[Request] A short video of keycool 87 in action

tobo · 17 Apr 2012, 01:51

I'm considering buying a white keycool 87 blue mx since the white noppoo is out of stock for three months and there isn't any other reasonable alternative. Qtan sells one for $87 (~€69) including shipping. There seems to be only one review of this keyboard at geekhack and no videos of it anywhere. Could someone owning this keyboard (preferably a white one) do a short video so I can see how the keyboard sounds and actually looks.

Thanks in advance.

dirge · 17 Apr 2012, 09:41

I ordered this exact board about 2 weeks ago, when it turns up I'll record one for you. Drop me a pm in a few days so I can find you, if I'm stuck trying to locate this thread bud

(It's not going to stay stock very long >:) )

squarebox · 17 Apr 2012, 10:43

I tried one for awhile, there's nothing special to it. It's just another clone but a Leopold clone.

dirge · 17 Apr 2012, 11:12

When you say nothing special could you expand a little? I've not used a filco yet so only thing I've used are board mount cherry's. I think the keycool is plate mount with cherry stabilisers? Should it not be very very close to a leopold?

tobo · 17 Apr 2012, 14:45

Thanks dirge. Would you mind telling where you bought yours from? Keycool is indeed plate mounted and it even has costar stabilizers I think (at least according to this thread).

squarebox · 18 Apr 2012, 11:18

Keycool 87 uses
- Costar-stabilizer but Leopold Spacebar stem positioning (FFFFUUUU)
- Leopold-style feet
- Similar Leopold-style positioning of rubber grips
- Leopold-style latch/catch to hold the keyboard together.
- Leopold-style cut for USB connection point.

Google the pictures of each keyboard and compare.

dirge · 18 Apr 2012, 12:58

Got mine from qtan's online store. I say got, it's not here yet.

squarebox, that makes it sound a bit like a filco. Have you tried both and how much difference is there really?

squarebox · 18 Apr 2012, 13:23

It shares almost nothing with the Filco other that Costar-style stabilizer and Cherry MX switches. Other than that, the rest of the keyboards almost identical to a Leopold.

After trying and testing so many brands, Filco is still at the top, followed by Cherry. Keycool is terms of quality is as good as a Leopold but with a horrible looking chamfer at the edge. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

This was mine.

Note the spacebar couldn't be fitted properly for any use although it looks fine in the picture. It's not yellowish at all, the picture is taken under an incandescent lamp.

dirge · 18 Apr 2012, 14:09

I just thought that plate mounted cherry switches would be quite similar regardless of the keyboard, so thats not the case then?

If you switched the case and caps between a keycool and a filco (okay may not be possible, but pretend) would anyone pass the pepsi challange?

Agree the case looks a bit poo.

off · 18 Apr 2012, 14:21

dirge wrote:Agree the case looks a bit poo.

I think that case colour is not that bad, might look really nice with caps that are not white.

squarebox · 18 Apr 2012, 15:14

The LED light would give it away instantly + the ridiculous spacebar keycap that won't fit properly.

There are reasons why no one recommend keycool... Whereas brands like Filco, Cherry, Unicomp, IBM, and leopold are heavily recommended.

tobo · 18 Apr 2012, 15:20

Squarebox, thanks for the in depth comparison. I agree the keyboard looks cheap, but it seems of a solid quality and perhaps good enough as a first mechanical keyboard. There just doesn't seem to be another well priced alternative for us Europeans.

off · 18 Apr 2012, 15:43

well.. Someone on here said a few days ago that the CM Storm Quick Fire advertising board will be making it's way to europe shortly, afaik reds only though.

tobo · 18 Apr 2012, 16:38

I heard about that on geekhack. Also some people there are offering (almost) brand new CM Storms for ~$60+shipping, which seems a good deal. Although I'm hesitant to buy from random people on a forum :p.

off · 18 Apr 2012, 16:52

dang, nice pricing.. but us->eu shipping will probably kill that. Perhaps an nkro white tkl filco is what you need. ^^
And random people, always a matter of trust- if you check that they have a history there, they will have something to lose besides quite probably being just 'good' people in the first place. For me, I've started sending cash around from the moment I registered here, but nothing has come in yet

Not worried though. Honestly, people (t)here are freaks, in a good way. Most of them. I hope.

tobo · 18 Apr 2012, 17:24

Yeah, never knew there was a whole subculture of keyboard enthusiasts :p. I was looking at a review on youtube for a new mouse and saw an interesting keyboard on the reviewers table (HHKB pro 2), which eventually led me to these forums

.
Most people here do come off as reliable and in the worst case there is always paypal buyer protection.

The white Filco looks sweet, but seems out of my price range. I'm probably going to go with the keycool, since it's relatively cheap and I can always buy some PBT caps to make it look nicer. A CM Storm would just look tacky with PBT caps :p.

off · 18 Apr 2012, 18:08

and there you go.. You might want to delete your account, bookmarks and memories after placing your order though; as you see you'll easily spend more than that filco in no time otherwise. Hence why I pointed at it; less chance of feeling 'want moar', hypothetically.

tobo · 18 Apr 2012, 22:39

True

. Good thing I don't have much money. Just looked at the white filco on qtan's page. Damn, $184 with shipping

.

off · 18 Apr 2012, 22:45

There is keyboardcompany.co.ukm , but I imagine with shipping it'll amount to around the same if not more; and they don't seem to list the white.