Cherry reveals new MX switch!

Matias · 12 Dec 2013, 01:11

Nice to see that Cherry is paying attention to what others are doing.

We have a pretty big announcement coming next month. I think they'll have a harder time copying this one.

webwit · 12 Dec 2013, 01:13

You finally copied the beam spring!

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Dec 2013, 01:55

Maybe he's figured out optical sensing, after my discovery that Omron switches feel like buckling springs if you remove the actuator leaf (really smooth and clean, with a very rounded force curve — best switch I've never encountered). Or maybe a Hall Effect or magnetic valve Alps clone, for the same reason.

Muirium · 12 Dec 2013, 02:14

Modern, modular versions of any of the above (or buckling spring or Topre!) will ensure we love you long time, Mr. Matias.

Though for convenience's sake: MX mount caps are a natural win all round.

webwit · 12 Dec 2013, 02:19

Created topic here.

bazh · 15 Dec 2013, 13:21

just saw this on local keyboard community, any ideas about this "MX pink" ?

Broadmonkey · 15 Dec 2013, 14:37

Lifezone posted about it on KBDmania. AFAIK, it's a new (fake) stem that is being made by aboStudio, just like they made those clear tops you could replace the original black with. I am not sure it's them however, but it's a fair guess.

mtl · 15 Dec 2013, 16:22

Looks like it's just a clone of the brown MX stem.

Broadmonkey · 07 Jan 2014, 15:15

so new pics of the MX RGB switches on a Corsair keyboard is up on KBDmania

: 2b9bf60b323a301b172f19103aa483a9.jpg (193.48 KiB) Viewed 6471 times

Edit: He didn't take them himself apparently, since the same imagines is up on different sites like Anandtech

kint · 07 Jan 2014, 16:49

...and Corsair managed to mess it up again. Hardly visible second degree legends on a switch/keyboard they specifically designed with the switch manufacturer teamed up.
http://images.anandtech.com/doci/7617/C ... 0-%205.jpg
There goes the dream of a Cherry MX backlit board looking quality instead of carnival.

Broadmonkey · 07 Jan 2014, 18:52

I didn't see that, how the feck did they manage to do that?!? although I don't think it's a fault by Corsair as much as it's the faulty design of the switch. Having the light travel all the way around the stem and springs and still light up the other side properly from an LED on the underside of the switch was not the answer they were looking for, even though they added their bs lens. In reality I guess they couldn't be arsed to do anything but make room for an SMD led and close off the LED hole.

rindorbrot · 07 Jan 2014, 20:50

wow, that is indeed rather underwhelming...

Muirium · 07 Jan 2014, 20:55

These showy backlights are not meant for us. (Needs more neon.)

adhoc · 08 Jan 2014, 17:20

matt3o wrote:hopefully a full PBT HHKB (possibly wireless).

Is that something that might actually be happening or purely wishful thinking? I'd be very interested in that.

matt3o · 08 Jan 2014, 17:50

my unicorn says that would be totally possible.

Muirium · 08 Jan 2014, 18:18

Who are your unicorn's sources?

I expect a Bluetooth HHKB someday, hopefully the Pro 3, as it's the next logical step and Filco has a Bluetooth sub-TKL now. But my source is my intuition. Who knows?

PBT space bars are definitely doable now. I have two, by Ducky. But again its up to PFU/Topre if and when they do it.

adhoc · 08 Jan 2014, 21:53

Oh man, I'd love a PBT space bar...that would ease my mind so much...

Muirium · 08 Jan 2014, 22:03

The thing holding them back is they're harder to make. PBT cools differently to ABS when it's made, and long keys like space bars can turn out banana shaped! Both of my Ducky PBT space bars curve up a little bit towards the ends. They've not got it perfect yet, but it's usable, unnoticeable to any non-perfectionist I ask, and does feel good.

adhoc · 08 Jan 2014, 22:13

Yeh I know. I heard they are also rather prone to breaking?

Findecanor · 09 Jan 2014, 03:11

kint wrote:http://images.anandtech.com/doci/7617/C ... 0-%205.jpg

It looked like some keys were in the wrong places.. until I saw that the number row says "CORSAIR" and the shift-row says "CHERRY".

matt3o · 09 Jan 2014, 08:53

Muirium wrote:Who are your unicorn's sources?

unicorns do not have sources. unicorns fart their own news.

lowpoly · 03 Feb 2014, 15:02

I like this new switch. It doesn't have to be the rainbow stuff. If you want to use an LED at all then this is better than the old 3mm solution.

LEDs have to be programmable though. Just lighting F and G and fade them to black when you start typing would be nice for example. I sometimes type in a non-lit room and yes, I find the home row but this would be more convenient.

Are the new switches put in 'regular' or 'reverse' (that is LED hole to the back)? Anybody seen a pic with a switch mounted?

Broadmonkey · 03 Feb 2014, 23:15

You can mount them as you see fit like regular MX switches, it's just a matter of where the smd LED is placed. The LED is mounted under the same spot as the old LED, where they have made a small room for it. Mind, they have removed the old hole for the 3mm LED and filed it up with a "lens".

lowpoly · 04 Feb 2014, 10:46

^^^ Thank you.

In my last post I meant F and J, not F and G. Should keep a QWERTY 'board around for that.

Hmmm, looks like backlighting is unavoidable with the pcb-mounted LEDs:

http://www.kbdmania.net/xe/files/attach ... 3f9d10.jpg

guilleguillaume · 04 Feb 2014, 11:02

lowpoly nice to see you're back from 2012!

kekstee · 04 Feb 2014, 13:17

Wait, what? They removed the regular diode/LED Option from the clear case D:?

lowpoly · 04 Feb 2014, 13:26

guilleguillaume wrote:lowpoly nice to see you're back from 2012!

Still trying to catch up. For ex. Chloe re-appeared out of nowhere but nobody noticed.

bazh · 04 Feb 2014, 13:28

the space for old 3mm LED is now replaced by a "microlens" since the new switch use SMD LED so yes you can't use 2-leg LED, not sure about the diode tho but my guess is the same with the LED case

Broadmonkey · 04 Feb 2014, 14:17

What I have seen so far, is that i's still possible to install a diode/jumper wire, but the two holes normally used for the 3mm LED is gone. Instead they have made that spot fit an SMD LED mounted on the PCB. The only other part they have changed (apart from changing the black plastic to clear) is the hole in the upper part of the switch, where the 3mm LED normally would sit, here they have just cover the hole with a bit of plastic and called it a lens.

Sorry, bazh, I kinda just rephrased what you said

demonkoryu · 07 Feb 2014, 11:34

I just want the Ducky Shine 4 to have those switches, so that I can assign different keyboard clusters to different colors - with a profile per program, or ideally per program mode via an API (for use with e.g. https://github.com/Lokaltog/powerline ):

This would be practically the end of my dreams.