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Best Keyboard
- Thread starter LegendJxli
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ofc, but i often use it docked to 2 external monitors on my desk and have it on the left on a stand so i won‘t type on there…
Such a personal question. I just made the switch to mechanical and wouldn't want to go back. But YMMV. My recent keyboards are the following:
Apple Magic w/ Touch ID - typing experience is pretty awful but it has the Touch ID which is nice. For me at least the Touch ID mostly doesn't work in the winter. Also the lightening aspect of it is kind of ridiculous in 2023
Logitech MX Keys (not the mechanical) - I like this keyboard a lot. For the money it has a very solid feel, works well and has a nice low profile. I'd choose it over the Apple every day for a non-mechanical keyboard
Keychron K5 SE - I'm using this now and it is far superior to either of the above in terms of typing feel. It's noisy and would likely annoy others in any group setting. Also isn't as full featured as the MX Keys - backlight doesn't activate unless you touch a key, then backlight remains on for 10 mins, it's slower to reconnect when it goes to sleep (not sure MX Keys really sleeps actually), etc.
Keychron K4 V2 - even nicer than the K5 SE - better chassis and typing feel. But it is not low profile like the K5 or MX and I disliked that enough to return it. If you like a palm rest already, this is a very good keyboard at a similar price point to those above.
I'd be curious to use the MX Keys Mechanical. I chose Keychron because mechanical is what they do, but if the MX Keys Mechanical is as good and has the features of the MX Keys, it would be a really nice solution.
Apple Magic w/ Touch ID - typing experience is pretty awful but it has the Touch ID which is nice. For me at least the Touch ID mostly doesn't work in the winter. Also the lightening aspect of it is kind of ridiculous in 2023
Logitech MX Keys (not the mechanical) - I like this keyboard a lot. For the money it has a very solid feel, works well and has a nice low profile. I'd choose it over the Apple every day for a non-mechanical keyboard
Keychron K5 SE - I'm using this now and it is far superior to either of the above in terms of typing feel. It's noisy and would likely annoy others in any group setting. Also isn't as full featured as the MX Keys - backlight doesn't activate unless you touch a key, then backlight remains on for 10 mins, it's slower to reconnect when it goes to sleep (not sure MX Keys really sleeps actually), etc.
Keychron K4 V2 - even nicer than the K5 SE - better chassis and typing feel. But it is not low profile like the K5 or MX and I disliked that enough to return it. If you like a palm rest already, this is a very good keyboard at a similar price point to those above.
I'd be curious to use the MX Keys Mechanical. I chose Keychron because mechanical is what they do, but if the MX Keys Mechanical is as good and has the features of the MX Keys, it would be a really nice solution.
I have a Keychron mechanical keyboard and its lightyears ahead of both Apple and Logitech
I believe it. Re-reading my post and I wasn't clear on the Keychron. While I'd be curious to try the Logitech MX Mechanical, the K5 and K4 are both tremendous. I have zero interest in going back to the MX Keys (or god forbid the apple crap)
The K4 V2 looks nice… But is there an US International Version instead of the US (USA) Version?
The Apple Keyboard is more inclusive the Apple Ecosystem.
But if you are planning on using the keyboard with other stuff, the logitech is a better option.
Mechanical keyboards are not really my thing, so maybe go to Best Buy to get a better choice and choose there.
it is nice having touch ID tho.
But if you are planning on using the keyboard with other stuff, the logitech is a better option.
Mechanical keyboards are not really my thing, so maybe go to Best Buy to get a better choice and choose there.
it is nice having touch ID tho.
Keychron ISO/JIS Mechanical Keyboard Collection
Keychron ISO/JIS mechanical keyboard Collection comes with the UK and Nordic and Japan layout.
I'm rocking an old Apple keyboard that came with an eMac and another that came with a Power Mac G4. I have a USB-C hub that lets me plug in at my desk with 1 cable to charge and connect all my accessories. Old Apple stuff seems to last forever! I remember spilling soda on one of these keyboards when I was a kid and my dad rinsed it out in the kitchen sink, then dried it out with compressed air. The next day, it was like nothing ever happened.
I recently got the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID… I’m fine with the Magic Keyboard in general but adding Touch ID is 😘 VERY nice.
Does the Logitech MX Keys use scissor switches? Does it feel like a laptop?
Which switches are you using on your Keychron? My current keyboard is a standard profile, Cherry MX Brown-based board. Honestly, I don't love it. It's fine. I've considered going back to a membrane board (gasp!), but wanted to give mech keyboards one last shot and have been eying the low profile options such as the Keychron.
As I asked the other poster, I wanted to ask which switches you were using on your Keychron? Have you used any other mechanical keebs or is this your first one?
The non-mechanical Mx Keys is very similar to a laptop. They are very short and not much travel. It's a premium experience for what it is. It would be my first choice of a non-mechanical (of course sacrificing TouchID).
Keychron K5 SE - I have the low profile mechanical brown Gateron switches. The K5 is a low profile keyboard and requires low profile mechanical (or optical) switches. I chose the mechanical because I like the feel on the K4 V2 although they don't feel identical in the K5. Still really good and I strongly prefer the low profile board.
I used the MX Keys for a while and really liked it. When Logitech came out with the MX Mechanical I jumped at the chance to return to a mechanical keyboard. But your comment is the best way to describe it. The MX Mechanical works just like the MX Keys except it is mechanical. I went for the "Linear" key version and I'm very happy with it. It's not as loud as some clicky keyboards I've had in the past. The MX Mechanical has a lot more key travel than the standard MX Keys and features the same functionality. I love it.
If you use the existing MX Keys/MX Master products then be aware that the MX Mechanical uses the new version of the Logi bolt wireless adapter. So I also had to upgrade my mouse to MX Master 3S which also uses the new standard receiver.
Thank you for answering both of those questions for me.
While I originally liked the longer key travel of my current board, I've slowly come to realize that I quite prefer typing on my laptop more than I do my mech keyboard. It's not just the shorter travel but also the fact that it's a membrane board. I like that soft cushion at the bottom. But like I said I'd like to give mechanical one last good shot before I throw in the towel on them.
Do you feel that the Keychron you're using feels somewhat like a laptop keyboard? A fair amount of resistance up top before you make it past the tactile bump? My MX Browns have a tactile bump but it's reaaaaalllyyyy subtle. Too subtle I'd argue.
No. Doesn't feel anything like a laptop keyboard. So much more travel, resistance and report. MX Keys is like a laptop but better.
If you want to look at mechanical keyboards, I saw one that I would try if didn’t have a mechanical already. It’s called the Wombat Pine Professional. The manufacturer has been in the business for decades and it looked like it had a lot very cool features.
Wombat Pine Pro
Wombat Pine Pro