An almost perfect mechanical keyboard.
Pros: Size, Price, Build Quality.
Cons: Fast keywear, odd layout.
This keyboard can often be found for under $70, and I believe it is one of the best buys you can make in this price range.
The keyboard is not too flashy, but looks great in person. It's heavy for it's size, and has a well braided cable - this keyboard is one that appears built-to-last, what a lot of us seek when we choose mechanical. It feels of much better quality than boards that come close in price (DAS, Blackwidow etc.).
The size is one of the important features of this board, it's portable, takes up less space, yet sacrifices almost nothing compared to a full size keyboard - It still has a numpad which I know is important for a lot of people.
The 2 USB ports on top are well thought out - since most of us place our mouse on the right or left side of our keyboard, keyboards that have ports on one side such as DAS make people like me who like to plug their mouse into their keyboard cringe, it's much easier to keep wires out of the way this way.
The cherry mx blacks do feel slightly heavy if you've never used them before, but I'd say you'll quickly get used to them and they're great for gaming. Call me crazy - I personally like to type with them too over my other MX switches.
There is no left windows key - so no need to deactivate it when you're gaming.
This keyboard is a rebranded iRocks, who do make a few decent keyboards.
On to the cons since nothing is ever perfect (except you the reader
):
There are 3 keys that have built in LEDs which light up when the key is activated: Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, Num Lock. Very Aesthetically pleasing, but if you don't use the keyboard in a well lit room they can be a little too bright.
From what I can tell the keyboard has pad printing on the keycaps, this means you will be left with a blank keyboard eventually if you use all the keys. My A button is already half gone in over a months use and I never touch a keyboard without clean hands.
The layout takes time to get used to if you touchtype - specifically the "?" button is in an odd place.
The keyboard has a small backspace, and a boot enter key, which I know is a dealbreaker for a number of people.
Overall, I'd say this is a great keyboard if size matters and you can get it for around $70. Definitely consider it if you're in the market for a good, cheap cherry MX black keyboard.
The keyboard is not too flashy, but looks great in person. It's heavy for it's size, and has a well braided cable - this keyboard is one that appears built-to-last, what a lot of us seek when we choose mechanical. It feels of much better quality than boards that come close in price (DAS, Blackwidow etc.).
The size is one of the important features of this board, it's portable, takes up less space, yet sacrifices almost nothing compared to a full size keyboard - It still has a numpad which I know is important for a lot of people.
The 2 USB ports on top are well thought out - since most of us place our mouse on the right or left side of our keyboard, keyboards that have ports on one side such as DAS make people like me who like to plug their mouse into their keyboard cringe, it's much easier to keep wires out of the way this way.
The cherry mx blacks do feel slightly heavy if you've never used them before, but I'd say you'll quickly get used to them and they're great for gaming. Call me crazy - I personally like to type with them too over my other MX switches.
There is no left windows key - so no need to deactivate it when you're gaming.
This keyboard is a rebranded iRocks, who do make a few decent keyboards.
On to the cons since nothing is ever perfect (except you the reader
):There are 3 keys that have built in LEDs which light up when the key is activated: Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, Num Lock. Very Aesthetically pleasing, but if you don't use the keyboard in a well lit room they can be a little too bright.
From what I can tell the keyboard has pad printing on the keycaps, this means you will be left with a blank keyboard eventually if you use all the keys. My A button is already half gone in over a months use and I never touch a keyboard without clean hands.
The layout takes time to get used to if you touchtype - specifically the "?" button is in an odd place.
The keyboard has a small backspace, and a boot enter key, which I know is a dealbreaker for a number of people.
Overall, I'd say this is a great keyboard if size matters and you can get it for around $70. Definitely consider it if you're in the market for a good, cheap cherry MX black keyboard.
