Scorpius M10 very poorly constructed.

[lambition]

Anyone here use Scorpius M10 ?

If you do open the keyboard and check inside.

I bought Scorpius M10 after reading good reviews here and BRnR.

First thing I did after receiving the the keyboard was open it up and check inside.
First thing I saw was splitted pattern from over heating.



Then I saw resistor lead that wasn't cut properly.




Status LEDs were held in place by hot melt glue because they have broken patterns while soldering.





Some keys are stickly probably because they have overheated switches while soldering.

Soldering job is very poor ( maybe done by a new employee? )
The label over status LED was gray with white border unlike in the picture from ione homepage or BRnR.
This look very ugly on a black keyboard.





'C' key stopped working after only few hours of use. The reason was broken pattern!

Space bar is not only louder than other keys, but it is also harder to press. It takes more force to press it.
Only good thing I see in this keyboard is key switches themselves.


This shows i-one has a serious quality control problem.
I want to know if I am the only person bought such a junk like this. So, if you own this keyboard, please check inside and reply.

I want to get a replacement, but I may have to pay for return shipping.


Some more pictures I have taken are at
http://www.parkoz.com/zboard/view.php?id=my_album&no=51766

Writings are in Korean, but picture tell the story.

[Bluemercury]

I have yet to open my DAS keyboard, but i think i will because it seems this one is very close to the ione m10..... i wonder if this keyboard is better built....

[fkeidjn]

Yeah, the first M10 I got was defective because of the poor construction, so I had to exchange it for another.  Maybe I can use these switches to stick into an authentic Cherry keyboard.

By the way, I don't know about the rest of your M10 keyboards, but when I take a closer look at the keyboard, I notice that some of the keys are not level with the rest.  Does any of you have the same problem?

[Bluemercury]

I dont even know how to open this DAS keyboard, it doesnt even have screws.....at least at first glance i dont see them.

[fkeidjn]

I dont even know how to open this DAS keyboard, it doesnt even have screws.....at least at first glance i dont see them.

I don't have this specific keyboard, but I think I can help.  If you look at the bottom of the keyboard, you see it's snapped together with those plastic thingies (I don't know what they're called, I wouldn't say latch though).  Is there anything that might hold the keyboard from the bottom?

[Bluemercury]

I dont even know how to open this DAS keyboard, it doesnt even have screws.....at least at first glance i dont see them.

I don't have this specific keyboard, but I think I can help.  If you look at the bottom of the keyboard, you see it's snapped together with those plastic thingies (I don't know what they're called, I wouldn't say latch though).  Is there anything that might hold the keyboard from the bottom?

Well it doesnt use screws at all its all in place by using plastic piece type of stubs.

[iMav]

Wow, that's disgusting.  

If someone has a DAS keyboard they are willing to open up...I'd DEFINITELY like to see if it is assembled any better.

[lambition]

Yeah, the first M10 I got was defective because of the poor construction, so I had to exchange it for another.  Maybe I can use these switches to stick into an authentic Cherry keyboard.

By the way, I don't know about the rest of your M10 keyboards, but when I take a closer look at the keyboard, I notice that some of the keys are not level with the rest.  Does any of you have the same problem?

Keys are not perfectly aligned (which I think is normal for mechanical keyboards), but levels are ok.

Did you buy your keyboard on-line?
Did you have to pay for return shipping?

[Bluemercury]

Wow, that's disgusting.  

If someone has a DAS keyboard they are willing to open up...I'd DEFINITELY like to see if it is assembled any better.

I will try to open it but my fear is that since it doesnt use screws to close the upper and lower pieces im a little affraid to broke some of the plastic joint pieces.

[mr_sf_applet]

Well, so much for my thinking the Scorpius M10 was a terrific deal at $40.

Yeah, now I'm curious too about the innards of Das Keyboard II, but I'm such a klutz, I don't dare open mine up for fear of not being able to put it back together again.

[Bluemercury]

Well, so much for my thinking the Scorpius M10 was a terrific deal at $40.

Yeah, now I'm curious too about the innards of Das Keyboard II, but I'm such a klutz, I don't dare open mine up for fear of not being able to put it back together again.

The fact that it doesnt have screw really makes against it too......

[fkeidjn]

I think we were simply paying for the keyswitches, the rest totaling something you could get from a dollar-store.

[iMav]

We should remember that it is yet to be determined whether this is a lemon or not.  There doesn't appear (from the photos) to be anything repulsive about the DESIGN of the keyboard...It is simply that the board was not assembled with care.  This could very well be an aberration.  

I'm going to reserve judgment.

(lambition, have you contacte the company or reseller about this?)

[karlito]

mine has no hot glue... lol wtf

there are no uncut little wires like yours nor are there any bad solder jobs.  i think the poor Chinese man assembling your keyboard was having a bad day.  I did notice they use a super cheap solder, all the toxic fumes are killing the poor guy.

[Nonmouse]

I kind of wonder if that board was a refurbished return- a number of the solders are much shinier than others, which leads me to think they're newer (most notably in the corner where the hot melt glue and board repairs are).  Plus, the case doesn't have the iOne logo over the LEDs like every other picture I've ever seen of the M10.  Weird.


Edited out incorrect info on retailer

[lambition]

We should remember that it is yet to be determined whether this is a lemon or not.  There doesn't appear (from the photos) to be anything repulsive about the DESIGN of the keyboard...It is simply that the board was not assembled with care.  This could very well be an aberration.  

I'm going to reserve judgment.

(lambition, have you contacte the company or reseller about this?)

I have contacted reseller via E-mail.
What worries me is that I will have to pay for return shipping.
If I have to pay for return shipping (which probably will be around $9 ) I end up paying same or more than some better keyboard I could have bought.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

IMO, you should complain to amazon.   They should refund you and drop this seller.

[lambition]

I kind of wonder if that board was a refurbished return- a number of the solders are much shinier than others, which leads me to think they're newer (most notably in the corner where the hot melt glue and board repairs are).  Plus, the case doesn't have the iOne logo over the LEDs like every other picture I've ever seen of the M10.  Weird.

Also, the site he says he bought it through (ergonomic.com) seems to be a "parked" clickthrough advertising page, dummied up to look like a storefront, complete with fake, non-clickable paypal, visa, amex and thawte secure site icons at the bottom.  

I'm not sure I'd take this as representative of M10 boards...

http://geekhack.org/viewtopic.php?t=202

His keyboard doesn't have that logo either.

Its possible the keyboard I bought failed their quality control (if they even have one.. ) and was repaired (when it should been thrown away! ).
Shinier solder doesn't mean they are newer. If solder job was done correctly, they will be shiny. If solder was heated for too long, it will oxidize and no longer shines.
I know this cause I do lots of soldering.

I bought it from http://ergogeek.com

Must have made mistake while writing review. Fixed review.

[xsphat]

How many of these messed up keyboards were bought at a savings of like $10 from eBay? And how many of those were bought from a real site's eBay addy?

Think about it, the SMK85 that were bought from eBay all sucked, while the one mr_sf_applet bought from a real site is in perfect working order, though ugly. I am wondering if the M10s are the same way.

I would rather pay the extra $10 to $30 and have a better chance of not having hot glue holding my brand new joint together, no matter what switches it uses.

[lambition]

How many of these messed up keyboards were bought at a savings of like $10 from eBay? And how many of those were bought from a real site's eBay addy?

Think about it, the SMK85 that were bought from eBay all sucked, while the one mr_sf_applet bought from a real site is in perfect working order, though ugly. I am wondering if the M10s are the same way.

I would rather pay the extra $10 to $30 and have a better chance of not having hot glue holding my brand new joint together, no matter what switches it uses.

I actually bought it from egrogeek's real site.
They used to have it cheaper on eBay, but they raised price (same price to their actual web-site) when I finally decided to buyt it. Egrogeek.com had free shipping promotion so I bought it from their web site.

If I knew this keyboard is built so poor like this, I would have paid more for better keyboard.
I could have orderd Filco Zero for about $70 (including shipping) from Korea (it actually is more expensive to buy from Japan for some reason).
The one sold in Korea is basically English version of the keyboard with Korean alphabets written on it. No extra keys like Japanese version.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

OMG!  You are a real live Korean!  That is so awesome!  Finally we'll have someone to tell us what they're saying on kbdmania.net.

[xsphat]

I could have orderd Filco Zero for about $70 (including shipping) from Korea (it actually is more expensive to buy from Japan for some reason). The one sold in Korea is basically English version of the keyboard with Korean alphabets written on it. No extra keys like Japanese version.

LINK please!

[xsphat]

And can anyone tell me where to get one of these?

[lambition]

OMG!  You are a real live Korean!  That is so awesome!  Finally we'll have someone to tell us what they're saying on kbdmania.net.

Yes I am Korean living in the US. But the problem is I don't go to kbdmani.net .

I have been there only about 2 times.

[lambition]

I could have orderd Filco Zero for about $70 (including shipping) from Korea (it actually is more expensive to buy from Japan for some reason). The one sold in Korea is basically English version of the keyboard with Korean alphabets written on it. No extra keys like Japanese version.

LINK please!

http://www.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=121196209&pos_shop_cd=SH&pos_class_cd=111111111&pos_class_kind=T&keyword_order=filco&search_keyword=filco

Its sold at 57,000 won in Korea. Which is about $60 in US dollar. Shipping to the US would be about $20. So I guess it will end up being $80. (maybe I can get it cheaper if I have my friends in Korea to ship it over. )



I think I have seen that keyboard you are asking for before. If I remember correctly it was custom made.
Not really sold anywhere.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

And can anyone tell me where to get one of these?

That is seriously cool.  I wouldn't mind an extra pair of meta keys though.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

I could have orderd Filco Zero for about $70 (including shipping) from Korea (it actually is more expensive to buy from Japan for some reason). The one sold in Korea is basically English version of the keyboard with Korean alphabets written on it. No extra keys like Japanese version.

LINK please!

http://www.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=121196209&pos_shop_cd=SH&pos_class_cd=111111111&pos_class_kind=T&keyword_order=filco&search_keyword=filco

Its sold at 57,000 won in Korea. Which is about $60 in US dollar. Shipping to the US would be about $20. So I guess it will end up being $80. (maybe I can get it cheaper if I have my friends in Korea to ship it over. )

Those look like Alps switches.

[lambition]

I could have orderd Filco Zero for about $70 (including shipping) from Korea (it actually is more expensive to buy from Japan for some reason). The one sold in Korea is basically English version of the keyboard with Korean alphabets written on it. No extra keys like Japanese version.

LINK please!

http://www.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=121196209&pos_shop_cd=SH&pos_class_cd=111111111&pos_class_kind=T&keyword_order=filco&search_keyword=filco

Its sold at 57,000 won in Korea. Which is about $60 in US dollar. Shipping to the US would be about $20. So I guess it will end up being $80. (maybe I can get it cheaper if I have my friends in Korea to ship it over. )

Those look like Alps switches.

Yes. FILCO Zero uses Alps style switch. I'm sure it is not actual Alps switches made by Alps, but copy version or something. (Alps don't make those switches anymore)

[xsphat]

I can't find a thing on that site unless I use your link, what gives?

[fkeidjn]

Yes. FILCO Zero uses Alps style switch. I'm sure it is not actual Alps switches made by Alps, but copy version or something. (Alps don't make those switches anymore)

Alps-style?  Must be the Strongman switches.

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

Yes. FILCO Zero uses Alps style switch. I'm sure it is not actual Alps switches made by Alps, but copy version or something. (Alps don't make those switches anymore)

Alps-style?  Must be the Strongman switches.

Yes, I too strongly suspect Strongman.

[fkeidjn]

Where are the Filco Zero keyboards made?

[Whiskey in the Jar-o]

Yes. FILCO Zero uses Alps style switch. I'm sure it is not actual Alps switches made by Alps, but copy version or something. (Alps don't make those switches anymore)

Do you know anything about this company? Their prices are very cheap.

http://arondigital.com/

[lambition]

I can't find a thing on that site unless I use your link, what gives?

You will have to be able to read and write in Korean. Many listings are written in Korean, so you need to search in Korean.

[lambition]

Where are the Filco Zero keyboards made?

I believe it is made in Taiwan.

[lambition]

Yes. FILCO Zero uses Alps style switch. I'm sure it is not actual Alps switches made by Alps, but copy version or something. (Alps don't make those switches anymore)

Do you know anything about this company? Their prices are very cheap.

http://arondigital.com/

I heared they make good keyboards too. But I don't know how good they are.
I didn't even know they were selling those that cheap

[xsphat]

You will have to be able to read and write in Korean. Many listings are written in Korean, so you need to search in Korean.

From what I can gather from the Google page translator, I think they are kits of some kind. Does the brand name Wyse Technology ring any bells? I found the site for a company by that name, but there are no pictures of any keyboards on the site, but they are briefly mentioned. The pics sometimes say "by SkyCs" if that helps. The member pictures section of kbdmania is heavily peppered with user pics of these keyboards but they do not exist to Americans, and I think they are the coolest keyboards made. If you get some time, could you look for info on them?

[lambition]

Ergogeek just replied my E-mail.

They will be sending a replacement keyboard via UPS and they will include return shipping label, so I can return it when I receive new keyboard.

Bad experience with ione, but good experience with ergogeek

[lambition]

You will have to be able to read and write in Korean. Many listings are written in Korean, so you need to search in Korean.

From what I can gather from the Google page translator, I think they are kits of some kind. Does the brand name Wyse Technology ring any bells? I found the site for a company by that name, but there are no pictures of any keyboards on the site, but they are briefly mentioned. The pics sometimes say "by SkyCs" if that helps. The member pictures section of kbdmania is heavily peppered with user pics of these keyboards but they do not exist to Americans, and I think they are the coolest keyboards made. If you get some time, could you look for info on them?

From what I learned from searching Korean search engine, WYSE used to make keyboards for terminals.
These keyboards are not compatible with PCs but it can be rewired to make it compatible.

The keyboard you mentioned before is customized using old keyboard as base. (Painted and changed keys from other keyboards. )
Some people custom made keyboard casing and PCB. It is possible to do that in the US as well if enough number of people are interested.

Mechanical keyboards actually are the easiest keyboard to make since you just buy switches and solder. (Only problems is switches are what makes them expensive. )


ps. SkyCS is member of of KBDmania.

[lambition]

I finally got a replacement from ergogeek.

First I tested for sticky keys. They were all good.

Then opened up the keyboard to see solder job.

Again! It was poorly soldered.




Pattern for all three LEDs were splitted.
scroll lock LED was in the worst condition.


num lock was not even soldered correctly.


all patterns for data cable header was splitted and the header was moving around since there is nothing really holding it down.
Not even glue like previouse keyboard.
That header could have pulled right off if I was not careful not to pull the cable.

I took it apart and glued the header with super glue then soldered it back on.


At least no keys were bad..

Still, I cannot recommand this keyboard to anyone.

Verry poor quality, and I'm sure there is no quality control at all! (or maybe their quality control is as long as it works at the time, it passes. )

[JBert]

But the important question: are the switches alright? If so, it can still serve as a switch donor.