WEBVTT

00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.560
Shortly after we posted our Model M keyboard video,

00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:06.700
we received a ton of requests

00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:11.440
to review what some have called the Model M of India,

00:00:11.440 --> 00:00:13.380
the TVS Gold.

00:00:13.380 --> 00:00:16.120
It's a durable value mechanical keyboard

00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:18.160
with cherry switches, sort of,

00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:19.960
that's been around for many years

00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:22.200
and can be found all over India,

00:00:22.200 --> 00:00:25.080
in banks, offices, or uncle's den.

00:00:25.080 --> 00:00:27.760
Unfortunately, it is not that easy

00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:29.280
to get your hands on in Canada,

00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:31.900
so we embarked on a months-long journey,

00:00:31.900 --> 00:00:35.060
including the help of the extended family members

00:00:35.060 --> 00:00:38.260
of one of our viewers to actually get one.

00:00:38.260 --> 00:00:42.220
But with changes in quality and price

00:00:42.220 --> 00:00:44.600
and competition from China,

00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:48.360
is the TVS Gold as good a deal as it used to be?

00:00:48.360 --> 00:00:50.460
Let's find out.

00:00:50.460 --> 00:00:54.120
Speaking of gold, private internet access, it's gold,

00:00:54.120 --> 00:00:55.780
but not like expensive like gold,

00:00:55.780 --> 00:00:57.880
it's just really good like gold.

00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:09.000
Go get it, it protects you when you're online.

00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:12.580
So here I've got an original Model M from 1986

00:01:12.580 --> 00:01:15.020
and a TVS Gold from June, 2018.

00:01:15.020 --> 00:01:18.580
Now, it's pretty obvious that the TVS Gold

00:01:18.580 --> 00:01:21.320
took some design cues from the Model M,

00:01:21.320 --> 00:01:23.420
like the lock lights, for example.

00:01:23.420 --> 00:01:25.680
They are identical,

00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:28.260
but there are some notable differences though,

00:01:28.260 --> 00:01:30.000
like this ridge, for example,

00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:34.770
that you can use to hold a pencil or even two pencils.

00:01:34.990 --> 00:01:38.230
Also, the plastics themselves are pretty different.

00:01:38.230 --> 00:01:41.850
Now, Model M's were made with durable, high quality plastics,

00:01:41.850 --> 00:01:43.750
including PBT key caps.

00:01:43.750 --> 00:01:46.130
By contrast, both the key caps

00:01:46.130 --> 00:01:48.150
and the chassis of the TVS Gold

00:01:48.150 --> 00:01:50.950
are made of the more common ABS plastic,

00:01:50.950 --> 00:01:54.350
which can get that kind of that polished shiny look over time

00:01:54.350 --> 00:01:55.910
from the oils in your hands.

00:01:55.910 --> 00:01:59.610
So we were able to confirm this with a quick acetone test.

00:01:59.610 --> 00:02:01.550
Going further, we can also see

00:02:01.550 --> 00:02:03.510
that the white lettering is coming off,

00:02:03.510 --> 00:02:04.830
even though the letter outline remains.

00:02:04.830 --> 00:02:09.110
That's because the legend on the TVS Gold is laser etched,

00:02:09.110 --> 00:02:12.010
which essentially means that it's got a groove

00:02:12.010 --> 00:02:14.050
burned in the top of the key cap.

00:02:14.050 --> 00:02:17.010
Then in this case, it's filled in with a colorant.

00:02:17.010 --> 00:02:20.090
So this kind of lettering isn't the most durable,

00:02:20.090 --> 00:02:22.790
but it's much better than pad printing,

00:02:22.790 --> 00:02:24.450
which is what most budget keyboards use.

00:02:24.450 --> 00:02:26.530
So it should last you reasonably well,

00:02:26.530 --> 00:02:28.870
even in a professional environment.

00:02:28.870 --> 00:02:31.430
The next thing that a lot of TVS Gold users talk about

00:02:31.430 --> 00:02:33.430
is the layout.

00:02:33.430 --> 00:02:34.350
Now,

00:02:34.350 --> 00:02:35.710
at first glance,

00:02:35.710 --> 00:02:39.090
it looks like it has the same North American key layout

00:02:39.090 --> 00:02:41.250
that was pioneered by the Model M,

00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:44.730
but it actually has a bigger enter key

00:02:44.730 --> 00:02:47.550
and a smaller backspace key,

00:02:47.550 --> 00:02:49.330
which that second one in particular

00:02:49.330 --> 00:02:52.430
can be really frustrating if you're not used to it.

00:02:52.430 --> 00:02:57.270
I actually experienced this for myself on SteelSeries' 7G.

00:02:57.270 --> 00:02:58.510
Though with that said,

00:02:58.510 --> 00:03:00.670
you shouldn't confuse this layout

00:03:00.670 --> 00:03:02.810
with the European ISO layout,

00:03:04.350 --> 00:03:06.110
because it's not a major key.

00:03:06.110 --> 00:03:06.930
No, no.

00:03:06.930 --> 00:03:08.910
This one is actually a special layout

00:03:08.910 --> 00:03:11.250
called IndicScript or InScript,

00:03:11.250 --> 00:03:13.110
which was ratified by the government of India

00:03:13.110 --> 00:03:14.790
in the early 1990s.

00:03:14.790 --> 00:03:19.110
And it's designed to work with 12 different Indian scripts.

00:03:19.110 --> 00:03:20.190
This keyboard, by the way,

00:03:20.190 --> 00:03:22.350
was also the first one ever

00:03:22.350 --> 00:03:24.950
to have the Indian rupee sign printed on the legend.

00:03:24.950 --> 00:03:27.910
Though you may find yourself needing to go through

00:03:27.910 --> 00:03:30.510
some extra steps in order to actually get it working.

00:03:30.510 --> 00:03:33.710
Now let's talk about the typing experience.

00:03:33.710 --> 00:03:38.860
TVS Gold keyboards shipped with Cherry MX Blue key switches.

00:03:38.860 --> 00:03:41.800
So these are high quality German engineered switches

00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.180
with a clicky, tactile feel and a distinctive sound

00:03:45.180 --> 00:03:48.740
that makes them beloved by typists the world over.

00:03:48.740 --> 00:03:51.740
And the fact that a keyboard that you could usually find

00:03:51.740 --> 00:03:54.460
for between 1,700 and 2,300 rupees

00:03:54.460 --> 00:03:59.060
came with real Cherry switches was almost a miracle,

00:03:59.060 --> 00:04:01.220
except for one small problem.

00:04:01.220 --> 00:04:03.380
Sometime near the end of 2017,

00:04:03.380 --> 00:04:04.320
let me try and pop this in,

00:04:04.700 --> 00:04:05.540
I'm gonna pop one of these off.

00:04:05.540 --> 00:04:08.950
Oh, you're not supposed to do it like this.

00:04:08.950 --> 00:04:14.500
Yeah, yeah, get off you bastard.

00:04:14.500 --> 00:04:17.590
Ah, yes, here we go.

00:04:17.590 --> 00:04:19.970
Wait, Longhua?

00:04:19.970 --> 00:04:21.070
They own Kail.

00:04:21.070 --> 00:04:22.250
Do they? Good.

00:04:22.250 --> 00:04:25.730
TVS stopped shipping Golds with Cherry switches

00:04:25.730 --> 00:04:28.090
with all of the new boards getting equipped

00:04:28.090 --> 00:04:32.610
with Chinese clones made by Kail.

00:04:32.610 --> 00:04:36.410
Now to be clear, the Kail Blue switches are still mechanical

00:04:36.410 --> 00:04:37.690
and they actually use

00:04:38.030 --> 00:04:39.410
the same design as the Cherries.

00:04:39.410 --> 00:04:41.530
You might say they ripped them off.

00:04:41.530 --> 00:04:43.670
So they still have that clicky feel.

00:04:43.670 --> 00:04:45.930
And if this is your first mechanical keyboard,

00:04:45.930 --> 00:04:47.940
you'll probably love them,

00:04:47.940 --> 00:04:50.600
but it kind of raises the question.

00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:53.060
In a world where budget mechanical keyboards

00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:55.560
are becoming more and more available,

00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:58.240
is the TVS Gold still even a good deal?

00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:01.420
Especially considering that the price has moved up

00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:06.420
rather than down into the 2,700 to 3,500 rupee range.

00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:07.960
I mean, at that price,

00:05:07.960 --> 00:05:11.600
why not get a keyboard from Cosmic Byte or Red Gear

00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:14.460
that has more switch options, an updated look,

00:05:14.460 --> 00:05:17.780
gaming features like anti-ghosting and Windows Key Lock,

00:05:17.780 --> 00:05:20.240
not to mention fricking RGB.

00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:24.000
So then, given the recent decrease in switch quality

00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:25.780
and increase in price,

00:05:25.780 --> 00:05:28.920
the TVS Gold is no longer the outstanding value

00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:32.440
that it once was, especially considering the competition.

00:05:32.440 --> 00:05:35.240
But that doesn't mean that it's a bad keyboard.

00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:37.800
So if you like the vintage look and you won't be bothered too

00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:39.640
much by the shortened backspace key,

00:05:39.640 --> 00:05:43.380
then the TVS Gold is still a classic in its own right.

00:05:43.380 --> 00:05:45.400
Just be sure to order from Amazon,

00:05:45.400 --> 00:05:47.480
even if it's cheaper at your local computer shop.

00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:49.040
That way you'll get a one-year warranty

00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:53.660
to protect you from their easily crushed boxes.

00:05:53.660 --> 00:05:55.760
Speaking of easily crushed,

00:05:55.760 --> 00:05:57.640
I'll be crushed if you don't listen

00:05:57.640 --> 00:05:59.560
to this message from Pulseway.

00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:01.580
Pulseway is a real-time remote monitoring

00:06:01.580 --> 00:06:03.780
and management software that allows you to manage

00:06:03.780 --> 00:06:05.300
and monitor, go figure, right?

00:06:05.300 --> 00:06:07.800
In real time from one app compatible machines that run,

00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:08.760
Wi-Fi, and Android.

00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.460
Windows, macOS, or Linux.

00:06:11.460 --> 00:06:14.020
You can get access to real-time status reports,

00:06:14.020 --> 00:06:16.500
system resources, logged in users,

00:06:16.500 --> 00:06:19.380
network performance, Windows updates, and more.

00:06:19.380 --> 00:06:20.900
And you can fix problems on the go

00:06:20.900 --> 00:06:23.600
by sending commands from any mobile device.

00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:26.520
You can even create and deploy custom scripts

00:06:26.520 --> 00:06:28.840
so that you can automate your IT tasks.

00:06:28.840 --> 00:06:31.280
So try it for free at pulseway.com

00:06:31.280 --> 00:06:34.000
at the link in the video description.

00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:35.640
So thanks for watching, guys.

00:06:35.640 --> 00:06:37.880
If you liked this video, then you know what to do.

00:06:37.880 --> 00:06:38.780
Hit that like button.

00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:40.560
But if it was, wait, if it wasn't awesome,

00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:42.400
wait, if it sucked, I usually say that.

00:06:42.400 --> 00:06:43.520
So thanks for watching, guys.

00:06:43.520 --> 00:06:45.680
If this video sucked, you can hit that button.

00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:47.720
But if you liked it, hit like, get subscribed,

00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:49.880
or consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured

00:06:49.880 --> 00:06:51.500
at the link in the video description.

00:06:51.500 --> 00:06:52.800
Also down there is our merch store,

00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:54.380
which has cool shirts like the one I'm wearing,

00:06:54.380 --> 00:07:01.280
and our community forum, which you should definitely join.

00:07:01.280 --> 00:07:03.080
Well, no one's over here, who cares?