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Review: Vissles' LP85 Keyboard is Like a Mechanical Apple Magic Keyboard, But Decidedly More Fun

Reasons not to buy.

Fn key
RGB?
Kickstarter
Print screen?
Insert?

Logitech MX Keys and Matias Mac Specific, bluetooth, and backlit keyboards.
 
I've tried just about every keyboard on the market that aims to be a "Mac" keyboard, and literally none of them are as good as Apple's standalone Magic Keyboard. And the only reason I try the others is because Apple's is still not backlit which is insane.
 
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I may have liked the feel of mechanical keyboards in the past, but over time I've started to get used to the scissor keyboards that Apple is promoting.
The previous generation butterfly keyboard was a total disaster, but I had friends who liked it, but I couldn't get used to it in any way.
As for the classic mechanical keyboards, for me now, the key travel is too long and the spacing is too wide even though the particles are clearly defined, so I will only consider the scissor keyboard.
This keyboard boasts the thickness and travel of a scissor keyboard, with the durability and feel of a mechanical keyboard, and I am willing to try it.
 
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It's hard to see the value in this: the Keychron K3 is also an opto-mechanical TKL keyboard but has swappable keys, a choice of different keys, adjustable typing angle, sculpted keycaps, three bluetooth connections and wired. It costs less and is not a kickstarter project.
 
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If I'm going to buy an external keyboard, it needs to not be "compact". While I really like the idea of backlit keys for my desktop (I tend to work in a dark room), I'll be sticking with my USB full-size-with-keypad Apple keyboard that came with my Pro back in 2012 (and whose F4 key still has the Dashboard icon).
 
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After Kickstarter allowed a company who was pawning off a project for mag-safe-like USB-C and Lightning Cables and who stole $3 million from unsuspecting backers, I've vowed NEVER to support another project ever again. This is included.
 
Enkidu Jones said:
It's hard to see the value in this: the Keychron K3 is also an opto-mechanical TKL keyboard but has swappable keys, a choice of different keys, adjustable typing angle, sculpted keycaps, three bluetooth connections and wired. It costs less and is not a kickstarter project.
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I have a Keychron K1 and I love it. It isn’t a kickstarter now, but it was one. In fact they have another keyboard up on kickstarter right now.
 
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venom600 said:
I have a Keychron K1 and I love it. It isn’t a kickstarter now, but it was one. In fact they have another keyboard up on kickstarter right now.
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This one is definitely tempting but it's beyond kickstarter now, and mostly sold out on their site.

Edit: Oh, maybe you mean the K14 (active). I happened upon the K7 (done) somehow, when I first searched.
 
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LogicalApex said:
Since when is a scissor switch considered a mechanical switch?

This looks like a cheap parlor trick to try and upsell scissor switches. Mechanical switches are all about the tactile feedback of the switch which this would fully lack.
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Yeah, I can't see anywhere in that piece where it is comparable to a mechanical keyboard. Reading the full Kickstarter link, I'm not entirely sure the makers really know what a mechanical keyboard is, or why they are so different to scissor or membrane keyboards, both in terms of feel and also intended use.

I actually think they're a bit misleading - it's an optical switch keyboard, not a mechanical switch keyboard. Calling it "optical-mechanical" isn't entirely accurate.
 
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HouseofG said:
This one is definitely tempting but it's beyond kickstarter now, and mostly sold out on their site.

Edit: Oh, maybe you mean the K14 (active). I happened upon the K7 (done) somehow, when I first searched.
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I have been using the K1 and really like it.

Its currently sold out on their website because they just released a v5 revision (mine is v3) and are probably waiting for new units.
 
The centered labels for "shift" "return" "caps lock" etc keys triggers me. Like, how could you compare it to the apple keyboard where its all beautifully aligned left or right based on the side of the keyboard and go "no, this is better" ?

The more I look at it, the more I hate it.
 
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sehns said:
The centered labels for "shift" "return" "caps lock" etc keys triggers me. Like, how could you compare it to the apple keyboard where its all beautifully aligned left or right based on the side of the keyboard and go "no, this is better" ?

The more I look at it, the more I hate it.
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Oh man, once you "see it" you can't "un-see it". ?
 
shadowbird423 said:
Ah, someone else who remembers that disaster. Still hasn't shipped of course
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Ha. As someone who paid for one... still waiting, lol. Too bad too because it still looks cool.

Also, I didn't know mechanical keyboards were more tiring to type on. I specifically got one because the extended travel, tactile feedback, and audio feedback help make my typing softer and has helped with wrist and hand pain. (Plus a good one lasts a long time and the best of them can be repaired pretty easily.)

It's not about nostalgia, aside from footprint, mechanical keyboards are superior in virtually every way. The variation in the switches alone can accommodate a ton of typing needs, preferences, and style. (And obviously, for a laptop, footprint is kind of a big deal.)
 
poubelle said:
I have been using the K1 and really like it.

Its currently sold out on their website because they just released a v5 revision (mine is v3) and are probably waiting for new units.
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I have a K1, it was great until it randomly started disconnecting and lagging badly after 4 months. I've been getting the runaround from Keychron tech support, telling my to do all sorts of additional, time-consuming troubleshooting beyond what I've already done. I wonder if more reliable bluetooth was part of the v5 revision. In the meantime my Magic Keyboard works without a hitch after 4 years. I pre-ordered the Vissiles, if its reliable it'll be better than the K1 for me, I prefer the lower profile and compact layout. The K1 was the only choice out of the Keychron keyboards because of the "option" key on the right side which I use for typing accent characters in Polish, since most of the relevant letters are on the left side of the keyboard, hitting two keys at once with one hand is too awkward otherwise.

If Apple sold a compact space grey Magic Keyboard with a backlight that would be the obvious choice, but because of their stubbornness we have to roll the dice with third parties. As far as I can tell (besides Apple being cheap) since a backlight would drain the battery much faster they decided that more frequent charging would degrade the user experience too much.
 
posguy99 said:
I tried one of the Matias Aluminum... they're much too flimsy and the keys are mushy. They don't compare to the original Apple Aluminum Keyboard.
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I agree on those models, I’m a Tactile Pro and Quiet Pro user.
 
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