Any information on the SIIG JK-US0112-S1?

[Viett]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823191003


The fourth mechanical keyboard to grace Newegg. The manufacturer's website says it uses Alps, but there's little more information.

[ocdonkb]

Looks cool, nice and compact, however not a fan of small Backspace key.

[Hak Foo]

Smells like a DSI/Solidtek 6600.

[Kostamojen]

Saw a pile of these at Frys today.

After doing some homework, they do appear to be rebadged DSI/Solidtek 6600's with a $50 markup.  

Or is there something else going on with this?

I was surprised to see them in-store though, after being linked to this site and reading up on mechanical boards...

[chimera15]

Siig is a pretty interesting company.  They apparently just re brand stuff and resell it in America?  Have they ever made original keyboards?  Basically they're just importers with a way to stick their own names on stuff?

You can always contact them and ask:

http://www.siig.com/Contact.aspx

Here's their page on it:
http://www.siig.com/ViewProduct.aspx?pn=JK-US0112-S1

Under specs:

    * Heavy duty Alps key switch > 10 million cycles
    * Standard 104 QWERTY keyboard layout
    * Keyboard Interface: USB, PS/2

It's pretty interesting also under "channel product code"

    * Ingram Micro: BU7088  
    * Tech Data: 59734P
    * D&H: JKUS0112S1
    * ASI: 84610

Ingram Micro is a distributor supplier, so basically they import it, then a bunch of companies buy from them I would guess, and stick their own names on the boards...same thing that they did with their current siig minitouch plus, which is identical to the btc boards.

[ricercar]

Siig is a chip company, aka Silicon Image. Sometimes when there's a successful 3rd party design using their chips, they license the consumer product design and sell under their own name. About 75% certain of this; i'm too tired to google it.

EDIT:
I'm wrong
So Wrong
I could not be more wrong
As usual

Siig and Sil are two separate unaffiliated companies.

[chimera15]

Siig is a chip company, aka Silicon Image. Sometimes when there's a successful 3rd party design using their chips, they license the consumer product design and sell under their own name. About 75% certain of this; i'm too tired to google it.

So, hmm, when the siig minitouch was produced, you think that it used their chips?  Then was licensed by filco and ortek, and the plus version was licensed by btc as well?

Looking at my original siig minitouch's chip, it's interesting...  Monterey apparently made the chip for it, which would explain why the original ones had Monterey switches on them.  I wonder why they switched to alps? Wierd!

[J888www]

I wonder why they switched to alps?

I would hazard a guess that they sourced ALPS switches because it's CHEAPER, to increase their profit margin, as expected in business.

Seeing as you always exchange the switches when boards are available, have you tried replacing the white simplified switches with Monterey ? It may look as nice with clear caps, as you express future mod with Blue ALPS with clear caps.

Relatively cheap source of Monterey switches

My preference is for the SIIG JK-US0312-S1 Black USB Mini Mini Multimedia Keyboard as the layout is similar to my wishful SIIG MiniTouch Enhanced Keyboard JK-A10032. It's probably a rubber dome, although the description also says * Could be quieter, but it's not especially loud *

It made me wonder if Bobgate Repairman was describing one of these Minis when he replied to my inquiries.

[microsoft windows]

So, hmm, when the siig minitouch was produced, you think that it used their chips?  Then was licensed by filco and ortek, and the plus version was licensed by btc as well?

Looking at my original siig minitouch's chip, it's interesting...  Monterey apparently made the chip for it, which would explain why the original ones had Monterey switches on them.  I wonder why they switched to alps? Wierd!

Show Image

Show Image

What'd the deal with the strange felt key caps on that thing?

[keyb_gr]

What'd the deal with the strange felt key caps on that thing?

This.

Incidentally, this Monterey branded chip would seem to be a custom-programmed Intel 8051, one of the more popular keyboard controller choices along with the Motorola MC6805 family.

[microsoft windows]

That keyboard you linked sure is interesting. Did you change the layout?

[chimera15]

I would hazard a guess that they sourced ALPS switches because it's CHEAPER, to increase their profit margin, as expected in business.

Seeing as you always exchange the switches when boards are available, have you tried replacing the white simplified switches with Monterey ? It may look as nice with clear caps, as you express future mod with Blue ALPS with clear caps.

Relatively cheap source of Monterey switches

My preference is for the SIIG JK-US0312-S1 Black USB Mini Mini Multimedia Keyboard as the layout is similar to my wishful SIIG MiniTouch Enhanced Keyboard JK-A10032. It's probably a rubber dome, although the description also says * Could be quieter, but it's not especially loud *

It made me wonder if Bobgate Repairman was describing one of these Minis when he replied to my inquiries.

I looked at this when I first saw that there were monterey switch version of the minitouch.  Monterey switches have different spacing on the terminals, and have a much larger footprint than alps.    I doubt that monterey switches are more expensive than alps, it also required a complete retooling of the pcb and holding plate to do it.

It does make me wonder if the Filco/Ortek/Japanese versions of the Siig minitouch are monterey switch versions or alps now though.

[chimera15]

This.

Incidentally, this Monterey branded chip would seem to be a custom-programmed Intel 8051, one of the more popular keyboard controller choices along with the Motorola MC6805 family.

Ah that's interesting, so it's a monterey produced intel chip, or maybe just Monterey programmed it?

[ch_123]

That yellowing looks really nasty. Shame... when in good condition, they're one of the smartest looking keyboards around.

[Kostamojen]

Wow, this sure got off-topic fast, LOL!

[Viett]

I had a dream I was typing on this keyboard. It was strange, because I've never typed on a white alps board before. Do you think dreams are a good way to form reference frames with respect to switches?

[chimera15]

So I wrote Siig, asking if they just rebrand other companies things..this is the letter they wrote me back:

"The JK-US0112-S1 is an high end keyboard with the REAL alps switch that’s why it cost much more to produce.  As for the other question that we do contract out with OEM manufactures on some products.  We don’t just repackage them since we need to ensure the manufacture’s QA and process quality control.  Usually we need to do the manufacture inspection + product testing + other process before we agree and sign the contract with them.  Then they will “custom” made the product for us. (Sometimes the ID is the same but internal circuit might be different due to our quality requirements)

 

Unfortunately that some products look exactly like ours but it is actually a copycat product cheaply made by some China company (ex: our mini note book coolers)"

I wrote back and asked what he meant by real alps switches..since I thought alps didn't produced switches anymore...

[itlnstln]

QA and process quality control???  Unheard of!  They are industry leaders in this regard.

[chimera15]

He wrote me back and basically told me to stop bugging him. lol

[Kostamojen]

he wrote me back and basically told me to stop bugging him. Lol

LMAO!!!
 
Well I know one keyboard thats off the short list...  Although I wish Frys would put it on display so I could at least test it!

[chimera15]

I wrote him back and said..well sorry I bugged him. lol  I have to admit, I asked him a bunch of questions about the minitouch too, so he probably got annoyed by that.  He wrote back and said he didn't really mean to use the word "bug" but was overworked and will need some time to get back to me on my questions.  I invited him to the forum....  would be cool if he came and posted some about this board, maybe even joined the vendor forums or something.   I have to admit I'm really curious about it since it's a new alps board by them.  I had thought they went all rubber dome and junk.

[elbowglue]

Love this dead thread.  I tried out this keyboard at fry's (it's on display at fry's) it was nice and clicky, light touch.  Loud click, loud clack when you let go of the key and it tops out.  Dosen't feel heavy at all.  I tried to pry a keycap off but I kept getting paranoid someone from Fry's was going to tackle me and arrest me

Switch feels nice and light, comparable to blue cherries in feel.  It's not a bad KB.  Except for the L shaped enter key.

[aegrotatio]

I'm going to bump this thread just to say that I have lots of SIIG Minitouch Plus JK-AB0211 (AT) and JK-APS311-S1 (PS/2) keyboards.  These are the rubber-dome, non-clicky kind with rectangle Enter keys (there's a very clicky L-shaped Enter model but this isn't it).  SIIG still claims these to have a "click and feel that typists prefer" but that sales copy is obviously held over from the original clicky Minitouch because the Minitouch Plus keyboards just don't click at all.

Here's the thing.  These keyboards are unnecessarily expensive at $50 from SIIG but they do have a five-year warranty.  Every few years a key falls off (usually Caps Lock which I use as CTRL) and I replace it under the SIIG five-year warranty.  My last two replacements from SIIG now have a different feel, different key colors, and also a new OEM part number, "5100C" which I discovered is the very same BTC 5100C which is available from other resellers for 30% less.  It's still model JK-AB0211 (AT) and JK-APS311-S1 (PS/2) but that's just a SKU I guess.

SIIG either stopped making these or they just changed the OEM manufacturer to this BTC outfit.  These newer BTC-made models are all black (no grey keys).  They also have a distinctly different feel, though they're otherwise superficially identical to the old MiniTouch Plus.  When you buy the "BTC 5100" model you can also get the ivory-colored version and I also have a few of those.

Here's a representative vendor sample of the BTC:
http://www.buy.com/retail/Product.asp?sku=205713554

And here's the SIIG version:
http://www.siig.com/ViewProduct.aspx?pn=JK-AB0211


Here's the old SIIG model:


Here's the new SIIG model (identical to BTC-5100 model: