Das Keyboard Review
Das Keyboard Review
I love mechanical keyboards. I love the way my fingers spring off the keys, and I love the clickety-clack noise I make while I’m typing away--it’s the sound of productivity, as if I’m at The New York Times belting out a breaking story. Mechanical keyboards may not seem like they have a place in Apple’s scissor-key world, but once you start using the Das Keyboard, you’ll understand why it’s favored by gamers and programmers everywhere.
The minute I started using the Das Keyboard, there was a choir of audible groans around the office. It’s obnoxiously loud, because its gold-plated Cherry MX Blue switches propel each key to pop up immediately after you press it. But the keyboard’s tactile click gives it a lightning-fast response and makes it super comfortable to type with. Cherry MX Blue switches are considered the best for typing because they feel like your average keyboard.
The keys are farther apart than on the standard Apple keyboard, so your fingers will have to reach a bit more, and the Function (Fn) key is in a different spot than on an Apple keyboard (it’s in the lower-right corner between the Option and Control keys). You’ll also have to hold down the Fn key to adjust the brightness or use Exposé. You will, no doubt, produce a few typos while adjusting to the differences, but a little change is good sometimes.
The keyboard comes equipped with two USB 2.0 ports on the right side, which take two of your Mac’s USB ports to power up. Sadly, the ports don’t pack enough juice to charge any model of iPad, but the iPhone 4S reached full battery capacity in no time. The Das Keyboard is a great companion for a constantly docked MacBook Pro, but its full size makes it a silly choice for a mostly mobile setup.
The bottom line. Thank you, Das Keyboard. Thank you for welcoming Mac users into your special little mechanical world. If you can handle its gargantuan size taking over your desk, you will never go back to anything else.
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