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Hey everyone, wanted to address the concerns regarding the color of the keyboards and LEDs that some members have brought up.
  1. Anodization color: The original space gray anodization shown when the drop initially launched was a render of the intended final product. Going forward, we’ll include a disclaimer for products still in development to make it clear that the final product may vary slightly from the renders. Typically, the changes are minute, but we always aim to improve on our transparency and want to set appropriate expectations.
  2. That said, we understand this variation in color is unacceptable for some and will give you 45 days from this post to send your keyboard back and receive a refund. This is to allow 30 days from the average package delivery, and an additional 15 days for our out-of-country members. If the 45 day mark is approaching and for some reason you still haven’t received your keyboard, then please reach out to Community Support and we’ll work to figure out a solution. .
  3. Lastly, for any technical issues including LED colors etc, please post in https://www.massdrop.com/talk/9382/how-to-configure-your-ctrl-keyboard and we will be sure to address your issues.

We appreciate all of your feedback and love to hear everyone’s thoughts. If you have any other comments, concerns, or anything else feel free to let us know. Thanks,
AvalonMabi
73
Aug 30, 2018
YanboWuWhat do I do about broken LEDs? The upper left top part of the board has defective LEDs because when I cycle the colors some colors won't appear. Also, any comments on the grainy and rough texture of the keycaps?
Jmg123
73
Aug 30, 2018
YanboWu Judging by the number of posts with pictures and reports of defective LEDs and duplicate/missing keycaps - you have quality control issues.
Edit: looks like they have improved qc testing for alt. http://dro.ps/alt-production-update
alanskiii
117
Aug 30, 2018
AvalonMabiThe grainy is what PBT feels like. and it feels great :)
AvalonMabi
73
Aug 30, 2018
alanskiiiI'm relatively new to mechancial keyboards but I have a old ducky keyboard, a vortex pure keyboard, and an IKBC MF108 keyboard which I eventually returned due to space bar issues. All 3 keyboards have PBT keycaps and they don't feel as grainy as the one on the CTRL keyboard. Upon closer inspection some of the keycaps are actually uneven in terms of texture., like my C key which is smoother on the lower portion of the keycap compared to the top, while others are just rough and grainy all throughout the letter. Also, the CTRL, Alt, and Win keys are not as grainy and rough like the Alpha keycaps. I would expect that all keycaps in a set are supposed to feel the same but some are more grainy than others and a few are not grainy at all.
typhdotcom
12
Aug 30, 2018
YanboWuFine, I'll say it: this is a bad response.
In spite of the overwhelming commentary on the colour difference, you seem content to be disingenuous about it. It's not a slight variation, it's a completely different and far more opinionated colour scheme. If you can't see that, you shouldn't be in charge of approving it. You should have let everybody know before you shipped the keyboard out. Instead, you chose to stay silent, and are doubling down on the evasiveness now. I already paid customs on the keyboard, so I'm basically stuck with it at this point, but I won't be stupid enough to trust anybody involved to be transparent or helpful in the future.
kittykatmax
140
Aug 30, 2018
alanskiiiI have other PBT keycaps and they feel grainy...these keycaps feel SANDY - except some feel sandier than others, and some are almost smooth.
AvalonMabi
73
Aug 30, 2018
kittykatmaxI think you stated a better term for the keycaps. They do feel SANDY and some do feel more sandier than others. If I get a replacement since I have an LED issue hopefully I get better keycaps but I'm not that hopeful.
MoistMettuce
24
Aug 31, 2018
YanboWuMy keyboard turns on and the FN + RGB Hot Keys work, but that's it. Can't type anything.
Eagle1337
37
Aug 31, 2018
kittykatmaxAs far as I know that's just standard TaiHao.
Xylem
87
Aug 31, 2018
YanboWuI appreciate the return period window for those that are dissatisfied, and further appreciate the steps that will be taken int he future to note that renders may not reflect the final product.
@typhdotcom in fairness, they posted the sample of the final product 2 months ago (scroll down in this discussion thread). You could have cancelled after having seen that post.
Lastly, my CTRL had two bad edge/case LEDs, and Massdrop is sending me a replacement. I appreciate not having to send this one back FIRST, makes swapping out the keyboards much easier. All in all, with the return window and the option to replace keyboards that have defective LEDs, it looks like Massdrop is providing good customer service, and I'm happy to see it.
frivoflava29
147
Sep 1, 2018
YanboWuI don't want to be rude, but you're missing the point. You touched on it for a moment, though -- all we're asking for is more transparency. I see two huge issues that could have been remedied without much fuss had you only made a couple extra posts throughout production:
1. I'll say what everyone else is saying: the initial renders are misleading. Changes were made that are not subtle. As @typhdotcom said, "If you can't see that, you shouldn't be in charge of approving it." I don't mean that in a disrespectful way, you've just got to see how there are no excuses here. Yes, we saw prototypes, but at no point were we told directly in plain letters that the keyboard we were to receive would not match the renders we were shown when we bought in. There wouldn't be such a hassle had you told us, upfront, that the colors would be different. Nobody would have a right to complain and you wouldn't have to deal with anyone sending back their keyboards. It's win-win.
2. We were told you weren't on track to meet the initial shipping date despite telling everyone you were at the beginning of July. You missed the shipping date, which is understandable, but it seems awfully clear that you then rushed production resulting in a sizable number of keyboards with incorrect keycaps, broken/incorrectly soldered LEDs, and other issues. I think everyone would have preferred adequate QC and a slightly longer wait time.
Overall this is a nice board, I can't lie. I don't really mind the issues and this will be my daily keyboard for a while. However, the way you handled this drop was incredibly unprofessional. You've caused undue problems for both you and your customers that you could have easily avoided by simply communicating. I hope this changes in the future, it benefits everyone in the long run! Thanks for taking the time to read this @YanboWu
AvalonMabi
73
Sep 1, 2018
YanboWuHow long will it take to get a response for my broken LEDs?
AvalonMabi
73
Sep 2, 2018
XylemThats good to know. They have not replied to me yet but I was hoping they would send me a replacement first before I return my keyboard. Thank you.
Annan
49
Sep 5, 2018
YanboWu"Going forward, we’ll include a disclaimer for products still in development to make it clear that the final product may vary slightly from the renders. Typically, the changes are minute, but we always aim to improve on our transparency and want to set appropriate expectations."
Having just received my keyboard, as others have said, this is no 'slight' variance. I'm unsure whether the option that no- one cared the finish was so markedly different to what was marketed to us is worse than no-one in Massdrop even noticed. Either way, it shows a complete indifference to the community. Personally, I can't see any way of trusting any drop that is not already a finished/3rd party product from now on. Just to be clear, this is not a commentary on whether the actual keyboard is nice or not, simply how it reflects what was marketed.
For those of us in Australia, are Massdrop covering the return postage (it's unclear from your post)? It's been a bridge too far in my dealings with Massdrop to date over the years.
For those yet to receive their keyboard, for comparison it's pictured next to a Space Grey MBP, the base of a Dell U2718Q monitor and a Varmilo VB87M keyboard.
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Delduwath
15
Sep 5, 2018
YanboWuI appreciate the return window (although I also feel like that should be considered a given, considering how different the final product is from what I was promised when I was handing my money over).
I'm still a little shocked at the differences in color and finish; the original renders showed a dark grey almost-matte surface, while the final product has a silvery, metallic surface. Is the color from the renders simply impossible to achieve with anodized aluminum? Or, was a design decision made at some point in the design/manufacturing process to go with a different surface (whether for financial, artistic, or efficiency reasons)? Or, was it just never the intent to create a case with the dark grey surface?
If it's possible to produce a case in the same color scheme as was originally promised, is there any chance that Massdrop would sell such a case in the future? If I can eventually get a case in my desired color, I might keep my CTRL (even if I have to wait a while for the case to be produced). If there are no plans to make such a case - or if there's no comment on this subject from Massdrop, which seems like the most probable scenario - I will have to strongly consider returning my CTRL.
At any rate, I don't see how I can - from this point forward - trust the renders for any upcoming Massdrop-produced products, since it appears that what is sold and what is actually delivered can be so drastically different from each other. I know, I know, a product like this doesn't exist yet when the drop initially runs, so they can't show me actual photos of the thing - but precisely BECAUSE the product doesn't exist yet, I can't base my purchasing decision on reviews of it, so the renders play a huge role in selling me on it. $200 is quite a bit of money, and I would expect Massdrop to try their absolute best to match what they initially promised. And, if they can't, for some reason? I would expect them to send an update that very explicitly says "Hey turns out we ***CAN'T deliver the product as promised***, here are the specific changes/compromises we had to make, see if you still want the item". The photos of the production sample that they sent out some time ago aren't really enough; I thought the case looked lighter, but I assumed it was because it was under a bright light for the photos.
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