Mechanical Keyboard Review: Cooler Master CM Storm Novatouch

While it looks like any of a legion of mechanical keyboards on the market today, Cooler Master's Novatouch is a landmark keyboard in several respects.  It is the first keyboard available in U.S. retail stores to use Topre's electrostatic capacitive key switches, and the first 'board anywhere to offer those switches with Cherry MX compatible stems.  That compatibility opens up typists who prefer Topre switches to a world of key cap customization previously reserved for fans of Cherry MX switches.

My Novatouch customized with two tones of blue ABS doubleshot key caps, and translucent space bar & escape key.

Beyond its unique key switch offering, the Novatouch is a bare-bones tenkeyless 'board, so minimalist that it doesn't even include LED indicators for Caps or Scroll Lock.  If you're a fan of the numpad or LEDs - functional or decorative - this may be a downside, but if you're a minimalist who prefers the typing experience of Topre switches over the various flavors of Cherry MXs, this may very well be the keyboard you've been waiting for.  The 45g-weighted keys feel slightly heavier than feather-light Cherry MX Reds, and provide a tactile "thock" that seems like a cross between the clacking of a trusty IBM buckling spring and the crumpling rubber feel of ordinary membrane keyboards.  For those who like their keys with a light touch, responsiveness, and definite tactility, it's hard to top Topre, and Cooler Master has a quality and versatile offering in the Novatouch.

Cooler Master's decision to go with a micro USB connector is inline with the widespread use of the connector for smartphones, and feels as equally robust as the mini USB connector used in previous CM Storm keyboards.  The keyboard itself feels more solidly constructed than previous CMs like the Rapid, placing the build quality roughly on par with Topre's own Realforce series and Leopold's FC660C, and arguably more robust than the legendary Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2.

While its $200 MSRP may place it squarely in the gaming and keyboard enthusiast bracket, it's actually a rather fair value proposition when compared with other Topre switch keyboard models from Topre itself (the Realforce series), Leopold (FC660C), and Fujitsu (the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional 2, or HHKB Pro 2, for short).  If you're a Topre fan who has been chomping at the bit for a chance to tap into the plethora of customization options available for Cherry MX 'boards, the Novatouch is your dream come true.

Keyboard Review: Leopold FC660C (Topre Capacitive Switches)

I seem to have the devil's own luck when it comes to keyboards.  (Whether that is a good or bad thing, though, is open to debate.)  Several years ago, I managed to snag one of the limited edition Filco tenkeyless keyboards with Cherry MX Red switches back when reds were very hard to come by.  I did so by happening upon the Amazon link only hours before fellow enthusiasts at GeekHack.org and other internet forums swarmed in and emptied Keyboard Co.'s stock on Amazon.  Likewise, after nearly a year-long hiatus from acquiring new keyboards, a chance visit to GeekHack a few weeks ago led me to discover that Leopold had released a 60% (66-key) mini keyboard using Topre capacitive switches called the FC660C, and that it had been stocked by EliteKeyboards.com.  Having learned my lesson from Cherry Red Filco all those years ago, I purchased one before it could go out of stock - which it did a few days later.

My main reason for picking up the FC660C was the interesting layout.  It occupies the middle ground between standard tenkeyless and compact keyboards like the Happy Hacking Keyboard, in that it includes dedicated directional buttons and a two-button island for the Insert and Delete keys.  As I usually remap my Insert key to open up My Computer, this unique layout seemed custom-made for my purposes.  While I occasionally miss having dedicated Page Up and Page Down buttons, the Function button is situated close enough to those keys that I quickly picked up the two-button combinations.  The only maneuver I can't perform on the FC660C that I used to on a tenkeyless is a two-finger Alt-F4, which requires two hands now  due to the wide space between the Function and F4 buttons.

I'm not sure why, but the FC660C's switches feel snappier than those on my Realforce 87U and HHKB2 Pro.  Others who have reviewed the keyboard on GeekHack have expressed similar impressions.  That, added to the solid sub-$200 price (a relative bargain when it comes to Topre switches), makes the FC660C a very attractive introduction to the world of capacitive switches.

While the FC660C has been elevated to my favorite capacitive switch keyboard, I'm still on the fence in comparing it to my previous favorite switch, the Cherry MX Red.  I decided to settle matters by purchasing a FC660M with Reds on eBay.  When it arrives, with all else being equal, I should be able to compare the switches themselves to come up with a clear determination.