Cherry g80-3000 (pics inside)

[patrickgeekhack]

I actually contacted the German distributor of cherry keyboards today. They also do laser/print special layouts, so I figured I might as well give it a shot and ask for a blank layout. To my surprise they said it would be no problem and they can deliver the g80-3000 with either blue or black switches and completely blank keys. This goes at about $10 more than the retail price, which makes this a really cheap DASII. I think I'll order one!

Lucky you.

[patrickgeekhack]

LOL -

The Germans get the Cherrys.
The Americans got Unicomps, lots of Ebay, Deck, a few others.
The Japanese get the best.
The Canadians get:

Show Image

OMG. Nearly killed myself laughing at work.

Actually the Canadians have Matias Tactile Pro, eh!

[ironcoder]

I'm alriiiiiiiiiight
Nobody worry 'bout me...

[patrickgeekhack]

I'm not too sure about POSGlobal.com. I called them a few times only to get a message saying that all the operators are currently busy and to press 0 to speak with an attendant. Not once have had a person on the phone. I've left them a message, and will see if they call back.

[patrickgeekhack]

Could someone please tell me the difference between the two keyboards here: http://www.poshouse.com/search.asp?keywords=g80-3000 ?

[huha]

Okay, there are two models:

Model 1: G80-3000LPCEU-0
Grey, linear actuation characteristic (black MX modules)
US layout with "€" key.

Model 2: G80-3000LSCRC-2
Black, click actuation characteristic (blue MX modules)
Chinese layout (there's a user review here).


So ... I'd get the LSCRC-2 if chinese characters in addition to US characters on the keycaps don't bother you.

-huha

[jayray999]

I got a G80-3000SCRC from posglobal.com using Google Checkout for $59 and change. I never managed to call them and only got an order confirmation from Google. PosGlobal did not respond to my email queries. But a brand new keyboard arrived one week later in a gigantic box that even the UPS guy commented on. The keyboard is fantastic and I wish I got two.

If you want to try Cherry Browns don't throw a C bill down at Datacal till you are sure Browns are your thing which they might well be. I followed Manish7's lead and got a used Compaq MX-11800. Great keyboard for the price ($27).

Now I only use these two 'value' keyboards and I must say I much prefer them to buckling springs and Alps sliders.

The tough choice for me is between them.

[IBI]

I actually contacted the German distributor of cherry keyboards today. They also do laser/print special layouts, so I figured I might as well give it a shot and ask for a blank layout. To my surprise they said it would be no problem and they can deliver the g80-3000 with either blue or black switches and completely blank keys. This goes at about $10 more than the retail price, which makes this a really cheap DASII. I think I'll order one!

Yeah, cherry germany do seem particulaly friendly towards the customer. I seem to remember a thread where someone contacted them and got a reply that if you wanted a custom G80 (e.g. a G80-1800 with blue switches and a custom layout) then the minimum order was only 10 units instead of the normal 100 or 1000.

LOL -

The Germans get the Cherrys.
The Americans got Unicomps, lots of Ebay, Deck, a few others.
The Japanese get the best.
The Canadians get:

The Canadians get Ergo Canada, a shop that actually tells you what type of switch their mechanical keyboards are using.

[patrickgeekhack]

-Ripster
Not quite ready for the jump yet.

-huha
I have the G80-3000LSCRC-2 and was wanting a backup one since the price is quite interesting at POSGlobal.com.

-jayray999
Did you have any choice in courier company? UPS is the worst for us because they charge a ridiculous amount as customer broker fee.

[jayray999]

-jayray999
Did you have any choice in courier company? UPS is the worst for us because they charge a ridiculous amount as customer broker fee.

I don't remember but look at this: https://www.posglobal.com/global_shipping.asp

But it's a moot point because the website wont let you checkout till it is back in stock. I remember when I ordered it said 6 In Stock. Now it just says Call.

[patrickgeekhack]

I know I said that I would not buy any more keyboard until December, but I took the plunge (I hope I won't regret it).  I checked UPS site, and it will charge me CDN $19.45 as custom broker since the total is under CDN $100.00. It's like paying shipping.

[patrickgeekhack]

I don't remember but look at this: https://www.posglobal.com/global_shipping.asp

But it's a moot point because the website wont let you checkout till it is back in stock. I remember when I ordered it said 6 In Stock. Now it just says Call.

Oops. I did not see that. It did let me check out though.

[Hak Foo]

LOL -

The Germans get the Cherrys.
The Americans got Unicomps, lots of Ebay, Deck, a few others.
The Japanese get the best.
The Canadians get:

Show Image

Why does the beaver have a Trackpoint?

[jayray999]

Oops. I did not see that. It did let me check out though.

I just tried again. Same thing. It empties my cart after I enter my Zipcode or I click Checkout. Weird. Try http://www.barcodespot.com if you are keen. They sell it for $67 buy again not sure if it is in stock.

[patrickgeekhack]

I just tried again. Same thing. It empties my cart after I enter my Zipcode or I click Checkout. Weird. Try http://www.barcodespot.com if you are keen. They sell it for $67 buy again not sure if it is in stock.

Weird indeed. I got a receipt for my order by e-mail:

Order Details:

Part #: G80-3000LSCRC-2
Description: G80-3000 Standard PC Keyboard (USB/PS-2 Combo Keyboard, MX Gold CrossPoint Key Switch) - Color: Black
Unit Price: $59.57
Qty: 1
Extended Price: $59.57


Subtotal: $59.57
Tax: $2.98
 Shipping&Handling: $0.00

Total: $62.55

[patrickgeekhack]

But if I try it again now, it empties my cart. Did I get the last one in stock? God knows.

[patrickgeekhack]

Patrick,

I didn't say jump YET!

Show Image

Well, I'm hoping for a soft landing at least.

Grrrr!!!!
Curiously, I'm not feeling too happy about it. On one hand, I'm very happy to have a spare G80-3000. Over time, it became my favourite keyboard. On the other hand, I went against my principle and did not show discipline. I said I would not buy any more keyboard before the end of year. It's kind of a battle going inside my head.

What is true, though is after having tried Buckling Spring, ALPS Black, Cherry Blue and Fake ALPS Black, my favourite is Cherry Blue. I like the ABS and the Dell for my workplace as they are the less "noisy" and more tolerated among my keyboards. For free typing to find essay ideas, I like the Customizer for I can let my imagination run wild. But, when the times to put everything in place and polish the final work, the Cherry is my favourite one.

[jayray999]

But if I try it again now, it empties my cart. Did I get the last one in stock? God knows.

Perhaps. Congratulations if you did.

[patrickgeekhack]

Don't sweat it.  I had to file a credit card complaint against Cheapshotbilliards.com.  Webwit had an issue with DeviantArt (LOL - had it's Dada aspects though).  Stuff happens.

I betcha it'll work out.

Discipline.  What's that??

I hope it does work out. Discipline...used to be my middle name, not anymore I guess.

[jayray999]

I hope it does work out. Discipline...used to be my middle name, not anymore I guess.

Like I said, mine arrived in a week, But the person at the other end of the transcation was about as chatty as a hardboiled **** from a 50s noir movie.

[jayray999]

eww.....   That didn't come out right.

If it makes you feel any better I edited "it's" to "its" in my last post.  Picky, picky, pikcy.

Yeah too close to parboiled. Anyway I fixed it.

[patrickgeekhack]

I doubt I'll ever buy from POSGlobal.com again. Pricing and shipping cost are good, but for peace of mind, this site is very bad. Returning products there would be a nightmare since nobody answers the phone there.

[patrickgeekhack]

jayray999

If I read you correctly, the packing and the shape in which the product arrived were very good, right?

[ironcoder]

I doubt I'll ever buy from POSGlobal.com again. Pricing and shipping cost are good, but for peace of mind, this site is very bad. Returning products there would be a nightmare since nobody answers the phone there.

Yeah but it's POS GLOBAL. That means your call had to go to an Indian help desk and then they routed it to a Chinese customer support rep. Because of the time zone differences, they called you two and a half years ago. You were out having a pizza and you never returned their message because you didn't recognize the 27 digit phone number (small village in China) or the order reference number (because you wouldn't place the order for another couple of years.) Their calls from 3 and 5 1/2 years ago also went unanswered.

Maybe POS doesn't stand for what everybody thinks it does!

[ironcoder]

Yeah that was the Swedish Bikini Support Team!

[jayray999]

jayray999

If I read you correctly, the packing and the shape in which the product arrived were very good, right?

Overpacked by a mile I would say. Of course they might just have used whatever they could grab on that occasion. I had just finished telling my wife how I was cutting down on online purchases except for the odd keyboard when the UPS guy shows up at our door with this enormous box. He winks at me and as I sign, says in a loud voice, "You buy 'em, we ship 'em buddy. No questions asked."

For $62.47 you can order from http://www.totalbarcode.com where people not only pick up the phone but will inform you that if you order via NexTag.com (search for G80-3000), they'll waive the the $3 Ground shipping charge. Unfortunately TotalBarcode don't currently keep it in stock but promise to ship in 7-10 business days after you've ordered.

[patrickgeekhack]

For $62.47 you can order from http://www.totalbarcode.com where people not only pick up the phone but will inform you that if you order via NexTag.com (search for G80-3000), they'll waive the the $3 Ground shipping charge. Unfortunately TotalBarcode don't currently keep it in stock but promise to ship in 7-10 business days after you've ordered.

I'll have to wait for about a week and see what happens since I already placed an order.

[jayray999]

Maybe POS doesn't stand for what everybody thinks it does!

Speak for yourself. ripster and I always knew:

[patrickgeekhack]

Okay, believe it or not, I managed to get someone on the phone at posglobal.com. He said he has to cancel my order since he does not have the keyboard in stock.

[patrickgeekhack]

I was going to say congrats but am not sure if that's appropriate.

To be honest, I'm quite happy it's over with POSGlobal because I like to be able to get someone on the phone whenever I call. In this respect, Geminicomputers.com was great. I would buy from these guys again without any problem. I will probably get a G80-3000 again.

[patrickgeekhack]

You should bribe your UPS guy to just sneak them into the garage for you.  After answering the door I always tell my wife, "Honey, it's just a Jehovah's Witness again..." and sneak it down to the basement.

Thank God I don't have to do that. All I have to do is just let her know that  have bought yet another keyboard. She has given up on me.

[jayray999]

Okay, believe it or not, I managed to get someone on the phone at posglobal.com. He said he has to cancel my order since he does not have the keyboard in stock.

Sorry it did not work out.

[patrickgeekhack]

Sorry it did not work out.

Don't feel sorry for me. I was actually quite relieved. I would look some other place where I can get someone on the phone LOL all the time.

[patrickgeekhack]

Just got off the phone from geminicomputers.com. They don't have it in stock, but they can custom order one from Cherry for the same price. The ETA is fairly long however: between 6 and 30 days. So, if any of you are interested in one of these keyboards, you can custom order one.

I might get one, still debating. I just don't want to make a spontaneous purchase again. I went through some scary moments with POSGlobal yesterday.

[patrickgeekhack]

Patrick, if nothing else I think you've scared off anyone from ordering from a company with POS in their name.

I wonder why Cherry is selling these cheaply despite retailers having to special order them???   Doesn't sound like an overstock problem like I originally thought.  Strange.

Thanks for the Gemini post - we'll try and talk a non-Canadian next time into going through the process.  Or at least a Québécois .

Well, I got someone on the phone from POS Global on my first try today. He said that yesterday was a holiday. I did not know that. That being said, there are some reviews of buyers complaining not getting anyone on the phone. jayray999 is a good example in fact.

I, too, was wondering why Cherry would sell these keyboards so "cheap" even if they have to be special ordered. I'm very tempted to get one, but I will sleep on it first before making my decision. I've been given a second chance to stick to my discipline thing.  That being said, it the best keyboard I've had so far. I have the feeling that I type very fast on my ABS. The keys are so smooth compared to my Dell, yet I'm always close to 80 WPM. The best score I can get is around 85 WPM. I can get about 87-90 WPM on the Customizer, but get tired very quickly. Weird, isn't? I have the feeling that I type much faster on the ABS but the numbers don't follow. But, on the Cherry, I can constantly hit 87 WPM and up.

I've been using all of them actually. I might seem stupid to some, but when I need ideas for my essays, I free type with the Customizer, then arrange my first drafts using my ABS, and write the final copy with my Cherry. This workflow seems to work nicely for me.

I still keep a rubber dome around though. I sometimes get migraines, and when I do, click and clack are the last thing I want to hear.

[pmyshkin]

I've had this keyboard for a while now, and there were a few times where one of the modifier keys would stick until I pressed it again. It didn't physically stick in place, but my computer thought it was still pressed down. I can't reproduce this in any consistent way, so I don't know if it was just a fluke or my imagination or my computer. Has anyone else had this problem?

[pmyshkin]

Maybe start with the basics -  What OS are you running?

I'm running Linux.

[patrickgeekhack]

You only said that because Obama wouldn't invade Canada.  You're lucky Cheney isn't in charge.

What is his first name again?

[patrickgeekhack]

I've had this keyboard for a while now, and there were a few times where one of the modifier keys would stick until I pressed it again. It didn't physically stick in place, but my computer thought it was still pressed down. I can't reproduce this in any consistent way, so I don't know if it was just a fluke or my imagination or my computer. Has anyone else had this problem?

No, I have not had this problem. That being said, I have not used mine on Linux intensively to notice this. I've used mine mainly on a Mac and sometimes on a Windows PC. I will try using it on VectorLinux on the week-end.

[patrickgeekhack]

You only said that because Obama wouldn't invade Canada.  You're lucky Cheney isn't in charge.

By the way, Obama won't invade Canada. He likes beavertail. Personally, I prefer a different kind of beaver :-)

[itlnstln]

I have the feeling that I type very fast on my ABS. The keys are so smooth compared to my Dell, yet I'm always close to 80 WPM. The best score I can get is around 85 WPM. I can get about 87-90 WPM on the Customizer, but get tired very quickly. Weird, isn't? I have the feeling that I type much faster on the ABS but the numbers don't follow. But, on the Cherry, I can constantly hit 87 WPM and up.

I have found that the shapes of keyboards influence my typing speed apart from the switches themselves. Keyboards with higher keys (Model M, Filco, ABS, etc.) cause me to type slower than 'boards with lower keys (Dell, Cherry, etc). Also keyboards with wider front "lips" (Model M, Dell Cherry) help me type faster as well as my hands don't feel as cramped on the 'board (the Filco and ABS have thinner front lips).
 
That being said, the Cherry G80 and the Dell AT-101W are my two fastest 'boards.

[patrickgeekhack]

I have found that the shapes of keyboards influence my typing speed apart from the switches themselves. Keyboards with higher keys (Model M, Filco, ABS, etc.) cause me to type slower than 'boards with lower keys (Dell, Cherry, etc). Also keyboards with wider front "lips" (Model M, Dell Cherry) help me type faster as well as my hands don't feel as cramped on the 'board (the Filco and ABS have thinner front lips).
 
That being said, the Cherry G80 and the Dell AT-101W are my two fastest 'boards.

In my case, I found that because the keys on the Cherry feels smaller, I make less mistakes and go faster. I mean that the gap between keys seems to be wider. Of course, the level of humidity also affects my speed. If my fingers get a bit sweater, they tend to leave each key relatively slower. The "Teflon" coating on the Cherry helps in that case. I wonder what it would be like to have an ABS with clicky ALPS. I would then be comparing fairly similar keyboards. Maybe the click on the Cherry is helping me type faster.

[o2dazone]

In my case, I found that because the keys on the Cherry feels smaller, I make less mistakes and go faster. I mean that the gap between keys seems to be wider. Of course, the level of humidity also affects my speed. If my fingers get a bit sweater, they tend to leave each key relatively slower. The "Teflon" coating on the Cherry helps in that case. I wonder what it would be like to have an ABS with clicky ALPS. I would then be comparing fairly similar keyboards. Maybe the click on the Cherry is helping me type faster.

You're right about the keys being wider on Filco's

(Filco Majestouch & Cherry G80-3000).

I also noticed that, and thought it was NKRO that was making me error out so much. With that said, my muscle memory has made up for the bigger surface on the keys and "taught" me to type more precisely. I feather type a little better on browns than blues, probably because of lower resistance in the spring...but really I don't bother too much with my wpm, it's VERY rare I'm typing faster than I can think

[patrickgeekhack]

...it's VERY rare I'm typing faster than I can think

I would be worried if I could do that :-) Most likely it would be my brain dying more than my typing speed increasing dramatically.

[o2dazone]

I've always figured they were just wider...but the keytops on the Filco don't look closer together to you?? Maybe it's the petite frame playing a trick on my eyes. Also the barrel distortion is actually just a wide shot (18mm) but yeah it tends to skew the image if you're not comparing the gaps between keys from the center of the photo.

I would be worried if I could do that :-) Most likely it would be my brain dying more than my typing speed increasing dramatically.

I guess I should reword that LOL. I'm almost never in a typing situation where I don't stop to think about what I would type. Even stopping for a few second will dramatically decrease how many words you can cram into a full minute.

Allow me to go on a rant...to be honest, I only find "word per minute" to be good for bragging rights for social networking virtuoso's. Otherwise, I'm busy staring at code forming logic in my head more than I am furiously striking keys. Most wpm tests don't really use characters I'm familiar to using (regular expressions anyone?) anyways...so I find them to be less important the more tests I take.

Edit: I take that back, having a fast WPM does have it's niche. Things like word processing or a secretary position, basically looking at a sheet of paper and typing it into a computer still requires that you type very fast. But more and more as paper is phased out, I find this becoming less important.

[itlnstln]

You're right about the keys being wider on Filco's

Show Image

(Filco Majestouch & Cherry G80-3000).
 
I also noticed that, and thought it was NKRO that was making me error out so much. With that said, my muscle memory has made up for the bigger surface on the keys and "taught" me to type more precisely. I feather type a little better on browns than blues, probably because of lower resistance in the spring...but really I don't bother too much with my wpm, it's VERY rare I'm typing faster than I can think

That's what I have always thought. The keycaps on other 'boards are wider than the Filco. That's one reason why I had always seemed to make more typos on the Filco/ABS than their Cherry/Dell counterparts.
 
Ripster - you can tell from the pic that the F keys on the Cherry span wider than the Ctrl keys on the Filco. The F keys on the Cherry and the Ctrl keys on the Filco are in line with the left/right edges of the letter key section, thus showing that the Cherry is wider than the Filco. If the keys do not fit, you must acquit.
 
Edit:  I just compared my Filco with a Dell here at work, and it is noticably smaller than the Dell.  I was wondering why my thumb knuckles kept colliding on the spacebar of the Filco when I was on the home row.  Now I know, and knowing is half the battle.

[o2dazone]

G i jooooooooooooooooooooe

[itlnstln]

One more point of distinction. The top of the keycaps on Costars might not be smaller than other keyboards (I am not going to measure - I don't really care), but the bases of them certainly could be, thus causing the keys to be closer. While I might have the same amount of surface area to press each key with, the spacing can certainly jack with your muscle memory. After using "big" keyboards for years, it does take me a little while to switch to a Costar after using a "big" keyboard for some time.

[itlnstln]

G i jooooooooooooooooooooe

I got this shirt: http://shirt.woot.com/friends.aspx?k=8693. It's a classic.

[itlnstln]

I have the phone recording. Must convict.
 
Numbers don't lie.
 
Measuring the main key cluster:
 
IBM - Width 11" (CTL to CTL)
Height 3.5" (~ to CTL)
Filco - Same
Realforce - Same
Das - Same
$10 Logitech - tad bigger and kinda wierd left CTL placement (LOL)
 
Using a Starrett Hardened Steel Machinist Ruler - Precision measurements since 1880.
 
Ladies and Gentleman of the jury - if the key tops are the same and the spacing is the same....
 
Note: the Realforces have an ever so slightly mid-bulge.
 
I don't have a Dell or Cherry board to compare but I'm skeptical anybody would mess with IBM spacing.

The Dell and Cherry keys are lower in height than the IBM and Filco.  The Filco looks a couple of millimeters shorter in width than the Dell, but I am not sure about the Cherry.  It's not a lot, but it does make a slight difference.