Author Topic: Nice Laser  (Read 2788 times)

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Offline didjamatic

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Nice Laser
« on: Mon, 26 April 2010, 21:21:46 »
These kick butt, have round SMK switches that rival blue cherries.  I'm assuming this is like the one I have that looks the same but I haven't verified with seller.  Good price for a nice board.

Here
IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline kishy

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  • Location: Windsor, ON Canada
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Nice Laser
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 26 April 2010, 21:53:21 »
Same defective layout as my (not the same) Laser...but you say different switches.
Enthusiast of springs which buckle noisily: my keyboards
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Offline elbowglue

  • Posts: 583
Really brief Laser (round SMK) review
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 04 June 2010, 12:05:45 »
I just got one of these laser keyboards from ebay - FCC ID: IFS80-2269-1 from ebay.  On the front it has the logo LASER with 4 LEDs (numlock, capslock, scrolllock, power)

Layout: Standard except for big reverse L shaped enter key, full sized backspace key.  The \ button is located between the control and alt buttons on both sides.  No windows key here.  Uses AT plug, works fine via AT to PS2 to USB adaapter.

SWITCH: This uses round monterey SMK switches which click like cherry blues. I really like the switch, it is much lower pitched in click than cherry blue keyboards.  The click is really crisp, there is no problem with off center keypresses.  I haven't put the ripometer to it yet but it feels to require almost exactly the same actuation force as the filco.  This is a noise keyboard though, but it feels great.  Travel in my opinion feels closer to 4mm (like a chery switch) rather than the monterey alps like switch you find on the KB-5181 (which I think is 3.5mm).

KEYCAPS: All keycaps are doubleshot, you could put all of these keys onto a filco if you wanted to, except on the laser, your Enter / Control / Alt and Spacebar keys would not fit on the filco.  Also you would not have a windows key to bring over eitehr.  Capslock is center mounted without a step down on it.  Key profile appears to be the same as all standard cherry keycaps (not the same profile as the filco).  F and J have the standard line on them so your fingers know where to go.  For what it's worth, the control / alt keys would fit onto a compaq MX 11800.  Also, these keys are pretty yellowish and I don't think you would want to put them on another keyboard because the coloring would be ugly.

Insides:  PCB mounted keyboard, the PCB is securly fastened to the case via multiple screws.  It is very stable, without any flex.  I opened it hoping to be able to cut off the numpad section.  Alas this does not look easy at all. The controller sits in the middle of the keyboard under the f5-f8 area, but all the wires that go out of the keyboard come out from the right.  There are also a lot of other important looking things on the right side above the numpad such as resistors and dioes and whatnot, I am not going to be able to cut the numpad off of this bad boy without a lot of work, which isn't my cup of tea.

Size: 18.5 x 6.75 inches.

Cost:  The price is right!  Got it from ebay for total $15 including shipping as a best offer.

Pics:  None at this time sorry about that, I can post some links to stock pics at some point if ya'll want, or I'll take some pics later if need be.

NKRO?  No this keyboard is not NKRO.  I can get it to block especially using the 0 key on the top of the keyboard.  HOWEVER, the rollover on this keyboard is pretty darn nice - using my AT - PS2 adapter and PS2 to USB adapter, I cannot get any of these keys to block at all QWERASDFZXCV. These keys consistantly allow 6 keys through (usb max) without any blocking.  I would highly recommend this keyboard for it's great roll-over properties.  I have not tested it directly into PS2 port yet.

Transposition issues?: none noted, I have tried to generate transposition issues on this KB, I cannot create any.  I have noted transposition issues on other keyboards previously.

Conclusion:  This is comparable to the filco full sized cherry blue keyboard in feel, crisp clickiness.  Drawbacks are the layout, the AT plug, the look of it, the size of the whole board.  But it is damn good, and you can probably get a really good deal on it at times.
« Last Edit: Fri, 04 June 2010, 12:25:01 by elbowglue »
My keyboards: Filco Cherry Blue Tenkeyless(daily home), Compaq MX11800 (modded to blacks), Compaq "MX 84u",  Wellington\'s Dampened Endurapro, Pinkalicious Filco Blue Cherry, Chicony KB-5191, Chicony KB-5181, Desko MOS 5023 UP "elbowglue" spos (modded to blues), Siig Minitouch (monterey blue), SMK-88 (blue cherries), Ricercar SPOS
Smallest to biggest keyboards in inches (Length X Height) - Length is most important for a midline mouse position

KBC Poker: 11.6 x 3.9 - HHKB: 11.6 x 4.3 - Siig Minitouch (Geekhack Space Saver): 11.6 x 6 - Deck/Tg3 82: 12 x 6 - Noppoo Choc Mini 12.4 x 5.3 - Compaq "MX 84u": 13.1 x 7.5 - Filco Tenkeyless: 14 x 5.3 - Cherry "ricercar spos" G86-62410EUAGSA: 14 x 7.75 - Topre Realforce 86u: 14.4 x 6.65 - Desko "elbowglue spos" MOS 5023 UP: 14.5 x 8.4 - IBM Model M Spacesaver: 15.3 x 7 - G80-1800: 15.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-125B: 16 x 7.3 - Compaq Mx11800, Cherry G80-11900: 16.25 x 7.5 - Filco Standard: 17.3 x 5.4 - Unicomp Endurapro: 17.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-135B: 18.3 x 6.0 - Cherry G80-3000: 18.5 x 7.6 - IBM Model M, Unicomp Customizer: 19.3 x 8.27

Offline maxlugar

  • Posts: 379
Nice Laser
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 04 June 2010, 15:57:20 »
Do you prefer the feel of the round SMK switches over the presumed SMK blue "Monterey" key switches on the Chicony KB-5181?
Emperor of the IBM 84-key AT Model F Darkside

Offline didjamatic

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  • Posts: 1352
Nice Laser
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 04 June 2010, 16:00:46 »
Don't ever assume anything when it comes to Chicony!  I wouldn't be surprised to open one to find different switches in the same keyboard!

Elbow $15 is smoking for that board, I would have got it in a heartbeat.
IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline maxlugar

  • Posts: 379
Nice Laser
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 04 June 2010, 19:58:33 »
Quote from: didjamatic;189675
Don't ever assume anything when it comes to Chicony!  I wouldn't be surprised to open one to find different switches in the same keyboard!

Elbow $15 is smoking for that board, I would have got it in a heartbeat.


On the same keyboard?  No ****???

I have a dozen sealed NIB KB-5181 keyboards.  I've pulled a couple key caps off my own board, but haven't removed every cap to see if all the key switches are the same.

Now that you mention it, some keys feel slightly different from others i.e. the tactile bump is sharper on some and the click more pronounced.  I just attributed this to quality control of the key switches by SMK or whoever really made the so called blue "Monterey" key switches.  Perhaps I should remove all the key caps to see if the stems look the same!
Emperor of the IBM 84-key AT Model F Darkside

Offline elbowglue

  • Posts: 583
Nice Laser
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 05 June 2010, 03:34:07 »
Quote from: maxlugar;189673
Do you prefer the feel of the round SMK switches over the presumed SMK blue "Monterey" key switches on the Chicony KB-5181?


I really liked the smk blue "monterey" switches on the KB 5181 (shaped like alps) although I didn't like the slightly limited travel on them.  They were really crisp, clicky, great switches all and all.  The only problem with them was the small backspace issue and monster sized board, I couldn't ever get a handle on that.

The round SMK switches are really nice too.  Are they better than the square alsp shaped monterey switches?  It's hard to say.  They are both very good, at the level of quality and feel as cherry blues.  I like the laser board much better because of the big backspace on it though.

One other thing, the laser board I have has a lot of miles on it.  The commonly used keys are slightly less crisp and require slightly less force to actuate than the uncommonly used keys such as sysrequest.    But it still feels really good, just a little less crisp than in the overused keys compared with the unused keys.

It's a really good board, you can probably get if for cheap, worth trying for sure.
My keyboards: Filco Cherry Blue Tenkeyless(daily home), Compaq MX11800 (modded to blacks), Compaq "MX 84u",  Wellington\'s Dampened Endurapro, Pinkalicious Filco Blue Cherry, Chicony KB-5191, Chicony KB-5181, Desko MOS 5023 UP "elbowglue" spos (modded to blues), Siig Minitouch (monterey blue), SMK-88 (blue cherries), Ricercar SPOS
Smallest to biggest keyboards in inches (Length X Height) - Length is most important for a midline mouse position

KBC Poker: 11.6 x 3.9 - HHKB: 11.6 x 4.3 - Siig Minitouch (Geekhack Space Saver): 11.6 x 6 - Deck/Tg3 82: 12 x 6 - Noppoo Choc Mini 12.4 x 5.3 - Compaq "MX 84u": 13.1 x 7.5 - Filco Tenkeyless: 14 x 5.3 - Cherry "ricercar spos" G86-62410EUAGSA: 14 x 7.75 - Topre Realforce 86u: 14.4 x 6.65 - Desko "elbowglue spos" MOS 5023 UP: 14.5 x 8.4 - IBM Model M Spacesaver: 15.3 x 7 - G80-1800: 15.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-125B: 16 x 7.3 - Compaq Mx11800, Cherry G80-11900: 16.25 x 7.5 - Filco Standard: 17.3 x 5.4 - Unicomp Endurapro: 17.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-135B: 18.3 x 6.0 - Cherry G80-3000: 18.5 x 7.6 - IBM Model M, Unicomp Customizer: 19.3 x 8.27

Offline didjamatic

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  • Posts: 1352
Nice Laser
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 05 June 2010, 07:22:01 »
Maxlugar I was joking because Chicony has had at very least all of these switches in their keyboards, often within the same model number, but I doubt on the same keyboard:
 
ALPS in multiple colors and styles
Cherry multiple colors and styles
Fake Cherry Clear/Whites
Rectangular SMK's
Round SMK's
Sliders over Rubber Domes
Rubber Domes

Add to that the many rebrands of their keyboards and that's a lot of variables.
IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline maxlugar

  • Posts: 379
Nice Laser
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 05 June 2010, 19:52:02 »
Quote from: didjamatic;189889
Maxlugar I was joking because Chicony has had at very least all of these switches in their keyboards, often within the same model number, but I doubt on the same keyboard:
 
ALPS in multiple colors and styles
Cherry multiple colors and styles
Fake Cherry Clear/Whites
Rectangular SMK's
Round SMK's
Sliders over Rubber Domes
Rubber Domes

Add to that the many rebrands of their keyboards and that's a lot of variables.


See how much you guys have brainwashed, I mean influenced me!

I don't second guess any assertions by you hardcore types i.e. iMav, webwit, ripster, sk, and the rest of the gang  :)

I'm gonna check the stems of all the switches on my KB-5181 anyway.  If they  are all the same blue non-branded ALPS copies, SMK or whoever made them had lousy QC/QA.
Emperor of the IBM 84-key AT Model F Darkside