Topre introduces new 'TYPE HEAVEN' keyboard at Computex

[matt3o]

Type heaven sold at $170 on amazon

[002]

It looks so clean and nice on those Amazon pics. I might get one...we'll see
I'm using an FD-0100 at the moment and it's just a bit weird using this board at home. I've got ~25 Topre keyboards now and only 3 or 4 of those are ANSI

[matt3o]

25 topre keyboards?!?! O____O

[002]

T_T yes...http://deskthority.net/wiki/User:002

[matt3o]

T_T yes...http://deskthority.net/wiki/User:002

as a Topre grand-master, which do you like the most? and why?

[002]

I like something about most of the boards in my collection Some stand-outs though:
I love the Sony NEWS NWP-411A. It looks great and it has stood the test of time (1986 rubber-dome board). The ilovex keyboard will always make me smile with its over-the-top lime green case. I really like the NISSHO KB106DE - the one I got is in fantastic condition and I like to take it out from time to time and muck around on it, even though I am not really that efficient with it. The MCRW-1000 setup is great too. I hooked it all up one night with with a power convertor (crossed my fingers that I wouldn't fry it) and swiped some magnetic cards through it - got some bleeps out of the keyboard too which was cool The little keyboard that comes with it is cute too.

[matt3o]

what about key strength? 55/45/30? which one is optimal for you?

I find the 55gr so much better than the others, but maybe I didn't give the smooshy keys a better try (basically the actuation point is so near the top that I press them by mistake).

[002]

45g is my favourite and I think they are the epitome of Topre switches. I can understand why 55g is popular though but for me it was just too tiring for extended periods. I used a 55g board at work for probably a year and my line of work involves a lot of "talking" over Office Communicator (for some reason, my colleagues in interstate offices prefer not to use the phone). I found that at the end of the day, the muscles in my hands were feeling pretty stressed out and sore.
I use a variable at work now and a uniform 45g at home. I like them both - the variable is more appropriate for work where I am just typing all day and the 45g is a way better "all-rounder" for at home when I play the occasional game

[matt3o]

Maybe I'm just so much used to mx blues (and a pretty distand actuation point) that the 45gr seems too light for me. Actually the 55gr seems almost lighter than mx blue. Anyway I'll give the 45gr another shot. Maybe going from topre 55gr to topre 45gr will be easier than going from mx blue to topre 45gr.

[002]

I think if you like Buckling Springs, then 55g is really the only option for you going to Topre. Some people just like the heavier switches. I like them too but I just can't use them for long periods. I actually traded my 55g Topre 87U for an IBM SSK with a guy on Deskthority but the IBM just killed my forearms and I couldn't use it - I sold it on eBay less than 6 months after getting it.

I am still tempted by IBM now and then. I really want a 5576-003 because I think they look fantastic but I know it would just kill me to use it for more than an hour at a time.

I have no problems with Cherry Blues. They're fun to use, but I think I prefer Alps these days.

[matt3o]

Yeah that's weird because I get tired with stiff switches too (such as mx black or green or grays) so I was really worried about topre 55gr, but they are so gentle that I can't feel any fatigue. Even my little finger can work easily with them. Actually I still don't understand why I make less mistakes on my realforce than on my filco... that's really odd.

BS is my overlord but I actually never typed for a long period of time on them, so I can't really say yet.

[Muirium]

How about bottoming out? My impression (still without having tried a Topre board) is that they may be easier to keep in the zone: efficient, sure-fire actuation with every press, and without bottoming out. But maybe what people really like about them is they give a good landing when bottoming out! Hard to tell until I get down to them.

I think I'm a bit heavy handed for MX blue. Trying greens once 7bit ships them. Buckling springs feel so nice, but activate far too low in the keystroke to give me much of a target to hit before hitting bottom. High hopes for Topre!

[matt3o]

My very unproven opinion is that Topre feels good because the whole actuation curve, from start to bottom. If you look at the keypress graphs of a topre it's a nice sine.



Any other clicky or tactile switch is a straight line with a step in the middle.

Topre gives a very relaxing typing experience.

[Muirium]

Indeed. Nice and wide, too. Hopefully with enough space for me to consistently stay off bottom!

[cookie]

One thing would interesst me 002, as a person who owns older topre boards, do older boards feel different to the newer ones? Because I asked myself if the topre dome will become stiffer over the years?

Man I'd like my HHKB stay the way how it is atm. Not loosing the crisp tactilty and feel over time.

Never heard anyone complaining bout this but I notice huge differences on my old rubberdomes over just a period of few month... All of them became mushy and lost their original feeling.

[002]

I wouldn't worry about losing tactility on your HHKB.
Obviously I don't know the complete history of my second hand Topre boards but I can safely guess that a few in particular have copped considerable abuse in their lifetimes. One example is the CS NEO keyboard. The WASD cluster is obviously shinier than the rest of the caps on the board that I have, yet they still maintain their tactility. This board is a variable weight which is weird considering it was intended purely for gaming.
The other example that comes to mind is the Hatsuko Electronics data entry board. You can see some pics of mine here: http://imgur.com/a/pQrUv#8

The '0' key on this board has been hit off-centre so many times that it's worn away a divot at the top of the cap. Many of the other legends are also faded as you can see in the pics. These are PBT dye-subs that are worn away! Not completely unheard of I'm sure, but still no mean feat to do this. Despite this, there is not really a difference between lesser-used keys on this keyboard and the number cluster - so there you go...rest easy. The Hatsuko is only 25g or 35g too so the rubber walls would be even thinner than an HHKB.

[Muirium]

Love those flippy switches and the classic computer font across the top! Nothing says high tech like MICR E-13B. (Or close enough…)

[cookie]

Thanks 002!
Nice keyboards you got there, verry nice!

[matt3o]

The other example that comes to mind is the Hatsuko Electronics data entry board. You can see some pics of mine here: http://imgur.com/a/pQrUv#8

oh gosh I love this http://imgur.com/a/pQrUv#1 80s future-font

[cookie]

Just saw the Amazon pictures, meh... I don't like how this thing looks like. Nothing for me :/

[002]

I think it looks OK. At first I was not sold on the curved lip at the back but it's growing on me.
I think I'll get one anyway just to do a comparison of the components with a Realforce. On an unrelated note, I have in my possession some pictures of the first ever Topre capacitive keyboard and a (low res) picture of a whole bunch of Topre OEM keyboards that I don't have. I am waiting for permission to share them or use them on the DT wiki

[Muirium]

oh gosh I love this http://imgur.com/a/pQrUv#1 80s future-font

Found it! Data Seventy.

Designed in 1970. And a whole 36 bucks to license. May I suggest dyesub PBT SAs?

[cookie]

Exactely this lip is the part who is disturbing me the most, and the fact that this thing is fullsize. For my taste the biggest size should be a TKL board

[Muirium]

The Heaven isn't for you, Cookie. You already splashed on an HHKB! It's meant to get more people exposed to, and hooked on, Topre. Maybe you'll keep on climbing the collector's ladder and catch up with 002, which means getting keyboards you don't necessarily mean to use day in, day out. Depends on how far your Topre journey goes!

If this thing came in TKL, colour me intrigued…

[cookie]

I must say that I like to use the keyboards I own, and if I don't use them or don't like them, this is a quite good indicator that I should sell them.

002's collection is impressive but I don't think that I'd go that far. I aim for the "Perfect" board to use it all the time

[Muirium]

That's how we all start! I think I might need to become a desk collector at some point…

[cookie]

The problem begins if different boards have different things you start to love but there is no board with all of those things in it... I will better not start to think this out hahaha

[Muirium]

Exactly.

My approach is to try building my own keyboards and figure out exactly what I want and need the most, that way. Because there's always a chance I can do it right.

But all these homebuild-unfriendly switches — like buckling spring and Topre — are seriously tempting. The sooner we can play with those in builds, the better.

[cookie]

Building a custom topre? Can't see this atm, cherry okay but topres are not self-contained switches like cherry.
And a custom Topre would be super expensive because you need a realforce board to salvage switches from... Ehh wait a sec, this is probably where the type heaven comes into play?

60% custom topre with programmable controller, aluminium body and full PBT caps? Verry deep pocket required!

[Peter]

My approach is to try building my own keyboards and figure out exactly what I want and need the most, that way.
Because there's always a chance I can do it right.

Nobody else can get it exactly right, so please do sell me that perfect board !
The thing is -
No matter how nice and 'perfect' a keyboard initially seems to be when you get it -
There is ALWAYS something wrong !
(besides the fact that it even has a 'caps-locks')

Even access-is can't get it 100% 'right' -
They make a gorgeous 'standard' 104/5 key board -
( "Glitnir Bank - Bank Teller Keyboard " -Just without the reader :
http://www.access-is.com/retail_banking ... keypad.php )

But is it user-programmable ?
NO - for that you will have to buy a board that has 2 MX-blacks under back-space !
Or rather 10 boards, their MOQ ..