OLKB Planck review - ON HELIUM! (Zealio 65 g)

[Chyros]

It seemed only appropriate to review such a small keyboard by using a small voice :p . Hope you enjoy the video!

[green-squid]

Thought this keyboard would make for a cool first keyboard project, but apparently not :/ (pcb is $40 alone, so..)

Still, I think this would make a great macropad.

[Phenix]

Thought this keyboard would make for a cool first keyboard project, but apparently not :/ (pcb is $40 alone, so..)

Still, I think this would make a great macropad.

I have a maxipad pcb left - a 5x6 Grid macropod.
If you can diy a wood case (like I did) it’s gonna be cheap.. pm me, I have parts left

[Starck]

I liked your review, it made me laugh..

Also got a glimpse of a familiar face there.

[Phenix]

Now that I found time to watch it I have to say I liked your video. The layout is.. to each his own

[green-squid]

Thought this keyboard would make for a cool first keyboard project, but apparently not :/ (pcb is $40 alone, so..)

Still, I think this would make a great macropad.

I have a maxipad pcb left - a 5x6 Grid macropod.
If you can diy a wood case (like I did) it’s gonna be cheap.. pm me, I have parts left

Thank you for the offer, but I'm not really looking at one right now. I was just considering it a while ago.

[deacon]

As a Planck user I thought it was funny but then I watched you trying to game on it.

It was a bit like my experience watching "Big Bang Theory" because it contained aspects of my culture and then ceasing to watch it when I realized we were just the butt of the joke.

Thank you for your time, I'm sorry you thought it a waste.

[Chyros]

As a Planck user I thought it was funny but then I watched you trying to game on it.

It was a bit like my experience watching "Big Bang Theory" because it contained aspects of my culture and then ceasing to watch it when I realized we were just the butt of the joke.

Thank you for your time, I'm sorry you thought it a waste.

I didn't think it was a waste at all, I thoroughly enjoyed doing this project! Trust me, if I didn't, I wouldn't have poured as much time into it, this took AGES to make (and I had to learn all kinds of new things and video techniques in order to make it possible). I'll be honest; I knew from the start this keyboard would massively disagree with me, and I mentioned as much to the owner when I asked to borrow it. I genuinely tried to use it to the best of my abilities, but without being able to touch-type, it was of course doomed from the get-go xD . That's not to say I didn't enjoy doing this though, or even really that I think it's a bad keyboard - it's just not for me .

Also, I'm sorry to hear you think anyone is the "butt of a joke" here - or if you feel that way, it was definitely not intended to be like that. It was really just meant as a light-hearted bit of fun .

Also, Big Bang Theory sucks :p .

[deacon]

It was really just meant as a light-hearted bit of fun .

Also, Big Bang Theory sucks :p .

Thank you, and I agree!

[clickityClackity]

It was really just meant as a light-hearted bit of fun .

Also, Big Bang Theory sucks :p .

Thank you, and I agree!

Finally, some like minded people! Why does everyone like that show? And great video as always, but agreed that it is definitely not for touch typists. And then using it without Legends??? I can feel the frustration. Also, what were you thinking?!? [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND TIGHTLY-CLOSED EYES]

[depletedvespene]

It was really just meant as a light-hearted bit of fun .

Also, Big Bang Theory sucks :p .

Thank you, and I agree!

I agree so much with this, that I've NEVER been sorry about goatse.cx'ing the show's executive producer (it WAS his fault, after all!).

[Starck]

Chyros: If multiplayer games are too difficult with the planck, you can always try something like this

http://store.steampowered.com/app/24658 ... _Overkill/

[Chyros]

Chyros: If multiplayer games are too difficult with the planck, you can always try something like this

http://store.steampowered.com/app/24658 ... _Overkill/

Hahahaha xD

[andrewjoy]

Chyros: If multiplayer games are too difficult with the planck, you can always try something like this

http://store.steampowered.com/app/24658 ... _Overkill/

Or play Final fantasy 13 , that has no gameplay

[TuxKey]

enjoyed watching your review great one as always..
Your in depth view of the zealio was enlightening (can't get enough in depth when talking about tactile switches)..

a couple hours later i saw a nice pic from someone that posted his plank on slack..
This was the one you should have reviewed ...what do you think looking at it?

the Planck that is possibly easier to type on?

nice_plank.png (2.72 MiB) Viewed 9084 times

would love to hear your in depth view regarding the new Hako-True switch..
if it's better then Zealio's ?? the price is a bit better but living in The Netherlands import fees and shipping kind of negate that +...

[andrewjoy]

The planck needs a larger space bar for sure. 1x2 mods and the reset spacebar.

Or just go full XT and put like a 9u spacebar on it

[Lustique]

As we're now kind of on the topic of things that don't agree with you, and because I'm genuinely curious: Do you really think that MX (type) switches are (that) bad, or is it more a case of you just not liking them and expressing that opinion of yours like you do (that is as fact) to trigger people?

[andrewjoy]

Without speaking for Chyros, the reason i shy away from MX is mainly the drop in quality and i am not a fan of the tactile or click cherry switches. Get me some decent older blacks that are like butter and mmm i will go for them.

Even after finishing my amazing filco ZERO with alps greens i am considering shelving it and going tipro. i have some nice vintage blacks for the main keyboard section

[Lustique]

Without speaking for Chyros, the reason i shy away from MX is mainly the drop in quality and i am not a fan of the tactile or click cherry switches. Get me some decent older blacks that are like butter and mmm i will go for them.

Even after finishing my amazing filco ZERO with alps greens i am considering shelving it and going tipro. i have some nice vintage blacks for the main keyboard section

Yeah, I get that there are people who don't like certain switches and I don't have any problems with that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how strong it is. It's just the way he (often) expresses his opinion that disagrees with me. Take for example this video, around 09:22 on MX Blacks: ‘[…] stiff enough that typing on them really tires out your fingers […]’. Granted, he qualifies this by adding ‘[…] or at least it does so for me […]’, but still. Again, if that's how it is for him, no problem, but how he (first) says it sounds like fact, like ‘anyone who likes these switches is a moron’. So I'm just wondering whether this is his actual perception or some kind of running gag, maybe (I haven't watched all of his videos, so who knows)?

I don't know, maybe everything he says is correct and I just haven't seen the light, yet. The only MX Black switches I have ever tried were well used already (two old POS boards), I never had the chance to try out any Alps and I'm currently (actually since the end of July) typing on a used G81 with white MYs and never felt that the switch was awful. Sure, I miss a letter here and there, but other than that everything's peachy. Maybe I'm just a switch egalitarian/ignoramus.

[andrewjoy]

Vintage MY i could almost understand but modern MY are just terrible, i would rather type on a £3 asda special rubber dome than modern MY . Nasty nasty.


Then again i like ML so what do i know . I am of the opinion that ML is the best none linear switch cherry make .

[AMongoose]

While i get that the video was supposed to be funny (and it was) as a review of the keyboard it's kinda pointless. Has a member of your audience I have some constructive criticism to offer.

Even with you stating you can't touch type, stumbling on a phrase for several minutes makes the keyboard look "unfairly" bad.

You said you had no idea what could be the benefit of an ortholinear layout. I think some research was needed to inform the viewers and if possible (I realize that would be quite hard) you could see if there was some truth about the supposed benefits.

And I would like that when you criticize a layout you explained what made it bad for your use, then I would know if I have that same use or not.

I would like to see you re-review one with legends.

Thanks for the bit about the zealios. I needed a comparison on those.

Just my opinion, love your videos. I hope your reviews keep getting better.

[Lustique]

Vintage MY i could almost understand but modern MY are just terrible, i would rather type on a £3 asda special rubber dome than modern MY . Nasty nasty.


Then again i like ML so what do i know . I am of the opinion that ML is the best none linear switch cherry make .

Well, to me they seem very smooth, and I really like how easy it is to avoid bottoming out. At first, of course, the switches felt pretty heavy, but to me BS also felt really heavy at first and I got used to both without any problems. Whenever I switch keyboards I have to adjust to the switches at first anyway, so I'm used to this, I guess. I really have to get a regular keyboard rotation going, again…

I haven't tried that one yet, either. I think I should get something more exotic or DYI-ish next, though. If only shipping for Pingmasters wouldn't cost an arm and a leg, or complete GH60 kits (or something of the sort) were more easily available to me…

[andrewjoy]

I know the shipping is insane on them. But i just had to.

[Menuhin]

Just before this thread turns into a Zealios debate or a Alps-vs-Mx war:

Is Helium addictive?
People can get all sort of things in the Netherlands, let alone a person in a chemistry lab.

[Chyros]

As we're now kind of on the topic of things that don't agree with you, and because I'm genuinely curious: Do you really think that MX (type) switches are (that) bad, or is it more a case of you just not liking them and expressing that opinion of yours like you do (that is as fact) to trigger people?

I don't hate Cherry MX. I just think it's not as good as most other options. Worse, people are being hoarded into the MX camp as being the one, true and only option out there without even being given the chance to try out something else. I'm convinced that most keyboard fans that like MX would like alternatives better. So basically I think it doesn't deserve its great reputation, and I call it out on that.

Of course, I realise that most of the alternatives I'm talking about have certain acquisition problems associated with them; you can't just buy a great Alps board by the dozen everywhere, for example. Similarly, if you're one of those people that really like custom keycaps or a rainbow light show, your options in this field are limited. But if, like me, you care a lot about the switches, I don't see how MX and all their ilk have much of a leg to stand on.

More specifically, I think all types of Cherry MX switches are flawed, and in the areas that are most crucial to those types of switches, too:
-Linear Cherry switches are scratchy and badly weighted;
-Tactile Cherry switches are not tactile;
-Clicky Cherry switches are insufficiently tactile and the clicky sound is awful.

There are some that I definitely dislike more than others; MX brown in particular is, to me, just an incredibly failed switch design. It's still better than a crappy rubber dome board, mind you, but it should've been so much better than it is. MX blue is okayish, probably the best of the bunch, but annoying to listen to - moreover, the competition in the clicky switch camp in particularly is extremely cutthroat as IMO most of the best-designed switches are clicky.

Even with you stating you can't touch type, stumbling on a phrase for several minutes makes the keyboard look "unfairly" bad.

I should say that I've been planning this review for months, and have very carefully weighed many options. This review has been on the cards since Summer, and like many of my reviews, I plan them long in advance and keep thinking about how I want to present it. I've found that the more you plan in advance, the more high-quality the end product becomes.

As to your first point; I disagree. I think a lot of people are on the fence about this keyboard, and that they can't adequately judge purely by its looks how hard this thing is to get used to for an average typist like me (I actually type at well-above average speeds, but this is beside the point). Basically everybody I've spoken to that owns a 40% is really in-depth with it. For someone who can't touch type, like me, the Planck is MUCH worse than it might appear at first sight, so I don't think this is unfair at all. Mind you, I've had it for weeks, and I genuinely tried to type as fast and good as I possibly could in that demo. You can even see me use my thumbs to hit the spacebar. I think it's only fair that people get shown how large a barrier this keyboard would present to anyone who's not "up to their neck in Colemak", so to speak .

You said you had no idea what could be the benefit of an ortholinear layout. I think some research was needed to inform the viewers and if possible (I realize that would be quite hard) you could see if there was some truth about the supposed benefits.

I have researched this, and come to the conclusion that there is virtually no proof or evidence for the benefits of this whatsoever. I actually deliberately left this bit out because, ironically, I didn't want the video to get TOO offensive to people who actually use ortholinears :p .

And I would like that when you criticize a layout you explained what made it bad for your use, then I would know if I have that same use or not.

This is what I used the gameplay video for. In this, I grouped fragments in which I make similar mistakes, together, so you can see that the same issues are coming up over and over again. I figured this would be a much more entertaining - and also informative, as you can actually see it happen right before your eyes - way to communicate this to the public .

I would like to see you re-review one with legends.

The owner actually offered to put legended caps on them, but I declined, for two reasons; first, the kit comes with blank caps, so one with legends would be much less representative; and two, having blanks on them really draws out the difference an ortholinear layout makes. If I'd have been able to see where I typed, I might've graced over it, or not noticed it as much. However, as you can see in the typing demo, I actually hit the same wrong key multiple times here and there. It shows that the ortho considerably increases disorientation of where the buttons are - I can actually type without looking at the keyboard, mind you, just not the officially approved Touch Type way. The ortholinear layout completely destroys that.

[Chyros]

Just before this thread turns into a Zealios debate or a Alps-vs-Mx war:

Is Helium addictive?
People can get all sort of things in the Netherlands, let alone a person in a chemistry lab.

Helium is the most inert compound in the entire universe. How could it possibly be addictive? :p

[andrewjoy]

Just before this thread turns into a Zealios debate or a Alps-vs-Mx war:

Is Helium addictive?
People can get all sort of things in the Netherlands, let alone a person in a chemistry lab.

Helium is the most inert compound in the entire universe. How could it possibly be addictive? :p

I am totally high on O2 , its the bomb. I think i will give it up in a good few decades.

[AMongoose]

first, the kit comes with blank caps, so one with legends would be much less representative

That is pretty fair, I guess I'm so used to the idea of swapping keycaps that i didn't consider it.

I can actually type without looking at the keyboard, mind you, just not the officially approved Touch Type way.

I didn't knew that, it makes much more sense then. Wrongly assumed that you meant typing without looking when you said touch type, and not the standard 5 finger technique.

[Chyros]

I can actually type without looking at the keyboard, mind you, just not the officially approved Touch Type way.

I didn't knew that, it makes much more sense then. Wrongly assumed that you meant typing without looking when you said touch type, and not the standard 5 finger technique.

I do look at the board about 50% of the typing sessions I do, but it's either I look constantly during a session, or I only very occasionally look (for weird characters or the occasional reset). It depends a bit on how deliberately I'm typing.

[Khers]

I don't know, maybe everything he says is correct and I just haven't seen the light, yet. The only MX Black switches I have ever tried were well used already (two old POS boards), I never had the chance to try out any Alps and I'm currently (actually since the end of July) typing on a used G81 with white MYs and never felt that the switch was awful. Sure, I miss a letter here and there, but other than that everything's peachy. Maybe I'm just a switch egalitarian/ignoramus.

Regardless of what image chyros tried to project; there are no rights and wrongs, there are only opinions. If you find something good, bad, unusable or otherwise, that is true for you, but not necessarily for the next guy. Listening to some dude preaching on the internet only gets you that far, personal experience always trumps. Watch the videos for your amusement if that works for you, but don't take their conveyed message that the absolute truth lies within them.