Monterey K103 keyboard review (Omron Alps-style)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- Skip to 6:30 for a typing demonstration.
Today we look at the Monterey K103, a very rare member of the K100 family, with Omron Alps-style switches. Hope you enjoy! :)
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
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 Monterey K103 right now. This obscure little number is a pretty cool donation, I definitely enjoy using it, thanks again mate!"
Oh, this is the best layout in the world. Big-ass enter, long backspace and right shift. Touch typer's dream. Backslash positioning is a bit inconvenient for coding, but it is something that I am ready to tolerate due to advantages. This layout is the best when using Cyrillic too.
The fact that those switches can be replaced by Alps of your liking makes it even better. However their sound and behaviour you described suggest that they somewhat resemble "Monterey" switches, which are great too. I am using Chicony with those right now and it is super cool, but small backspace is a joy killer for someone who has to type a lot.
Anyway, thanks for the video. That is one cool piece of hardware you've got yourself :)
Depends really of the language what people are typing. If the language has more letters than A-Z then the big Enter key takes space from some of the letters. For example I live in Finland, northern Europe, and here the keyboards have three buttons between L and Enter. The big Enter keyboards have only two button so it can be tricky to type Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Danish and some other languages without that extra key. :)
True. I remember using a keyboard with German layout that has an additional key next to left Shift and 3 keys between L and Enter. The layout above is best for English and coding, but for languages that have more letters than English alphabet (virtually every other European alphabet, Latin and Cyrillic alike) there have to be compromises.
Here in Ukraine we have 33 letters of alphabet compared to 26 in English Latin. It means that on the layout of this Monterey keyboard in the video all 33 buttons on alphanumeric cluster apart from number row are used for letters. Punctuation marks and other symbols have to be moved to the number row, for example to get comma you need to press Shift + 6. Many people that are not used to it find it very uncomfortable. And to type things like > < or [ ] we have to use right Alt + number keys. Or just switch to Latin and then back to Cyrillic. Here is my Chicony:
www.screencast.com/t/h0ekQiAdo
I wonder what would modern keyboards look like have they not originated from Murica :)
A+ for the blank key for symmetry. Reminds me of what car companies do. Most keyboard companies don't go through the effort lol.
Same, I got the 103 key version of a keyboard because it's more symmetrically satisfying if that makes sense. And, bigger spacebar so more freedom.
It took me the longest time to realize why I'm always late to your Saturday Morning uploads around here, only to realize that you upload them at 2:00 AM for my time :P It's not big deal of course since I know you live afar.
Also, I like the look and layout of this keyboard (especially those "big-ass arrow keys") and the fact that it's rare as it is. In all, another great review.
that semicolon key look super bold, but otherwise it look great especially the arrow, '90s af.
Yeah, I had noticed that as well, it looks much bolder than the other punctuation keys. The letters are similarly very bold.
best thing on fridays, new chyro vid
Danilo de Klerk it be Friday in the US
russell2937 ahoy matey
yarr it be saturday now
Totally awesomeballs Thomas
Thanks :) .
39th RUclips Notification Battalion reporting for duty!!!!
Damn. Those arrows are nuts.
Hey Thomas, I ordered the Wooting One a little while ago and I was really excited to see that you had a teardown video of the switches and even moreso surprised that you genuinely liked them. When do you think you'll be releasing a full review of the keyboard?
I wish Omrons worked better, because I love how they feel and sound.
Same.
This strange keycap profile and thick arrows I have on k104
Alps clone with a switchplate? Super weird right there.
Those mantis leafs Alps are so weird feeling.
I normally despise the large enter key because of the smaller backspace and placing the \ key next to it. Try using a DOS machine in that layout.
I used to use an F XT keyboard with DOS back in the day. I'd rather have this layout to be honest xD .
OMNOMNOMNOMNOM
probably because u use a model F as a daily driver i prefer my backslash to the right of left shift.
Sounds like the typing noise is even more pingy and metallic than a model F.
Did you know that some videos that you've posted, if you turn on the subtitles, RUclips might detect it as [Applause]?
Sadly this video doesn't have it but I think the keyboard video before this one, about the Zenith, did.
The typing, right? Yeah, someone mentioned that before xD . Maybe YT is biased towards certain switches :p .
I thought I have one of these keyboards. Even went to check it, with a bit of googling it turns out it's a KPT-like switch with a rectangular yellow colored stem.
I've typed a few strokes on it, initially thought maybe they are good, but no, they are crap :)
can you do teardown of steelseries switches?
It's nice, but that spacebar rattle KILLS it for me.
Damnit, this board sat on Ebay for months - I remember trying to haggle the price down - I could tell they weren't standard White Alps by those huge slits in the photo. You snooze, you lose I guess haha. Glad it made it to you at least.
I wasn't aware it was on eBay before tbh Oo .
I'm pretty sure this is the same one - had never seen it before or since. It's a nice looking board :)
do you have a review of those 'shittier ALPS clones'? just got a 'PGA' branded keyboard from the early '90s that has them - with *gray* stems, simplified-style contact leaf and small copper-coloured click leaf. the switches are also completely unbranded.. are these some fuhua/fukka/forward ones that i've never seen or something completely different altogether?
Simplified Alps all use wide steel leaves, so no. I slightly prefer these over simplified Alps. So far I've found basically all copper leaf clones to be pretty shitty. I think I reviewed one or two before. I've definitely done OA2 clones before, but those are pretty decent for Alps clones.
I have these switches on a strange Sony board! On a huge board, which seems to have come from the European Broadcasting Network.
sounds like it clicks and feels good but yeah that unreliability kills it
Ive got a question for the stateside people, where would one start to look for these style keyboards?
my HeatBeat !
Fascinating. so much insight!
Can you review the Tealios switches please? I'm getting a new keyboard with them but I want to know your opinion.
He's not made of money. Perhaps if someone donated a board with them to him he'd do it
I'm not asking him to try out a whole board. I just need him to try one switch to say how he feels.
Yeah, a single switch really isn't a very reliable indicator. If you want to get a good, accurate feel for a switch, try them out in a real keyboard, preferably for actual usage. Trust me, it makes a big difference ;) .
Could you review a Bloody b820r? It uses infared mechanical switches, and i would quite like to see what you think.
Bloody don't appear to want me to review any of their keyboards xD .
Chyrosran22 can they do anything to stop you? They do have the cheaper boards that have 5 ir-mech keys and the rest domes. You could try one of those if you want.
I'm nowhere near rich enough to just buy everything I want to review xD . Especially for modern stuff ;) .
Chyrosran22 hmm, I might have to see if I can send one. You would *love* the rgb animations that come pre programmed in.
Also, the day after I ask, linustechtips puts out a vid on the switches/keyboard that tells absolutely nothing about the feel/typing experience. Lol
Sigh, I want one.
Notification Squad, where y'all at?
here *puffs*
*Raises Hand*
YO
Here!
Dutch squad where yo at?
Jesus Christ those stabs sound terrible
first one!