Keyboards For Mac Reviews

| 20-04-2021
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Why use a mechanical keyboard?

As a professor, I spend most of my days typing on a keyboard. In fact, my hands probably touch my keyboard more than they touch anything else during the work day 1 . Yet, until recently, I had never given much thought to the type of keyboard that I used. Like many other things, I took the easy way out and accepted the keyboards manufacturers shipped with their products without questioning if those keyboards fit my needs or whether something better existed. This behavior is odd because I think deeply about the other components of the computers I use (e.g., display quality, amount of RAM, CPU speed). Somehow though, thinking that there could be a better way to get things into my computer never occurred to me which is why I have been using stock MacBook Pro keyboards and Magic Keyboards for over a decade. I have to admit that I was not unhappy with these keyboards 2; I just did not know that I could be having a better typing experience 3. That all changed when I heard Myke Hurley discuss getting the Keychron K2 mechanical keyboard 4 on an episode of the Cortex podcast and also learned that MKBHD had the same keyboard on hisdesk.

  1. Novation Launchkey Mini Mk3 MIDI keyboard. Novation’s Ableton-friendly supermini controller gets.
  2. Most TKL keyboards have almost full-size keys, which is helpful for typing accurately. Compact keyboard: Small keyboards are popular with smart TV users. Storing the compact keyboard is easier than storing a full-size or TKL keyboard. However, compact keyboards have little space between keys and the keys may be smaller than average.

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After doing a little research and getting sucked in by the YouTube algorithm, I knew I had to purchase a mechanical keyboard. I almost purchased the Keychron 2 as it seemed so highly rated, was wireless, small, had LED lighting, was priced well, and looked great. I had the purchase page open when I happened upon Das Keyboards web page that included a statement that noted they had an educational discount. This peaked my interest because, at the regular price point, the Das Keyboard 4 was more than I intended to spend. However, with the 20% educational discount, it was within my budget (i.e., I had to verify my educational status prior to purchase). After reviewing their web site and watching/reading some reviews, I knew that I wanted to purchase the Das Keyboard 4 professional despite its lack of LED lighting and wireless capabilities.

First Impressions

The keyboard was shipped the day after I ordered it and arrived four days later.

The first thing that struck me, even before the large size, was the heft of the keyboard. When I picked the package up to bring it in from the porch, I immediately noticed the weight of the keyboard (the keyboard is 2.9 lbs). The keyboard is extremely solid. You could use this as a weapon if you needed to. It has an aluminum front plate and may outlive me. The keyboard does not flex at all when twisting pressure is applied to its ends (i.e., this is called deck flex in the mechanical keyboard world).

The next thing that struck me was the feel of the key press. I chose the version of the keyboard with Cherry MX Blue Switches 5. I watched several YouTube videos on Keyboards and switches and each noted the feel and sound of the keys (which differ depending on the type of switches that you purchase with the MX Blues being the loudest and most tactile). The keys in my keyboard are certainly loud and clicky but, they are not as loud as I expected given the reviews online. I am happy that I chose the MX Blue switches over the Brown’s (which are like the Blue switches but are less clicky).

As noted on the box, the keyboard is plug-and-play. After plugging the keyboard in, macOS asked me to press the keys to the right and left of each shift key and it quickly identified the layout of the keyboard. That was it. After that, all the typical keys worked as they were intended. Within the first hour of use, I had this thought:

This keyboard is different than any other keyboard I have ever used—and that is a good thing.

Keyboard Features

RGB Lighting

Mechanical keyboards have the ability to be backlit. However, unlike most non-mechanical keyboard, their backlighting often has a single colored LED per key that can be controlled by the user call RGB lighting. This is a big deal for some people. I am not some people. Having an LED back lit keyboard seems fun and like something I would take if and only if it already came with the keyboard that I wanted to purchase. However, since I rarely type in unlit areas, RGB backlighting is a useless party trick. That said, I know that having LED backlighting is a big deal for some people so, if you are someone who prefers LED backlighting you may need to consider another Das Keyboard model or another keyboard that has full RGB lighting effects.

Media Keys

The Das Keyboard 4 comes with a set of media keys that control volume, allow muting of the currently playing content, and allow you to play, pause, skip forward, and skip backwards. When searching for a mechanical keyboard, media keys were not on my wishlist. However, after having the keyboard, I find myself using them all the time. They are extremely useful and I will be looking for media key functionality when I purchase my next keyboard. There is also a button in the media cluster that will instantly put your computer to sleep and another that will mute the volume of your computer. Again, these are not something that I would have asked for prior to buying this keyboard but, I have found them extremely useful so far and would be sad if they suddenly disappeared. In the end, your desire and use of these keys may vary but, I strongly encourage you not to discount their utility.

USB Hub

Logitech Wireless Keyboard For Mac

Just above the media keys on the back of the keyboard (the part that would typically face your computer screen) are two USB 3.0 ports. As with the media keys, this was not a prerequisite when I was looking for keyboards but, I have found them incredibly useful—especially if you have a MacBook Pro that only has USB Type-C ports. Because of the Das Keyboard 4 professional, I can use my USB 2.0 to USB Type-C adapter to power the keyboard while gaining two additional USB 3.0 ports with the keyboard 6.

Final Thoughts

By the end of writing this post, I have had the keyboard for a week. I can tell you that I am highly unlikely to ever go back to a non-mechanical keyboard again. This is partly because I know that it’s better for my hands and stands a good chance of making a faster and more accurate typist. But, the major reason that I am going to keep this keyboard is because it makes typing enjoyable. I never thought that would be something I would say but, this keyboard makes that a true statement. If typing is something that you do regularly, consider getting a mechanical keyboard. And, when you are looking, I strongly suggest giving the Das Keyboard line-up considerations. This keyboard has exceeded my expectations in almost every way and I am sure that it will do the same for you.

Other contenders:

MacWireless

Despite ultimately purchasing the Das Keyboard 4 professional for Mac, there were many other keyboards that I considered. Below are just some of the keyboards that were in contention.

Keyboards

Small Extra Notes

Best Wired Mac Keyboard

  • Destroy this web site: The Das Keyboard website has a game that you can play in which you use a keyboard to shoot things on their site (think astroids here). It is a fun addition.
  • The Das Keyboard 4 Professional (and most other models they sell) use a magnetically attached riser to place the keyboard at a more comfortable typing angle. The riser also doubles as a ruler.

Best Usb Keyboard For Mac

Best apple compatible keyboards

Best Wireless Keyboard For Mac

  1. My coffee cup is likely a close second. I have a pretty serious coffee addiction. Speaking of coffee, have you tried the AeroPress? It makes an amazing cup of coffee, is cheap, and has easy clean up. ↩
  2. To be fair, Apples Magic Keyboards and most of their laptop keyboards are modern marvels given the design constraints they are working within. However, they are not amazing typing instruments. ↩
  3. Mechanical keyboards are thought to increase your typing speed and provide a more comfortable typing experience that should reduce repetitive strain injuries across time. At the time of writing this post, I have only had the keyboard for four days so I can only vouch that the experience of typing is significantly better and that the keyboard has increased my typing speed. Within an hour after receiving the keyboard, and on my first typing speed test using the new keyboard, I matched my top performance using Apples Magic Keyboard which I had been using for years and which took me many tries to achieve that score. I expect my typing speed to consistently increase across time. ↩
  4. If you are unfamiliar with the difference between mechanical keyboards and non-mechanical keyboards, I suggest reading this article. It does a great job of discussing the differences and potential benefits. ↩
  5. Part of the allure of mechanical keyboard is that the switches underneath the key caps can be customized to suite your tastes. The typical switches range from short and silent to deep, tactical, and clickey. The most common switches are called Cherry MX switches. The feel and sound of these switches are dictated by the color and sound of the switch. Read this article for a more detailed description. ↩
  6. I am not sure how useful this will be when I am working from my office again but, I am forced to work from home now because of the COVID-19 pandemic and I only have one adapter. So, having the USB 3.0 ports at the top of the keyboard has been extremely helpful in allowing me the flexibility to charge my phone, Apple Watch, AirPods Pro, and connect my USB microphone for Zoom lectures while sitting at my desk. Without these ports, I would not be able to do this while also having my keyboard plugged in. This would require finding a different power source in the house. ↩