As NuPhy’s first full aluminum keyboard, the NOS75, announced on July 11, 2024, features the new Gateron Low Profile 3.0 low-profile keyswitch.
Pre-release information predicted that it would be compatible with the Cherry MX standard, but unfortunately it turned out that the center leg was too thick to be used on existing Cherry MX standard boards, and many people may have shrugged their shoulders.
Also, given the need for a dedicated stabilizer and the difficulty of finding a switch plate that can coexist in the first place, it seems to me that there is only one intention.
I will make a small note about my personal feeling of discomfort between NOS75 and Gateron Low Profile 3.0.
What are the selling points of NOS75…?
Although NuPhy’s promotion of the newly released NOS75 touted it as the “first full aluminum low-profile keyboard,” we felt that this was a significant departure from user perception.
What users were most likely looking for this time around was whether the new low-profile keyswitch compatible boards, which were rumored to be Cherry MX compatible, could coexist with the existing Cherry MX keyswitches.
When we opened the lid, we found that although the Gateron Low Profile 3.0 shares the same switch socket with the Cherry MX standard, it does not fit into existing Cherry MX boards because the center leg is about 0.4mm thicker.
However, for the NOS75 designed exclusively for Gateron Low Profile 3.0, the Cherry MX keyswitch will fit because the hole in the center of the foot is originally made large. (Confirmed by Daihuku’s video ).
When I got into it, this time I personally had the impression that only “disappointing” points stood out, such as the fact that the switch plate cannot coexist with two keyswitches and that stabilizers appropriate for the keyswitches are required.
At this time, we have not been able to confirm that the stabilizers are compatible with the existing CherryMX standard.
Indeed, the rounded metal body is beautiful, the key feel and sound are excellent, and the PVD weights on the bottom are stunningly beautiful.
Nevertheless, the lack of support for wireless connectivity and the fact that the existing 75% layout keyboard appears to have been simply converted to low-profile keyboard, make it seem like a “hastily released” product.
Perhaps you are preparing the next installment of NOS75?
One could argue that the decision not to make the center leg of the Gateron Low Profile 3.0 Cherry MX compatible was due to a strong marketing strategy.
At this time, the first choice of keyswitches that can be low-profile with the Cherry MX standard is probably Tecsee’s Midium Pudding.
It is indeed very short compared to regular Cherry MX standard key switches, but I had the impression that it was a bit “weak” in that the stroke width is shorter and the operation is a bit less smooth (in my opinion) compared to recent key switches.
If NuPhy were planning “the next release that supports both CherryMX and Gateron Low Profile 3.0, which also eliminates visual appearance and stabilizer issues,” and if they only sell Gateron Low Profile 3.0 switches on their own, they would have the perfect form of If you only sell your own Gateron Low Profile 3.0 switch, you may be able to monopolize the market needs with the uniqueness of releasing a keyboard that is fully compatible with “Normal⇄Low Profile”.
Also, if other companies release keyboards that support the “normal⇄ low profile” footprint, but only NuPhy can purchase Gateron Low Profile 3.0, they may be able to monopolize profits there as well.
What is the future of the battle for dominance of low-profile standards?
Having a monopoly on “standards” is synonymous with having a monopoly on profits.
As can be seen in the history of electronics in the past, in the competition between Sony’s Betamax and JVC’s VHS for home-use VCR standards, the winner, VHS, was the one that gained the most profit.
In addition, DVD Super Multi, USB and IEEE1394, MO and ZIP, mp3 and m4a, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., have been repeated many times in the history of the industry.
Reference: Wikipedia
The CherryMX standard was pioneered by Cherry and spread through imitation by other companies, but the low-profile keyswitch is an idea that emerged as the market matured to a certain extent, which is why we understand that this kind of standard dispute is occurring.
The various standards in the low-profile area, such as the Gateron LP standard, the Gateron LP3 standard, the Kailh Choc V1/V2 standard, and the Lofree Ghost standard, a variant of Kailh Choc, are in such a state of flux and parallelism that users are sure to be confused! The parallelism can be confusing to users.
Personally, I expect that NuPhy’s “successor to the NOS75” will bring some change to this standards battle.
We believe that the brands releasing each low-profile keyboard are probably sensitive to this atmosphere, so we continue to watch to see which brand will make the “next move” and how it will be made.
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