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Feedback Loop: 30 years of Mac, mechanical keyboards, Bitcoin alternatives and more!
Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There's so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week. This week, the Macintosh turned 30, so naturally, we had to share our fondest memories of our first Mac. We also dove into the complex world of mechanical keyboards, examined the potential health benefits of WiFi-connected LED lightbulbs, discussed the viability of Bitcoin alternatives and asked about the best laptops for software development. Click past the break and read what fellow Engadget users like you have to say.
Matias updates the Tactile Pro to version 4, announces Mini Tactile Pro keyboard, we go hands-on (video)
We've written a few love-notes about Matias' mechanical keyboards before, which is why its CEO had to take out a restraining order. But even the threat of legal action couldn't prevent us from sharing the news that the company has updated its coveted Tactile Pro and swelled the range to include the Mini Tactile Pro. Both units come with a three-port USB 2.0 hub, while the portable version now has a secondary connector cable that you can keep stowed in your laptop bag for satisfyingly noisy typing on the go. The flagship will cost $150 and is available today, while its dinky equivalent will be available later this month for $130. Interested in learning more? Join us down town after the break.
Matias' new Mini Quiet and Laptop Pro bring silent mechanical keyboards to road warriors (update: hands-on video)
Remember that unheralded Matias keyboard that we spotted at the FCC a few weeks back? Well, it transpires that it was one of a pair of units for those who want tactile typing on the go -- but without encouraging the death-stares of their fellow commuters. The (wired) Mini Quiet Pro for PC and Bluetooth Laptop Pro for Mac are tenkeyless units that use the same modified ALPS "Quiet Click" switches that we found on the Quiet Pro. The Mini Quiet Pro comes with a three-port USB 2.0 hub and a spare cable that you can tote around in your laptop bag and will set you back $130. The Laptop Pro, on the other hand, gets a high-capacity battery that the company promises will last half a year between charges and will cost $170. Both are available to pre-order now for delivery in February.%Gallery-175398%
Corsair unleashes second gen Vengeance gaming peripherals at CES, goes fully mechanical with K95 keyboard
When Corsair introduced its Vengeance line of PC gaming accessories last year, it made the odd choice of creating the K90, a mostly mechanical keyboard marred by a collection of out of place membrane keys. The keyboard was a little less expensive for the effort, but was nearly universally reviewed as a "really weird decision." Corsair got the message, and is now releasing the Vengeance K95, a black anodized brushed aluminum take on the K90, but with fully mechanical Cherry MX Red switches on every single key, including 18 dedicated macro toggles. In addition to normalizing the keyboard's tactile pleasures, Corsair has also upgraded its backlighting, allowing each key to individually enable or disable its illumination. Eliminating its predecessor's cheapo membrane keys does kill their savings, however, giving the K95 a $150 price tag. Corsair's filling out its pointer line-up too, trotting out the M95 and M65 gaming mice. Both of these rodents feature an 8200 DPI sensor and an aluminum unibody chassis, but veer off wildly when it comes to toggles. The M95, for instance, features 15 programmable buttons and onboard storage for six switchable profiles, whereas the M65 is a more modest clicker -- featuring little more flair than a DPI dropping sniper button. Choose your weapon in a variety of colors for $79 and $69, respectively.
Rosewill Helios RK-9200 double backlights your keyboarding with two LEDs
It's nearly CES, which apparently means announcements of several mechanical gaming keyboards. Roccat kicked off the announcements earlier today with its Ryos, and tonight Rosewill's showing off its Helios RK-9200 -- a mechanical keyboard with not just one LED lighting up the board, but two. Imagine the possibilities! Both red and green LEDs are supported by the Helios, making this the perfect keyboard for Christmas celebrations. Of course, the family might not like all that clicking and clacking, but who are they to get in the way of your holiday gaming celebration?
Matias Quiet Pro review: a mechanical keyboard with less clickety-clack
Keyboards aren't always high on the list of considerations for folks buying a new computer or looking to upgrade an old one. Some may be more likely to splurge on a high-end monitor, or cram in as much RAM as possible. For this writer, though, the keyboard is one of the most important components of a computer, if not the most important. For the past 10 years or more, that's meant a split-design ergonomic keyboard in the vein of Microsoft's Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 -- at least when not exclusively using a laptop. That style certainly takes some getting used to, and is always guaranteed to start a conversation, but it has some clear benefits for comfort (not to mention the well-being of your wrists) over the long term. More recently, however, that old standby has given way to a mechanical keyboard with a traditional design -- the Matias Tactile Pro 3, specifically. A split-design mechanical keyboard would be ideal, but those are unfortunately quite a rare breed. While a something like the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 has advantages over your average keyboard in terms of overall comfort, it still feels like a regular keyboard. That is, it's slightly mushy and generally less tactile given its use of a rubber membrane for the keys instead of the individual switches found in a mechanical model like the Tactile Pro. As anyone who's used both can attest, the difference is immediately noticeable. With a good mechanical keyboard, you don't have to worry about a key press not registering; the keys have more spring to them for a crisper feel and (here's the contentious part for some) they make more noise. It's not a typewriter-level racket, but there's a good chance you'll be frowned upon if you're sharing a desk with someone, or are trying to take notes while on a conference call. It's that potential issue that led Matias to try something different with its latest keyboard -- one that it claims is the world's quietest mechanical keyboard. Did it deliver? Read on to find out.
Matias Quiet Pro silences the mechanical keyboard
The feel of a mechanical switch keyboard is something much sought after in a certain segment of the technical world. The resistance of the keys as they travel, the spring back to their original positions -- these are things that touch typists value, always chasing after the ultimate keyboarding experience. It's something of a secret group of fellow travelers. "Oh," one says, with a raised eyebrow and a knowing nod. "You prefer ... the mechanical switch." For years, I've been buying Matias. My initial USB 2.0 was a gateway drug. It felt so much better than the cheap keyboards I'd been typing with. Soon, I needed more -- I needed better. It wasn't long until I was haunting back alleys in search of the ultimate typing high. The Tactile Pro. Matias' premium keyswitch technology offered the kind of responsive clickiness my mechanically trained fingers had been longing for. One premium-priced Matias followed another, as it became my typing choix de poison. But like other habits, it came with a price. The sound. The unbearably loud sound -- the audible track marks of a Tactile Pro "user." Soon others began to drift away. They tried to be tactful. "It's not you, it's me. I'm just not good with loud noises." Or they would ask, "Maybe you could type after we get off the phone?" Some were simply honest. "I refuse to suffer through CLACKITY-CLACKITY-CLACKITY when the two of us are brainstorming." There was nothing to do but stand my ground. "But... but... I need my mechanical switches. I need the type-feel. I need my Matias." In response, there were sad looks, sighs and resignation. It seemed a hopeless situation. I would surrender my keyboard when it was dragged from my cold, dead, highly-muscled fingers. That is, until Matias announced the new line of Quiet Pro. Available for both Mac and PC, the US$150 Quiet Pro is the methadone of the mechanical typing world. Created with new "Quiet Click" mechanical keyswitches, the Quiet Pro balances feel against sound, providing a softer typing experience without overly sacrificing tactile feedback. I received my review unit, and immediately put it to work. Although not a quiet keyboard in any sense of the real-world meaning of "quiet," compared to the Tactile Pro, the Quiet Pro is a gentle rill of a stream next to the raging Mississippi. There are, of course, sacrifices. The key travel isn't as crisp, isn't quite as clean as the Tactile Pro. The bounce back feels slower, a little more muffled. But when juxtapositioned with other keyboards, the Quiet Pro is clearly mechanical. It stands well above the experience you get from standard keyboards. It's, after all, a Matias. The Quiet Pro is ideal for office scenarios, for teleconferencing, and talkcasts -- situations where data entry must be "social," and where concern for other persons' well-being must take precedence over the perfect typing high. It's a really good keyboard, too. It has excellent bounce and a nice clicky feel. If it weren't for my side-by-side testing, I might not even have noticed how the perfection of the Tactile Pro ever so slightly takes away the blue ribbon from the excellent performance of the Quiet Pro. Nearly anyone who loves the mechanical experience will value the sound / feel balance the Quiet Pro offers. So how quiet exactly is the Quiet Pro? The video below demonstrates the difference in sound levels. All in all, the $150 Quiet Pro represents an excellent entry in the mechanical keyboard arena and a wonderful innovation for anyone who has to balance sound against key feel. Recommended.
Matias Quiet Pro claims to be the 'world's quietest mechanical keyboard'
Canada's Matias Corporation has made something of a name for itself with its tactile keyboards, but those have primarily appealed to those who also enjoy (or at least accept) the sound of a mechanical keyboard in addition to its feel. The company's hoping to bring a few more into the tactile fold with its new Quiet Pro, though, which it claims is the "world's quietest mechanical keyboard." That, Matias says, comes without any sacrifices to tactile feedback, and is said to be the result of more than two years of work. As usual, the keyboard comes in both PC and Mac specific models (all-black and silver & black, respectively), each of which boasts three USB 2.0 ports and laser-etched keys with beveled keytops as opposed to the increasingly common flat variety. Not surprisingly, you can also expect to pay a bit of a premium over your average keyboard -- each model will set you back $150, with US models available today (UK, German and Nordic versions are promised for January). Interestingly, the company says it is also planning to sell the new switches it's developed to other companies for use in their own keyboards, and even to hobbyists interested in going the DIY route. Additional details on that are promised soon.
ROCCAT's new Kone Pure mouse streamlines things, while ISKU FX keyboard adds some color (hands-on)
ROCCAT's latest addition to its family of mice is the Kone Pure, toned down to 91 percent the size of the original Kone. Now both smaller and flatter, it's dropped the menu button above the four-direction scroll wheel, and that scroll wheel now goes only up and down. It's a trade-off, but ROCCAT has added a new 'easy shift' side trigger which it hopes will ameliorate that fall in the button-count. This acts as a mouse-based shift function and you can customize how all of the device's other buttons behave when the side-trigger is depressed. ROCCAT also threw in a new FX version of its ISKU keyboard here at Gamescom, adding some customizable color skills and upgraded keys that are far more legible when not backlit -- a common complaint with the original ISKU keyboard. Switching from black to white fittings under the keys has also improved the keys' visibility. Take a tour of both devices in the galleries, then jump after the break for a little more detail -- including a new prototype. %Gallery-162489% %Gallery-162507%
Ask Engadget: best sub-$150 mechanical keyboard?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Andrew, who wants to get a proper keyboard, for doing serious business on. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi, I'm thinking about getting a mechanical keyboard for my desktop. I'm a student so I'll need to do a bunch of word-processing and also moderate FPS gaming in the downtime. I've got a budget of $150 and prefer Cherry MX Blue and Brown switches, do you have any suggestions?" No "thank you?" Man, the kids of today. Anyway, it's a weird coincidence because we've also been pondering swapping out our chiclet daily-driver for something more serious. We played with Matias' One at CES, while Andrew himself has one eye on the Razer Blackwidow or the Das Model S Pro / Stealth. But that's us, what we want to know is what y'all out there are using when it comes to properly made keyboards -- stick your comments below and let's get this doing done.
Das Keyboard Model S mechanical keyboard heads to the Mac this April
We just got a look at one new mechanical keyboard designed for Macs at CES last week (Matias' Tactile One), and now we have word of another option for those who take their typing seriously. Das Keyboard confirmed today that a Mac version of its Model S Professional keyboard will be available on April 15th, and that you can pre-order it now for $113 (a 15% discount off its list price). It brings with it the same gold-plated mechanical key switches found on the existing Model S, but with the additional of all the keys you'd expect on a Mac-specific keyboard -- plus some other bonuses like a two-port USB hub and an instant sleep function. Unfortunately, Mac users looking to go truly minimalist with an Ultimate edition will either have to wait and hope that one's coming or break out some black paint.
Matias Tactile One, SlimOne hands-on (video)
We already covered the announcement of the new Matias tactile-keyboards but couldn't resist descending into the show floor in order to get a quick hands-on with the Canadian-made kit. The USB-powered boards contain a Bluetooth module and a physical button (with a blue LED) that you can switch between typing on your desktop and wirelessly to your device. The "Island-Style" SlimOne replicates the look and feel of the current Apple island-keyboard, but with scissor keys, which pleasantly resist your fingers. The '90s style Tactile One forces your hands to readjust back two-decades, but the mechanical board was a joy to use, with no lag between typing and it appearing on a compatible phone. After the break we've got a short video where we learn that retro keyboards can send people into such a frenzy that they forget to type the word "movie" correctly. Sean Buckley contributed to this report.
Matias One: hammer out an iPhone masterpiece on the best keyboard of the '90s
Between touch-screens and rubber-backed keyboards, we're getting further away from the tactile, mechanical keyboards we grew up with -- except for gamers, who have embraced mechanical keyboards for the improved response times and, of course, the great noise they make. Canadian peripherals maker Matias is adding to its line of Apple Extended Keyboard-inspired typing-decks with the Tactile One: with Bluetooth iPhone control. Imagine how fast (and how noisily) you'd be able to hammer out a text message on one of these things, because it's all we can do right now. A Mac / PC edition will be available in April for $200 and you can pre-order it from the store right now. There's PR after the break, if you really need some clicky-clacky convincing.
QPAD MK-85 gaming keyboard brings NKRO, Cherry MX switches, devilish red backlights
N-key rollover (NKRO) is the gaming equivalent of musical polyphony, except it's less about creating beautiful harmonies and more about meleeing that camper in the corner while taking evasive maneuvers, reloading your AK, barking orders at your unit, checking the map, calling in a chopper and emailing the office -- all at precisely the same time. If that sounds beautiful to you, then you might consider picking up QPAD's new MK-85 mechanical gaming keyboard, which delivers full NKRO, USB and audio hub functionality and individual blood-red LED backlights over a single USB cable. It also has non-tactile, non-audible Cherry MX Red switches and, of course, plenty of programmable keys. The MK-85 will be available from December priced at €149 ($200). Alternatively, you can opt for a stripped-down MK-50 for €80 ($106), which plays the same core melody but without some of the trills.
Razer BlackWidow Stealth keyboards keep the mechanical keys, ditch the noise
You know what's great? Mechanical keyboards -- what with their satisfying clicks. You know what's less awesome? Having to listen to that obnoxious racket all day. Razer claims you can have your cake (in this case, tactile feedback) and eat it too (blessed silence!) with its BlackWidow Stealth Editions. These are, more or less, the same boards that debuted last August, but with quieter switches and a matte finish. Both models are available now, with the same programmable keys and on-the-fly macro recording, while the Ultimate version adds "extreme anti-ghosting" to its already impressive noise pwnage. The standard model will run you a cool $80, while the Ultimate weighs in at a hefty $140. Check out the gallery below, as well as the PR and video after the break. %Gallery-132046%
Editorial: A less tactile future, and how to avoid it
For the past few weeks, I've been doing most of my typing on a Matias Tactile Pro 3 -- a mechanical keyboard that's much like the original Apple Extended or IBM Model M keyboards, in function, if not appearance. If you're not old enough to remember those, that means it relies on mechanical key switches instead of the rubber membrane used by most keyboards these days. You feel, and hear every key press -- and, after you've used one for a while, you'll be much more aware of the mushy alternative hiding under other keyboards, and likely find them quite unsatisfying. Mechanical keyboards have seen a slight resurgence as of late among gamers, who value their accuracy, but they mostly remain a niche product for folks like me -- writers who might also happen to collect manual typewriters, or coders who honed their skills to their familiar clickety-clack sound in the 80s and 90s. I bring this up because it's not just keyboards that have gotten less "tactile" in recent years, but computing and consumer electronics in general -- and that includes cellphones.
Razer BlackWidow Ultimate mechanical keyboard offers backlit, programmable keys
There are mechanical keyboards, and then there's Razer's newest duo. For the past three years, the gaming accessory company has been toiling in a back room trying to figure out how to really get mechanical keyboards right; according to it, the vast majority of the options today "feature stiff keys that cause key actuation fatigue," and it has sought to remedy said issue with the BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate. Launched today over at Gamescom, these two keyboards offer key actuation that feels much like a mouse click, with an actuation point that's actually halfway through the full travel distance. The company claims that its power-packin' pair has one of the lightest actuation forces for all keyboards, making it ideal for hardcore gamers who can't be bothered with missing a single keystroke. The standard BlackWidow offers up fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording as well as five additional gaming keys, while the Ultimate edition adds individually backlit keys with five levels of lighting, 3.5mm audio and microphone out jacks as well as an additional USB port. Both 'boards are due out next month for $79.99 / $129.99, respectively, and you can peek the full specs list in the press release just past the break.
SteelSeries debuts 6Gv2 mechanical gaming keyboard
The clickety-clack of a mechanical keyboard may not be for everyone, but there's a sizable group that will accept no substitute, and SteelSeries now has yet another model for them to consider in the form of its new 6Gv2 gaming keyboard. Nothing but business here, with the keyboard passing over things like media keys and a USB hub in favor of more performance-oriented features like 18-karat gold-plated mechanical switches, and "anti-ghosting" technology to give gamers every possible advantage. Still no firm word on a ship date, but you can get your pre-order in now for $99.99.
Das Keyboard Ultimate S unleashed for the tactile experience-loving typist
Das Keyboards are pretty well known for the tactile and auditory assault they delight fingers and ears with. Well, the mechanical Ultimate S -- an updated model which has just surfaced -- is just as tactile and noisy as all the other models, but it's also got a few added features, including two USB ports, an external PS / 2 adapter, plus full 'n' key rollover with PS / 2. The board is also KVM switch compatible, and of course, the keys are still blank. The keyboard is now shipping, and runs $129.[Thanks, Rocky]
