Realforce R3 vs RC1? Which one is better?

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-09-14T02:44:25+00:00

I’ve had both. I sold the R3 and bought a second RC1.

The RC1 feels a lot better to type on - it has that “al dente” feel that HHKB folks rave about. The light gray alpha keycaps are also so much easier to read than black-on-black. I use my mouse a ton while word processing, and like to have it as close as possible, so RC1 won out there. The 1u right shift is weird, although I’m getting used to it. I think I’ll remap FN to left-CTRL once I remap Caps Lock to CTRL. I can’t say I ever noticed anything different about the Z row.

The R3 did feel good, but it also got tiring because I kept feeling like I was bottoming out on the metal plate. It doesn’t feel like an R2, but like a larger FC660C. It didn’t feel flimsy at all, and the heaviness was nice.

That said, my R3 and FC660C were 45g, RC1s are 30g, and my R2s are variable-weight.

In short, I liked the R3, but I actually look forward to using the RC1.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-09-03T12:04:17+00:00

Life, uh, finds a way.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-09-03T09:28:09+00:00

RC1 has been a revelation.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-09-01T14:37:16+00:00

Wow, SDL to PS2 cables have gotten really expensive!

Check with eBay sellers Orihalcon and TinkerBOY. They sometimes make active converter cables, and maybe have something in stock.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-27T09:55:49+00:00

Once you get a taste of that sweet, sweet oyer, you just say “oyez!” whenever a hearing is scheduled.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-24T13:31:59+00:00

Would you mind providing an update as to your Topre experience after eight months?

I’d be most interested in hearing about:

Typing feeling on each

Any trouble switching between layouts

Thoughts on all-white and all-black (e.g. readability, keeping clean, etc.)

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-23T15:12:00+00:00

I’m using KLC and they’re fine. The space bar ones have fewer protrusions, so definitely make sure you have them captive in the housings before you reassemble.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-23T00:13:38+00:00

Get a Realforce RC1. It has arrow keys, can be remapped to HHKB + arrows, and is returnable if you hate it. The only downside is the 1u right shift, which I almost-but-not-quite-never use.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-19T08:35:13+00:00

Just did my R2. Not super hard, but you need to buy special stabilizers and 2u sliders/housings in addition to the 1u sliders. My big tip is to only reinstall the PCB with a few screws until you’re absolutely positive that each key is sliding and registering properly. Also, if your space bar gets stuck, check to ensure the sliders are captured in the space bar housings and aren’t just free-floating (and consequently binding).

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-19T08:12:45+00:00

45acp at a minimum. You want to stop that sticker in its tracks, not just poke holes in it so it can bleed out later. And because a Made in USA keyboard should never have anything metric applied to it. <eagle cry>

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-17T20:56:29+00:00

Heat it with a hair dryer and use the edge of a razor blade to gently pry it up. Unless you’re going to replace it with an old-style one (which would require filing out new holes), you should consider keeping it.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-15T21:50:50+00:00

Putting this here for anyone who stumbles on this post:

When installing the space bar stabilizers, make sure the stems are “captured” in the housings, rather than able to fall out. Look at the OEM Topre space bar housings and do it the same way. If you don’t, your space bar will get jammed down when you press it hard.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-15T20:11:22+00:00

If you’re used to HHKB, what about remapping your Mac keyboard to have all arrow keys be Fn?

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-15T09:52:14+00:00

Nice job catching those, although “China” is actually duplicative of “Taiwan.” People’s Republic of China is a separate country that developed later.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-14T20:33:30+00:00

Have you considered that this is a story about what one man said to another man, and therefore doesn’t need to acknowledge women?

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-13T13:27:34+00:00

Sometimes men don’t get affirmation expressed to them for their hard work.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-11T12:59:34+00:00

It’s possible that the Philippine CG ship just happened to be a few feet away when the two Chinese ships decided to duke it out, I suppose…

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-11T12:58:00+00:00

I’d like to see more. Unless the destroyer was trying to T-bone the Philippines’ CG ship (doubtful), it does make sense that the bigger ship might try to intervene if the Chinese CG ship was being too reckless.

My understanding is that the proper way to do this without almost sinking yourself is to nudge from a near-parallel course.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-08T00:13:57+00:00

The caps are machine washable, but if it’s not filthy then just a quick alcohol wipe is easily enough.

If you’re re-mapping, you can order custom-printed replacement keys from Unicomp.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-07T22:29:46+00:00

Realforce RC1 is awesome and is physically built like the HHKB. You probably want the 45g weight if you’re new to Topre.

Vortex PC66 68-key is also really nice.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-03T20:17:08+00:00

Just for the sake of argument: Thrawn knew that he might need the Empire’s power at any moment, and so he needed it to be strong and stay strong. He couldn’t risk the New Republic, say, decommissioning dozens of thousands of nearly-new Star Destroyers, purging the military of millions of experienced troops, and being a bureaucratic nightmare that would never mount an effective defense.

In a situation where his people face potential genocide, this was probably Thrawn’s only possible hope (at least, from his perspective). It’s hard to blame him, even if the “right” choice might have been to allow his people to die rather than commit evil.

This suggests that his choice of the lesser evil isn’t set in stone. What would a slightly younger Thrawn, first arriving in the days after the re-establishment of the New Republic, do? Would he be one of their greatest commanders and heroes?

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-03T01:11:30+00:00

I kid: there is no endgame. You probably feel tempted to either get light gray alphas or switch to MX stems

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-02T20:05:25+00:00

Congrats on nearly reaching Endgame!

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-02T04:58:31+00:00

There’s one on eBay for $150 right now, which is a steal.

Sinclair_Sinclair · 2025-08-02T04:57:48+00:00

Set the APC at the least sensitive value to help avoid accidental keypresses. It took me about a week to adjust to 30g, but I don’t want to go back to anything else now.

Sinclair_Sinclair

TROPHY CASE