DISCLAIMER: this review sample was provided by CM-Rajiv. When Rajiv approached me about reviewing a novatouch sample, I told him that I was going to buy one anyway, but that I'd be happy to receive a review sample to review that could be then be used as a general sampler of Topre switches that could take a tour through the community. Rajiv then sent me two copies. Watch out for a Topre/Novatouch tour organized by dorkvader and cptbadass in the near future.



As some may know, I own exactly one keyboard: a 55g uniform Realforce 10th Anniversary. It's blue. I like it. When I first met Carter of CM Storm, he told me that they had worked out and were going to market a Topre switched board with MX-compatible cruciform stems. This was the first statement in our first ever discussion and I have been waiting and dying to buy one since then. When I finish with this long-term review, I'm going to buy one regardless of the conclusion of the review. I am probably the most biased reviewer you have ever met. OK, you have been warned.



WEEK ONE: first impressions



I received a gigantic brown box last week. I wasn't sure what was in it. When I opened it, it was full of butcher paper and more cardboard.



Oh, there were two black boxes in them. Each one contained a Novatouch TKL. OK, that makes more sense.



The packaging designed for the Novatouch is beefy. It consists of a large black box with inset black logos, black text and black foam inside. The box opens with a single black flap that is magnetized. Nice touch.



Inside, there was a black keyboard, a set of black o-rings and a nice wire keycap puller with a black handle. Does the packaging explode if you put white keycaps on the keyboard? Made a note to investigate this.



My first encounter with a Novatouch sample was the unit that CM-Nurumu brought to Keycon. Without a 55g reference, my feeling was that it actually felt like 55g and not 45g as the specs indicated. However, comparing a final production unit to my 55g 10ae, the Novatouch is definitely a 45g uniform. My feeling is that this is a good thing because the samples of the Leopold FC660C that I've tried have felt more like 30g; I have not been crazy about the 660C.



To be fair, my 55g 10AE sliders have been lubed with straight Krytox GPL206, but one can still feel the dome actuation, and my 10AE feels a little heavier than Cherry MX Browns while the Novatouch feels very close to Cherry MX Reds. This feel is consistent across the Novatouch, which, I think, is another good thing that the 660C lacks. This speaks to a high level of quality control on the part of the Novatouch and possibly a different rubber formulation than the 660C. I'm completely speculating on this point.



I then pulled out a GIGANTIC LIGHT and read the Novatouch box. The front of the box indicates that the switches are made in Japan, presumably by Topre, and the back of the box indicates that the board is made in China. What this means in the context of a Topre switched board is that the entire internal assembly, which is a produced as a single unit, is made entirely in Japan, while the outer plastic casing and final assembly are likely done in mainland China.



The next day, I put the review sample in my bag and brought it to work. I removed the logitech 2mm travel rubber dome keyboard from my terminal and broke it in half (dear employer, I actually just put it on the floor, but I did so very forcefully). The Novatouch takes an (included) mini USB cable. The cable that comes with it is a pretty standard cable. Previous CM Storm cables that I've used have had plastic fiber braided outers, but this one is smooth with an elastomer outer. The mini USB side of the cable is a right angle, and the computer side is straight.



If you're familiar with the quickfire rapid, the casing and board feels substantially more hefty and solid. There is an overlaid inset on the rear that is a lighter gray with a relatively plain CM Storm logo on it. This indicates that the board chassis probably uses at least three pieces. The quickfire rapid, stealth, XT, etc. all use two, an upper and lower casing. Regardless, the Novatouch casing is noticeably smaller than my TKL realforce.



The keys on the keyboard are ABS, and seem like OEM profile. The legends are pad printed. Like the other keyboards in CM Storm's oeuvre, the included keys are placeholders for customized and premium keysets. Since the stems are MX-compatible cruciforms, any keycap set that fits an MX-compatible keyboard will fit on the Novatouch. After using the board with the included keycaps for some time, I will probably replace them with either GMK doubleshots or IMSTO's thick dyesub PBT caps.



Typing on the board does not set off fireworks. It is a little noisier than other Topre boards I've used, but not alarmingly so. It feels pretty natural and was immediately familiar. To me, to be quite honest, the Leopold 660C feels only slightly better than a membrane board. The leopold's actuation point is difficult to feel out, and the actuation form is far too light. Not so with the Novatouch. The CM Storm board gives good positive feedback. I assume the clackiness has more to do with the keycaps, but I will have to wait until I can pick up some beefier keys before determining whether this is true.



There are no LEDs on the Novatouch. I don't believe in caps lock or any other kind of lock on a keyboard, so this doesn't bother me in any way. If it bothers you, then that may be something you want to consider before buying.



So, I'm typing on the Novatouch at work, and mostly just doing work. This is a good thing. It integrated into my workflow with zero effort or annoyances. It feels good to type on. I like it.



NEXT: MORE TYPING! (it's a keyboard. I mean seriously.)



