Fujitsu Libertouch

mostwanted · 07 Aug 2012, 12:06

This is my very brief review of the Fujitsu Libertouch keyboard.

There has been many extensive reviews of this keyboard in Japanese. Notably this one if you guys want to have a read:
http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20070810/liber.htm

To give you all a little bit of background, i have only used one mechanical keyboard which was Leopold fc700r cherry brown. So i have limited experiences to compare with. This keyboard is often compared with the Topre Realforce, it may also be known as a poor's man Topre. I have no idea who this would compare to the Topre switches but feel free ask any questions.

Check it out:
http://imgur.com/a/9mS8K

itlnstln · 07 Aug 2012, 15:09

How does it feel compared to a standard rubber dome?

mostwanted · 07 Aug 2012, 16:53

It feels different than rubber dome, in a sense that it is more tactile. When bottoming out, it has a sharp thunk - very crispy. It is also different that you are not required to bottom out with each press.

Here's the sound sample on youtube:

It does not however, improve my typing speed.

spolia_optima · 20 Dec 2012, 08:45

I've been infatuated with the Libertouch since it was released. I've always been a fan of that particular style of switching mechanism, which kinda sucks, 'cause it never caught on anywhere.

If you ask me, it LOOKS every bit as solid and well-engineered as the Realforce.

Replacable parts, dude. If it caught on, I think it would develop an aftermarket. You can customize the sh** out of the Libertouch, and Americans love aftermarket upgrades even more than they do milkshakes.

I like the utilitarian design. that corner nook for post-its or business cards or what have you, it's just screaming "I am functional!!!"

fossala · 20 Dec 2012, 08:54

spolia_optima wrote:If you ask me, it LOOKS every bit as solid and well-engineered as the Realforce.

It's a rubber dome over membrane. The realforce in rubberdome over capasative switch. It's what makes it good and reliable.

spolia_optima · 20 Dec 2012, 09:46

fossala wrote:
spolia_optima wrote:If you ask me, it LOOKS every bit as solid and well-engineered as the Realforce.
It's a rubber dome over membrane. The realforce in rubberdome over capasative switch. It's what makes it good and reliable.

Ah, nevermind. I thought it was a rubber dome over a special kinda slider with a spring protruding from the bottom. Like, it had both a dome and a spring.... Anyway, either way I thought both switches actuated about halfway down the press.... which kinda makes them both "mechanical" in my mind..

I thought it'd be neat if you could replace not only the domes, but also the actuation spring. If you could change both, it would give you an extraordinary amount of control over key feel... It was just a thought.

spolia_optima · 20 Dec 2012, 09:52

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Here's what they remind me of- the not-so-popular SMK switches Apple sometimes used in the M0487 I think.
I always thought it was a promising design that just fell through the cracks due to mediocre implementation or something

spolia_optima · 20 Dec 2012, 09:55

And here's the libertouch... I guess I was just always interested in improved versions of that particular switch

vivalarevolución · 28 Dec 2012, 00:05

Interesting switch. Never seen anything like that before. Would it be a poor man's Topre, or a completely different feel altogether?

Daniel Beardsmore · 29 Dec 2012, 16:40

What does the bottom of the keycap look like?

rodtang · 30 Dec 2012, 02:22

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:What does the bottom of the keycap look like?

Same as on 3rd gen leaf springs?

Daniel Beardsmore · 30 Dec 2012, 02:28

Oh right, I'm being silly. I just realised that the pictures I was looking at are of a Mac keyboard (I just recognised Apple's keycap style, having just posted the M0116 to the wiki), which explains why the SMK spring over membrane sliders appear to be Z mount (to share the same keycaps with the Alps keyboards), although I can't be sure.

You're probably right about the Libertouch.

Soarer · 30 Dec 2012, 04:00

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:... Z mount (to share the same keycaps with the Alps keyboards) ...

Nice edit. IIRC, you wrote "Alps-compatible mount" first.

Daniel Beardsmore · 30 Dec 2012, 04:16

I edited the post? Really? I can't tell if this is a The Witches-style trick to make me think I've gone senile, or whether I really am going senile. (I think the latter is true regardless, honestly. That, or I have a memory worm loose in here. I do vividly remember walking around some sale somewhere, years ago, wondering why I can feel something in my hand, then realising that I'd actually walked off with a book from someone's stall that I'd been looking at, without even realising what I'd done. I quickly, quietly returned it (I didn't want it anyway), although for all I know, I actually did pay for it, and then handed it back.)

Sadly, in this case, it appears unlikely. It's post 90963, and Firefox assures me that I never had "90963" (in the edit URL) in the address bar. I think you have another post in mind, where I probably did write "Alps-compatible", earlier.

Glad to see someone's following me around checking up on me. Too bad webwit seems to think I don't bother doing anything with the wiki. For crying out loud, I'm off work for a week and a half for Christmas, and pretty much all I've done is work on the stupid thing. Every day. I genuinely have no life, at all. None whatsoever.

My objection in general to "Alps-compatible" or "Cherry-compatible" is that some switches on the wiki will be Alps-incompatible-Alps and Cherry-incompatible-Cherry. "Cherry MX compatible" works, but since "Alps CM" is already blatantly wrong, we can't have a new term that builds on another wrong one. By the same token, I'm sticking with Alps CM for now until we have something better. Someone mentioned "Alps leaf spring", but I just read that that's also used for plate spring by some people. I've asked Alps twice now for the official product range name, but they don't answer e-mails. Not even a polite "no longer on our records, sorry", just silence.

If you really are that bothered, change the wiki, and I'll use whatever terms you want. I just don't change things randomly without reason.

Soarer · 30 Dec 2012, 04:29

I'm sorry, I think you're right, and I recalled a different post.

But as for following you around... nope. I just follow the spy and the forum.

[I'll quote the second half and reply in the 'mounts' thread].