Poll: What is your Favorite Topre Switch Keyboard and Why?

[Muirium]

If I ever finally do get around to visiting Japan, it's going to be a hell of an expensive vacation. World's best food and keyboards*. Sigh…

*Still currently in production. I'd be remiss if I didn't bring home at least an HHKB Type-S, a HiPro and a MuTRON.

The true meaning of my name is exposed!

[Hypersphere]

If I ever finally do get around to visiting Japan, it's going to be a hell of an expensive vacation. World's best food and keyboards*. Sigh…

*Still currently in production. I'd be remiss if I didn't bring home at least an HHKB Type-S, a HiPro and a MuTRON.

The true meaning of my name is exposed!

Please let us know when you are leaving for your trip. We will all PM you with our shopping lists.

[Muirium]

http://deskthority.net/post166810.html#p166810

Wonder if they do home delivery?

[mj45]

I voted for the RF 87u 55g when the poll came out but since reconsidered and voted for the HHKB Pro 2. Those are the only Topre keyboards I own so far but there is a special magic about the layout and feel of the HHKB that makes it #1 for me and RF 87ub 55g down to #2 spot.

[DanielT]

Voted HHKB Pro2 45g, because is the perfect board, I never get tired typing on it. And my HHKB is also famous, every time you look at the best 60% photo on DT smack in the middle is mine

[Hypersphere]

Thanks for your votes! Please keep them coming! The distribution is starting to look more like what I would have expected.

[vinzbe]

Voted Realforce 55g because I own both a Silent (variable weight) one and the 55g variant.

I liked the the silent version but the keys felt dead on my pinkies so I switched the plates and I'm using a silent 55g currently. I'ts really nice althought slightly too hard to my taste at the end of the day.

This also means I now virtuall have a RF 87u variable (noisy) version which I'm honestly not too found of because I get the worst of previous versions (noise and lack of feel). Assuming it has the same feeling as a standard RF 87u variable, I would recommend to take ANY other version.

I'm planning on applying the silent mod with that one later on. Hopefully this will also toughen up a bit how the keys feel.

Another point in favor of the standard 55g version is that it doesn't produce too much noise.

So I would recommend the 55g because it's all rounder winner (key feel, noise).

I must also mention I never tried the RF 87u 45g (a bit curious about that one) or any HHKB.

[Hypersphere]

Voted Realforce 55g because I own both a Silent (variable weight) one and the 55g variant.

I liked the the silent version but the keys felt dead on my pinkies so I switched the plates and I'm using a silent 55g currently. I'ts really nice althought slightly too hard to my taste at the end of the day.

This also means I now virtuall have a RF 87u variable (noisy) version which I'm honestly not too found of because I get the worst of previous versions (noise and lack of feel). Assuming it has the same feeling as a standard RF 87u variable, I would recommend to take ANY other version.

I'm planning on applying the silent mod with that one later on. Hopefully this will also toughen up a bit how the keys feel.

Another point in favor of the standard 55g version is that it doesn't produce too much noise.

So I would recommend the 55g because it's all rounder winner (key feel, noise).

I must also mention I never tried the RF 87u 45g (a bit curious about that one) or any HHKB.

I agree that the RF 87u 55g is an all-around winner!

Although I really like my HHKB Pro 2, especially because of its 60% form factor and efficient/intuitive layout, and I appreciate the "weighted piano keys" feel of the Topre switches, the return-stroke "clack" detracts from the overall appeal of the keyboard and makes me wish I had opted for the Type-S.

The RF 87u 55g is much quieter than the HHKB, so that I do not feel much need to get a silent version of the RF. If I were to get a silent version, I do not think I would like the variable weighting of the switches, and so I would want to install 55g domes, thus incurring additional expense and rendering the donor board less usable, at least for me.

I also have a RF 87u 45g ("EK Edition"). I like it almost as much as the 55g version. The 45g version is also quiet, but perhaps not quite as quiet as the 55g version. I also like the red LEDs in the 45g version as opposed to the blue LEDs in the other versions. In addtion, I have heard from EK that the "EK Edition" has improved legends, but this seems rather superfluous, given that it is a black on black color scheme and the legends are nearly invisible.

Both the 45g and 55g RF boards sound and feel more solid than the HHKB; the 55g version marginally more so.

Moreover, to me, the switches in the 45g and 55g RF boards as well as the 45g HHKB feel heavier than the hybrid nominally 45g switches in the CM Novatouch. The light touch of the Novatouch is not a bad thing at all, but I prefer a somewhat heavier switch.

[pclinde]

I really love the light touch of the NovaTouch, soft butter!

[Hypersphere]

I really love the light touch of the NovaTouch, soft butter!

For those who prefer a light touch, the Novatouch is a good board. And of course it has the added advantage of serving as a platform to showcase your favorite Cherry keycaps!

[Muirium]

Indeed. If you like MX reds, as I do, then the NovaTouch is a great upgrade that your fancy caps can come along on with you. Its feel is very Topre indeed if you don't bottom out.

[Hypersphere]

Indeed. If you like MX reds, as I do, then the NovaTouch is a great upgrade that your fancy caps can come along on with you. Its feel is very Topre indeed if you don't bottom out.

Reds and contemporary blacks are the only mainstream Cherry mx switches that I have not yet tried, but they are on my list. However, my typing style is to bash the keys and bottom out on every stroke; I've seen posts saying that with this typing style, reds or blacks work well by using the right keycaps and O-rings to shorten the key travel.

Part of the fun of the Novatouch is experimenting with different keycaps and O-rings to see how it changes the sound and feel of the board. I just now removed the Kul thin ABS keycaps that I had on the Novatouch and installed another set of dye-sub PBT caps w/o O-rings. This PBT set was from geek_feng -- the alphas are white with blue legends and the mods are blue with black legends except for the right-most mod, which is a light gray menu key to signify the remapped Fn key. These PBT caps fit much better than the Imsto ones, and I don't mind the bottoming-out clack. Here again, the Novatouch does not sound or feel like my other Topre-switch boards (RF 87u 45g and 55g, Leopold FC660C, and HHKB Pro 2). It has a sound and feel of its own, which changes somewhat depending upon the keycap set and/or O-rings.

The Kul now has its stock keycaps installed in preparation for being listed on eBay -- it's a fine keyboard, but it's going up for sale because try as I might, I don't like mx clear switches. I'm keeping the Novatouch, however. The one remaining quibble I have with the Novatouch is that I cannot readily remap the fixed Fn key. The Kul has a DIP switch setting to change Fn to menu, which can then be remapped; I am tempted to keep the Kul because of this great feature, but the Cherry mx clears were the deal-breaker. It's unfortunate that the Kul is not available with Topre switches!