Ducky DK-9008 PBT (OCN Edition) - Quick Review

itlnstln · 28 Feb 2011, 14:37

I just got the Ducky-9008 PBT, and despite all the bad press Ducky got on the 'Hack, it's a pretty nice 'board. It seems to be about as heavy as the Filcos, and has a similar feel. The key caps are about the same thickness as the Filcos but are PBT (obviously) and have a little different feel. There is more texture on the caps, giving them a gritty or sandpapery feel, but I find this pleasant. Like webwit, I think I like Filco stabilizers a bit more, but the Cherry-style stabilizers on the Ducky are good. I also like the addition of the media keys, especially the calculator button as I use the calculator a lot.

The only real disappointment is that the caps are pad-printed, and if Duckys are Costar knock-offs, they certainly didn't copy their pad-printing process. These are printed similarly to the old, black IBM Model M-style printing. We will see if they hold up over time, I am already looking for an engraved set to replace them. Not necessarily because they are pad-printed, but I wanted one anyway.

For $140 (which includes some extra caps and a leather wrist rest, I feel that, overall, I got more for my money than the Filcos offer. I might post some pics later today if I have time.

webwit · 28 Feb 2011, 14:47

Good to see someone actually buying one and using it to form an opinion, without the fud that's being thrown about.

itlnstln · 28 Feb 2011, 18:53

Here are a couple of quick pics:

sixty · 28 Feb 2011, 19:28

That lopsided spacebar pisses me off by just looking at it each time

Otherwise, I think its a pretty decent board. Nothing special and not of the highest possible quality, but better than some of the other junk out there.

itlnstln · 28 Feb 2011, 19:45

My spacebar, oddly enough, isn't lopsided (it might look that way in my pic, because I was a little to the left of the 'board when I took it). It's certainly no Topre on the quality scale, but I like it better than the Filcos I had. I'm going to wait and see what Elitekeyboards ends up carrying in the Leopold line, but if nothing piques my interest, I might spring for one of the G2/YOTT edition Duckys. That is, if they still have any by the time the Leopolds come out. The Poker is still on my radar, too.

itlnstln · 28 Feb 2011, 20:42

It might not be pad-printing after all. Talking it over with Ripster, it might be a form of laser-etching with infill. Using a magnifying glass, it appears that they laser-etched the legend, then pad-printed the "infill" over it.

Minskleip · 28 Feb 2011, 22:57

How does the calculator button work?

webwit · 01 Mar 2011, 00:25

You press it and the computer starts calculating the Answer to the Question.

woody · 01 Mar 2011, 00:56

Ripster has that optimized - he has aluminum Answer button.

itlnstln · 01 Mar 2011, 02:50

Minskleip wrote:How does the calculator button work?

I don't know, but it keeps my boss thinking that I'm actually working.

ripster · 01 Mar 2011, 03:04

I just like the Red key. Now that IS pad printed.

Play my Ripster Flash Game - Whack The Ducky here!
http://www.overclock.net/images/ocnDucky.swf?1

You successfully hit it 1000 times and you WIN a free trip to meet a Nigerian Princess in Holland. Claim your prize here
http://i.imgur.com/tmoDc.jpg (NSFW).

RiGS · 02 Mar 2011, 00:33

By watching that flash animation I have realized that my tft sucks.

ripster · 02 Mar 2011, 00:51

At least you learned what those things that look like Hoody strings are.

I think the Graphic Designer assignment was: "Make me a ducky that I can defend in court against Disney and Warner Brothers" and the guy said, "I GOT IT, let's add legs".

Speaking of kids don't let them click the second link. They may get married to a Nigerian.

microsoft windows · 02 Mar 2011, 01:36

RiGS wrote:By watching that flash animation I have realized that my tft sucks.

I can hardly stand most LCD computer monitors these days. It just drives me up the walls how moving things on the screens appear blurred. My CRT monitors, which I got for free, are vastly superior.

ripster · 02 Mar 2011, 01:55

Let's just get this out of the way now shall we?

You like CRTs.
You don't like Apple.
You kinda like your M5-2 but specifics are few and far between.
You have a very nice Wallace and Grommit mousepad.
I worry about peeling lead paint in your basement. Get that checked!
You like CRTs. There I go, repeating myself.
You think old computers are fine but anybody that pays for computing equipment pays too much.
You don't like Legos (deprived childhood?)
Consistency is your main redeeming quality trait.

Pylon · 02 Mar 2011, 02:22

Firing back at Ripster:

You seem to be against Duckies due to quality issues (somewhat understandable)
You hate PS/2 (and thus retain a large number of Blue Cubes)
You hate HHKB Pros due to lack of arrow keys
You push a $18 scissor switch board as an HHKB killer (mainly due to above)
You push around the notion that all scissor switches are the same (which is not true)
You push around tenkeyless boards (and maintain a rather impressive Model M Mini collection)
You like Legos (and also have an impressive collection)
You seem to dislike ALPS (though it isn't most peoples' favorite switch), and you murdered both an AEKII for sliders and caps and a NeXT for double shot caps.
You've been milking a lot of mileage out of your images (understandable)

And yet, you contribute a huge wealth of information to GH, and your semi-troll and Lego images are rather amusing. And you have the best collection of images on GH.

And on the topic of Ducky,

ripster · 02 Mar 2011, 05:49

Actually not all scissors are the same. The Logitech Internet TV one is nice. And there clearly is a difference here.

Thinkpad

And you forgot DIP switches. Now that ItlnStln did a Wiki Geekhack is the only place on the InterToobs with both a Dongle AND DIP wiki.

What's a troll?

itlnstln · 02 Mar 2011, 16:27

After using the Ducky for a few days now, and basically I feel the same way about it as I did the Filcos. Great 'board, but could use different caps. In reality, though, the caps aren't so bad, but I would prefer different legending. These caps with Filco legends (process and style) would be perfect. PBT makes for a pretty nice cap. Whenever full sets of the engraved caps come out, I am definitely going to jump on a set. I think that any quality concerns people had expressed were blown way out of proportion based on a few examples (in the case of the 9008, that is, there were definitely some problems with the 1087). To me, the 9008 is just as good as any Filco. There were some concerns about the caps on some of the models, but the same was said about the Filcos, too.

ripster · 02 Mar 2011, 17:25

I just like driving the OCN mods up the wall.
http://www.overclock.net/keyboards/9539 ... -help.html

ironman31 · 04 Mar 2011, 16:29

itlnstln: How firm is that wristrest? If you've had the Filco version, is it about the same?

JinDesu · 04 Mar 2011, 17:12

I think the two thinks that would have sold me on Ducky over a Filco (had I know about Ducky prior to buying my Filco) would have been the removable USB and the LEDs.

I like shiny things

itlnstln · 04 Mar 2011, 17:29

ironman31 wrote:itlnstln: How firm is that wristrest? If you've had the Filco version, is it about the same?

It's about the same firmness and it's about as tall as the shorter side of the Filco rest. It's much wider, however, but I don't think it's a bad thing.

itlnstln · 04 Mar 2011, 17:35

JinDesu wrote:I think the two thinks that would have sold me on Ducky over a Filco (had I know about Ducky prior to buying my Filco) would have been the removable USB and the LEDs.

I like shiny things

Key printing aside, I like the Ducky caps better than the Filco (I have the PBT version). They feel a little more solid, have a better texture, and they have a little softer sound (not as "tappy"). The removable cable, media keys, and shortcut keys (I use the hell out of the calculator key) make the Ducky a winner for me. As far as functionality and maybe overall key feel, it's really a toss up. For me, its about the feature difference more than anything. Speaking specifically about the DK9008 (w/PBT caps), I would say that it is every bit as good quality-wise as the Filcos as well.

r99t · 16 Mar 2011, 00:38

Are these cherry browns or mixed?

ripster · 16 Mar 2011, 03:40

Cherry Browns. I'm answering for ItlnStln because that OCN Ducky appears to have made him Duck out of Geekhack and Deskthority. He Quacked up?

Lenny_Nero · 17 Mar 2011, 21:10

itlnstln wrote:After using the Ducky for a few days now, and basically I feel the same way about it as I did the Filcos. Great 'board, but could use different caps. In reality, though, the caps aren't so bad, but I would prefer different legending. [...]

I really like mine.
I dont see the problems that others seem to, but then I find that a lot ?

Having changed the caps to Cherry 2Shots for the alpha keys and GH group 1 2 Shots for most of the rest, I like it even more

But he Ducky keys dont feel so bad to me (I dont have the PTB keys),
but the pad printing is pony and has worn dark in many places and is the only real problem (see left CTRL and Shift) I have found with the board. Also look at the PCB below the space from some angles it can be seen, but when I can be bothered I am going to run a felt tip over it and I expect that will sort it.

itlnstln · 24 Mar 2011, 15:10

In other news, I just bought a Cherry brown Ducky G2 from PCHome. It was cheaper buying from them than the eBay seller. I'll post some thoughts when it comes in. The OCN version is finding a spot on my desk at home, and my Realforce is probably going up for sale. We'll see, though. I might keep it around for shits and grins.

ripster · 24 Mar 2011, 16:25

Lenny_Nero wrote:
itlnstln wrote:After using the Ducky for a few days now, and basically I feel the same way about it as I did the Filcos. Great 'board, but could use different caps. In reality, though, the caps aren't so bad, but I would prefer different legending. [...]
I really like mine.
I dont see the problems that others seem to, but then I find that a lot ?

Having changed the caps to Cherry 2Shots for the alpha keys and GH group 1 2 Shots for most of the rest, I like it even more

But he Ducky keys dont feel so bad to me (I dont have the PTB keys),
but the pad printing is pony and has worn dark in many places and is the only real problem (see left CTRL and Shift) I have found with the board. Also look at the PCB below the space from some angles it can be seen, but when I can be bothered I am going to run a felt tip over it and I expect that will sort it.

Uncoated lasers like the bottom left ones tend to get dirty like that quickly.

pita · 05 Apr 2011, 20:06

itlnstln wrote:I just got the Ducky-9008 PBT, and despite all the bad press Ducky got on the 'Hack, it's a pretty nice 'board.

The only real disappointment is that the caps are pad-printed

I believe the bad press regarding ducky boards are mainly from the 1000 series, which are the entry level board with cheapened construction design. Regarding the keycaps, they actually offer different keycaps with different material (ABS and PBT) and printing method ranging from the pad printing to laser etching without infill and laser etching with infill at different price range of course. The only problem I got with the brand is the ugly logo, otherwise their offerings are quite attractive.

ripster · 05 Apr 2011, 22:17

ripster wrote:Let's just get this out of the way now shall we?

You like CRTs.
You don't like Apple.
You kinda like your M5-2 but specifics are few and far between.
You have a very nice Wallace and Grommit mousepad.
I worry about peeling lead paint in your basement. Get that checked!
You like CRTs. There I go, repeating myself.
You think old computers are fine but anybody that pays for computing equipment pays too much.
You don't like Legos (deprived childhood?)
Consistency is your main redeeming quality trait.

Damn, I almost miss the guy.

Then I saw this old post of mine (this forum needs gray backgrounds for the quote fields).

I'm liking Duckys better now that Moogle isn't pushing them harder than Tyrone Biggums trying to get in the front of the line for the 5:00PM Giveaway.

Although I still only own the red keys.