 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 month's 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 keycaps. By contrast, both the keycaps 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 keycap. 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, which also has a tall enter key. No, no, this one is actually a special layout called index script 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. Now traditionally, 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 1700 and 2300 rupees came with real cherry switches was 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. You're not supposed to do it like this. Ah! Get off you bastard! Ah! Yes, here we go. Wait, Longhua? They own Kailh. Do they? Good. TVS stopped shipping Golds with Cherry switches, with all of the newborns getting equipped with Chinese clones made by Kailh. Now to be clear, the Kailh 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 2700 to 3500 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 freaking 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 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 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.