, the only thing a manufacturer needs to do is put a little spring under each rubber dome, and they'd essentially created Topre...

Topre is nothing more than a rubber dome keyboard with a conductor that actuates at 2mm instead of 4mm..

Not really...a Topre uses capacitive rather than contact sensing (that's what the spring is for), and the domes are not the same material as a typical rubber dome keyboard.

[Hyde]

lol sorry to revive this thread but the other day I was at my local computer store buying mouse, then I realize they have this keyboard on the display for me to try.

First impression is that this is surprisingly good consider it's rubber dome.  It sort of sit between scissor switch and regular OEM keycap height.

It also makes a click sound on rebound (not downstroke).  I'm assuming it's similar to Topre where the switch housing hits the mounting case on upstroke or something like that.

You can hear the sound here:

To be honest I quite like the keyboard.  I'd almost recommend this as a good cheap alternative but too bad that they seem to only carry ISO version.

It will bug the crap out of me considering I'm used to ANSI layout.

Otherwise I think it's an interesting attempt from Thermaltake. 

[davkol]

That isn't ISO.

[Hyde]

lol right my bad, I guess it's more like SteelSeries 6GV2 now that you mention it.

[Pacifist]

What designer decided the fatass enter is a good idea?

[False_Dmitry_II]

What designer decided the fatass enter is a good idea?

Eh, I have it on so many that I don't mind either way.