Acer Keyboard

[Belfong]

Hi.. First post! Nice to meet you here.

I've been using this keyboard from my very first Acer 486DX PC, from 20 years ago. It's been my favorite keyboards ever but it's really old now and the lack of Windows key proof to be a deficiency in Win 8 OS. But I'm not sure what switch mechanism it is using. Can you tell?





So I'm thinking I an upgrade but because I live in Malaysia, my choices are limited. If I were to import, the shipping charges is going to kill me. My most cost effective choice is Razer BW Ultimate. I know it's not getting a lot of love here but how bad is it? I've a friend who is going to clear his stock and he's selling me a brand new BW 2013 (green backlight) for about us$95. I thought it's pretty reasonable and it's about time I retire the Acer keyboard.

Thoughts?

[Belfong]

Ahh.. Apologies. I'll repost somewhere else!!

[jwaz]

I moved this for you.


welcome aboard!

[Belfong]

Thanks mate! Looking forward to having fruitful discussion here.

Although, the title should change to Acer not NEC.

[tp4tissue]

Thanks mate! Looking forward to having fruitful discussion here.

Although, the title should change to Acer not NEC.

click the edit on the OP, and you can change title.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

They're just called Acer switches. It's a membrane keyboard; the coil spring under the slider terminates with a small lever that presses on the membrane layers.

Yours is a 6311. Acer 6311 covers ANSI, JIS and Chinese, and Acer 6312 covers ISO. You can get those keyboards with Windows keys — I've got one of each type (102-key and 105-key UK ISO).

Extensive gallery of photos of the 6311 including several with Windows keys, with photos of the switches:

http://kbtalking.cool3c.com/article/46628

(Sadly it's all in Chinese :)

It's not a popular keyboard, and I would never recommend one to anyone, but if you happen to like the very stiff Alps-style switches (many Alps clones, Acer switch etc) then it is possible to get one in the layout you want. Acer switch keyboards do have a very delicate click sound that you won't find very often.

[jwaz]

Fixed, sorry about that, it was pretty late when I saw this -,-

[czarek]

They're nice, cheaper alternative to Cherry MX Blue. The feel is very similar, with a slightly more pronounced tactile bump but also less smooth.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I are confused …

I was about to completely disagree with you, but I thought I'd just test my older Viglen 6312 (102-key) for comparison, and it was far softer and smoother than I was expecting.

So I grabbed my Acer 6312-TW (105-key) for comparison, and it, too, was much softer than I remembered. I used it for several weeks, and it was really stiff and horrible, like a Filco Zero XM. But at the moment it's all light, and significantly closer to Cherry MX blue than it was last time I used it. Weird …

I would still say that a comparison with MX blue is unhelpful. It's more likely to match MX green if anything. It's not a bad switch, but it does require more force than Cherry. The feel is very Alps-like (and MX green has been described as being Alps-like).

[frogamic]

I just got one of these today, but it's branded "Data General" and has that extra bit with the logo above the function row that older keyboards have.

I think it feels very similar to a regular membrane board but with the clicky sound. I think I need to lube the stems and stabilisers though as it doesn't feel very smooth, can I just use Super Lube grease?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Membrane keyboards don't feel like anything in particular. The IBM Model M is a membrane keyboard, for example.

Rubber dome keyboards on the other hand (which may use membrane sheets, but not always), have a wide range in how they feel. There is certainly a commonality in that Alps-style switches (including Acer switches) have a force curve with the same high (i.e. early in the keystroke) tactile peak as many rubber dome keyboards. Acer switch keyboards are a bit like Dell's Midnight Grey rubber dome keyboards in feel.

Basically, membrane sheets are form of electrical switch, and the rest of the switch (be that a rubber dome, buckling spring with hammer, coil spring, or coil spring with lever) are used to press down on the membrane sheets to close the "contacts" (or if it's a single membrane sheet, connect the traces together). The outer membrane sheets separated by an inner layer of 0.5 mm or less, and the slider/spring/hammer/dome has to convert 3.5 to 4.5 mm of travel into no more than 0.5 mm distance required to squeeze the upper and lower membrane sheets together. The coil spring method in Acer and Alps keyboards gives you mid-travel actuation, which rubber domes cannot.

I wouldn't know about lubing, though, sorry.

[frogamic]

Thanks for that explanation Daniel, I always imagined there being actual rubber domes under the mechanical plungers in the Acer but the membrane sheet makes a lot of sense.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Rubber domes and membranes are not mutually exclusive — most rubber dome keyboards use membranes. Acer switches use a slider + coil spring + lever + click leaf instead of a dome.