The TVS Gold: A Durable and Value Mechanical Keyboard from India

After posting our review of the Model M Keyboard, we received an overwhelming number of requests to review the "Model M of India," which is actually the TVS Gold. This keyboard has been around for many years and can be found in banks, offices, or home setups across India. However, getting one's hands on a TVS Gold in Canada proved to be a challenge, requiring a months-long journey with the help of extended family members.

One of the first things that struck us was the design cues taken from the original Model M. The lock lights are identical, and we noticed a ridge that can be used to hold pencils or even two pencils. However, there are also notable differences in the plastics used. While Model Ms were made with durable high-quality plastics, including PBT keycaps, the TVS Gold's keycaps and chassis are made of ABS plastic. This difference was confirmed through an acetone test, which revealed that the white lettering is starting to come off over time due to oils from the user's hands.

The legend on the TVS Gold is laser-etched, meaning it has a groove burned into the top of the key cap and filled with a colorant. This type of lettering isn't particularly durable but is much better than pad printing, which is commonly used in budget keyboards. The TVS Gold should still last reasonably well even in professional environments due to its unique design.

One aspect that many TVS Gold users discuss is the layout. At first glance, it appears to have the same North American key layout as the Model M, but it actually has a bigger Enter key and a smaller Backspace key. This second one can be particularly frustrating for those not accustomed to it. However, this layout is different from the European ISO layout, which also features a tall Enter key. Instead, the TVS Gold uses a special layout called Index Script or INSCRIPT, ratified by the Indian government in the early 1990s, designed to work with 12 different Indian scripts.

The keyboard was also notable for being the first one to have the Indian Rupee sign printed on the legend. Setting up this keyboard can be a bit more complicated than expected due to compatibility issues and the need for specific drivers. Once set up, users report a great typing experience, with high-quality German-engineered switches that provide a clicky, tactile feel and distinctive sound.

However, there's an important note regarding the switches used in TVS Gold keyboards. Traditionally, these shipped with Cherry MX Blue key switches, but this changed around 2017 when TVS stopped shipping Golds with original Cherry switches due to supply chain issues and replaced them with Chinese clones made by Kailh. The Kailh blue switches are still mechanical and offer a similar clicky feel, but the switch quality has decreased over time.

In recent years, there's been a decrease in switch quality and an increase in price for keyboards like the TVS Gold. This means it's no longer the outstanding value that it once was, especially considering the competition from other keyboards on the market. However, if you're looking for a vintage look and don't mind the shortened backspace key, the TVS Gold is still a classic keyboard worth considering.

When ordering a TVS Gold from Amazon or your local computer shop, make sure to get it with a one-year warranty to protect against easily crushed boxes. Beyond that, it's essential to be aware of the potential drawbacks and limitations of this keyboard. Despite these factors, the TVS Gold remains an interesting piece of mechanical keyboard history and a great option for those seeking a unique typing experience.

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"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enShortly after we posted our Model M Keyboard video,we received a TON of requests to review what some have called theModel 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 from1986 and a TVS Gold from June 2018, now it's pretty obviousthat the TVS Gold took some design cues from the Model M, like the lock lights for example, they areidentical, but there are some notable differences though, like this ridge for example that you can use to hold a pencilor even two pencils.Also, the plastics themselves are pretty differentNow Model Ms were made with durable high quality plasticsincluding PBT keycaps, by contrast both the key caps and the chassis of the TVS Gold are made of the more commonABS 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 caseit'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 glanceit 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 Steel Series' 7G.Though with that said, you shouldn't confuse this layout with the EuropeanISO layout which also has a tall enter key. No,no.This one is actually a special layout called Index Script or INSCRPIT,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, thoughyou 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.Now traditionally, TVS Gold keyboards shipped with Cherry MX Blue key switches.So these are high-quality,German-engineered switches with a clicky, tactile feeland 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 seventeen hundred and twenty three hundred Rupees came with real cherry switcheswas almost a miracle.Except for one small problem,sometime near the end of 2017,(I'm trying to pop one of these off. You're not supposed to do it like this.)Get off you bastard.Yes, here we go wait, Long Hua?Do they? Good. TVS stopped shipping Golds with Cherry switches with all of the newborns getting equipped withChinese clones made by Kailh.Now to be clear the Kailh blue switches are still mechanical and they actually use the same design as the Cherry's,you might say they ripped them off, so they still have that clicky feeland if this is your first mechanical keyboardyou'll probably love them,but it kind of raises the question, in a world where budget mechanical keyboards are becoming more and more available isThe TVS Gold still even a good deal? Especiallyconsidering that the price has moved up, rather than down,into the twenty seven hundred to thirty five hundred Rupee range.I mean at that price, why not get a keyboard from Cosmic Byte or Redgear, that has more switch options, an updated look,gaming features like anti-ghosting and windows key lock, not to mention freaking RGB. So then,given the recent decrease in switch quality and increase in pricethe 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, justbe 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 crushedif 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 Windows, Mac OS 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 atPulseway.com at the link in the video description. So thanks for watching guysIf you liked this video then you know what to do hit that like button,but if it wasn - wait,if it wasn't awesome, wait, if it sucked I usually say that. So thanks for watching guysIf 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 stuffwe featured at the link in the video description.Also down there is our merch store which has cool shirts like the one I'm wearingand our community forum, which you should definitely join.(Jesus.)Well no one's over here, who cares?\n"