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Matias Secure Pro Wireless Encrypted Keyboard for PC/Mac FK303QPCW

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#1 ·
Matias Secure Pro Wireless Encrypted Keyboard for PC/Mac FK303QPCW

Description:
This super-secure, compact, wireless keyboard has Matias Quiet-Click mechanical switches to give you the high performance of a mechanical keyboard without the noise normally associated with mechanical keyboards! The Secure Pro Keyboard uses Matias' new Quiet Click mechanical keyswitches, which were over 2 years in the making. They deliver a feel that is unmatched for comfort, without sacrificing the tactile feedback you need to type really fast. The keyboard is wireless via AES 128 bit encrypted 2.4 GHz Wireless RF with a nano receiver that you plug into the USB port of the computer; this means that the keyboard has the highest level of wireless security commercially available today - it's more secure than bluetooth - and is the level of security used by the government and highly secure corporate offices. Also includes special anti-ghosting circuitry so that the keyboard keeps up with the fastest typists, laser etched keys so the characters don't wear off, and traditional sculpted keytops for comfort and speed. Keys are full sized, but there is no number pad, so the keyboard is smaller than a traditional keyboard.

Details:
DetailValue
BindingPersonal Computers
BrandMatias
EAN0833742003509
FeatureSecure wireless. (128-bit AES encryption)
Laser etched keys.
High polling rate - 200 Hz.
Anti-Ghosting Circuitry.
USB Charging Ports.
LabelMatias Corporation
ManufacturerMatias Corporation
PublisherMatias Corporation
StudioMatias Corporation
TitleMatias Secure Pro Wireless Encrypted Keyboard for PC/Mac FK303QPCW
UPC833742003509
PackageQuantity1
ProductGroupPC Accessory
ProductTypeNameKEYBOARDS
UPCList - UPCListElement833742003509
 

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#2 ·
A Different Type of Mechanical Keyboard Switch

review by fleetfeather

Almost all PC enthusiasts have heard of Cherry MX mechanical switches and their various advantages compared to membrane keyboards. Whilst Cherry MX switches are indeed a popular range of mechanical keyboard switches in the contemporary keyboard scene, they are not the only show in town. Today I'll be reviewing a Matias Secure Pro keyboard, which utilises a different mechanical keyboard switch marketed as a direct competitor to the Cherry MX range.

Build Quality

The exterior case of the keyboard is formed via two piece construction, held together using a pair of screws on the underside of the unit and a number of plastic interlocking clips on the inside of the edges. The plastic case is roughly 3-4mm thick all the way around, and feels quite robust in its strength. I feel fairly confident that this case could withstand the rough and tumble of being placed in a backpack during commutes to work, and would probably survive a few unfortunate drops off your desk space too (not that I'd recommend that, obviously).

Attempting to flex the keyboard yields a better-than-expected result for a plastic-cased keyboard; there's a bit of warp to the board if you really twist hard on the outer edges, but certainly nothing to write home about. The reason for this lack of flex is due to the steel mid-plate in the keyboard, which adds extra rigidity (and weight) to the package compared to many other mech boards on the market today.

The keycaps provided by default on the Matias Secure Pro are constructed from ABS plastic, with the legends being laser etched onto the caps. I recognise that 'ABS plastic or PBT plastic' caps may be a subjective preference for different people, so I won't go into that, but I will say that the legends on these keycaps aren't great. The legends are easily felt as you glide over the keycaps, which means a) you're going to feel them as you type, and b) the legends will inevitably suffer from usage wear as time goes on. I understand tooling for keycaps is an expensive process, but it would've been nice to see some doubleshot legends or dye-sub legends for these keycaps given that both replacement and customisation options for keycaps fitting this particular switch type are so limited at the moment (more on the switch type later). The provided ABS keycaps are also some of the thinnest I've personally used before, so that's another disappointing aspect of the board, in my opinion.

The keycaps exhibit some notable wobble to them, due to the switches' stem design. The switches may also exhibit different sound profiles depending on how you strike the keys. For example, I find applying pressure to the bottom half of a keycap results in quieter sound than if I apply pressure to the top half of a keycap. A spherical keycap design which guides your fingers to the center of the keycap would probably help reduce this issue significantly, but alas, there's no such keycap option for that yet...

Design

First thing I must mention with the design of the board is the glossy black plastic. Make no mistake about it; it's a fingerprint magnet and it's extremely glossy. I use this board in my home bedroom where the room lighting isn't particularly bright, but in a well-lit office situation, I feel the glossiness of the case would be hard to... gloss over. If that doesn't sound like your particular brand of vodka, you're going to be in a bit of a rough spot - the Secure Pro is not available in any other finishes currently.

The Industrial Design of this keyboard is a bit interesting. Whilst most compact keyboards on the market today feature straight lines and clean edges which help to minimise the keyboard's footprint, the Secure Pro tends to look a bit more casual and, well... bloated. The left and right edges of the board have a subtle curve to them, as do the sides leading from the front edge of the keyboard to the backside. I also must point out the large hump hanging off the back end of the keyboard, which is where you'll find 3 USB 2.0 ports functioning purely as charging ports (rather than data ports). For sure, this ID is going to be somewhat of an acquired taste for some people, although I can't shake the feeling that this board would look great paired on a desk with a Fractal Design Node 304 case...

One last note on the general physicality of the board must also be highlighted; the back feet on the base of the board do not have any rubber grips on them. Now, since the board is quite heavy, I didn't have any issues with the board sliding around whilst typing, but it just seems like a 'no-brainer' to put rubber pads on the bottom of *all* the keyboard feet, rather than just the front two. Maybe in a second revision I guess.

The wireless connectivity on this keyboard is excellent. Obviously, when one of your main product features concerns secure wireless transmission of keystrokes, you'd want to make damn sure your wireless connectivity is hassle-free and polished. This is most definitely the case with the Secure Pro. Let me break the initial setup down into a step-by-step process: firstly you take the included USB receiver out of the box, you plug it into any USB slot on your PC, you hit one button on the keyboard, and you start typing. Repeat this process as you see fit for any USB-enabled PC or Mac device you want, and it will work. Just note that apparently the Alt and Command keys are swapped at the hardware-level when using the Secure Pro on a Mac system, as there's a hardware-level compatibility issue present. Other than that, you're good to go.

There's a 1600mAh battery in this unit, which is quoted as lasting up to one year between charges. In practice, the battery life is shorter than this, as the "one year" calculation is based on a hidden assumption of using the keyboard for only a certain number of hours per day. In reality, if you sit at your desk all day throughout the day, and don't forget to turn the keyboard off when you go to bed each night, you're likely to get 2-3 months charge out of the battery. This is a damn good result, as the keyboard only takes 5 hours to charge from 0-100%, and you can continue to use the keyboard as it's charging. Put simply, best case scenario = you have one less usb cable on your desk. Worst case scenario = you have a wired keyboard for 5 hours. It seems worth it to me.

The "Secure" in Secure Pro stands for the 128-bit AES encryption provided by this keyboard. I personally don't really feel the need for hardware-level encrypted keystrokes, but if your workplace demands 128-bit encryption for wireless devices (some government agencies do), or you're cautious about internet banking near hacker-owned wireless receivers, this feature may be highly important to you.

Polling rate for this board is 200Hz. That probably sounds low to some people, but when Matias claim that there's "no perceivable lag", they really mean it. Smarter minds than me (on the Geekhack forum) suggest 200Hz is the upper limit of what's needed in wireless keyboards, and having played with the Secure Pro myself, I have to agree with them. If you blame this board's polling rating for a seemingly unjust in-game death, you're probably just a baddie :3

If you read around about this board elsewhere, you'll quickly find gripes regarding the Numlock feature of this board. Much like I mentioned previously with the Mac issue, there's a hardware-level issue with trying to get Numlock to work - you can still access the number pad functionality, but you must continue to hold down Fn+numlock to do so, rather than Numlock actually "locking" this functionality. I'm one of those inefficient people who still uses the horizontal 1 to 0 row on a keyboard, so this issue doesn't impact me. However, if not having Numlock functionality is a deal-breaker for you, look elsewhere.

Speaking of the Fn key, its placement on the Secure Pro is generally great. The only questionable decisions regarding Fn functionality is having the Play/Pause, Previous, and Next controls teamed with the Esc, F1, and F2 keys respectively.... You have to reach the entire opposite side of the board to hold down these function combos, making them impossible to activate with one-hand. I'd like to see this changed in a future revision if possible.

Accessories

There's no accessories really to speak of with this keyboard. No extra modifier keys. Not even a keycap puller. C'mon Matias...

The Switches

The Secure Pro features what Matias call their "Quiet Click" switch. The origins of this switch hail back to 'Alps mechanical switches', which were a main competitor to Cherry switches a fair few years back now. Matias have taken what the Alps switch manufacturers used to called their 'Simplified Black' switch and added some dampeners to both the bottom-out zone and the resting position. The result of this design is a noticeably quieter bottom-out and reset sound than what dampened Cherry MX switches can achieve, whilst still remaining highly tactile.

Now, I'm not here to suggest these switches are inaudible. Let's be fair, there's still a mechanical activation going on here, so naturally there will be some sound. With that said, I own both an undampened Cherry MX Red and an undampened Cherry MX Black keyboard, and they both sound louder than the Quiet Click switches. The most noticeable difference in sound is the lack of 'sharpness' in the bottoming-out sound. With the Quiet Click switches, the various mechanical sounds are still there, but they all sound more blunted/dulled.

I don't own a MX Brown board, although I have borrowed one for a couple of weeks prior to writing up this review. As far as tactility goes, the Quiet Click switches are more tactile and more stiff than Browns. The Quiet Click switches require more force to get over their tactile bump, but then lose all resistance after that point. I'm waiting on a MX Clear's board to arrive soon, but I'm confident I already know how to sum up the difference between them; the Clears and Quiet Clicks will require similar amounts of activation force to get over their respective bumps, but the Clears will continue to offer more resistance as you continue to approach bottoming-out, whereas the Quiet Clicks will 'give in' after you pass the tactile bump. In light of this, you're going to get a different response profile to your keystrokes.The MX Clears (and to a lesser extent, MX Browns) are going to encourage you to not bottom-out after you've activated your keystroke, whereas the Quiet Clicks encourage a quick bottoming-out after activation. This makes things interesting for both gaming and typing applications.....

It's important to note that activation and tactile bump are, in practice, inseparable with Quiet Click switches. If you pass through peak tactile bump resistance, you 'will' activate your key press. No amount of self control is realistically going to let you hover in between these points. As I type, I can't actually tell which point comes first; the peak resistance or the keystroke registration...

Gaming

If you feel the need for some resistance to accidental key presses, obviously MX Reds (and to lesser extents, MX Browns and MX Blacks) are going to be less desirable to you. Quiet Click switches could lend themselves to you in this instance, if you want a somewhat quick activation without feeling heaps of resistance after the keystroke is registered. A good example of this would be rapid-tap spell activation (waiting for the Global CD to end) wherein you want to feel feedback from activating a spell, but don't want fractions of time to be wasted in between activation (or in between moving away from an area if you activated the wrong key).

I also feel these switches lend themselves well to people who hold down keys for extended periods of time, as there's going to be less pressure given from the switch to reset itself whilst it remains bottomed out. If you want a tactile bump switch, but also think you're suffering from fatigue by holding down a button that applies unnecessarily high pressure to reset itself while it's pressed down, you may want to consider this switch.

Of course, if silence is a priority, there's that aspect too.

Typing

A few people other than myself have mentioned that the 'heavier' tactile Cherry switches actively encourage you to not bottom out, as bottoming-out can prove fatiguing over time if you're in for a long typing sesh. If you agree with this notion, there's the potential for Quiet Click switches to fill a void in your typing experience if you genuinely feel the uncontrollable need to bottom out on your key strokes.

And once again, quieter switches.

Summary

So... What does all of this information mean? If the reviewer was to try put words in your head for you, what would those words be? Essentially, this board is an interesting fork away from the usual suspects when it comes to mechanical keyboard switches. Speaking solely about the switches, there's something on offer here that may tickle your fancy if you have issues with your current setup. Speaking solely about the wireless aspects of this board, the offering here is overall pretty strong. Speaking more generally about the keyboard package, there's some design decisions here that may put a few people off entirely. As with most things keyboard related, it's going to come down to user preference, and I think we can all agree that having more options to choose from is generally a good thing.

ProsCons
Relatively Quiet, Tactile, Wireless PerformanceFingerprint Magnet, Keycaps.

Ratings
Overall4
 
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