Noppoo EC180-Pro

[y11971alex]

What's the general idea on this keyboard? 

I heard it's a decent clone of Topre, and in the absence of any Topre experience on my part, I'd like to try this out.

Or offer a tour on it!   

[zslane]

I have one and it is not very good. It feels nothing at all like a Topre board. The switches are so mushy and soft they don't really deserve to be called tactile. They are, however, very quiet. They make a soft shuck shuck shuck sound. And the overall build quality is mediocre at best.

So if you like soft, quiet, linear switches then you might like this board. But if you are looking for a well-built board that offers the Topre typing experience, I recommend either the Novatouch or the new Realforce board that is on the way.

[y11971alex]

I have one and it is not very good. It feels nothing at all like a Topre board. The switches are so mushy and soft they don't really deserve to be called tactile. They are, however, very quiet. They make a soft shuck shuck shuck sound. And the overall build quality is mediocre at best.

So if you like soft, quiet, linear switches then you might like this board. But if you are looking for a well-built board that offers the Topre typing experience, I recommend either the Novatouch or the new Realforce board that is on the way.

Really?  I thought someone said it was quite good.   

[zslane]

Opinions will vary, naturally. But for what it's worth, most of the posts I've read from members here in the past have had pretty much the same thing to say that I have.

[menuhin]

Correct me if I'm wrong:
Many components of Realforce and Novatouch and Leopold keyboards or even HHKB (e.g. the switches components) are manufactured in China, and some share the sources of those in Noppoo and PLUM. While some are manufactured in Taiwan (e.g. Leopold).

I agree with you about the lack of tactility, I have a 35g board from PLUM - at 35g, totally can't compare to the force required to press the keys in a HHKB.

I have one and it is not very good. It feels nothing at all like a Topre board. The switches are so mushy and soft they don't really deserve to be called tactile. They are, however, very quiet. They make a soft shuck shuck shuck sound. And the overall build quality is mediocre at best.

So if you like soft, quiet, linear switches then you might like this board. But if you are looking for a well-built board that offers the Topre typing experience, I recommend either the Novatouch or the new Realforce board that is on the way.

[zslane]

It's not the country of manufacture that matters in this case. It is the fact that genuine Topre switches use a patented rubberdome material that only Topre switches (and licensed third party vendors) use. Noppoo (and its brands like Royal Kludge) do not use a real Topre rubberdome sheet. They use a cheap knockoff layer that isn't anything like "the real thing".

[Ziggy4H]

Is this for all of the RK keyboards or just those that are topre clones. I just got an RC-108 from them and like the fact that it's not loud but think it can use more of a click or clack from the switches. I havent had the opportunity to test the true topres as of yet. I would say as a novice that I agree fully with ZSLANE

[dante]

The RK930EC 45g/55g are ok.  The quality didn't bother me at all.  On the contrary on the RK I feel like I got my moneys worth where as on the Realforce I wondered where all the money went.

I want to try 35g PLUM/RK/Noppoo EC one day as I think I will like that the best.

To summarize: The Realforce is nice but it's not $200 nice.

[menuhin]

Very good information!

So you have the opinion that the force curve of Topre switches can be achieved only by using a specific kind of rubber for the rubberdome, and not any other rubber material even with some form/shape experimentation?

By the way, is that a patented material or just a "secret formula" of rubber, because I cannot identify the specific claim about the rubber material in Topre's patent:
http://www.google.com/patents/US4584444

It's not the country of manufacture that matters in this case. It is the fact that genuine Topre switches use a patented rubberdome material that only Topre switches (and licensed third party vendors) use. Noppoo (and its brands like Royal Kludge) do not use a real Topre rubberdome sheet. They use a cheap knockoff layer that isn't anything like "the real thing".

[darkfire32]

I would agree that its not the typical Topre feel just from reading everyone else's experiences with it, I have never touched topre switches before. It definitely does make the shunck sound instead of the thock that Topre makes. It was a pretty quiet keyboard and at 35g I didn't have any finger fatigue from typing excessively with it. I loved that keyboard while I had it. The keycaps felt nice, the weight was great for my fingers, I personally loved the "tactility" that I got while using the keyboard.

It wasn't as much of a bump as Blues/Browns but there was definitely some bump that made it feel different from MX reds (as I'm typing on MX reds right now). I'm pretty sure I would be satisfied with that keyboard if not for the only reason that I got rid of it: Quality control. I was playing a game and out of rage I mashed the "V" key on my keyboard, and that somehow permanently messed up the V key. I've mashed other keys on other keyboards a couple of times before and since then...nothing happens. And there are some threads on this board and reddit that expressed some quality control issues with Noppoo keyboards.

Despite that I think that keyboard was my favorite one and despite my difficulties, I will probably buy another as soon as I find a store selling it.

[_PixelNinja]

Correct me if I'm wrong:
Many components of Realforce and Novatouch and Leopold keyboards or even HHKB (e.g. the switches components) are manufactured in China, and some share the sources of those in Noppoo and PLUM. While some are manufactured in Taiwan (e.g. Leopold).

Topre is behind the main components of the keyboards using their technology, i.e. the PCBs, rubber domes and plungers in the Topre boards are made in Japan by Topre, then sent out to where the keyboard in question is manufactured. The HHKB and Realforce are made in Japan, whereas the Type Heaven, Novatouch and Leopold Mini C are made in China (then inspected in Japan for the latter).

[menuhin]

Very good - my bail for those who's looked into it works (I hope).
I'd add HHKB Lite 2 to the list.

Whether the rubber material determines the force curve still remains an empirical question.

Correct me if I'm wrong:
Many components of Realforce and Novatouch and Leopold keyboards or even HHKB (e.g. the switches components) are manufactured in China, and some share the sources of those in Noppoo and PLUM. While some are manufactured in Taiwan (e.g. Leopold).

Topre is behind the main components of the keyboards using their technology, i.e. the PCBs, rubber domes and plungers in the Topre boards are made in Japan by Topre, then sent out to where the keyboard in question is manufactured. The HHKB and Realforce are made in Japan, whereas the Type Heaven, Novatouch and Leopold Mini C are made in China (then inspected in Japan for the latter).