REALFORCE RGB Revealed at Computex 2016

[zslane]

I'm with seebart on the lights thing. I only like/need LEDs for the lock keys.

I have no use for RGB lighting all over the keyboard, and I certainly don't need or want waves, pulsing, or "raindrop" lighting effects. As long as I can shut that nonsense off, I kind of don't care about it. Though I confess I prefer the electrical simplicity of not putting a hundred pointless (for me) LEDs into the product in the first place.

What makes this board exciting to me is the prospect of putting 108 SA keycaps onto Topre switches. End of story.

[Elrick]

I have no use for RGB lighting all over the keyboard, and I certainly don't need or want waves, pulsing, or "raindrop" lighting effects. Though I confess I prefer the electrical simplicity of not putting a hundred pointless (for me) LEDs into the product in the first place.

YES, putting in lots of lights so that WE the users have to shut it all down defeats the purpose of paying people money to solder all those ridiculous leds in the first place. Wouldn't it be far cheaper to produce the keyboards with NO lighting at all?

These days every dog and his owner wants these dopey lights installed every where either because they are close to being blind and need lights to direct them or it's there for them to ogle at after taking LSD on late nights .

Don't promote drug addiction here go for plain, traditional, Thorpie Keyboards with NO Lights. Kind of like the early Model-Ms which had no lights at all.

[zslane]

I am trying to assemble keyboards with a more vintage aesthetic, and so pulsing LEDs have no place on my desktop. I'm trying to harken back to the days of Symbolics and Honeywell terminal keyboards; I'm not looking to make my desktop look like something from inside TRON world.

But that's just me. I acknowledge that the young'uns out there want everything to pulse and glow and beep and click and call attention to itself. It's kind of a shame that Topre wants in on any of that, but I guess they got tired of leaving all that money on the table.

[zslane]

So in preparation for the eventual arrival of the RealForce RGB, I decided to put a set of SA keys on a NovaTouch to see if I liked the results. I was quite pleased with the feel of the SA keycaps on this hybrid switch, and I think I will be equally pleased with SA keycaps on the RealForce RGB.

Of course, the NovaTouch fails to satisfy me in three ways that the RealForce RGB might or might not:

1. TKL format. Thankfully, the RealForce RGB looks like it will be an ANSI-108 board, which is absolutely ideal for me.

2. No noise dampening on the upstroke. The downstroke delivers the customary Topre thock, but the upstroke is a jarring clack. Now, the switches in my 104UK Hi-Pro aren't like that, so maybe the switches in the RealForce RGB will be more like the UK and less like the NT in this regard. One can only hope...

3. Black case. I am probably praying in vain that Topre will release the RealForce RGB in white or biege. I will probably have to paint the dang thing.

[Elrick]

3. Black case. I am probably praying in vain that Topre will release the RealForce RGB in white or biege. I will probably have to paint the dang thing.

Bad luck, look like the sad bastards at Realforce have paid some idiot marketing firm to conduct research and they will let them know they MUST release disco-lit keyboards all done in Black.

Amazing how a company falls into 'Razer-like' territory without much pride nor dignity for itself. Far cry from the traditional Japanese Ideals that was so prominent in the last century. In this century they gave up all decency in the pursuit of money for horrid designed keyboards that will all be tossed in Land-fills, much like all of Razer Produced Junk .

[zslane]

I put my pre-order in at mechanicalkeyboards.com for one of these last night. I can't wait to throw PuLSE on it!

[vivalarevolución]

So this is for sale, in the States at least. Biggest question for me is how the quality feels compared to a typical Realforce board.

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/in ... ail&p=2114

[002]

Is that the right link?

[seebart]

So this is for sale, in the States at least. Biggest question for me is how the quality feels compared to a typical Realforce board.

group-buys-f50/xwhatsit-beamspring-cont ... 14500.html

You linked the xwhatsit beamspring controller viva which I wish was for sale anywhere...but we know what you mean:

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/in ... ail&p=2114

Spoiler:

130136859507.png (125.93 KiB) Viewed 5936 times

In that particular price range I'd get this but that's beside the point:

Spoiler:

topre_hipro_capacitance_keyboard_large_2.jpg (77.98 KiB) Viewed 5933 times

[vivalarevolución]

Is that the right link?

Haha, I guess that I did not copy the link like I thought that I did. Will fix it.

My big question is if this will have the usual Realforce quality or something more like Typeheaven quality. That might have been already determine through individuals that received test units, but I admittedly have not read this entire thread.

[zslane]

I don't know what a Type Heaven is like, but I do have a RealForce 104UK Hi-Pro, and the Realforce RGB is not the same build quality as the Hi-Pro. I would say that the RealForce RGB is exactly like a NovaTouch except with 108 keys. It feels and sounds exactly the same to me.

[002]

The Type Heaven build quality is very good. In fact, the case itself seals shut much nicer than the Realforce. Same with the Novatouch and I'm guessing probably the RGB. Even the weakest link on the Type Heaven (the caps) is done pretty well.

The designer of the Type Heaven case also did the Realforce RGB's apparently.

[zslane]

The case of the RealForce RGB is its weakest feature, I'd say. It has a component design with corner seams that you can easily feel with your fingers, and which easily separate with only a little force. But once you sit it on a desk and start typing, you don't really notice it.

I'm not a huge fan of the white inner-liner either, which is clearly intended to help reflect the LED lighting back up through the keycaps (and the gaps between them). If this was a white keyboard case, then the white inner-liner would blend nicely with it, but it sort of clashes with the black case, especially considering I don't ever plan to use the backlighting feature.

But these are minor complaints. The primary value of this board, to me at least, is that it is a full-size board with Topre switches and MX-compatible sliders. Sure, the case could use a more solid design (perhaps like the Type Heaven), but in terms of priorities, I'd rather see them add silencing rings before any other improvement. But if they were to ever improve on the case design, I'd really like to see them offer it in white, not just black.

[002]

Ohh surprising to hear that. I was just going off looks and it definitely looks to be sturdy. Could you perhaps take a picture of the underside of the stock keycaps?

Agree with you on the aesthetics of white backplate.

[zslane]

Not my photo, but this is what they look like:

[webwit]

What a shitty font.

[vivalarevolución]

What a shitty font.

The gamer crowd clearly is the target here. If Realforce can rope in some more customers without alienating their current customer base, meh, why not.

[002]

The font isn't even the only bad thing...the keycaps have such an insubstantial and clammy appearance compared to Topre's own PBT caps. Compare the gap between rows and adjacent keycaps on the RGB and a standard Realforce. It seems much wider on RGB.

I'm really surprised they settled for those in the end -- I figured that they must be placeholders when I first saw them on demo models

[ohaimark]

Yeah, that's ugly. Once some different keycaps get stuck on 'em I might come around, though. Not for the backlighting, of course, but for the modern case aesthetic.

[zslane]

Yeah, I put PuLsE on it the moment I got it home, so the quality of the stock keycaps, or lack thereof, is entirely irrelevant to me.

[vivalarevolución]

The point of the Cherry mount is to stick different keycaps on them, and I'm sure one of the main reasons people will buy this is so they can put different keycaps on, rather than look at those things. Honestly, if I was to buy this thing, those caps would come off as soon as possible.

[cookie]

Yeah, that's ugly. Once some different keycaps get stuck on 'em I might come around, though. Not for the backlighting, of course, but for the modern case aesthetic.

I must say that this shitty ass case doesn't even come close to the look of a classy Realforce.
And that font is awful.

I demand Seppuku!!!

[Halvar]

Not my photo, but this is what they look like:

Classy. I didn't know keyboards had a key for "buoy".

[zslane]

The upstroke thwack is very pronounced on this board. I think I'm going to need Hyphersphere's silencing rings. Is there no way to get those anymore?

(BTW, thanks to 002 for putting up that YouTube video of how to disassemble a RealForce board...that may come in handy before long.)

[zslane]

I would say that the RealForce RGB is exactly like a NovaTouch except with 108 keys. It feels and sounds exactly the same to me.

I'm going to have to revise my statement above somewhat. After spending a little time with the NovaTouch again, I find that it has a softer feel (i.e., the keys feel less resistant) and substantially quieter sound (i.e., the upstroke noise is a gentle click rather than a loud thwack) than the RealForce RGB. I really wish the NovaTouch was a full ANSI board...

[zslane]

Okay, I just spent the last two hours transplanting the silencing rings from my Noppoo EC108Pro to my RealForce RGB and Oh...My...God. It's like a different keyboard. It is now amazing.

Topre should never release a board without silencing rings on the switch sliders. There's simply no reason not to, especially if they care at all about preserving their reputation as the gold standard for tactile switch keyboards.

Noppoo EC108Pro disassembled

noppoo_disassembled.jpg (448.6 KiB) Viewed 5707 times

[002]

Nice one. Are the silencing rings on the Noppoo similar to Topre's / Hypersphere's?

I imagine the disassembly video was not very useful for the case opening of the RGB, but I'm guessing that the PCB and mounting plate setup is the same?

[zslane]

I have no idea what Topre's or Hypersphere's rings are like, so I have no basis for comparison.

You are correct about the case and PCB/plate setup.

The only other modification I am contemplating is painting the top case section white. Oh, and maybe replacing the cable with a Pexon.

[Khers]

From your pic, zslane, it looks as if Realforce went for Costar-style stabs on the RGB rather than the more regular Topre-like ones on the Novatouch. Since you have both, would you say that there is a difference in feel between the stabilized keys on the two?

[cookie]

From what I know the noppos are red little O-Rings, not comparable with silencing rings made of foam.