Round 5 and Round 6 kits for sale!

JohnVenture · 18 Dec 2014, 01:28

Ah, I'm afraid there actually is a problem with the row 4 WFK keys!

They have taken the accents into account to center the height, which results in those keys to appear lower than their counterpart (eg. 'ê' is a bit lower than 'e' and all other keys because the '^' was counted as part of the letter).

I remember we had a discussion a while ago (probably around march) about certain keys of the BEPO set which shouldn't be centered this way (I beleive it was the 'ç' key which was faulty in the wiki and had been corrected).

Some of the accent keys seem to be done right:

Edit: not sure I was very clear so I added another picture:

Edit2: Muirium summed it up better than me in 1 sentence.

ryanjun · 18 Dec 2014, 04:49

O captain my captain!!! after long waiting!!!

nsz962 · 18 Dec 2014, 06:14

7bit wrote: ↑Here are the same graphics with errors marked.

I've told them not to use that bigass-font on some of the keys, but nobody seems to read my messages:

Also, DOWN and RIGHT on that RAS pic, and maybe UP (I can't tell...)

Jeez thanks for doing this all. What a pain!

7bit · 18 Dec 2014, 11:50

Thank's for spotting that. I've checked and these are the only 2 so far.

UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT: At least for me, they don't stick out too much.

7bit · 18 Dec 2014, 12:03

7bit wrote: ↑IMPORTANT:

Because mashby will stop collecting money and SP is closing down their keyboard pimping business over Christmas, until early January, please everybody pay their bill, so he can send your money to SP before they close down!

Also: I need a new Google Wallet and PayPal money collector for 2015!

Until the end of this year, I would prefer someone who is located in the EU, because I need some funds here, too.

From 2015 on, preferably someone from the USA again, because we will have to pay for Round 5a, once Round 5 has been finished!

hashbaz · 18 Dec 2014, 17:15

Thanks for being a stickler on this one 7bit. It'll be worth the wait and will hopefully set a QA precedent for future buys.

7bit · 18 Dec 2014, 18:32

Except that in Round 3 I knew what they can do wrong and they did.
Except that in Round 4 I knew what they can do wrong and they did.
Except that in Round 5 I knew what they can do wrong and they did.
Except that in Round 6 I knew what they can do wrong and they did.
...
Except that in Round n I knew what they can do wrong and they did.
...

What bugs me is that they re-use rejected legends. If they don't want to trash them, they could throw them into a special box. Also: Those things with some legengs in large text and some in small existed in Round 3 already and I complained about these issues already and they did it again.

The majority of key caps they produce look really great, but some are a permanet cause of trouble.

Not that I care, but did they already solve the text-alignment problem on the DCS GEEK HACK cap?

And then that SHIF T problem! I asked they should try with F and T touching each other. I told them I pay for the new legend, but nope: all SHIFT keys say SHIF T, again!

Muirium · 18 Dec 2014, 19:09

I'm serious: we should send someone to visit them in person and take charge of this. How'd you like to go to Washington, 7bit?

Definitely for Round 6… I dream of row 4 SHIFT

7bit · 18 Dec 2014, 19:27

If you are lucky, you will get a row 3.9 SHIF T key with upsise-down legend!

Muirium · 18 Dec 2014, 19:36

Actually, the reverse ERGO DOX key does make me pine for a right hand set of flipped mods… symmetry WTF!

Wait: FTW spelled backwards is WTF? It all makes sense now!

Miko · 18 Dec 2014, 19:40

These delays made to take desperate measures. I bought a Honeywell keyboard. It looks great, but so far I don't know how to communicate with it.

Muirium · 18 Dec 2014, 19:50

Been there…

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/a-hon ... t6296.html

Well, in kinda sorta reverse. That Honeywell is what led to Round 5 being this colourway.

7bit · 18 Dec 2014, 20:24

After 3 group buys, today I got the confirmation that indeed they use 3 different font sizes:
super condensed, condesed and nomal, what for me is condensed, normal and spread-too-much!

Muirium wrote: ↑Actually, the reverse ERGO DOX key does make me pine for a right hand set of flipped mods… symmetry WTF!

Wait: FTW spelled backwards is WTF? It all makes sense now!

It is funny that things like these they do right from the start and other, much simpler legends get f*d up!

I just had the mirrored ERGO DOX key in the list, without asking if they can do it, they just did it.

nsz962 · 19 Dec 2014, 05:10

Muirium wrote: ↑Wait: FTW spelled backwards is WTF? It all makes sense now!

Wow... those would be great caps. It's a fine line between WTF and FTW...

Vierax · 19 Dec 2014, 06:19

Nice synergy folks ! You have keen eyes

As I was able to see, Melissa does a great job in customer service but there really is a problem inside SP factory. How could they ever made the same mistakes over and over again ?
It looks like they lacks at least a person managing quality control before production. All this time waisted, all this material wrongly melted, all this waiting, all those customers pissed off, all those resended packages costs… IMveryHO without those mistakes, they probably could hire someone and still save money (and reputation).
IDK maybe if they have more concurrent making GBs, they will take care about this.

bchociej · 19 Dec 2014, 07:02

Thank you for your hard work and attention to detail, 7bit. The GB will be much better for it!

JohnVenture · 19 Dec 2014, 16:34

Whenever I picture what the people at SP must look like, it looks like The Office.

I must say I thought the red would pop a bit more. Looks a bit more bordeaux wine than scarlet red compared to the pics in page 1.

Muirium · 19 Dec 2014, 16:42

Well you said it yourself: SP might not be perfectly competent at everything they do:

http://deskthority.net/post199666.html#p199666

It's good and red! Their picture's just shite.

Vierax · 20 Dec 2014, 01:39

JohnVenture wrote: ↑Whenever I picture what the people at SP must look like, it looks like The Office.

Never saw this serie yet, I add it to my list. Thx fellow bépoète

Muirium wrote: ↑Well you said it yourself: SP might not be perfectly competent at everything they do:

http://deskthority.net/post199666.html#p199666

It's good and red! Their picture's just shite.

I assume they use some fluorescent tube with a crappy rendering colour indice. Combine that with a really bad camera sensor and no postproduction photoshopping to adjust levels and curves and here we are :/

ccc24 · 20 Dec 2014, 05:42

can someone clarify on how round 5a is going to proceed?

7bit · 20 Dec 2014, 09:32

Once, Round 5 has been delivered, i will order Round 5a. If some colors don't make it to the MOQ, then I will only order those that make it and call the rest Round 5b.

Elrick · 21 Dec 2014, 01:27

Vierax wrote: ↑It looks like they lacks at least a person managing quality control before production. All this time waisted, all this material wrongly melted, all this waiting, all those customers pissed off, all those resended packages costs… IMveryHO without those mistakes, they probably could hire someone and still save money (and reputation).

So true, it looks like they DO NOT have anyone in charge of of Quality and Assurance standards within their own factory. I would of thought that when making specific keys for Cherry-based keyboards you would have someone on staff that will look at the test runs and the final production to see if they meet the CUSTOMER'S quality standard but they don't even bother.

I suspect they run their business like a hot cake shop, a production line of goods running down a conveyor belt and then put into boxes and that's it. Shipped out to customers regardless if they're made right or a safe to use.

Have no idea what United States of America Quality Standards are like but this latest production of key-caps by SP makes you want to permanently stick with GMK and BSP only productions from now on.

7bit · 21 Dec 2014, 12:18

IMPORTANT:

Because mashby will stop collecting money and SP is closing down their keyboard pimping business over Christmas, until early January, please everybody pay their bill, so he can send your money to SP before they close down!

Also: I need a new Google Wallet and PayPal money collector for 2015!

Until the end of this year, I would prefer someone who is located in the EU, because I need some funds here, too.

From 2015 on, preferably someone from the USA again, because we will have to pay for Round 5a, once Round 5 has been finished!

barkweed · 21 Dec 2014, 13:32

Elrick wrote: ↑Have no idea what United States of America Quality Standards are like

Where I'm from, goods manufactured in the US are usually (not always!) considered crap quality, as if the motto were "Cheat as much as possible, keep costs down!". So I'm actually not surprised at all.

Considering the long delays and SP's lousy behavior, I cancelled my order.

Muirium · 21 Dec 2014, 13:49

It would help a lot if we had remotely realistic deadlines. But as for the errors, I doubt there will be anything significant. Round 4 SPH commands a crazy aftermarket value to this day, with just the same issues.

And that's what Round 5a will be for. Which will overrun as well, I'm sure.

jefferai · 21 Dec 2014, 14:00

Elrick wrote: Have no idea what United States of America Quality Standards are like

Maybe you should report them to the Department of Quality Assurance so the Feds can get on the case.

Elrick · 22 Dec 2014, 02:16

jefferai wrote: ↑Maybe you should report them to the Department of Quality Assurance so the Feds can get on the case.

Is that in the same building where Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny reside?

blighty · 22 Dec 2014, 02:27

Elrick wrote: ↑ Have no idea what United States of America Quality Standards are like but this latest production of key-caps by SP makes you want to permanently stick with GMK and BSP only productions from now on.

Hmm. GMK and BSP fuck up as well. The wonky shift legends on lysol's (Ivan) purple mods GB and Originative's tab key with the offset arrows for GMK, or BSP's known issue of having keys warped so they don't sit properly on the keys are examples that come to mind. Admittedly, lysol/Ivan caught the mistake for the purple mod buy and had it corrected, while Sherry's/Originative's tab issue was basically ignored (collector's items

)

I don't mind the "messed up" legends on these SA sets. That's what makes them look like authentic SP caps, not from some other producer (as if). The other companies don't even come close to offering the types of customization or service that SP does, and they eventually fix some of their production mistakes if it is called out early enough.

barkweed wrote: ↑[
Where I'm from, goods manufactured in the US are usually (not always!) considered crap quality, as if the motto were "Cheat as much as possible, keep costs down!". So I'm actually not surprised at all.

Considering the long delays and SP's lousy behavior, I cancelled my order.

I hope the order you cancelled had been with SP outside of this group buy. Otherwise, you are just making things worse for us to get this buy over with. US-produced goods being crap? Possible, but I rarely see any products that are actually produced in the US. Almost everything comes out of China or south-east Asia. US has been a consumer economy for the last 15 or 20 years thanks to cheap labor/products from overseas.

These issues aren't an American thing, it's a greedy, capitalist thing, which is international.

Vierax · 22 Dec 2014, 02:37

barkweed wrote: ↑Where I'm from, goods manufactured in the US are usually (not always!) considered crap quality, as if the motto were "Cheat as much as possible, keep costs down!". So I'm actually not surprised at all.

That remembers me a 30Rock episode with a Made In USA coach : At least they have self-derision

Elrick wrote: ↑Have no idea what United States of America Quality Standards are like but this latest production of key-caps by SP makes you want to permanently stick with GMK and BSP only productions from now on.

I didn't know BSP. I imagine they have too high MOQ for us like GMK, haven't they ? (thx blighty you just answered a part of my question

)

barkweed · 22 Dec 2014, 12:45

blighty wrote: ↑US-produced goods being crap? Possible, but I rarely see any products that are actually produced in the US. Almost everything comes out of China or south-east Asia. US has been a consumer economy for the last 15 or 20 years thanks to cheap labor/products from overseas.

Exactly; the goods designed/engineered in the US but manufactured elsewhere (i.e. Asia) are usually of (very) high quality. I'm talking about the crap (not all of it!) that actually gets manufactured in the US.

But I digress, and it's probably hyperbole. Sorry.