Plum Nano75 Electrastatic Capacitive Bluetooth RGB Keyboard

[davkol]

MX-compatible Topre, I think. zslane is the only person I've seen call it TMX.

[zslane]

A TMX switch is a Topre switch with an MX compatible slider. TMX switches can be found on NovaTouches, RealForce RGBs, and Chinese knock-offs like Noppoo and Plum. The sliders typically look like this:

tmx_slider.jpg (18.67 KiB) Viewed 6301 times

The Topre version of this slider differs from the clones in that it has a small plastic stub that prevents it from dropping out of the switch housing when the backplate is removed.

[zslane]

MX-compatible Topre, I think. zslane is the only person I've seen call it TMX.

Someone on GeekHack used the term TMX before me (and that person--I don't remember who--implied that some company out there uses the term as well). We kinda need an easy-to-type term for it and TMX is as good as any. I use it in the hopes it will catch on.

[davkol]

I hope it'll die in fire.

Using the Topre label for non-Topre switches (hint: Topre is the manufacturer of some switches, not knockoffs or other designs) is misleading, and the MX mount is specific only to the slider, not the rest of the switch.

"MX mount" is common, self-explanatory and not wrong.

[zslane]

"MX mount" also describes MX switches, and so we have ambiguity. I think it is useful to have a tag for Topre-style switches with MX compatible sliders. I'm tired of typing "Topre-style switches with MX compatible sliders." TMX is convenient, and should in no way be controversial.

[davkol]

MX-mount Topre
MX-mount dome w/ cap sense (which includes Topre, PLUM and the Korean thing)
MX-mount rubber dome (which includes Topre, PLUM, BTC, Silitek etc.)

I'm tired of typing "Topre-style switches with MX compatible sliders."

Try text expansion. Seriously.

[Menuhin]

Oh, I see.
It means "MX compatible sliders for Topre keyboards" - its more tedious to type the whole thing for sure.

Edit: I just checked those 55g and 62g Korean capacitive RGB keyboards - people wrote good reviews about their key feels. But these Korean keyboards are still "behind" PLUM - none of them support wireless mode (not to mention dual-USB-Bluetooth) and none of them are programmable.
Feature-rich versus 'perfection' in a single aspect - tough choice.

[zslane]

MX-mount Topre
MX-mount dome w/ cap sense (which includes Topre, PLUM and the Korean thing)
MX-mount rubber dome (which includes Topre, PLUM, BTC, Silitek etc.)

I'm tired of typing "Topre-style switches with MX compatible sliders."

Try text expansion. Seriously.

This hobby is replete with abbreviations for things, most of which are ten times more obscure and obtuse than "TMX". Just go to the Classifieds section of GeekHack for an eye-opening experience.

Learn to love abbreviations. Seriously.

[davkol]

So, what are you going to call the new MX-mount Hall-effect switches?

[zslane]

I've been referring to them as XMIT's HE switches. The only mount they have is MX, so "MX mount" is currently implied. Ultimately, I think it would be preferable for XMIT to give us a nice, short abbreviation, but if he doesn't, one will surely be established for him.

[davkol]

Same problem: they aren't carried only by XMIT (the OEM is the same here, though, unlike in case of the dome-over-capsense, in which case Topre and PLUM are completely different).

[shreebles]

For those who are still interested in this keyboard, I want to give my impressions as well on the 45g version.
This one also came with the "10g springs" but the print on the box and the back as the keyboard, as well as the general keyfeel confirms that this is in fact a 45g weighted keyboard, and not a 35g one with springs.

Wall of text ahead!
TLDR: Is this a good buy at 120-150$? Yes, if you use ANSI, like Topre 45g and want Bluetooth, MX compatibility and a normal layout.
Is this a good buy at 220€? No, especially if you use ISO

I will give some impressions, their order is based on their importance to me.

Keyfeel: While it seems that half this thread is people complaining and arguing about the lack of tactility in these Nopre boards I believe that in this version of the board it is a non-issue. The 45g is not just noticeably tactile, it is more than sufficiently tactile. More tactile than light Zealios.

Comparing the keyfeel to a 45g Topre Novatouch, (going from memory here, so please bear with me) it is probably around 15% less tactile, 20% lighter, and 30% less smooth. This is out of the box, however. I'm skeptical of the "self lubricating" claim but I do believe that it will get smoother with use, and that it has already become smoother on WASD due to a short gaming session yesterday.

Stock keycaps do the keyfeel no good as they are minimally taller and have sharper edges than Cherry keys. Just like T!ng, I'm rocking the dyesubs with HADapters for a full ANSI-DE layout which is fine.
Cherry profile thick PBT keycaps are a massive improvement to keyfeel, sound and comfort in my opinion, but I am biased as these have been my favorite keycaps for years.

Most people in this thread will shake their heads but I believe that the 45g version is already too tactile and too heavy for me. I am looking for the lightest tactile touch at the moment due to a chronic wrist injury. I will probably not keep the keyboard as I need a lighter touch for day-to-day work and gaming use. This is more of a "fun" typing experience, just like buckling spring, that couldn't become my daily driver if it tried.

As with the Novatouch, the keys are too heavy and too bumpy for fast, twitchy FPS with repeated actuations. A light, springy MX Red or Brown switch is still better suited in that regard. I bought it as a work board anyway, but it's not really perfect for that either, but more on that later...

Sound: "Shuff Shuff" was the perfect description, a few pages back. That is exactly the sound that it makes and I like its sound, though as I said before I believe the scratchiness will reduce a bit over time. Or you can lube the sliders, something I would try if I were to keep the keyboard.

There is something very odd about the Plum Nano 75's soundscape. While it's fully dampened both ways and has no clicky parts, I couldn't believe how loud it is. I mean, one of the reasons I bought it was because of its subtle, quiet sound, but there was never a volume comparison in those Youtube videos. It does sound exactly like in those videos,
Only about three times as loud! The thick PBT dyesubs actually made it quieter, it was even louder when stock.
I couldn't believe it so I asked my significant other, who has little experience with mechanical keyboards (despite our being together for 7 years, I couldn't convert her).
"But it isn't it quieter? Look, it's soo quiet!" "Not really, no..."

In the end, we agreed on one thing. It's not quieter than a Cherry MX Brown board, wood case, acrylic plate, with the same keycaps (my daily driver). It's just as loud or even louder, only the Cherry is higher-pitched.

I believe that there is too much hollow space in this keyboard which needs some kind of dampening.
That said, it sounds good, the spacebar sounds great, something almost every Cherry board struggles with.
No stabilizer rattle. I was very surprised to find Costar-style stabs in such a board but they come pre-lubed and do their job very well.

Layout and programmability
This is both great and terrible at the same time. I will start with the great.

70% is a great layout overall if you love 60%. No unnecessary arrows for those that use function layers anyway. Bottom row is all standard size, I'm a happy man. Plus you get 14 more keys at the top, which makes some functionality easier to access without reducing mouse space. It's awesome and I would love to see more variations on this, perfect for a work board and absolutely necessary due to the number of lighting and Bluetooth functions on the one FN layer that it has.

The software is easy to use once you get the hang of it, and programming is the easiest I've seen on any keyboard (if you use Windows). Just connect the keyboard via USB, start the exe, program your stuff and hit program. Seconds later, boom, done. No installation, no drivers, no fiddling. Just great.

Here's the mediocre, it only has one function layer. So, as I said, you need those F-keys at the top if you only have one function layer, otherwise there will hardly be enough keys to fit all functions.

And here's the ugly, the terrible, what kills this board for me and the biggest reason why I cannot keep this board.
It simply cannot output keycode 86, or 226 in Windows. EDIT: Correction, T!ng has pointed out that you can program a macro using a numpad and ALT codes to get the <>| characters. That means while it still won't output keycode 226, and you will need three different keys for the three macros, vs. one, at least you can write these characters with this little "hack".

Spoiler:

(For you non-ISO people, that is the < | > next to our cute little shift key.)
It just cannot be programmed, the software gives an error when trying to teach it this key, as it doesn't recognize the scancode. Yes, you probably need a second keyboard to program this board, as it can only record keycodes, you cannot program anything into the board that it doesn't have, there is no list to pick keycodes from, only recording.

Boo-hoo. ANSI-DE is fine if you can program the extra key in the FN layer, but not on this one. So it can't be used for work either. I can already see myself, trying to pipe something out of powershell with >, my coworkers standing around me, laughing because my keyboard is one key short. (please don't tell me to "just use ANSI". ISO for lyfe.)

So unless they fix this, this is a no-go if you want to use ISO on this ANSI keyboard.

Functionality:
I won't say much as most functionality points have been explained by others as well. It's Bluetooth and wired and both works great, I had no dropped keys on BT like T!ng did. Paired it with my laptop, a Surface and an Android device and it works great on all of them. This feature is definitely killer. ON/OFF switch position sucks as has been mentioned.

The lighting offers all kinds of modes from relaxing to disco to complete epilepsy attack if you're into that sort of thing. Customization options are there, kind of limited if you're an RGB freak but more than enough for me. You can set a completely custom color, too, if the 7 preprogrammed colors don't do it for you.
I just turn down the brightness and go for a subtle amber or white backlight and that's plenty enough for me.

Design:
Unfortunately, this keyboard comes angled out of the box already, and you can only make the angle steeper. I would have preferred a flat keyboard or even negative incline, but most people will be fine with the slight angle I guess. I use a wood palm rest and that's fine for typing, but not for gaming IMO.

The keyboard is quite heavy overall, but it also feels very solid, the case is made from thick plastic, my only complaint is that it's not the nicest shade of white, it looks kind of pallid.

Oh, and despite it being micro USB, you have to use the included cable, which has a very unpleasant, chemical smell. No regular-gauge cables will fit in the extremely tight cable channels this keyboard has. Just pray that the cable lasts forever so you'll never need a replacement.

Wow, what a wall of text, but it was fun to type on this board and it's recommended, personally I will probably give the 35g version a try once mech greenhand gets them back in stock.

So, 4.5 stars from me if you get it for 125$ from mech greenhand.
Screw it, 5 stars, half the price of a Topre, more features, dampened out of the box, great for ANSI and still fine for ISO users if you can live with the little macro trick.
Tactility complaints should be a non-issue with the 45g version.

PS: Two more issues. The always-on white LED that for some reason went away yesterday and now it's there again after reconnecting the keyboard. I've no idea.

The other thing I noticed just now when typing in German. Sometimes, Umlauts come out the wrong way, that is uppercase ÖÄ come up when I'm not pressing shift. When pressing shift, lowercase come up. It was like this for two minutes and now it's normal again.

[t!ng]

You know there is a simple solution for the <|> problem:

Just record a macro and map the macro to any key you want. You know that < is the same as ALT + 060 (on the numpad)?
> is ALT + 062
| is ALT + 0124

So just plug any numpad in your computer and record that combos.

All ANSI codes:
http://www.irongeek.com/alt-numpad-asci ... chart.html

[Laser]

@shreebles - thanks for the review!

[t!ng]

"The lighting offers all kinds of modes from relaxing to disco to complete epilepsy attack"
I laughed about that one. Thanks

"Oh, and despite it being micro USB, you have to use the included cable, which has a very unpleasant, chemical smell. No regular-gauge cables will fit in the extremely tight cable channels this keyboard has. Just pray that the cable lasts forever so you'll never need a replacement."

- No, that's not true. I am using my phone microUSB-cable and have no issues.

"PS: Two more issues. The always-on white LED that for some reason went away yesterday and now it's there again after reconnecting the keyboard. I've no idea."

- The white LED under the Delete-key is an indicator for charging the built in battery.

"The keyboard is quite heavy overall, but it also feels very solid, the case is made from thick plastic, my only complaint is that it's not the nicest shade of white, it looks kind of pallid."

- I can sign this partly. In my opinion the keyboard is light. The plastic of the housing though feels cheap to me. It looks like printed out by a 3D-printer. The white is too white, i would prefer black.


"The other thing I noticed just now when typing in German. Sometimes, Umlauts come out the wrong way, that is uppercase ÖÄ come up when I'm not pressing shift. When pressing shift, lowercase come up. It was like this for two minutes and now it's normal again."

- Haven't met that problem yet.

I say: Keep this keyboard. You haven't realized all of its glory yet.

[shreebles]

You know there is a simple solution for the <|> problem:

Just record a macro and map the macro to any key you want. You know that < is the same as ALT + 060 (on the numpad)?
> is ALT + 062
| is ALT + 0124

So just plug any numpad in your computer and record that combos.

Thanks, that's something I didn't even think of!
I only thought of software based solutions, which I want to avoid when programming a keyboard...

I actually had a Numpad plugged in.
At first, these ALT combinations didn't work with this 16€ Jellykey mechanical Numpad.
So I plugged in my 5€ Cherry ML numpad. Also didn't work.

HOWEVER that Cherry numpad has a physical ALT key. Then, it works.
So I guess you need to press the ALT key on the same keyboard if you want to use ALT keys. Learnt something today.
It's hard to admit this for me, but in this case it sucks when your keyboard doesn't have a numpad

It works! <><><>|||

No regular-gauge cables will fit in the extremely tight cable channels this keyboard has. Just pray that the cable lasts forever so you'll never need a replacement."

- No, that's not true. I am using my phone microUSB-cable and have no issues.

Hm, I guess it depends on what you have around. I tried a HTC phone cable, two Sony cables, a few generic ones, a Logitech mouse charging cable, you know pretty much every cable I could find. So really I think the channels are too tight. Keep in mind many phones nowadays come with thicker cables for fast charging...
I know I have a very thin E-Reader cable somewhere that might work.

- The white LED under the Delete-key is an indicator for charging the built in battery.

I know, that's in the manual, I mean the ESC key. It always glows white when I connect the KB, but that goes away after a while.

- I can sign this partly. In my opinion the keyboard is light. The plastic of the housing though feels cheap to me. It looks like printed out by a 3D-printer. The white is too white, i would prefer black.

It looks a bit cheap yes, but the thickness is more than decent. Seems like it could take a beating.
I agree the keyboard is light enough for portability. I just call it heavy because my daily driver is a 60% with acrylic plate and a wood case from Falbatech. That thing weighs nothing

I say: Keep this keyboard. You haven't realized all of its glory yet.

Is it ok if I send this one back and buy a 35g one from mech greenhand in a few weeks?
Or does anyone want mine for 219€? It's the last one in Germany at the moment

[Menuhin]

...
Stock keycaps do the keyfeel no good as they are tall and have sharper edges than Cherry keys.
...
Cherry profile thick PBT keycaps are a massive improvement to keyfeel, sound and comfort in my opinion, but I am biased as these have been my favorite keycaps for years.

...
Oh, and despite it being micro USB...
...

Thanks for the review. I didn't own any 45g or 55g version of their products so it's useful to read about yours.

And I didn't know that the PLUM Nano75s now has 'OEM'/Filco profile key caps. I much prefer Cherry profile PBT caps too, and their PLUM 84 boards come with I believe Gateron Cherry-profile PBT caps with laser-printed legends.

And I prefer mini-USB (which is also on PLUM 84) to micro-USB too.

Why do they set such a high price for this keyboard in Germany by the way? Much higher than those on Aliexpress but are only 35g versions.

[shreebles]

And I didn't know that the PLUM Nano75s now has 'OEM'/Filco profile key caps. I much prefer Cherry profile PBT caps too, and their PLUM 84 boards come with I believe Gateron Cherry-profile PBT caps with laser-printed legends.

That was a mistake on my part, I'll correct it in the review. They are more similar to Cherry than OEM profile, the shape is the same but they are just a fraction of a millimeter taller. They feel taller overall, cheap, thin, and the edges are annoying. But it's not OEM profile, sorry for the confusion.

Why do they set such a high price for this keyboard in Germany by the way? Much higher than those on Aliexpress but are only 35g versions.

Taxes, and because they can, I guess. See, there is even a person in this thread (fruitalgorithm) who bought it for that price and is still happy with it.
There are a lot of advantages when buying from Amazon.de directly. Shipping speed, even more so if you have Amazon Prime. Shipping and handling managed by Amazon, reliable, trustworthy, 30 day returns, etc. Plus no import tax and no worry about it getting stuck in customs.

Funny story actually, I bought this from a different Aliexpress store two weeks ago. I got a fake shipping number and after two weeks of waiting I asked and it turns out the seller didn't even have the keyboard in stock when I bought it from him! So he asked me to wait two more weeks until he has it in store, and then at least another week before it gets here, that is if it clears customs quickly.

Buying from Amazon, you can get it the next day if you have Prime and order before noon.

So that's that, my advice is buy only from mech greenhand (aka EZ MANDARIN SHOPPERS), as others have proven unreliable, and Amazon is way too expensive.

219€ is... quite steep. When looking at features only, this board offers a lot out of the box compared to Topre. So in that way it's almost justified.
At the same time it's a bit silly when it costs 125$ from China, and that's the price us westerners get on Aliexpress. If it sells on Taobao as well I would expect the price to be even lower. And you're not getting an expensive japanese design, you're getting a chinese imitation of an expensive japanese design for 219€

Not all of them are 35g, the one I bought in Germany was 45g but it was the last one available.

[zslane]

Thanks for the review shreebles!

In terms of its sound and feel, it definitely sounds like a 45cN version of my Noppoo EC108Pro which is marked on the box as 40g +/- 5g, and which definitely falls on the - side rather than the + side (so it feels more like 35cN to me rather than 40 or 45). Based on your review, I am definitely interested in getting one, especially since I use ANSI layout and I like the white case color (perfect as a base color for painting it tan).

If only mech greenhand would get them back in stock...

[fruitalgorithm]

Some more elaboration on the price: it's 160€ at Ali express at the moment. Plus 19% tax on import that would make 190€ already plus shipping. So 219€ is still expensive but not totally out of this world if it means having it tomorrow with good return policy etc.

I get the observations of that last review. The keycaps could be thicker and the shape more flat. It's not perfect and I would probably prefer a Bluetooth version of the Leopold 660C. But that doesn't exist. So for a Topre like keyboard with Bluetooth you can get this one or a HHKB. There's not exactly a lot of choice.

[t!ng]

So I can be happy to have bought it for 115€ shipped back then ^^ (Luckily it went through the customs like nothing)

[Boonie]

I have been looking at this board for a while now and I have some questions before I pull the trigger.

Has anyone with the BT4 version noticed any visible lag when typing?
Hows the battery life since the BT4 implementation?
Does anyone have any pictures of the pcb and how the switches are mounted (well switch housing)?

[fruitalgorithm]

I haven't noticed any lag.

What's really annoying though is pairing additional devices after the first. You have to turn off Bluetooth on already paired devices to pair a new one. Switching between devices could also be quicker .

[jonnyalex89]

This device paired the first day I used it, I retried bluetooth again recently and it simply will not pair with anything. It detects the keyboard, but on windows it simply say's 'that didn't work' when I try to pair, and on android devices, I enter the passcode and it fails to connect. Is my keyboards bluetooth module shot?

[XMIT]

MX-compatible Topre, I think. zslane is the only person I've seen call it TMX.

I call it Nopre.

[vivalarevolución]

I can't believe we are still talking about this keyboard. I guess the search for budget Topre with more features leads us down this road.

[zslane]

The search for a 60% board with TMX switches leads us down this road.

[Tally810]

I think the keycaps look decent at least.

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

[vivalarevolución]

The search for a 60% board with TMX switches leads us down this road.

Just chop up one of those new Realforce RGB keyboards! Nothing like buying a $250 keyboard and chopping it up.

[Laser]

The search for a 60% board with TMX switches leads us down this road.

Since I'm perfectly okay with the layout of my HHKB (I know, not for everyone, arrow keys and stuff), and as I have already a programmable TMK board in it, all I'm waiting for are JTK's MX->Topre replacement sliders to ship (one of these days), set which does include the two long stabilized sliders for LSHIFT and ENTER. (Insert "Day of the Tentacle" polluted water drinking scene reference here)