Realforce SSK (55g)

[y11971alex]

[seebart]

Another * huge * disappointment y11971alex?!? What's your verdict? I own one of these and love it, but used to diss Topre quite a bit.

[Hking0036]

Weird subbing on the backspace, is that just a beige model thing? Mine is horizontal, yours is lined vertically. Either way, how are you feeling about it? It took me a day or two to get used to it and now I really like them.

[seebart]

Weird subbing on the backspace, is that just a beige model thing? Mine is horizontal, yours is lined vertically.

It's a "beige thing"...

Spoiler:

IMGP4240.JPG (981 KiB) Viewed 5583 times

[y11971alex]

After 12 hours, here are my feelings about the Realforce SSK:

• The switch is very smooth, but not quite as smooth as the 5251 next to me; nevertheless, the difference is too minute to notice while typing quickly.
• The tactility is gradual and pleasant, exactly as advertised; compared to my BTC-5100C, the tactility is roughly on the same level but protracted through a longer travel.
• At the bottom of key travel, the feel is mushy.

[002]

Weird subbing on the backspace, is that just a beige model thing? Mine is horizontal, yours is lined vertically. Either way, how are you feeling about it? It took me a day or two to get used to it and now I really like them.

You might have the EK edition with the red LEDs. Brian from EK had Topre fix the legends on the 'Enter' key and the 'Backspace' key for that specific model.

[seebart]

I don't really believe it's possible to compare Topre to Beamspring 1:1. I'd say the tactility is quite a bit more refined on Topre compared to either of my BTC's, where the BTC 5100 FF is actually nicer in tactility to me. I don't find any "mushy" feel at the bottom of key travel, but obviously it's normal for users to experience it differnetly. On long typing sessions I prefer the 45g of my FC660C to the 55g of my RF. If I ever get a full size Topre I'd have to go with 45g for productivity.

[y11971alex]

I don't really believe it's possible to compare Topre to Beamspring 1:1. I'd say the tactility is quite a bit more refined on Topre compared to either of my BTC's, where the BTC 5100 FF is actually nicer in tactility to me. I don't find any "mushy" feel at the bottom of key travel, but obviously it's normal for users to experience it differnetly. On long typing sessions I prefer the 45g of my FC660C to the 55g of my RF. If I ever get a full size Topre I'd have to go with 45g for productivity.

You know, someone from the Toronto meet up on the 18th also told me that you can't compare Topre with beam springs. Now that it has been independently corroborated, I won't go down this avenue.

I would be hesitant to use the word "refined" to describe tactility, but it does seem a very thoughtfully contrived force curve. Still not as good as beam springs though.

[seebart]

You know, someone from the Toronto meet up on the 18th also told me that you can't compare Topre with beam springs. Now that it has been independently corroborated, I won't go down this avenue.

I would be hesitant to use the word "refined" to describe tactility, but it does seem a very thoughtfully contrived force curve. Still not as good as beam springs though.

You should not listen too much to what others say...but one is 40 years old and clicky the other is a modern very expensive refined "rubber dome".

Still not as good as beam springs though.

Agreed.

[t!ng]

This board in ISO-DE flavour and I would throw money at it.

[Hking0036]

Weird subbing on the backspace, is that just a beige model thing? Mine is horizontal, yours is lined vertically. Either way, how are you feeling about it? It took me a day or two to get used to it and now I really like them.

You might have the EK edition with the red LEDs. Brian from EK had Topre fix the legends on the 'Enter' key and the 'Backspace' key for that specific model.

That would be it, I never knew.

[fruitalgorithm]

This board in ISO-DE flavour and I would throw money at it.

If like black as color, open your wallet http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/germ ... yboard.asp

Edit: it's not only black, it's also 45g instead of 55. So not the same board at all.

[t!ng]

I already own the black isoDE version. I want a white 55g

[Touch_It]

Some people see a RF keyboard. I see a Model AT F in the background

[seebart]

Some people see a RF keyboard. I see a Model AT F in the background

Haha good one!

[romevi]

These are probably the best readily available boards--stock--right now, however.
I didn't like my Realforce the first time. Sold it after a month, but during that time without it I kept yearning for it again. I bought another and haven't considered otherwise since. I now compare every board I get to the Realforce, which probably isn't wise.

And stop calling it SSK! Nomenclature considers SSK as IBM boards, normally.

[vivalarevolución]

I don't really believe it's possible to compare Topre to Beamspring 1:1. I'd say the tactility is quite a bit more refined on Topre compared to either of my BTC's, where the BTC 5100 FF is actually nicer in tactility to me. I don't find any "mushy" feel at the bottom of key travel, but obviously it's normal for users to experience it differnetly. On long typing sessions I prefer the 45g of my FC660C to the 55g of my RF. If I ever get a full size Topre I'd have to go with 45g for productivity.

Agreed, it is an apples-to-oranges comparison. I prefer to use beamspring at home where annoying others is not an issue. But at work, I go with the Realforce because of noise and it doesn't look like this giant crazy vintage keyboard.

[002]

Agreed, it is an apples-to-oranges comparison. I prefer to use beamspring at home where annoying others is not an issue. But at work, I go with the Realforce because of noise and it doesn't look like this giant crazy vintage keyboard.

Most of the development side of our office are using Realforces now and the support guys pop over from time to time and I've heard them say "what's with the vintage keyboards?". But I guess most of them are in their 20's, so they have a different idea of what vintage is

[y11971alex]

And stop calling it SSK! Nomenclature considers SSK as IBM boards, normally.

What should I call this keyboard then? The SE08T0 is its model number on the label behind the board.

[emdude]

These are probably the best readily available boards--stock--right now, however.
I didn't like my Realforce the first time. Sold it after a month, but during that time without it I kept yearning for it again. I bought another and haven't considered otherwise since. I now compare every board I get to the Realforce, which probably isn't wise.

And stop calling it SSK! Nomenclature considers SSK as IBM boards, normally.

I found this weird too. @y11971alex, I think people normally just call this the Realforce 87u.

[y11971alex]

These are probably the best readily available boards--stock--right now, however.
I didn't like my Realforce the first time. Sold it after a month, but during that time without it I kept yearning for it again. I bought another and haven't considered otherwise since. I now compare every board I get to the Realforce, which probably isn't wise.

And stop calling it SSK! Nomenclature considers SSK as IBM boards, normally.

I found this weird too. @y11971alex, I think people normally just call this the Realforce 87u.

But that is such an unexciting name.

[alh84001]

It needs to be differentiated from Realforce 86U

[002]

I like how they use the number of keys in the name because it tells you the layout and size:

86 / 87 / 101 / 103 / 104 = US
88 / 105 = EU
89 / 91 / 106 / 108 = JP

[seebart]

These are probably the best readily available boards--stock--right now, however.
I didn't like my Realforce the first time. Sold it after a month, but during that time without it I kept yearning for it again. I bought another and haven't considered otherwise since. I now compare every board I get to the Realforce, which probably isn't wise.

And stop calling it SSK! Nomenclature considers SSK as IBM boards, normally.

I found this weird too. @y11971alex, I think people normally just call this the Realforce 87u.

But that is such an unexciting name.

There is only one SSK y11971alex and it's far from any Topre.

[vivalarevolución]

Agreed, it is an apples-to-oranges comparison. I prefer to use beamspring at home where annoying others is not an issue. But at work, I go with the Realforce because of noise and it doesn't look like this giant crazy vintage keyboard.

Most of the development side of our office are using Realforces now and the support guys pop over from time to time and I've heard them say "what's with the vintage keyboards?". But I guess most of them are in their 20's, so they have a different idea of what vintage is

To be fair, the design of the Realforce is vintage at this point. A reduction of the bezel size without a reduction in quality would be a welcome change, but Realforce is basically the only player in the the market of high end electrostatic capacitive keyboards, so what's the point in an update, really.

[sth]

Agreed, it is an apples-to-oranges comparison. I prefer to use beamspring at home where annoying others is not an issue. But at work, I go with the Realforce because of noise and it doesn't look like this giant crazy vintage keyboard.

Most of the development side of our office are using Realforces now and the support guys pop over from time to time and I've heard them say "what's with the vintage keyboards?". But I guess most of them are in their 20's, so they have a different idea of what vintage is

To be fair, the design of the Realforce is vintage at this point. A reduction of the bezel size without a reduction in quality would be a welcome change, but Realforce is basically the only player in the the market of high end electrostatic capacitive keyboards, so what's the point in an update, really.

but i love that big bezel

[y11971alex]

For a keyboard dating to the '80s, the bezel isn't that obtrusive.

[002]

While Topre were making keyboards from mid 80s, the case design of the Realforce was likely devised some time in the mid 90s. I've never seen a Topre keyboard with the Realforce case design earlier than 1996, and even the 1996 example is up for debate.

[y11971alex]

After 3 days or so,

1. I think the board is very pleasant to type on; it has few extreme characteristics and is a good compromise for people who want a tactile keyboard without the clicky sound. It is a very well-rounded switch.
2. It is not the smoothest, most tactile, most solid, or most silent keyboard available, but it may be one that combines the ergonomics of a modern keyboard with a decent level of these characteristics in a reasonable chassis.
3. Some of the switches seem to be making a very faint clicky noise at the release of the button.

[Orpheo]

If you don't want to learn about all the keyboards stuff and whatnots, just want to buy a new keyboard out there without looking like a gamers goth then yeah, the realforce is a safe bet, and you can spend your time doing other things that researching this crucial matter that keyboards are Hehe!