Shortly after we posted our Model M keyboard video,
we received a ton of requests
to review what some have called the Model M of India,
the TVS Gold.
It's a durable value mechanical keyboard
with cherry switches, sort of,
that's been around for many years
and can be found all over India,
in banks, offices, or uncle's den.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy
to get your hands on in Canada,
so we embarked on a months-long journey,
including the help of the extended family members
of one of our viewers to actually get one.
But with changes in quality and price
and competition from China,
is the TVS Gold as good a deal as it used to be?
Let's find out.
Speaking of gold, private internet access, it's gold,
but not like expensive like gold,
it's just really good like gold.
Go get it, it protects you when you're online.
So here I've got an original Model M from 1986
and a TVS Gold from June, 2018.
Now, it's pretty obvious that the TVS Gold
took some design cues from the Model M,
like the lock lights, for example.
They are identical,
but there are some notable differences though,
like this ridge, for example,
that you can use to hold a pencil or even two pencils.
Also, the plastics themselves are pretty different.
Now, Model M's were made with durable, high quality plastics,
including PBT key caps.
By contrast, both the key caps
and the chassis of the TVS Gold
are made of the more common ABS plastic,
which can get that kind of that polished shiny look over time
from the oils in your hands.
So we were able to confirm this with a quick acetone test.
Going further, we can also see
that the white lettering is coming off,
even though the letter outline remains.
That's because the legend on the TVS Gold is laser etched,
which essentially means that it's got a groove
burned in the top of the key cap.
Then in this case, it's filled in with a colorant.
So this kind of lettering isn't the most durable,
but it's much better than pad printing,
which is what most budget keyboards use.
So it should last you reasonably well,
even in a professional environment.
The next thing that a lot of TVS Gold users talk about
is the layout.
Now,
at first glance,
it looks like it has the same North American key layout
that was pioneered by the Model M,
but it actually has a bigger enter key
and a smaller backspace key,
which that second one in particular
can be really frustrating if you're not used to it.
I actually experienced this for myself on SteelSeries' 7G.
Though with that said,
you shouldn't confuse this layout
with the European ISO layout,
because it's not a major key.
No, no.
This one is actually a special layout
called IndicScript or InScript,
which was ratified by the government of India
in the early 1990s.
And it's designed to work with 12 different Indian scripts.
This keyboard, by the way,
was also the first one ever
to have the Indian rupee sign printed on the legend.
Though you may find yourself needing to go through
some extra steps in order to actually get it working.
Now let's talk about the typing experience.
TVS Gold keyboards shipped with Cherry MX Blue key switches.
So these are high quality German engineered switches
with a clicky, tactile feel and a distinctive sound
that makes them beloved by typists the world over.
And the fact that a keyboard that you could usually find
for between 1,700 and 2,300 rupees
came with real Cherry switches was almost a miracle,
except for one small problem.
Sometime near the end of 2017,
let me try and pop this in,
I'm gonna pop one of these off.
Oh, you're not supposed to do it like this.
Yeah, yeah, get off you bastard.
Ah, yes, here we go.
Wait, Longhua?
They own Kail.
Do they? Good.
TVS stopped shipping Golds with Cherry switches
with all of the new boards getting equipped
with Chinese clones made by Kail.
Now to be clear, the Kail Blue switches are still mechanical
and they actually use
the same design as the Cherries.
You might say they ripped them off.
So they still have that clicky feel.
And if this is your first mechanical keyboard,
you'll probably love them,
but it kind of raises the question.
In a world where budget mechanical keyboards
are becoming more and more available,
is the TVS Gold still even a good deal?
Especially considering that the price has moved up
rather than down into the 2,700 to 3,500 rupee range.
I mean, at that price,
why not get a keyboard from Cosmic Byte or Red Gear
that has more switch options, an updated look,
gaming features like anti-ghosting and Windows Key Lock,
not to mention fricking RGB.
So then, given the recent decrease in switch quality
and increase in price,
the TVS Gold is no longer the outstanding value
that it once was, especially considering the competition.
But that doesn't mean that it's a bad keyboard.
So if you like the vintage look and you won't be bothered too
much by the shortened backspace key,
then the TVS Gold is still a classic in its own right.
Just be sure to order from Amazon,
even if it's cheaper at your local computer shop.
That way you'll get a one-year warranty
to protect you from their easily crushed boxes.
Speaking of easily crushed,
I'll be crushed if you don't listen
to this message from Pulseway.
Pulseway is a real-time remote monitoring
and management software that allows you to manage
and monitor, go figure, right?
In real time from one app compatible machines that run,
Wi-Fi, and Android.
Windows, macOS, or Linux.
You can get access to real-time status reports,
system resources, logged in users,
network performance, Windows updates, and more.
And you can fix problems on the go
by sending commands from any mobile device.
You can even create and deploy custom scripts
so that you can automate your IT tasks.
So try it for free at pulseway.com
at the link in the video description.
So thanks for watching, guys.
If you liked this video, then you know what to do.
Hit that like button.
But if it was, wait, if it wasn't awesome,
wait, if it sucked, I usually say that.
So thanks for watching, guys.
If this video sucked, you can hit that button.
But if you liked it, hit like, get subscribed,
or consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured
at the link in the video description.
Also down there is our merch store,
which has cool shirts like the one I'm wearing,
and our community forum, which you should definitely join.
Well, no one's over here, who cares?