Hottek 1KB101 keyboard review (HTK switch)
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- Опубликовано: 20 июл 2022
- Skip to 7:42 for a typing demonstration.
Today we're taking a look at an old Hottek keyboard featuring a very interesting amalgamation switch. The click leaf plot thickens....
Intro by Kyle Carter
Outro by Facundo Cabanne
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
My XL typing demos: bit.ly/2OoAW3w
My tutorials and featurettes: bit.ly/2OrkLUh
My unboxing videos: bit.ly/2TSrr0m
I'm Thomas and I do videos and reviews on mechanical keyboards ranging from the most sickening modern RGB gaming keyboards to vintage hardware relics, or sometimes keycaps or keyswitches ranging from Cherry MX to Alps SKCM to IBM buckling springs and anything in between.
Follow me on Twitter for updates on my keyboard videos! / chyrosran22
The practice sentence was: "Hello my name is Thomas and I'm typing on a Hottek 1KB101 right now. I know, the model number is a bit weird, but the keyboard itself is actually relly nice!" 
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How did we go from having thousands of amazing or at least interesting switches in the 1980s? to 99.999% mushy rubber domes in the early 2000s?
They were cheap af to manufacture, and were marketed as silent. Which barely any other switches were. Because of this noise difference, there used to be somewhat of an anti-mechanical keyboard sentiment.
Membrane keyboards just make more sense from a cost perspective. With, say, Cherry switches, one of the benefits was that if a key stopped working then an IT technician could simply desolder it and solder in a new one. While the cost of a single switch was a few cents, the labor costs for this were still high. It’s far too expensive to do that when you can simply toss out the old keyboard and put in a new one. And as other people mentioned a lot of offices just want quiet keyboards.
Consolidation and outsourcing. China make membrane keyboard, you wan cheap keyboard? is membrane. Few manufacturers saw value-add in doing anything that cost $0.03 more than the minimum viable product. And with decades of buyers settling for it, they aren't stopping anytime soon.
@@marcusrauch4223 What do you mean, "used to"? Listen to my fellow colleagues if I'd dare to take one of my mechs with me to the workspace.
The question is how did we get to now, with people settling for dozen of overpriced micro variations of boring mx switches.
5:28 - 5:37 😁
So good to see a vintage keyboard & switch review from you again.
I love how you demonstrated empirically the unit conversion to accommodate freedom dudes. Also, this keyboard sounds much better than I expected!
FREEDAHM UNITS!!!!!!!!!!!
These switches seem like the holy grail to me. Hard to judge from just one keyboard but if they are much more dust proof then alps that is huge. Wonder what the lifespan is. They are mx mount, clicky alps like feel, good sound, and medium weighting. Someone should remake these!
The holy grail of switches always seem to be the switches which are the most impossible to get.
Anyways the holy grail for me are the GL switches in my Logitech G815 keyboard.
The da aug sticker could mean date of assembly, august
Nice board, and strong review as always. I also liked that you brought out the Acer, it remains the champ. Changing topics, thanks for all the Northgate reviews over the years, I finally landed one (Northgate Omnikey 101), and I like it a fair amount more than the M I used the last several years.
His recall is INSANE. And his voice... don't get me started. He'd be my Siri. 🤭
Your camera has a dead pixel on the left side, a little bit down from the middle. Have fun not being able to unsee it!
The insert key not working well would be an improvement
I still use the darn thing, but not as much as in the MSX days, because "overwrite" was the gawd-awful default :) Completely forgot about that until I decided to recreate one of my old programs in BASIC.
I really love your content ! It's relaxing interesting and makes me want to buy a vintage keyboard. I'm looking forward to other great videos!
Really interested board in my opinion!
I wonder what kind of impact thick modern a PBT or ABS SA keycap would have for the sound as this keyboard seems to be a rather rare unit which has old school acoustics with Alps style click leaf sporting a cherry keycap compatibility.
5:10 ahhh, the imperial roasting lol
I involuntarily have to admit that the Hottek sounds better than the Alps to me.
Same, I much prefer the reduced high end on them, it'd make them a lot nicer to listen to over the long term to me. The "undertone" of the Alps switches does sound a bit deeper and fuller, but they're extremely loud in the high end.
I think it's time to walk us through the keyboard museum.. where do you keep all these? Do you have a display possibly on the wall of your favourites ?
I've covered my collection in a few "behind the scenes" videos :) .
hey thomas, any chance we could get a sound comparison with the zeal pc switches and this board?
Nice video
Wow, never knew of this keyboard and switch. Wonder how reliable the switches are.
Hi, do you know how to remap keys using soarer's converter on Mac os?
I really don't know why modern manufactures don't focus on bringing new versions of all classic switches to the Cherry standard size, external format and connection (making it compatible with modern boards be it via soldering or hot swappability). Specially alps and space invaders seem easy enough to remake into a Cherry shell.
We need more internal switch conatruction variety. So many "boutique" expensive switch companies and none focused into remaking historical switches into modern mechanical keyboard compatible versions.
Zeal actually is one translating a mostly complicated Alps based design to MX.
The main issue is that the origin of most of these companies is from the MX Clone scene, and thus are mostly stuck to MX as that's what they're used to and what their customers expect. The main reason we even have Box Jade/Navy is because Kalih wanted dust and spill resistant switches and the people at NovelKeys realized the potential of the clickbar design over click jackets. The reason for optical and hall effect switches is le gamer high actuation points or analog. No major company is foing so for keyfeel, and most boqtiue companies like NovelKeys just modify existing designs.
Then on top of that most are happy with what exists already, especially tactiles. Lots liked even the original Brown and others were happy to see improved variants with a bit more tactility. People these days are so used to weak tactility and "thock" that buckling spring or box jade or Alps is kinda frightening to them, esp with the click.
wow, HTK Switches sound lower pitched, than white alps on video, i like that
Why modern cherry MX like switches can't sound like that? :(
"Switch sound" is a bit of misleading concept. It is more of a "keyboard sound". Look up zeal clickiez in those retro ncr chassis.
Golden Wingnut from Clack pretty cool to see.
great to know the 1.6 kilos conversion
I found this informative video to be very informational. Thank you for the content that was contained. I will find a use for this uselessness.
nice watch
review the ncr80
I'd love a dai-ichi alps clone review, especially since the board you have is broken.
Might be a good video how not to make an alps clone, maybe.
A micronov kb5161 review in the works atm?
Have you ever thought about restoring some of these keyboards, e.g. fixing the yellowing with peroxide? I've done it, is not hard just need to take the keyboard apart which takes a while.
I heard that while that method works it's only temporarily and the plastic starts yellowing again after roughly a couple of months?
@@Aomicplane I've found it lasts, and so have any others. Obviously if you leave it in the sun again it's going to yellow eventually. I've been using colour sample cards to keep an eye on stuff I did a couple of years ago, and it hasn't faded or yellowed again so far.
I think Tom has mentioned that generally he likes to avoid retro brighting in most cases.
mighty Chyrosran community, I have a favor to ask, do you know how I can contact Thomas for an inquiry? I have a very interesting retro inspired custom keyboard, and we want to hear what he thinks. thank you for your help!
What’s with the blank key (next to Left Shift)?
Keyboards for the European market have that extra key. Usually they also have an ISO layout(like in 4:29 ) and extra key is for | characters. On US keyboards, the key does nothing, so it's easier to leave it blank.
Interesting keyboard. The sound kind of reminds me of Clicky Space Invaders, with plenty of thok but a bit of an unrefined and harsh click.
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What is the neon green Omron switch at 1:49 like?
Horrible! It's from a Chinese recycler xD .
@@Chyrosran22 Noo they look so cool! 😆
it's a smokers board, that's why it looks like that.
you should make beer reviews
day 1 of asking Chyrosran to review classic Cherry MX Black and omnipoint switches
4:40 wimpy wimpy wimpy HEFTY HEFTY HEFTY
They just look like standard NEC keyboards without the useful keys down the bottom.
Give that poor boi some retrobrite!
5:33 You can’t just say that
It’s true but you can’t say it
Skip to where ? for a swear demonstration.
i ones use to follow you and did stop because of your swearing.
subed you again. did not know i needed it in my life.
your swearing is funny. now there is no more 😞
1 @ 05:35 😅😂🤣
Send me a horrible keyboard! XD
@@Chyrosran22 Did just buy a keyboard this week. and i don't like it. you can have it. so where to ? 😀
@@WilliamAndrewPhilipBodie which model is it?
@@Chyrosran22 steelseries apex 3 tkl
"it sticks quite strongly to the table, if you know what I mean" -- dude, that's gross
I know you’re going to say that my mind has been ruined by the newschool 😂
But I don’t get why that sound is nice when you can barely hear the switch sound because of all the case reverb.
There’s an underlying satisfying thud to it but most of it is masked by a plastic cathedral 😂 IMO of course
ok
I've lubed my MX Browns, and they're tolerable.
Lubing MX browns is like polishing a turd
You are fully functional, aren't you? - Tasha Yar
Tom is well versed in multiple..... key switch types.
@@wkgmathguy218 I'm sure he is ;)
1.2 mm 😆