Mechanical Keyboard Sound Isn't That Simple
Figure 1: I couldn't think of a more literal way to represent this article if I tried... Looking back just a few years ago, there’s no doubt that the huge influx of people that joined the hobby at the peak of the COVID pandemic were drawn to keyboards by way of YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-visual content platforms. Even as the output from these content creators has waned in recent months, their collective impact and legacy on the keyboard hobby is rather firmly etched in the history books. As a result of all of their sound tests, build logs, and opinion videos, the message is clear to any new person joining the hobby: mechanical keyboards are all about the sound. Thock this, clack that. Whether it’s keyboards, keycaps, or even singular switches, seemingly everyone new to the hobby meticulously pores over each component of their keyboard not in an attempt to figure out how it will feel in hand, but how it will sound as they’re furiously grinding their way out from...
Mar 27, 2024
near 500 millons of people (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language) talk and write in spanish. Some will want to buy this keyset (include myself)
One day the mech custom market will grow large enough for a bigger European fish to pay attention and put up some high quality sets for sale in their stores.
My Cherry board is a G80-1800 which cost me something around $80-$90. Allow for the age, inflation and less favorable currency exchange rates, such a thing would probably cost $125-$150 new if it were sold now.
Maybe you could find something in a charity shop, pawn shop or office clearance. Otherwise post on r/mechanicalkeyboards (Reddit) or Deskthority (which is more European than Geekhack or Reddit) but those folk know the value of they keyboards, so you likely would not find a bargain there.
If you are really passionate about breaking the ice for Spanish letters, organize a group buy with more than 100 people (I forgot the exact MoQ for non-custom colors). Or simply you can commission your personal keycap set with your own $20K.
and yes, the math is simple: international keyset + 9 spanish keys = 57.99$ + "20"$ = +/- 80$ (without base, other 110$)
Every moment the line isn't running is cost without a return. I don't how many injection machines GMK can run simultaneously, but it's clear from the keycap sets they have to stop the machines and change the molds regularly as they can only do a limited number of legends simultaneously.
T0mb3ry replied earlier that GMK typically ask for a minimum of 150 keys each be produced, but for these special orders the minimum for the base kit is actually increased to 250 and in return GMK will reduce the minimum to 100 for some of the special keys, like those in the International kit.
However, the the European community mostly won't buy the $50-$60 (plus tax) International kits as they're too expensive. Right now, nowhere near enough Europeans are currently using Massdrop or participating in Group Buys to overcome the MOQ. The UK is the biggest part of the mech keyboard community in Europe, but even so is barely reaching 25 copies when a $5-$20 UK language kit is available. (see the dye sub PBT keysets)
Tax and shipping does complicate the issue, but the conclusion has to be: if under the current Massdrop system the UK can't easily support a language kit for itself, Spain has no chance at all. Basically we need a lot more Europeans to be aware that custom keyboards are a thing and have enough potential buyers to justify single language kits that can be sold at a more palatable price, at least 100 committed buyers per country/language.
none of the commercial mechanical keyboards i've found have this two requeriments at same time
for the record, the spanish keyboard needs (10, no 9, my math is little oxyde :rolls: ) :
| º ª \ | | · # 3 | | = 0 | | ? ' | | ¿ ¡ | | ^ ` [ | | * + ] | | Ñ | | ¨ ´ { | | ç } |
other keys can be use the international kit and base kit
I do have one idea for broader international support for future drops (everyone pretty much knows not much can be done for this drop). Recycling ideas from vintage Peacock keycaps and Cherry doubleshot keycaps with Cyrillic engravings. Can the international legends be done as secondary/tertiary prints? I've seen GMK keycaps with printed foreign character legends. Can GMK laser/silk print on keycaps with low cost? I wonder if they can do prints on user facing sides as well. Just an idea, not thought through, may be stupid. Just trying to help out our international comrades.
Also, I already said it somewhere here, but any possibility to make the production options more flexible must go hand in hand with broader advertising, marketing and partnerships in the markets that have the most potential.
As for the data, I'm making some semi-educated guesses about the production system, but it would be interesting to know just how much the mold change and downtime impacts factory. If it makes minimal impact and other factors are the major contributors to the MOQ then perhaps it would inform which ideas are worth considering in more detail.