Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard | $64

A

Agenesis

[H]ard|Gawd
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Sep 24, 2011
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From SD:

Keyboards are currently $80 before coupon, $64 with 20% code: EMCNCJC228

FREE SHIPPING

Code expires 7/18 or sooner

Blues: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ction-_-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16823201040
Reds: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ction-_-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16823201044
Browns: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ction-_-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16823201042

Browns are my favorite. :)

The OEM is Costar which is the same as Das keyboard and Filco (And retails between $120~$180).
 
The worst possible time for a nice keyboard to go on sale. I wasted all my money on Steam. :(
 
Wonder what's with all the reports of the USB connection solder failing on the board with Reds? The other two have much less reports of that issue.

I've been wanting to pick up a board with Browns or Reds to take to work (I don't want to take one of my "nice" ones to work) but if these have reduced build quality then I'm not sure it's worth it. But I can get two of these for the price of one WASD keyboard...hmmm. Most reviews seem positive; I wonder if people with the connector issue are constantly un/re-plugging their cables? I don't understand how it could fail just sitting there...I rarely move my keyboards and have no need to unplug the cable.
 
Safety said:
Damn recycling laws :mad:

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The backlit Rosewill RK-9100 with either Brown or Blue Cherry MX switches is coming out late August / early September.

http://blog.laptopmag.com/rosewill-rk-9100-gaming-keyboard-hands-on-4-different-backlight-modes
http://techreport.com/discussions.x/23062
http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-hands-rosewills-new-rk-9100-series-mechanical-keyboard

Perhaps NE will start shipping to NY, IL and NC by then.
Click to expand...

I was pretty excited when you wrote that, then I read the article and looked at the price. :( That's pretty much the same price as all the other Cherry MX backlit keyboards.

One nice thing though is that it seems like they'll offer a Cherry MX Brown backlit keyboard in the US, which is not as common as it is overseas.
 
I was pretty excited when you wrote that, then I read the article and looked at the price. That's pretty much the same price as all the other Cherry MX backlit keyboards.
Click to expand...

Given Rosewill/Newegg's economies of scale, maybe they'll be able to heavily discount the 9100s during sales like these...or at least I hope.

Edit: And hopefully be able to ship to NY. :(
 
Safety said:
Damn recycling laws :mad:

---

The backlit Rosewill RK-9100 with either Brown or Blue Cherry MX switches is coming out late August / early September.

http://blog.laptopmag.com/rosewill-rk-9100-gaming-keyboard-hands-on-4-different-backlight-modes
http://techreport.com/discussions.x/23062
http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-hands-rosewills-new-rk-9100-series-mechanical-keyboard

Perhaps NE will start shipping to NY, IL and NC by then.
Click to expand...

Thats a little disappointing. It looks just like the Ducky backlight. Probably uses the same Cherry corp stabilizers. One of my favorite things about the rosewill rk-9000 is the costar stabilizers.

I could be wrong, hopefully.
 
$69 shipped to LA, CA :)

I missed this the last time around, not letting it slip by me this time. I also haven't spent much on the Steam sale so I'm permitting myself to by this. My Logitech G15 is falling apart..
 
imyourzero said:
Wonder what's with all the reports of the USB connection solder failing on the board with Reds? The other two have much less reports of that issue.

I've been wanting to pick up a board with Browns or Reds to take to work (I don't want to take one of my "nice" ones to work) but if these have reduced build quality then I'm not sure it's worth it. But I can get two of these for the price of one WASD keyboard...hmmm. Most reviews seem positive; I wonder if people with the connector issue are constantly un/re-plugging their cables? I don't understand how it could fail just sitting there...I rarely move my keyboards and have no need to unplug the cable.
Click to expand...

WOW want to order a red but those reviews have me thinking stay away....
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
Thats a little disappointing. It looks just like the Ducky backlight. Probably uses the same Cherry corp stabilizers. One of my favorite things about the rosewill rk-9000 is the costar stabilizers.

I could be wrong, hopefully.
Click to expand...
Apparently WASD is coming out with a backlit model with costar stabilizers. Some random posts mention that they won't be fully customizable.

Imagine a backlit mech keyboard with any color combination of keycaps and costar stabilizers. Awesome.

http://deskthority.net/wiki/WASD_Keyboards

WASD is also working on Black keycaps with true white laser etching, textured keycaps and PBT keycaps.

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/index.php/blog/
 
browns are more expensive bummer, comes with some garbage speaker.
 
What kind of lettering do these use? Do they use the piece of crap stickers their basic KB's do or something of a bit higher quality? I'm tempted to get the blues for my mom for Christmas, as she is a typist.
 
imyourzero said:
Wonder what's with all the reports of the USB connection solder failing on the board with Reds? The other two have much less reports of that issue.

I've been wanting to pick up a board with Browns or Reds to take to work (I don't want to take one of my "nice" ones to work) but if these have reduced build quality then I'm not sure it's worth it. But I can get two of these for the price of one WASD keyboard...hmmm. Most reviews seem positive; I wonder if people with the connector issue are constantly un/re-plugging their cables? I don't understand how it could fail just sitting there...I rarely move my keyboards and have no need to unplug the cable.
Click to expand...

I have one with Browns and I dont understand those reviews either, the connector seems as solid as any other device with microUSB that I've got. I guess if you get one with a connector that seems badly soldered out of the box you're definitely in trouble, but I dont see how it can possibly loosen up just sitting at a desk. Maybe some folks need to stop rage banging their desk with their $80+ keyboards?

FWIW I'd go reds over brown unless you've used the latter a lot and have trained yourself to feel for the tactile bump, to me it feels far less pronounced than blues, not very different from reds really. Nothing wrong with them, the bump just didn't seem useful to me.
 
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BababooeyHTJ said:
Thats a little disappointing. It looks just like the Ducky backlight. Probably uses the same Cherry corp stabilizers. One of my favorite things about the rosewill rk-9000 is the costar stabilizers.

I could be wrong, hopefully.
Click to expand...

It could potentially kill the market for Duckies either way, specially if they go on sale often.
 
HeavensCloud said:
What kind of lettering do these use? Do they use the piece of crap stickers their basic KB's do or something of a bit higher quality? I'm tempted to get the blues for my mom for Christmas, as she is a typist.
Click to expand...

Laser etched.
 
It may be that I don't have anyone around to complain about how loud my keyboard is, but I absolutely love my clicky blues...Even for gaming.
 
I think it's cool that they are introducing backlit versions, although that price will need to come down. Should provide a nice alternative to Deck and Ducky for people who want a mechanical backlit keyboard but don't want to pay a premium and aren't satisfied with some of the others like the Razer BWU, Corsair Vengeance K90, etc.

Sucks that the price on the Browns went up $10. Oh well. I picked up one of each and own a variety of other mechanical boards, so I can compare the build quality. I didn't need all 3 but I kinda wanted to compare them as an experiment. At this price I can always sell them later and not take too big of a loss I guess.
 
They almost always price the brown higher, probably because it sells the most anyway. It's actually more surprising that it might've dropped to $80 (during a promo at that).
 
Impulse said:
I have one with Browns and I dont understand those reviews either, the connector seems as solid as any other device with microUSB that I've got. I guess if you get one with a connector that seems badly soldered out of the box you're definitely in trouble, but I dont see how it can possibly loosen up just sitting at a desk. Maybe some folks need to stop rage banging their desk with their $80+ keyboards?
Click to expand...

A lot of people travel with their favorite keyboards wether it be to lanpartys (do people still do those?) or whatever. The way the connector is positioned I can definitely see how people have had problems with it.

So far mine have been fantastic though - typing on the blues now. :)
 
Well yeah if you torque it around you're bound to break it, that's why it's removable tho... You could even get a cable with a 90 degree plug for it if you're gonna be rough or you're gonna be dropping it on cluttered desks. I use L shaped microUSB cables with my phones for exactly that reason (or retractable cables which tend to have tiny plug ends).
 
Looks like the main complaints besides the USB connector are squeaky keys (esp. the spacebar), keys that are slow to return after being pressed, and the lettering wearing off quickly. Also a couple of reports of inconsistent feel across keys (as in some are higher/lower and some actuate sooner than others).

Are you guys having any of those issues with your boards? If those reviews are true, it's pretty apparent that the build quality or quality control isn't the best, but still the majority of reviewers are satisfied (and as always there are probably hundreds of happy buyers that didn't post reviews).
 
I own 3 of these keyboards, black, red, red. The solder could be bad but all of them are doing fine. I love removable cords. If your cord goes bad on a normal fixed cord you have to replace the whole keyboard or open it up. With this system you just need to replace the cord. Obviously if they do a bad job with the ports that can change the story, but then again you get to keep a USB cord. In addition it gives you options to buy 1 foot cords from monoprice to clean up a desktop, or 6 or 8 foot cords if your computer sits further away. You would not believe how many times you think you find the perfect keyboard or mouse but it has a cord that is too short or long.

Basically more modular things = better and soldered on stuff even though it is the norm is bad. Think about how many times you have had to replace a laptop PSU because the fixed cord stopped working well. Back in the day every laptop PSU came with cords that removed on both ends so$5 would generally keep your PSU running for the life of the computer. now days everything is about planned obsolescence with apple leading the way to make sure that when your phone or laptop battery dies it is out of warranty and you cant pass it down to your kids. So with some great products like these keyboards or the monoprice headphones bucking the trend I am a big fan of those companies.
 
imyourzero said:
Looks like the main complaints besides the USB connector are squeaky keys (esp. the spacebar), keys that are slow to return after being pressed, and the lettering wearing off quickly. Also a couple of reports of inconsistent feel across keys (as in some are higher/lower and some actuate sooner than others).

Are you guys having any of those issues with your boards? If those reviews are true, it's pretty apparent that the build quality or quality control isn't the best, but still the majority of reviewers are satisfied (and as always there are probably hundreds of happy buyers that didn't post reviews).
Click to expand...

I remember reading about the squeaky spacebars before I got the one here... That was one of the first things I tested for and I couldn't get mine to squeak no matter at what speed I pressed it at or at what angle. YMMV I've heard that's not uncommon with Costar stabilizers tho, and that it goes away with use sometimes.

Keys that are slow to spring back would seem like a defective switch... Mine were all fine and seemed uniform tho I didn't take a ruler to them. I can look at them from the side later. I can't imagine how some keys could possibly actuate at different points when they're buying the same Cherry switches as everyone else and mounting them to a solid red metal plate... How could you even tell anyway, the actuation point is like 2mm in no?

Mine hasn't seen enough use for the lettering to be affected but it won't so much fade as get dirty in the etched groove where they've filled in with white paint. After enough wear the key caps will get glossy and shinier too, but that'll happen to any keyboard including most mechanicals. They're easily replaced tho.

Honestly I think they're great for the price. I've also got a Corsair K90 that I bought for $84 after MIR and if I didn't care for the extra frills on that (volume roller, back light, etc.) I'd easily opt for the Rosewill full time.
 
Hmmm... tempted to pick up the red... though, the usb thing bothers me... I'd feel comfortable soldering it if I had an issue, but that'd void the warranty... :-/
 
DAMNIT!
I had one of these last year, and my cat puked on it. They could not replace it because they stopped making them for the time being. I got stuck with a free Steelseries. I may sell that, but I just bought an RK blue... DAMNIT! I HATE DEALS! haha
 
Impulse said:
I remember reading about the squeaky spacebars before I got the one here... That was one of the first things I tested for and I couldn't get mine to squeak no matter at what speed I pressed it at or at what angle. YMMV I've heard that's not uncommon with Costar stabilizers tho, and that it goes away with use sometimes.

Keys that are slow to spring back would seem like a defective switch... Mine were all fine and seemed uniform tho I didn't take a ruler to them. I can look at them from the side later. I can't imagine how some keys could possibly actuate at different points when they're buying the same Cherry switches as everyone else and mounting them to a solid red metal plate... How could you even tell anyway, the actuation point is like 2mm in no?

Mine hasn't seen enough use for the lettering to be affected but it won't so much fade as get dirty in the etched groove where they've filled in with white paint. After enough wear the key caps will get glossy and shinier too, but that'll happen to any keyboard including most mechanicals. They're easily replaced tho.

Honestly I think they're great for the price. I've also got a Corsair K90 that I bought for $84 after MIR and if I didn't care for the extra frills on that (volume roller, back light, etc.) I'd easily opt for the Rosewill full time.
Click to expand...

Thanks, man. Already got my tracking # so I guess I'll see for myself in a few days. I'll report back with impressions vs. my Das, Filco, Leopolds, etc.

I'm with you on the actuation thing. I guess technically there could be a very tiny difference between switches due to minuscule tolerances and what not, but I don't understand how it could be noticeable when we're talking mm's or 10ths of mm's here...unless something was defective. I've never known that to be a problem with any of my Cherry switches, and unless Rosewill is using b-grade switches or something I can't see how this would occur (and I've never heard of any keyboard using switches that didn't "make the cut" for premium boards).

There are several reports (particularly in the reviews of the version with Reds) of the soldering on the boards being of poor quality. I don't care what it looks like as long as it's durable, but the complaints seem to revolve around durability. One guy even takes it to this extreme:

Newegg reviewer said:
The solder points on the main board are horrible. Simply pushing on a single key hard enough is enough to destroy the key and solder point, and to "fix" would require a replacement board. (So "bottoming" out your keys on this keyboard WILL DESTROY THE KEY!)
Click to expand...

If that was true then I think we'd hear more about it. :rolleyes:

He goes on to say "Mine died in just over a month thanks to the usb plug. After fixing the plug over 5 times, the solder point broke off. So the plug needed to be bypassed. I then noticed major keys like A, Enter etc stopped working entirely and to fix those required a complete bypass of the broken solder points.

This is THE cheapest board, solder, traces I've ever seen in an electronic device. Even the 360 has done a better job. NEVER Buy this keyboard, it has so many ways it can fail that would require it to be replaced.. Save your time, frustration, and money and put into a better brand......"

Incidentally, my Leopolds also have a removable USB cable and it has never been an issue. I plugged it in once, and done. Like I said, I don't move my keyboards around much or take them to LAN parties so I can't really see how it would be an issue unless it was defective to begin with.
 
I've had the blues Rosewill for 6 months with hardcore SC2/D3/Work usage with no problems so far. I love this loud bastard.
 
I gave in and ordered the red... to go with my new pc, g500 mouse, and catleap monitor... :)
 
I ordered a brown before the price went up $10. The speaker I could care less about (really, just leave it out and save yourself a dollar in shipping, I DON'T WAN'T IT) but I was finding it really difficult to pass up on a mechanical keyboard (with brown switches, at that) for $65 shipped.

Thanks OP!
 
I just purchased a used Das Keyboard Silent. Am I going to regret getting that instead of this deal?
 
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