108UG-HiPro: Spherical keycap REALFORCE announced

002 · 01 Sep 2012, 09:52

'hasu' has kindly pointed out this press release for the 108UG-HiPro, a spherical keycap Realforce board slated for December this year: http://www.gdm.or.jp/pressrelease/201209/01_kore01.html

Uniform 45g, 108key JIS layout, black enclosure with dark grey keycaps.

I wonder if it will have these switches (left):

webwit · 01 Sep 2012, 10:09

I'm not familiar with the Topre switch on the left, but if it is like before, Topre will just put some different pieces of plastic on the same old boards, and sell these as special for special prices.

002 · 01 Sep 2012, 10:28

A special price indeed - 282 Euros

The switches on the left are from the Nissho keyboard and they're also (presumably) in the JUKI Celavi data entry keyboards.

fossala · 01 Sep 2012, 10:39

Do they feel any different/better?

Icarium · 01 Sep 2012, 12:20

Like all Topres they feel like rip-off.

fossala · 01 Sep 2012, 15:31

I love topres, everytime I use anything else it just feel clunky.

webwit · 01 Sep 2012, 15:40

My opinion is that with spherical keycaps, they are just gaming the keyboard nut market, just like with special keycap color editions. And I think spherical keycaps are inferior, because they are less friendly to the fingers. They do force you to hit the key in the center, but when key switches developed and this was no longer necessary, we got better keycaps. This particular retro thing isn't something which is better than the newer stuff.

002 · 02 Sep 2012, 00:48

I haven't used spherical keycaps before, but I wonder why they would use them for a data entry keyboard like the Juki Celavi if their ergonomics are shit?
I got a quote for a Juki and it was going to cost me 150,000 yen (1500 EUR)

Limmy · 05 Sep 2012, 12:56

I hope the new ones use better plastic more suited for friction. The current material for slider housing is ABS, which is not great material where friction is of concern.

Also, I saw a similar keyboard from photos of Realforce event in Korea.
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/2061297 (5th pic)
http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/2062577 (3rd pic)
The keyboard is described as a keyboard for fast typing.

dirge · 05 Sep 2012, 13:53

That's really nice! Love the sphericals.

002 · 05 Sep 2012, 14:43

Great pics, Limmy

Another pic of the infamous Red Alert keycaps to drool over

forcefollow · 26 Sep 2012, 02:49

been following this thread for a while now

any words on hipro series with layout other than JIS?

geez, the 30g actuation force on my 104pro only does little remedy to justify its purchase

and, how interkx seems so tempting now....

btw, 002, did you get the celavi yet? any chance of lowering the price if more ordered? :p

002 · 26 Sep 2012, 02:56

I seriously doubt they'd go any lower and the price is atrocious.
I settled for the Nissho KB106DE instead: http://deskthority.net/wiki/Nissho_KB106DE

forcefollow · 26 Sep 2012, 03:06

ah, congrats then..does the design of the plunger lessens the keycaps wobbling significantly? and does the plunder interchangeable with ordinary realforce board? that would be my only two points of justifying hipro purchase at this point. The case is.. well, so 104pro-ish

Speaking of price, I almost choked on epson interkx price quote (stock surplus) of 65,000 yen, I was anticipating 30-something.

sometimes I don't really understand why they don't lower the price for a discontinued item they have a stock surplus

002 · 26 Sep 2012, 04:07

does the design of the plunger lessens the keycaps wobbling significantly?

Not really actually which surprised me. The keys are all aligned straight on the board but there's quite a bit of play on them

does the plunder interchangeable with ordinary realforce board?

If you're talking about the keycaps, yes. The plunger itself, not sure but im guessing yes to that as well.

bhtooefr · 26 Sep 2012, 23:56

webwit wrote:My opinion is that with spherical keycaps, they are just gaming the keyboard nut market, just like with special keycap color editions. And I think spherical keycaps are inferior, because they are less friendly to the fingers. They do force you to hit the key in the center, but when key switches developed and this was no longer necessary, we got better keycaps. This particular retro thing isn't something which is better than the newer stuff.

Eh, it's a personal preference thing, just like anything else.

Cylindricals are probably a little faster, but I prefer the feel of good sphericals.

Note that I said good sphericals, not these wimpy things.

forcefollow · 28 Sep 2012, 13:58

@bhtooefr: compared to those vintage I've seen, yes, these topre caps looks wimpy

care to point out some keyboard with good spherical caps? I'm looking at getting some 'true' vintages, i.e. those without known mods to work on modern computers.

002 wrote:
does the design of the plunger lessens the keycaps wobbling significantly?

Not really actually which surprised me. The keys are all aligned straight on the board but there's quite a bit of play on them

does the plunder interchangeable with ordinary realforce board?
If you're talking about the keycaps, yes. The plunger itself, not sure but im guessing yes to that as well.

ah. yes, I mean plunger :p

too bad still some play on it.. well, if they ever make hipro in another layout I might get one

bhtooefr · 28 Sep 2012, 19:14

The only truly good ones I've used are the ones on beam springs (insane amounts of dishing), although the Selectric ones aren't bad.

HaaTa · 05 May 2013, 08:35

So, I've had a chance to try one in Akihabara...

I like it, will be buying once I finish biking from Kagoshima to Hokkaido.

Cheapest I saw was about ￥23000. Fortunately the yen is near parity right now.

002 · 05 May 2013, 08:53

Nice man - thought you'd go with the 104 version?
That display model looks grubby as hell

hasu · 05 May 2013, 10:03

amazon.co.jp usually has the cheapest price tag, 19,690yen. 104 is available only in Korea? I've never found it here.

Haata, you can use my address as shipping destination and pick up them from my house just before return flight. Let me know if you want.

Have a nice trip!

Muirium · 05 May 2013, 14:21

Biking the length of Japan and picking up a HiPro! That's the way to do it. And to think most people squander their holidays lounging at the beach.

guilleguillaume · 06 May 2013, 04:26

hasu wrote:amazon.co.jp usually has the cheapest price tag, 19,690yen. 104 is available only in Korea? I've never found it here.

Haata, you can use my address as shipping destination and pick up them from my house just before return flight. Let me know if you want.

Have a nice trip!

That's really nice of you hasu! It's a pleasure to see members helping each other.

HaaTa · 08 May 2013, 16:25

Thanks hasu! I may do that

I'm actually making a mini-trip to South Korea in a week or so. Any knowledge on where to find keyboards in South Korea? (I can go pretty much anywhere, since I haven't planned much of this trip).

Muirium · 08 May 2013, 17:14

Leopold has a shop in Seoul. Their Topre board makes them suddenly most interesting. Other city (keyboarding) highlights discussed here.