CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid with LED backlight

Broadmonkey · 20 Dec 2013, 23:55

I just saw a video of Duckys Shine 3 and how the reactive mode works(or what you call Active Light 2). It's pretty neat to say the least and I guess one of the biggest selling points of Shine 3, it's definitely a feature you should invest in!

Regarding backlighting in general. Ever since I got into mechanical keyboards, the one thing my dad has always ranted about when I brought the subject up, was that I couldn't see the legends at night and he could with his cheaper keyboard, and he has a point, he works a lot at night and can't type anything without backlighting.
My dad has a Logitech Illuminated keyboard and the backlighting on that one really looks classy, just like backlighting on a Mac Book does. So I don't think the thing about it looking like a toy holds true, it jut has to be implemented correctly, which is often done by using decent fonts, a stylish case and (in most cases) use white light.

Just look at The Code, it's a good example of how a lit mechanical keyboard should look like.

And just for good measure. Stop saying everyone can touch-type and thus NOBODY needs the backlight feature. It's simply not true!

webwit · 20 Dec 2013, 23:59

Personally I feel we should build backlighting in everything. Bed, night stand, doors, floors, walls, books, etc. Except on light switches. Who needs light when everything has backlighting?

Broadmonkey · 21 Dec 2013, 00:04

Yeah, well... I also prefer to just turn the lights on, but some don't and I guess they are who needs it.

webwit · 21 Dec 2013, 00:32

Reminds me of the origin of backlit keyboards. Police cars. So they can patrol at night and operate the onboard computer.

cookie · 21 Dec 2013, 00:42

I'd rather learn to touchtype then to have backlit in my Keyboard

No but honestly, I can understand if ppl want backlit in their keyboards, it looks neat and you can read the legends very good in the dark. But the huge huge huge downside are the caps, I will never ever go back from PBT caps, anymore! Like never ever... like really really never!

But I like the Idea to build backlit in books

Broadmonkey · 21 Dec 2013, 00:51

If you'd like a back-lit book, go buy a Kindle.

Muirium · 21 Dec 2013, 01:04

Actually, that was the weirdest part of my first experience with a Kindle. Someone handed it to me at night in their living room. I wondered what the hell was up with the screen colour, which changed tone every few seconds, until I realised it was simply reflecting the ambience of the room, which was dark with the TV on!

(Typing this in reactive mode on a Shine 3…) Backlights are a great idea in the abstract. The problem we have is that to really use them, you have to compromise on cap quality. Or do you? Remember that thread about the new Deck keyboard's caps? Weren't they meant to be transparent doubleshot PBT? Hello backlight! (Meanwhile, what's going on at my fingers is a board full of square halos. I've Round 4 SPH doubleshots on this!)

webwit · 21 Dec 2013, 01:07

There are these small lamps mounted on covers for ebook readers. So you can read in bed with the light off. I want to see a keyboard with such a lamp.

Compgeke · 21 Dec 2013, 02:09

webwit wrote:There are these small lamps mounted on covers for ebook readers. So you can read in bed with the light off. I want to see a keyboard with such a lamp.

Why not get a keyboard with a USB hub and one of those dollar store USB LED lights? Works just as well as a cheap Deskthority Keylight (can't say Thinklight!).

Findecanor · 21 Dec 2013, 02:38

Desks often have desk lamps. They are more versatile than backlight, in that they can light up other things than the keyboard.

Broadmonkey · 21 Dec 2013, 18:44

webwit wrote:There are these small lamps mounted on covers for ebook readers. So you can read in bed with the light off. I want to see a keyboard with such a lamp.

You mean like the Razer Tarantula?

cookie · 23 Dec 2013, 11:52

Woah, I will never complain about backlight again. This Tarantula is an ugly piece of plastic!

Monkay · 27 Dec 2013, 21:39

Looks like tanning-shop for your hands

When will this Quickfire Rapid with backlightning be available? Because I am thinkig of getting one without backlightning, but I could wait some months I guess.

Bramster · 02 Jan 2014, 11:21

Monkay wrote:Looks like tanning-shop for your hands

When will this Quickfire Rapid with backlightning be available? Because I am thinkig of getting one without backlightning, but I could wait some months I guess.

I cannot give you a exact date or month yet but for sure somewhere in the beginning of this year..

Monkay · 03 Jan 2014, 19:20

That sounds great. I sure can wait some months. Will it be released in ISO-DE, too?

Bramster · 06 Jan 2014, 09:02

Monkay wrote:That sounds great. I sure can wait some months. Will it be released in ISO-DE, too?

Alright, that is awesome!! For layouts it will be the same as the current QF Rapid (without backlight) DE layout. If you want I can make a picture of the layout (I have one laying next to me here)

Monkay · 06 Jan 2014, 18:44

Yeah another photo would be awesome. Or you could just ship it to me

If you will offer a simple and clean "filco-look-alike" with backlightning for cheap it would be awesome.

epzy · 07 Jan 2014, 05:30

I want this. I need this. Many people need this. Costar made board with Backlights = Heavenly mix. Ducky uses Cherry stabs, but that's the price you have to pay for nice LEDs, but now that CM Storm will make a backlit keyboard with costar stabs I won't have to torture my fingers on Cherry stabs no longer!

Bramster · 07 Jan 2014, 11:19

Monkay wrote:Yeah another photo would be awesome. Or you could just ship it to me

If you will offer a simple and clean "filco-look-alike" with backlightning for cheap it would be awesome.

Stay tuned to this forum thread or your other favorite news sites in this year

Monkay · 08 Jan 2014, 09:53

From this youtube video we can see the new backlit Rapid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt4TvdGt4i4
I really like that is also available in Stealth. But its sad that red switches will only support red backlightning. I only like white, but browns arent really my favorite switch.

Bramster · 08 Jan 2014, 13:20

Monkay wrote:From this youtube video we can see the new backlit Rapid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt4TvdGt4i4
I really like that is also available in Stealth. But its sad that red switches will only support red backlightning. I only like white, but browns arent really my favorite switch.

Hi Monkay..

Since we now indeed show this product on CES I can indeed confirm that the product you see in that video, the Rapid i is the product I am talking about in this forum thread indeed.

About the LED colors there is not much more I can do. It will be available in the colors like mentioned in the video depending on the switch type you choose.

Keep in mind the SI version we might not be able to carry in EU.

Monkay · 08 Jan 2014, 16:01

Hey Bram,

than you will not get my money! Oh wait, the Topre/MX-Board is also made by Coolermaster...
Well then you will get a bit more of my money (I guess).

Bramster · 10 Jan 2014, 11:01

Hahahah nice

matt3o · 13 Jan 2014, 14:39

you've been beaten by corsair

http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8 ... t7233.html

Bramster · 13 Jan 2014, 14:49

We know about this Corsair and Cherry RGB exclusive deal but for us the NovaTouch TKL is a important project for this year. And who knows what we might pull out of our hat with RGB

matt3o · 13 Jan 2014, 14:56

looking forward!

Monkay · 13 Jan 2014, 15:09

This exclusive contract wont last forever.
But I have to say that the Corsair keyboards are perfect for this RGB switches because you can see the whole "underglow".

martinot · 13 Apr 2014, 20:21

CM Bram wrote:But now besides that one I would also like you guys' opinion about a possible Quick Fire Rapid with LED backlight.. What do you think?

Seems great!

Not a very big fan of backlight personally as I will replace the caps with PBT ones anyway, but a good option that I absolutely don't mind having (good to have if you leave ABS caps as is, and on my Ducky Mini with PBT caps I have the backlight simply turned off).

Also good for recommending to friends who don't mind the ABS quality caps and might appreciate backlight, but still wants a good quality keyboard.

Looks just like the trusty old QF Rapid, but one very important question that I think we all need to know; will it still have Costar stabilizers, or have they been replaced with Cherry ones (like on your TK models)?

Br,
martin

snowyBlinds · 18 Apr 2014, 22:46

Findecanor wrote:
kint wrote:The reason is the orientation of this forum, no overclock/gamer/kiddie forum, but mostly grown up professional programmer/coder/typists who touch type and use the keyboard as their tool - at daylight office hours.
Just because many of us are grown-up and computer professionals, does not meant that we don't like playing games.

I'm a programmer by day (albeit still new to the game), and a gamer by night once I get my kids to bed.

With that said... I've got along just fine without back lighting on my current keyboards. When I game, it's at night in my dark living room on the HTPC gaming rig. There have been a few instances where it would have been nice to have back lighting, but it's not that common I find myself wanting back lighting. However, IF I had back lighting I would probably always have it on when gaming at night, albeit on the dimmest setting. I think I'm the minority because I prefer a dim white back lighting. I like just enough to help identify keys I may not frequent, but not so much that it replaces the lamps in my living room as a lighting source. I feel that just adds glare on my glasses. Also, the pulsing, etc, type effects IMO are very gimmicky. My co-worker has a Ducky Shine II and the only time he uses those sort of effects is when showing someone his keyboard.

My main keyboard is the gray, non-branded, QFR with MX browns. My biggest complaint about that keyboard is not the lack of back lighting, but the cheapness of the keycaps. After only a few weeks use they were already losing the texture and becoming shiny. The grey finish also started to wear off near the spacebar almost equally as quick. I would rather see those areas enhanced over added backlighting. Programmable Fn keys would be icing on the cake for a lot of people, but I rarely use Fn keys when I'm not debugging code, aside from Alt + F4. So, for me, that wouldn't be a selling point.

I look forward to trying the Topre TKL before the new QFR's with backlighting.