Logitech's new Romer-G-Switch

[t!ng]

http://www.computerbase.de/2014-09/logi ... -rgb-leds/

^^ 70 mio

[seebart]

since this forum is generally english speaking, a german link might be more appropriate in the German discussions section:

http://deskthority.net/german-f16/

[Nuum]

Or an english link is more appropriate here, since this could be interesting to non-german speakers as well: http://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/ ... mber-17999 (don't know if this is a good source)
But I think the videos are pretty much self-explanatory.

Edit: Maybe these are better:
http://news.logitech.com/press-release/ ... oard-world
http://www.examiner.com/article/logitec ... g-keyboard

[bhtooefr]

Shouldn't this be in News & Reviews?

In any case, PC Perspective is an English language site (as opposed to the original German page) claiming that the Romer-G switches are Omron: http://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/ ... mber-17999

[Muirium]

If Omron is really making keyswitches again, that's great news. Their previous ones were very distinctive!

I don't follow Logitech at all. Is this their first mech?

[002]

Logitech have made Cherry MX-based keyboards in the past. I am also interested in this Omron switch and rate the B3G-S high up there. Shame this new keyboard is $180 :S

Maybe we can group buy a single board and tear it down to hand out the switches?

[t!ng]

Very interesting Switches indeed. Would like to actually feel them.

[cookie]

This is pretty much the same ridiculous marketing bullshit, razer did a few month ago.
I think it is a phoney, an ugly one indeed...

[Kurk]

From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5LMS7ycx0g

Keycap pulled of a "Romer-G" switch.

Romer-G youtube.jpg (32.18 KiB) Viewed 13137 times

edit:
And some more info on Logitech's website:
http://gaming.logitech.com/de-de/articles/romer-g

[Nuum]

Looks interesting, I like that the LED is in the middle, distributing the light evenly should be easier this way. Maybe it's not as bad as i initially thought.

[Kurk]

The light will be bright in the center of the keycap and fade off quickly. That's clearly visible in the frame grab of the youtube video. Look at the larger keycaps like shift or Ctrl. The major difference with illuminated, current MX switches is that the center of the cap is brightly lit as opposed to the bottom (or top). Well, maybe it's a bit more evenly distributed. We'll have to see in real life. What the heck, I don't even care about illuminated keyboards...

[c137]

Just from the look of the switch housing I thought "Alps", but was a bit distracted by the keycap's mount.

Well, anyway, I have been wondering for some time now why nobody has made a backlit Matias keyboard, as their switches' housings are transparent... I would like that actually.

[cookie]

Okay, despite the fact I cant stand all this "Gaming" crap, this switch looks interesting!
The Keycaps Profile is irritating tbh.

[Halvar]

Definitely much more interesting than just cloning Cherry MX.

And since it's Logitech, there's actually a chance that our local computer shops might carry it and I can try it there. Not that I would even think of buying Logitech for 180€.

[Muirium]

Just from the look of the switch housing I thought "Alps", but was a bit distracted by the keycap's mount.

Well, anyway, I have been wondering for some time now why nobody has made a backlit Matias keyboard, as their switches' housings are transparent... I would like that actually.

It's been done:



I haven't seen another Duck Mini fitted out that way, but Matias made those transparent shells for a reason. I'm sure they look better nude than with caps!

[c137]

Yes, of course there has been a proof of concept/prototype.
But how many people actually own a keyboard like this? How many brands/companies actually offer them in retail? None, nada, nil, zero.

And exactly because Matias made the housings transparent I just wonder why e.g. Tesoro went with Kailh for their RGB keyboard. Probably because they are even cheaper...

[Muirium]

Caps are a bloody good reason. Matias would have more luck with his switches, I reckon, if they had MX compatible sliders. So too for Topre!

[bhtooefr]

Mind you, MX sliders don't work with a Alps switch, unless you simply put an MX stem on top of the existing Alps stem, amplifying Alps wobble by a lot, and making the keyboard much thicker.

[Muirium]

They don't? Any pictures / diagrams to show why? I trust you're right, I just don't understand it so simply. Is the problem the extra width of an MX cap's stem which needs to fall down around the switch's slider?

New switch types should definitely feature MX compatibility as a high design priority, because of the immense wealth of caps there. I understand why Matias went with an Alps clone (he was using others already, and he's not in this business to explore thought experiments like we do!) but Alps caps are the biggest problem for us custom builders using his switches.

[c137]

Topre!

They have, as you know. I think you are also a Novatouch tester?

Yes, backlit keycaps are a problem. But afaik at least Signature Plastics can make Alps-compatible ones and quality caps for backlight are a problem anywhere.
Plus, a brand like Logitech can obviously do so - if they choose.

[Muirium]

Yes, I think Topre really is on to something with MX mounts.

SP can kinda sorta make Alps caps. (They have to use MX mounts on the stab positions for larger keys. I don't know why exactly. But that means no complete SP sets for classic Alps keyboards, only customs.) Logitech likely has all sorts of suppliers on hand for various things, all the way down to those annoying chiclet caps you find everywhere nowadays.

[bhtooefr]

They don't? Any pictures / diagrams to show why? I trust you're right, I just don't understand it so simply. Is the problem the extra width of an MX cap's stem which needs to fall down around the switch's slider?

Essentially, the way the Alps switch works, there's not enough clearance for an MX slider to clear the click or contact leaves. MX is a much larger switch, so there's a lot more room for that.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

It's been done, but so far as we know, never put into production:

[wiki]Hua-Jie AKF Cherry MX mount[/wiki]

How well it actually works, I don't know.

[Muirium]

Nice!



Alps switches feel much bigger in the hand, to me, than MX does. Surely they are the larger switch, overall. As much as I prefer Alps for the potential for internal damping on both strokes, MX appears to me to be the better designed. They're better at space saving, taking different sliders and springs without complaint, and the cap mount isn't nearly as much of a fight!

[Findecanor]

I will refrain from making any judgement until I have test-typed on the keyboard - key feel is more important than anything else.
I think it is great to see new switches being released, and also nice to see Omron back into making keyboard switches.

Backlighting in the centre is a good improvement, but maybe they could have made them diffuse the light more evenly on larger keycaps.

BTW. I think that Cherry MX keyboards with backlighting should have the LEDs facing left instead of facing up, so that legends could be left-justified, which is more the norm for non-backlit keyboards, especially for when there is more than one symbol per key as on the numeric row.

[cookie]

Key feel is so much more than only the switch, its the build quality, the stabilizers, the CAPS!
I highly doubt that logitech got this right on that board.

[bhtooefr]

Hmm, for some reason I thought MX switches were bigger than they were. W x D x H is 15.6ish x 15.6 x 17.9 mm, versus 17.2 x 14 x 15.4 mm (both height measurements from top of an un-depressed slider to the pins).

However, above the plate, the Alps switches are 13.4 x 14 footprint, whereas Cherry MX is 15.6 x 15.6.

[c137]

Well, I gotta ask Matias about this.

And about a backlit keyboard. Would anyone be into a backlit Alps TKL?

[cookie]

I'd be into a linear matias 60% with blank PBT keys and programmable controller

[Muirium]

Ask Matias about linear switches. In the marketing materials for his "soft click" (tactile) switch, I remember he gives the nod to Cherry for making the best linear switch, but neither clicky nor tactile. I agree, but only because Matias doesn't even bother!

A damped linear switch (in a 60% especially) would be very interesting. And with MX cap compatibility, it would be nigh on irresistible!