Motherboard Makers Aren’t Pushing Their Mechanical Keyboards

Status
Not open for further replies.

scolaner

Reputable
Jul 30, 2014
1,282
0
5,290


For the second year in a row, GB had all their peripherals in a literal dark corner. Our pics are all grainy because we had to crank up the ISO so high to get anything at all and then jack up the brightness in PS to see anything. #tradeshowphotography

But yeah, there's not much info on the K7. :/
 

s4fun

Distinguished
Feb 3, 2006
191
0
18,680
These are all ugly. What is with the gigantic overly tall keycaps. Whatever happened to a thin, flat, sleek design. Why isn't there mechanical switches with chiclet design?
 
I would think, Keyboards with keys sticking up and unprotected by the keyboard frame, are more likely to be broken off. Looks more easily to snag a cable or something on them. Plus, I think keyboards do look better with the keys sitting down into the frame. That Gigabyte keyboard does look great, though.
 

scolaner

Reputable
Jul 30, 2014
1,282
0
5,290


First of all, I think you're conflating mechanical keyboards (which these are) with ALL keyboards. All those slim and sleek designs you see are not mechanical switches.

Except...some are now:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/msi-acer-mechanical-laptop-keyboards,34653.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/tesoro-slim-mechanical-keyboard-ttc-switches,34690.html


And expect more soon:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/kailh-laptop-switches-scissor-light-pipe,34652.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/new-mechanical-switches-laptops-slim-keyboards,33458.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/adomax-flaretech-prism-slim-edition-mechanical-switches-analog,34785.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/azio-mk-c-thin-mechanical-keyboard,33463.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ione-mechanical-laptop-keyboard-kailh,34797.html
 

s4fun

Distinguished
Feb 3, 2006
191
0
18,680


Thanks for listing all the info you've shown and I have been following those too. However I am NOT conflating issues. I want mechanical keyboard that are slim sleek chiclet key design. Why is that NOT a thing? To date for me, the most satisfying keyboard and the one that I seem to have the best accuracy and speed typing on is the one that came with my now retired Sony Vaio VPCSA21GX laptop. No keyboard before or after have matched it in the tactile feel it provided. I have never been able to find a keyboard that come even close to it ever. I was never a fan of the old school PC-XT clickity IBM super heavy keyboards for it typing feel or aesthetics, although I do appreciate it built like a tank durability and reliability. I do NOT like tall keycaps that tend to trap your fingers, stop your finger from gliding from key to key, nor do I like the long travel in the keys, and the whole lot of mechanical keyboards all seem to be trying to win the ugliest keyboard award and they try to hard to recapture that old IBM keyboard thing which is so backwards and anti-progress.
 

scolaner

Reputable
Jul 30, 2014
1,282
0
5,290


...I'm not following you then. Your Sony lappie didn't have mechanical switches. I mean, it's great that you liked the feel. (I like the feel of some laptop keyboards as well.) But they weren't mechanical.

In those links I shared, your question is answered: "I want mechanical keyboard that are slim sleek chiclet key design. Why is that NOT a thing?" It is now. Finally. And it's high time this happened.
 

s4fun

Distinguished
Feb 3, 2006
191
0
18,680


The scissor switch chiclet of the sony lappie can almost approach mechanical, but it is membrane below. But why can't they build a keyboard where they use an actual mechanical switch for the extreme long term durability whiile being thin sleek?

And which one of those in the link are available for actual purchase on Amazon, Best Buy, Microcenter, Fry's, or Walmart? Or anywhere for that matter. The stuff is still vaporware.
 

i-am-i-u-r-u

Reputable
Aug 22, 2016
8
2
4,510
Most of these RGB mechanical keyboards spread the light across the surface of the keyboard. They're like a Christmas tree that can be seen from a distance. I want the light to show strongly through the surface of the caps only.
 

scolaner

Reputable
Jul 30, 2014
1,282
0
5,290


I...I don't get what you're after here. They ARE making the exact thing you want. Tesoro's keyboard is coming Q4. Buy it then.

Meantime, if you want slim laptops with slim mechanical switches, both Acer and MSI make them. I can't recall when the MSI one is coming to market, but the Acer Triton 700 is coming in August. So no, it's not vaporware. Those products exist. I have touched them.

Also...the process for these things goes like this: People think, "You know what would be cool? X." [check] Then a manufacturer has to make/invent X. [check] Then they show prototypes and reference designs to get feedback. [check] Then they make X. Then you can buy X. In the case of these switches, we're at the reference design/prototype/feedback phase.

This is all the normal progression of product-making. Assuming keyboard and laptop makers dig these designs, expect them to come to market. Within the next product cycle or two.
 

s4fun

Distinguished
Feb 3, 2006
191
0
18,680


Q4 maybe. So Tesoro is total vaporware and has been for 9 months now. The laptops are not keyboards now are they? So what if you touched those, or even the Tesoro for that matter. All this just more vaporware.

So once again which one of those in the link are available for actual purchase on Amazon, Best Buy, Microcenter, Fry's, or Walmart? Or anywhere for that matter. The stuff is still vaporware. And which one of those in the link are available for actual purchase on Amazon, Best Buy, Microcenter, Fry's, or Walmart? Or anywhere for that matter. The stuff is still vaporware.
 

scolaner

Reputable
Jul 30, 2014
1,282
0
5,290


The different designs affect that. Eg, when the switches are mounted on a top plate, you get that xmas tree effect. When they're partially obscured by a top panel, you see light only through the caps and under the caps a bit.

Designs like the Logitech G810 are probably most ideal for you. There's a top panel that somewhat obscures the underglow, and the switches have a through-stem LED design that put the light directly through the top of the keycap with no light bleed on the sides. That's them Romer-G switches for ya. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/logitech-g810-orion-spectrum-mechanical-gaming-keyboard,4995.html
 
Status
Not open for further replies.