Best keyboard company or brand 2015

webwit · 09 Dec 2015, 01:59

Please vote for your winner of the Best keyboard company or brand 2015.

By voting in this category you can win a Hyper PCB collection with around 100 switches, a Teensy controller, plus more from 7bit!

This is the final round. See the first round and second round for reference.

The final round ends on Monday 14 December, 20:00hrs UTC. You can change your vote until the end of the round. The winner and full results will be released soon after the vote closes. EDIT: The winner has been announced here.

The official nominees are:

Gateron
Gateron rocked the keyswitch and keycap markets by introducing high quality Cherry MX switch clones and PBT keycaps.

Beautiful Gateron keycaps on a Korean custom keyboard.

IBM
The popularity of keyboards and switches of the IBM of yesteryear is stronger than ever, due to the lasting quality and also thanks to various great projects.

An IBM Beam Spring keyboard, using some of the finest switches ever produced.

Matias
Matias is one of the most innovative companies in the business, and continues to innovate in switches and keyboards, such as the Matias Ergo Pro.

Matias switches.

Topre
Topre are the makers of some of the finest keyboards today, and they continue to innovate and produce new stuff to keep us enthousiasts happy.

The REALFORCE108UG-HiPro-JS Limited.

webwit · 11 Dec 2015, 21:31

The vote closes on Monday 14 December at 20:00 UTC. Vote now!

The two nominees with currently the most votes are (in alphabetical order):

Spoiler:

Muirium · 12 Dec 2015, 00:38

Times change. Last year this was IBMthority…

7bit · 12 Dec 2015, 09:47

Matias for the world!!!

Gateron?

KRKS · 12 Dec 2015, 10:13

I actually expected Matias and Topre, but Gateron definitely deserves a spot as well.

7bit · 12 Dec 2015, 10:21

Gateron is crap copy pasta, while all the others add innovations to their products and don't sell for dumping prices.

KRKS · 12 Dec 2015, 10:30

The thing is, the original fails to deliver, and now Cherry is copying as well. Dampeners nicked from Alps, clear housings nicked from Matias, and the RealKey©®™ either nicked or relicensed from that one Microsoft keyboard(Sidewinder I think?).

Gateron outdid Cherry in their own field, and also works with the community.

7bit · 12 Dec 2015, 10:36

Microsoft and genuine products is something that does not exist. Microsoft never brought out any innovation!

E3E · 12 Dec 2015, 11:01

KRKS wrote: Gateron outdid Cherry in their own field, and also works with the community.

This is pretty much all that needs to be said. The fact they work so closely with the community is just outstanding. Matias tries to as well from what I know, but Gateron... came in like... a wrecking... ball

Seriously. You can start dating the keyboard community as BG and AG, because Gateron really did cause quite a shift. The availability and price is wonderful, and Cherry really does need the proverbial fire under their ass. I'm glad they can't just keep cornering the market. They don't deserve to these days.

The fact Gateron not only provides switches, but also very high quality key caps that pretty much out do BSP at their own game is phenomenal as well. They deserve the accolades they're getting, I'd say.

KRKS · 12 Dec 2015, 11:12

7bit wrote: Microsoft and genuine products is something that does not exist. Microsoft never brought out any innovation!

They innovate in reasons to not use their OS

Seriously though, I think they suck, but that doesn't mean everything they did does. But then again, all of the things that come to my mind are at least a decade old.

davkol · 13 Dec 2015, 22:57

7bit · 14 Dec 2015, 17:13

Vote American! Vote IBM or Matias!

E3E · 14 Dec 2015, 17:14

7bit wrote: Vote American! Vote IBM or Matias!

B-but, isn't Matias Canadian?

Or are we just being continental?