The Realforce 104 Euro Tour Reboot!

[Jmneuv]

From my experience it depends a lot on the individual doing the final delivery.

[Neal]

Just got back from a music festival, and what do I see on my table when I get home?
Yep, its back. Finally, once again. I'm very sorry, will send it to the bone first thing when I sober up.
Adding a few extra things to the grab bag as an appology.

Neal.

[photekq]

Good guy Neal

[cookie]

Verry nice, hope to get this baby soon
I am more and more tempted to Topre Keyboards tbh

[Neal]

Label hand written this time, dropping it off at dpd (other parcel service) tomorrow. They'll bring it to bone's doorstep.
Hopefully this is the only hiccup that this tour will have, one last time. Sorry for the delays.

[002]

Thanks Neal

[Neal]

Now that thats over and the board is in Germany again (should be delivered soon, tracking shows its in Germany.)
I can post my thoughts!

A bit of backstory: I havn't been into mechanical keyboards for that long, although I have typed on them for as long as I can remember. Started off with typing on a Apple Extended II, after that the joy of typing on a Model M SSK. These days my daily driver is a fullsize Filco, and for when I travel a KBTalking Pure. Both with PBT caps, as I'm addicted to these. (No thick ones yet though!)

At first I felt like I got scammed out of 200bucks If I were to have purcahsed this, to me it felt like a regular old rubber dome. I hated it.
But ofcourse, not giving up. After a week I'd grown to like it a lot. Its a lot nicer to type on for extended periods of time, and I can use it without my housemates giving my a bad look because they're absolutely silent when you try.
I did not notice the variable weighting during typing at all, only when I carefully pressed the keys I could feel that they're different.

As for the ANSI layout and key profile, loved it. I use ISO on my Filco and I have some problems with the left shift not being big enough.

However I don't think I will be purchasing one, atleast not yet. I'm addicted to the little click MX blues give, And the feel of an aluminum space bar.

And the grab bag was pretty cool as for whats inside, added some things. But didn't take any.

Thanks a lot for giving me a chance to try out this board, and I hope the rest will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Jmneuv]

Thanks. I'm seeing a pattern here: first impression bad, then defection after about 1 week.
In which language layout did you use it, just us intl. or did you use your lang. and ignore the legends?

[Muirium]

Getting better with time is truly a Topre trend. I always hear it. Topre isn't about the first hour of typing you do in a day, but the last.

Now if they were to just send me a complementary HiPro, I'd write their ads!

[Jmneuv]

Haha i don't envy you having your sights on hipro.

[Muirium]

Haha i don't envy you having your sights on hipro.

Tenkeyless or 60%. Bluetooth. Doubleshot PBT. And a pony.

[Neal]

Thanks. I'm seeing a pattern here: first impression bad, then defection after about 1 week.
In which language layout did you use it, just us intl. or did you use your lang. and ignore the legends?

Intl, hell I even use that on my Iso board hahahaha.

[cookie]

Was it hart to go from ISO to ANSI layout?
I feel verry comfi on an ISO layout keyboard but unfortunately ther is no HHKB with that layout.
And I think the ANSI layout is much nicer to code with.

[Muirium]

There is in fact an ISO HHKB:

The HHKB Professional JP.

Here's some Westerners trading their experiences with it, outside its native environment. Personally, it intrigues me. I love the symmetry and simplicity of the "true" HHKB, and the arrow keys seem a distraction from the HHKB philosophy, but that little space bar is kawaii!

[cookie]

Id rather get used to ANSI Layout then to this thing, the spacebar is way to small.

[Muirium]

The svelte little spacebar is the best thing about it! The huge enter key meanwhile…

[cookie]

hmmm I actually don't like it tbh, but the huge enter key is pretty normal to me, I don't know someting else

[Muirium]

Yeah, I'm just kidding you. I do honestly like tiny little space bars though. The shine on mine is never more than two units wide, and thumb-space is precious territory for modifiers. That's where the smart key combos are at.

[Neal]

Was it hart to go from ISO to ANSI layout?
I feel verry comfi on an ISO layout keyboard but unfortunately ther is no HHKB with that layout.
And I think the ANSI layout is much nicer to code with.

Very easy, I actually prefer ANSI because of the long left shift.

[cookie]

Was it hart to go from ISO to ANSI layout?
I feel verry comfi on an ISO layout keyboard but unfortunately ther is no HHKB with that layout.
And I think the ANSI layout is much nicer to code with.

Very easy, I actually prefer ANSI because of the long left shift.

I am really curious how the layout and keys will feel.

I have more problems with the right then the left shift button tbh. Ikd why this is so

[Jmneuv]

On the hhkb JP someone pointed out that the shift row staggering is non standard and thus could potentially mess you up for other keyboards - that fact is putting me off on it.

[Muirium]

Aha! So that's where Filco got the idea for the weird staggering on the odd duckling that is the Minila.

ISO UK Filco Minila:


HHKB Professional JP:


Pity Filco didn't actually improve on the existing HHKB's design. They even shrank left shift! But I gotta admit: I still love those itsy-bitsy little spacebars!

[Jmneuv]

oh right that uk filco is totally jp!

[Neal]

Was it hart to go from ISO to ANSI layout?
I feel verry comfi on an ISO layout keyboard but unfortunately ther is no HHKB with that layout.
And I think the ANSI layout is much nicer to code with.

Very easy, I actually prefer ANSI because of the long left shift.

I am really curious how the layout and keys will feel.

I have more problems with the right then the left shift button tbh. Ikd why this is so

Mmh, what shift do you use most? to capitalize letters? I use the left, Rarely do I ever do I use the right one. Only for questionmarks I think.

And according to the tracking number, it has been delivered! Success!

[Muirium]

I use both shifts extensively (even on a touchscreen…) for Capitalisation. Also for all those {not as strange as you'd think} characters trapped behind it on other keys. Depends where I'm reaching and what I'm typing next. And don't forget keyboard shortcuts. Just love me some shift + arrow keys for text selection. Mostly left shift for that one, but even then not always.

[cookie]

I usually use the left shift key to capitalize letters which I type with the right hand and the right shitft to capitalize letters I type with my left. But the distance of the right shift lets me still do mistakes frequently, I often times type "-" instead of pressing shift.

[bone]

The keyboard has finally arrived
Thank you Neal for your effort!
I will try this baby for one week and then sent it to the next person.

Regards,
Daniel

[Neal]

Yay! Enjoy it!

[Muirium]

I have a new challenger for the Realforce to do battle against, once it's my turn…

Photo 28-06-2013 11 42 59.jpg (456.44 KiB) Viewed 8730 times

Model F vs. Topre. Should be a good one!

[cookie]

Enjoy! Hopefully you will dislike topre, otherwise you will spend a lot of money in new keyboards

@MU Image is broken