Wuhan outbreak is breaking the whole retail operation in cn so everything is expected to be delayed currently.

hopefully things are getting better over there. i really wanna try out the new enjoypbt double-shot abs cap sets asap hehe

China gov asked people stay at home. Shipping company stopped working now.
Port closed until end of Feb until new notice.

Vortex can be bought on Taobao. Though with the current situation, it might take a while... I ordered something on Tuesday and it still hasn't been shipped. Taobao sellers aren't usually that slow.

Yes you can change keycaps, they all use switches with MX style stems.

None of the prebuilts I mentioned have hotswap PCBs, so you'll need to desolder and solder to change switches.

Custom is generally more expensive.

Current version of Vortex Tab 75 can do Bluetooth and USB C. IINM there was a first version that did not.

ok the actual culprit is key cap installation. it's good to know about this
ok the switch type that you prefer is clicky. it's the noisiest of all hehe

imo you should just start with tecware phantom elite tkl. it's affordable, and it allows you to swap switches on-the-fly. to me, it makes more sense than soldered builds if you intended to learn stuff about mkbs.

the main issue about 75% in terms of key caps, is that you should check if the sets that you are about to purchase have all matching keys with your key layouts. for instance, the right shift of vortex tab is 1.75u, and the bottom row needs 3x 1u caps. generic key caps don't have these keys.

if you're interested in learning more, i really suggest getting to know more about basics first. just do this at your own pace. it helps to make more informed decisions later on. and about commercial board options, what we suggest are really for your reference mainly, based on our personal preferences and experience with them.

Taika Waititi Blasts Apple’s Keyboards After Winning Oscar – “Makes me Want to go Back to PCs”

Director Taika Waititi gave Apple an earful after winning an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. In his backstage interview, he blasted Apple’s keyboards as being “impossible to write on”. Taika even went on to say that they make him “want to go back to PCs”.

Taika Waititi is a renowned director and had 2 Oscar nominations to his name, before winning his first Oscar today. His works include the likes of Thor: Ragnarok, What We Do in the Shadows, and Jojo Rabbit, for which he won the Oscar for the best Adapter Screenplay. He is known to be a very candid person in his stage appearances and interviews, and he was his usual honest self when inquired about what writers should ask for in the next round of talks with producers.

The question was asked by Anthony from Deadline:

Taika Waititi used this opportunity to lambast Apple’s butterfly keyboards, which have plagued MacBook users since 2015. He shared how they make it impossible to write on because the “bounce back” is not good. Taika also said that they make him want to go back to PCs. He also mentioned that he has shoulder and joint problems, which are not helped by Apple’s keyboards as the keys are too close to each other, making the keyboard feel cramped.

Here is the full video, starting from 2:00 minutes, where Taika is asked the question:



Here is the complete transcript of Taika’s response, loosely put together from the video.



Taika Waititi is not the first person to talk about Apple’s keyboard problems and will likely not be the last one either. Apple really messed up with butterfly keyboards, starting with the 2015 MacBook, and customers have been complaining ever since. Instead of instantly switching back to the reliable old scissor-mechanism, the company continued to iterate on the butterfly keyboard but was unable to fix the actual issues. There is even a class-action lawsuit against Apple’s butterfly keyboards, which means that the company might need to compensate customers.

With the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple finally switched back to a scissor-mechanism based keyboard, with some learnings implemented from butterfly keyboards, however, every other MacBook Air and MacBook Pro model still sells with a butterfly keyboard for now. A 13-inch MacBook Pro update in 2020 might also switch to the new keyboard.

In its pursuit for thinner products, Apple made one of the biggest blunders in its history of portable computers and should rightfully be called out by people who spent their heard-earned money on a subpar user experience.

I probably just aim for TKL for this round as they are more option I can choose from. I found a used Durgod K320 at a reasonable price.. Currently my choice is between Durgod K320 and the IKBC CD87. Durgod used at around rm 250, IKBC new for Rm289. Which will be the better choice?
If I decided to play along in the future, I may pursue in finding my ideal 75%.... at the moment, I can't wait as I have no keyboard to use
Thanks for the recommendation.  I looked into tecware phantom, it definitely is affordable option but I really don't like the "look" of it..  I hope to get one that I like, and can use it for a long time... Hopefully I won't get trap into this endless searching for the "endgame" ... 
But..for tecware phantom elite, it means it is possible for me to swap all the switches & keycap in the future? They are using Gateron switches which I have not learn about them yet.. are they as good as Cherry Mx?

I probably just aim for TKL for this round as they are more option I can choose from. I found a used Durgod K320 at a reasonable price.. Currently my choice is between Durgod K320 and the IKBC CD87. Durgod used at around rm 250, IKBC new for Rm289. Which will be the better choice?
If I decided to play along in the future, I may pursue in finding my ideal 75%.... at the moment, I can't wait as I have no keyboard to use
Thanks for the recommendation.  I looked into tecware phantom, it definitely is affordable option but I really don't like the "look" of it..  I hope to get one that I like, and can use it for a long time... Hopefully I won't get trap into this endless searching for the "endgame" ... 
But..for tecware phantom elite, it means it is possible for me to swap all the switches & keycap in the future? They are using Gateron switches which I have not learn about them yet.. are they as good as Cherry Mx?

I am currently using Phantom Elite TKL, running on KAILH Bronze switches; which i would say i love it sooo much as i can type faster than i used to. I have few orders coming in to upgrade the KAILH switches like Ninja Keycaps, spring replacement, Orings and lubes. Customising the switches before considering replacing with Cherry MX Green/RGB Green. But with the spring change on KAILH switches, I am expecting it to behave almost the similar as the intended MX Green.
Bonus point for this Keyboard is that it is hotswapable, which sounds good for me until I am looking to custom make one myself.

Wow! That's an endgame level board right there. How much was shipping and tax?

Any nice TKL kit / groupbuy available?
Waiting for kbd8x to restock

Also anyone bought from singakbd before? Haha their keyboards look sweet.

nice; this one is using sandwich mount for plate.

But also almost always out of stock. LoL
Rama is another good one. I think their Rama M60-a2 is still available.

Thanks. Fitted them with holy pandas. Any recommendations for keycap set? Looking into the rusty or glitter theme.

Thanks. Fitted them with holy pandas. Any recommendations for keycap set? Looking into the rusty or glitter theme.

You mean the U80-A? Preorder sold out already. Not that I'm willing to drop USD420 for one...
https://ramaworks.store/products/u80-a