I know how this guy feels. Never a gift for dad....until this year for me...my son bought me Tarkov. Edit: to those wondering, I built a PC for my 12yr old (and me, dont tell him) with help from my 20yr old son. My oldest son said to me "what game do you want I will get it for xmas for you"
Tbf fully speced is 99$ and you get tonshit of features which you can't even find for double that price. Plus they have a slim version which is pretty much a unique offering
Thank you guys, for continuing to review 100+ key options. The market is super saturated with 60% and 75% boards, and it has become very difficult to find a nice full size variant for those of us who actually need a tenkey for a daily driver.
@@vovical yeah, as a programmer I absolutely love 75% because the numpad is useless. But the options are super limited, I'm still stuck with my k2v2. Especially in my country, it's seemingly difficult to get a hands on 75% options where everything is smushed together allowing minimal wrist travel (my friends don't seem to get that this is ideal for programming, being able to reach all the keys without moving your arms.. Also for RTS like Starcraft 2 it feels godlike being able to reach the function keys while holding control with the ball of your pinky finger).
@@sloppyprogrammer4373 I wish to use a small keyboard, but is impossible for 3D modelling and rendering ): I have the option to get one numpad separately, but I dont like how it looks
I am a satisfied customer of this video's sponsor. Volta cables are exactly as advertised and I love them. I have three cables; a long one for my controllers, a medium for charging my phone, tablet and kindle, and a little short one in my car to plug my phone in. Highly recommended, well worth the money. Just make sure you select the correct tips for your devices.
@@harryyyyyyyyyyy7273 To an extent, yeah. I still love LTT as a whole, but their keyboard reviews and unboxings are just not up there. Hamaji Neo review this keyboard pls
@@spxctreofficial Ye I like em as a whole, and in terms of what they are good at, they are really good at it, but keyboards jus dont seem to be it for them. But it is defo what HN is good at and yes plz review the keyboard Hamaji. And he also reviews watches now.
Years ago I was looking for a keyboard with this layout for months and all I could find was a very expensive kit you had to special order and build yourself. I am glad that more people can get these now, hopefully they appreciate the additional mouse space they get without losing the numpad. I noticed that I didn't actually need one, and with the limited options back then, ended up with a Drevo Gramr. Very good value, but I do kind of wish this was for sale back then.
I would NOT count this as a 96% even if it does have 96% of the keys, the spacing is just crap. this is a laptop layout, which is fine for on the go, but I personally can't stand anything less than a full keyboard on my desktop. Besides I think he meant 60% as in size. Even though it is bigger.
Yes. Easy solution for those who buy 5 pin switches is to just cut the plastic stability legs off one single key. That's what I did when I switched the crystal jades
don't get bamboozled by the aluminum frame option, btw-it isn't a full aluminum case; it's still the same old plastic case from the other models, just with four pieces of aluminum around the sides. You can take them off by removing two torx screws on the left and the right and then sliding the front and back pieces off.
@@woobilicious. The aluminium made the keyboard more rigid and has less flex. And if you remove the aluminium, it's basically the non aluminium version
I have a few of the Keychrons myself, great keyboards. ONLY issue is they stopped making the all black versions and are now going strictly retro inspired for their flat keys. And at the time, flat keycaps were nearly impossible to find since only a couple of mechanical keyboard companies were making those kinds of keyboards.
I have the K8 version of this and I love it, especially since it's the only affordable mechanical keyboard that is ISO, Hot-swappable, RGB AND Aluminium (with wireless as a bonus), for a pretty nice price. Hotswap makes it easy to mod too if you wanna get into more custom mechs (like me)
@@Scofaa there are 2 main reasons, 1 is its a Glarses meme, but more importantly, 2, MX Browns are a sad excuse for a tactile switch. Almost no tactile bump, but enough tactile bump to make it not smooth. They don't really know what they wanna be. Its not really brand or class based, Gateron yellows are pretty great switches and MX Reds are pretty great switches for example. MX Browns just hit a sweet spot of suck, lol
@@USEC3 What @James Orrell said, but also you have to admit that the way society treats men's shirts is not the same as the way they treat women's shirts. Men frequently remove their shirts in public places and it's considered acceptable, but the same scenario is significantly less common for women. Not saying it SHOULD be that way, but it IS that way currently.
Hey guys, great video. Quick feedback: I'd like to see you start including in your videos on keyboards mentions of available layouts. Because for a lot of international or multilingual users products like this that check almost all of the boxes are still not an option because they don't sell their layout. You have enough of a market influence to start pushing for some change in the industry and give international dealers other options over the usual available suspects like razer, corsair,... And by layout I mean more than just QWERTY vs ASERTY, etc. There are multiple versions of QWERTY featuring language specific characters and symbols.
I live in Sweden and have used US-layout-keycaps for years, as I found a keycap set that was blank on top and had the characters on the bottom sides, kind of like they come standard on the QuickFire Stealth. And honestly, it's no big deal. It might be a little bit weird at first if you don't know the layout by heart but if you just get used to it it's fine.
I mostly wouldn't even mind using my local keyboard setup with an ANSI keyboard, but ANSI simply has one key less then ISO which is annoying because for my German layout, what's missing is... . Which is important for your web dev haha
for mac users this is generally a non issue since a long press on each individual key will give you its special characters to pick from on a menu. I've been wishing Microsoft would implement something like that on Windows for years now, seriously.
I've got the K2 which is the 60% version of this keyboard. I absolutely love it since it's so small. Key spacing is tighter than I'm used to but it's not really an issue. It's nice and comfortable and the RGB lighting is surprisingly nice looking.
I got a K4 from them around the middle of last year. Very easy to use with my different devices and battery lasts like 5-6 days of 12+hours use with backlights on. This was my first hotswappable keyboard, however, and I ended up taking unscrewing the assembly my first time around to make sure I wasn't pulling too hard when swapping.
Love the 1800 layout. Actually had a K4. Keyword here is "had". It's okay, and if you're big on the wireless aspects, it's solid. Same for the Mac support. I had the aluminium case, full RGB, version, with Gateron browns. There are much better options. The main problem is the complete lack of QMK support, or really, programability. Outside of that shortfall, the stock keycaps are bad. The whole thing has a cheaper feel to it. Biggest plus here, is the price. You get a lot for the price. It is Mac centric. Keycaps out of the box are Mac; though you get Windows keys in the box. If you're a Linux person, you're going to have problems; it has issues with bluetooth in Linux, and even with just a USB connection. The Melody 96 is a much better keyboard, with full QMK support, can be had in a hotswap configuration, or a solder configuration. It will cost you more, but you get the same form factor, you build it with your switches and keycaps, and the aluminium case is solid, heavy, and available in several colours. Overall it is a much better keyboard. If you don't mind spending a little more, the Drop Shift, from Massdrop, is the same layout, a little larger, and a superior keyboard in every way. The only downside here is that neither of these is bluetooth. Personally don't need bluetooth, so that is not an issue for me. On a budget, the K4 is a good choice as a gateway to mech boards in the 1800 layout. I sold my K4 after light usage, to a young fella looking to get his first mech board. He was thrilled to get a full mechanical board with full RGB backlighting, and hotswap sockets.
when you do keyboard reviews and showcases, could you show a more standard 108-key layout to see a size comparison? I understand that the keycaps themselves are roughly a standard size but I would like to see how this keyboard's size compares to a normal one
Yeah, it's a "96%", or 75% + numpad. Quite a rare layout, I wish it was the default for all keyboards. Almost all of the keys with less wasted desk space.
Yeah, how dare he use common terminology that a lot of not keyboard fans would understand to tell us the keyboard is compact! They know nothing about anything
For those who care these also come with prelubed stablizers and preclipped stablizers. They also have keyboards starting from around 45USD but they charge 20USD for shipping.
These are my thoughts for this keyboard. Read it if you're considering to buy it or not. I'll keep it short and i'll reply to questions I am able to answer: - You'll more than likely need a wrist rest for this keyboard. The body is really high without being in an elevated position and even higher when it has been elevated. So if you don't have one, cosider one. - The keycaps feel a little cheap, but are definitely serviceable. As said in the video, the font is thin but they do work fairly well - There are no extra keycaps you can buy for this keyboard from Keychron that will fit all the keys for this keyboard - I have been using the keyboard wired almost exclusively and the latency isn't noticeable. It works pretty well - Keys feel great and they are a little smoother than the MX Browns - The keys work great on MacOS and, while I haven't used it on Windows, I don't think you'd have a problem. - The orange is VERY noticeable. It's like a signature thing of the keyboard but for whatever reason, it REALLY stands out. Perhaps it's because it is the ONLY other color to distinguish it. - There are 3 levels of elevation: flat, semi-raised, and fully-raised I have used the first version of this and I can compare them: - The key colors are different, the 2nd version is better than the 1st version - The key caps on the 2nd version are a little sharper than the 1st version and honestly a little "cheaper" feeling - The 1st version had 3 indicator lights on the top right, right above the numpad to indicate the connection status, the charging status, and something else (I never paid attention to that one, it never lit up, I think it was bluetooth). That charging light would be bright green and while a little distracting, it gave a good indication on whether or not it was connected. - The first version did feel a little bit heavier than the second version, but that may be false because I didn't have both keyboards at the same time.
is the body height the same on both the first and the second version? I didn't buy the first one because i read about the crazy height, but I was wondering if the new one is improved at all, or is the same, really high position as before
For anyone curious: If you want to vastly improve the quality of a Keychron board, buy some nicer switches and some 1/8 inch neoprene foam sheet. Line the foam sheet under the PCB (circuitboard) and around the battery as to not compress the battery. This way, you'll get a much less hollow-sounding board, and hopefully the nicer switches rattle less (or just lube your gaterons). The process should cost $60-70 and an hour or less. If you decide to lube your gaterons, it'll cost you around $20 and a few hours of your time.
I actually got one of these last Christmas, the combo of being as compact as a tenkeyless while having a numpad, with hotswappable switches, with rgb (though not programmable sadly), no obnoxious branding anywhere, with both wired and multi device bluetooth functionality, and that nice clean gray and black design makes it a really nice package That said, finding full keycap sets of good quality or obscure designs is a nightmare
Update. My keyboard arrived. It is great and nice to type on. I get the basic with white back light and brown switches. Keychron were great and it arrived in Australia 8 days after ordering. Thanks James for the review.
I really appreciate how Keychron has been continuously improving their keyboards, though the one of theirs that I prefer is the K1, which is a low-profile tenkeyless design that is intentionally designed with Mac systems in mind. I had K1 (2nd-generation, I think) for a while, though the key switches on that were way too sensitive. Last year, I replaced that with a 4th-gen K1, which I've been quite happy with. I use it with a MacBook rather than relying on the laptop's built-in keyboard.
laptops keyboards are never good. ever. they should just make laptops into tablets, with a standardized keyboard attachment port to do the hinge movement. I wouldn't care if each weren't the same size. You don't need them to be.
@@Tugennov I don’t have this model keyboard since my is a K2 version 1 with soldered key switches. I also did not get the aluminum body and went with the plastic (I don’t mind and it’s been really great). Been looking at the K8 hot swappable version but I am holding it off because of the supply chain issue and backlog at the Port of Los Angeles/ Long Beach, California.
I got this keyboard a month ago and this is the best keyboard I have ever owned. I can highly recommend this to anyone looking for a wireless mechanical keyboard for both mac and windows.
I went to this website and fill in my address in English. It took me a lot of effort to pay for the order. And finally, the goods were delivered from Shenzhen, and I just live in Shenzhen.
@@TooFurious4 Right, but they cost more on Amazon if I remember correctly. On the other hand, if you decide to buy it from the official store, the price is cheaper but then there's like a $20 shipping fee, so it's not as cheap as one might think at first.
got the K6 for my birthday yesterday! the aluminum frame is removable and thus customizable so i am looking forward to making this little thing my own. highly recommend!!
wel yeh, because deck flex does not matter that much really, unless you are someone who constantly smashes around their keyboard or uses it to hunt down burglars... in which case you probably don't care enough about your keyboard to care about deck-flex anyways.
its really not that common for mechanical keyboards, its more for laptops, and for r/mk most of them use custom keebs and those are way more premium to have a deck flex problem. In fact most half-decent mechanical keyboard doesn't have that problem
After using the keyboard for a couple of weeks now, I have to say it works really well. To have numpad included is very valuable for me and there aren't many layouts. However, the arrow keys (while it's also a must to have them) do not fit as nicely as I thought. For one you have to relearn to touch the right side of numpad 0, because the right arrow key eats into its space. In addition, the up arrow key eats into the space of the right shift, so you have to relearn to hit the right side of it, instead of the left. Overall, I'd wish there was a haptic difference in the arrow key caps, like a different texture or some other signs, because hitting them correctly takes a bit of time and training. The keyboard has locked up two times in Bluetooth mode and which was resolved by turning on/off. Overall, I feel the layout is a compromise, but given that it saves so much space I think it's a good compromise.
I have the low-profile version (the K1) and can definitely attest to the quality and functionality of the keyboard! Adjustable settings and lighting built into the keyboard, Bluetooth and wired capabilities, and compatibility with Windows and MacOS. The keyboard is very comfortable and the switches are what you would expect. Keycaps are concave and smooth to the touch. Best of all the price is extremely competitive ranging from $60-100 depending on your model and configuration.
Though the website and overall experience is nice, be aware these are sent from China. I got the Keycron K1 because it is the only one with low profile red and full 104 layout. Keyboard's bluetooth is problematic and their support is actually the usual bamboozeling which ends up with giving up. Keyboard doesn't work well with bluethooth dongles on desktops which have broadcom chips and they also said to me that the aluminium base impedes with the range of the bluethooth signal.
@@EliteSniperTV that's exactly my point.(for an exa) don't buy fancy expansive furniture,you need a table for your PC,make it. your size you color, shove in your cables your speaker. more comfortable, more cheap, more flexible and more (actual) wood for you to play with.
I love that there are options out there like this. I don't know if I could ever go back to a non ergonomic keyboard without some kind of mouse built in, myself... Wish there were more ergonomic options for gamers...
I have this keyboard with browns and an aluminum frame. I absolutely love it. Had the 60% once upon a time but vastly prefer this version (closer to full size) for my daily use.
I have the low profile version and it is amazing. The typing experience is amazing, the lighting is amazing, the BT connection is GOOD and the batterylife is amazing
I am a happy owner of the V1. Battery life is amazing, quality is superb. The only problem is linux bluetooth connection (not sure whether it is related to this keyboard specifically). For this price you cannot find anything better (I suggest buying the base version).
Ikke from the future here. White light is a balanced mix of the different colors, there is no single light wave that is white, so if the rgb lights with all the colors equally it should be the exact same energy as white light of the same amplitude. I'm guessing the increased complexity of the electronics to control the rgb leads to more energy loss to heat on the way to the diodes. Blue light is more energy dense than red though
3:00 the 3 rgb LEDs working together but with less current through each LED makes them more efficient lm/watt-wise. But the lower forward voltage of red and green LEDs is also a factor
I'm so happy I bought this keyboard, the shipping cost from their ali-express store is much cheaper. (I paid a total of 125$ instead of 144$) I think the hot-swap RGB model is sold out.
Highly recommend keychron! My K2 has held up beautifully! Best keyboard out there that is RGB, Bluetooth, and Mechanical, and for those who don't need a numpad!
So many people here are for some reason under the impression that Cherry is better than Gateron... Some of my favorite switches are gats and I’ve never had a good experience with Cherry thus far so I have no idea where that myth came from
@@TomYourmombadil cherry is just the standard, not the best but the base line of good quality. Other then that its just what folks know, I mean they've been around since the dawn of computing. But then again, different strokes for different folks. Its all subjective. Though recently gat's, Kalih, and others have been getting way more attraction from the pc userbase.
@@Enixious99 The thing is that back in the day, Cherry used to have both the most reliable switch manufacturing process (which is pretty important for OEM keyboard manufacturers, since they need consistency in their products) and thanks to their history as an automobile parts producer also the capacity needed to put out a lot of switches. They had personal contacts with a lot of American pc brands, back then dominant on the market (because yes, Cherry was actually founded in the USA, not Germany, fun fact there), making their patented switches a dominant factor in the 90's and early 2000's.
![Hunxho - Ball Forever [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nki9ZTF9Uls/mqdefault.jpg)
I know how this guy feels. Never a gift for dad....until this year for me...my son bought me Tarkov.
Edit: to those wondering, I built a PC for my 12yr old (and me, dont tell him) with help from my 20yr old son. My oldest son said to me "what game do you want I will get it for xmas for you"
Is it fun?
@@Ikxi i recently bought it and even though it has a learning curve i like it
Nice one Paul...
Bruh tarkov is the best title
opachki
James: “68 > 72”
Exactly!
It's difficult lookin this fly clearly.
Yup, I was confused about that.
yeah I had to rewind a check, hes not so smart
Not crazy. Thought I heard that wrong
If you keep adding 10$ more, eventually you' can buy anything that's for sale
Tbf fully speced is 99$ and you get tonshit of features which you can't even find for double that price. Plus they have a slim version which is pretty much a unique offering
Lmao
@@C22Raptor **a few years later** and for $10 more you can buy IBM just to create more IBM keyboards
@@yookojo7538 **a few decades later** and for $10 more you can monopolize the whole world's governments and own every keyboard on earth
@@infernus6278 slim keyboards are A+. have the logitech version myself
Thank you guys, for continuing to review 100+ key options. The market is super saturated with 60% and 75% boards, and it has become very difficult to find a nice full size variant for those of us who actually need a tenkey for a daily driver.
funny enough this one was actually 96...
60 and 65 maybe. Pretty limited in 75. Unless you mean TKL
This is the superior keyboard format and thank god manufacturers are finally taking notice.
@@vovical yeah, as a programmer I absolutely love 75% because the numpad is useless. But the options are super limited, I'm still stuck with my k2v2. Especially in my country, it's seemingly difficult to get a hands on 75% options where everything is smushed together allowing minimal wrist travel (my friends don't seem to get that this is ideal for programming, being able to reach all the keys without moving your arms.. Also for RTS like Starcraft 2 it feels godlike being able to reach the function keys while holding control with the ball of your pinky finger).
@@sloppyprogrammer4373 I wish to use a small keyboard, but is impossible for 3D modelling and rendering ):
I have the option to get one numpad separately, but I dont like how it looks
I am a satisfied customer of this video's sponsor. Volta cables are exactly as advertised and I love them. I have three cables; a long one for my controllers, a medium for charging my phone, tablet and kindle, and a little short one in my car to plug my phone in. Highly recommended, well worth the money. Just make sure you select the correct tips for your devices.
"She is a stiff boi." -James 2021
thought of that as well lol
Welcome to Thailand!
"No deck flex" That's not what I heard at first..
Kratos approves. Boi.
@@Dyloniuss i laughed more than I should
Aaaawww James deserves some dad gifts
Im sure he has his own money and can buy himself whatever gadgets and stuff he wants
im pretty sure they get to keep the things they unbox on shortcircuit
@@user-le4bx1jw3f Almost never. Even if LTT gets to keep something James doesn't personally get to take it.
You should hear what he has to say about his kid 😆 🤣 😂
@@Lord_Humungus yeah, but that isn't the same thing as getting something as a gift.
“I am a dad. So nobody got me anything for Christmas” i am deeply sorry...
@Martin Teran not even one gift. How could they
@Martin Teran hell yeah I've got a CV1 and it's still working like a champ. Pavlov VR is by far my favorite game
....i got underwear...
That's cuz you get that on Father's day
i love giving kids diabetes
4:07 *holds a switch*
“this Gateron keycap”
*pain*
3:44
"I guess they [probably Keychron] went with Linus' favorites and gave us Browns."
*suffering*
I honestly struggle to watch any LTT keyboard content anymore
@@harryyyyyyyyyyy7273 To an extent, yeah. I still love LTT as a whole, but their keyboard reviews and unboxings are just not up there.
Hamaji Neo review this keyboard pls
@@spxctreofficial Ye I like em as a whole, and in terms of what they are good at, they are really good at it, but keyboards jus dont seem to be it for them. But it is defo what HN is good at and yes plz review the keyboard Hamaji. And he also reviews watches now.
@@harryyyyyyyyyyy7273 Definitely.
Years ago I was looking for a keyboard with this layout for months and all I could find was a very expensive kit you had to special order and build yourself.
I am glad that more people can get these now, hopefully they appreciate the additional mouse space they get without losing the numpad.
I noticed that I didn't actually need one, and with the limited options back then, ended up with a Drevo Gramr. Very good value, but I do kind of wish this was for sale back then.
"its kind like 60%, but with numpad"
yeah, and with F keys
its 96%
literally says on the box
Yeh... the scriptwriter for this wasn't the brightest mind out there.
I think he means in overall size. It is noticeably smaller than a traditional keyboard that has a LOT of wasted space.
@Bryce Aliffi or get anything right at all
I think the purpose of this channel is not to have scripts
I would NOT count this as a 96% even if it does have 96% of the keys, the spacing is just crap. this is a laptop layout, which is fine for on the go, but I personally can't stand anything less than a full keyboard on my desktop. Besides I think he meant 60% as in size. Even though it is bigger.
The reason for the different tilde key is probably because the charging port is located there.
Yes. Easy solution for those who buy 5 pin switches is to just cut the plastic stability legs off one single key. That's what I did when I switched the crystal jades
"If you ever see people with painted nails that have a featured nail...."
Max
Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller paints one nail.
"She is a stiff boy"
-james.
When I heard him say that I was like: Surely someone already made fun of him for saying that.
@Owen Hill genderfluid
Astolfo intensifies
don't get bamboozled by the aluminum frame option, btw-it isn't a full aluminum case; it's still the same old plastic case from the other models, just with four pieces of aluminum around the sides. You can take them off by removing two torx screws on the left and the right and then sliding the front and back pieces off.
Wish I didn't read this but I'm glad I know now for when I get another one
So are they just cosmetic, not structural?
@@woobilicious. The full plastic has pretty bad flex, the alu frame removed that. The board just feels a whole lot more solid with it.
@@woobilicious. The aluminium made the keyboard more rigid and has less flex. And if you remove the aluminium, it's basically the non aluminium version
Still pretty stable though, it showed no flex in the video so I'm fine
I see ShortCircuit more than I see my friends these days
Wow you have friends?
@@Derpington9821 wow you don’t have friends?
At least u have some...
I see copy and paste comment more than i see my friends these days
Damn. Lucky. You got friends dude
1:24 penguin spotted! 😛
Finally, Keychron getting some love!! The K2 Aluminum RGB version is also nice!
@KingInTheNorth probably, next time. I don’t have the money to afford a custom keyboard that I like yet.
I have a few of the Keychrons myself, great keyboards. ONLY issue is they stopped making the all black versions and are now going strictly retro inspired for their flat keys. And at the time, flat keycaps were nearly impossible to find since only a couple of mechanical keyboard companies were making those kinds of keyboards.
I got my dad a car for Christmas one year
a model car, but I was still very proud, and he kept it on display lmao
I have the K8 version of this and I love it, especially since it's the only affordable mechanical keyboard that is ISO, Hot-swappable, RGB AND Aluminium (with wireless as a bonus), for a pretty nice price. Hotswap makes it easy to mod too if you wanna get into more custom mechs (like me)
The sound of disgust in James' voice when he mentions MX Browns lol
@@mikeycrackson noob question, why do people hate browns? Is it because of mx or the brown switch regardless of brand?
@@Scofaa Because brows are just scratchy reds...
@@Scofaa there are 2 main reasons, 1 is its a Glarses meme, but more importantly, 2, MX Browns are a sad excuse for a tactile switch. Almost no tactile bump, but enough tactile bump to make it not smooth. They don't really know what they wanna be. Its not really brand or class based, Gateron yellows are pretty great switches and MX Reds are pretty great switches for example. MX Browns just hit a sweet spot of suck, lol
@@SamuraiHuey the k4 isn't sold with cherry switches
I have MX browns and I wouldn't want it any other way. Slightly clicky without being annoying.
0/10. James kept his shirt on.
Does this reference a certain techlinked video?
@@sietsedegrande213 I wish it was in reference to every techlinked video
Now imagine people wrote this when Sarah was on the video.. imagine the outrage
@@USEC3 that’s because this comment is in good humour and matches the comedy that James frequently displays.
@@USEC3 What @James Orrell said, but also you have to admit that the way society treats men's shirts is not the same as the way they treat women's shirts. Men frequently remove their shirts in public places and it's considered acceptable, but the same scenario is significantly less common for women. Not saying it SHOULD be that way, but it IS that way currently.
"I'm a dad, so nobody got me anything for Christmas"
Truth has been spoken. :D
Hey guys, great video. Quick feedback:
I'd like to see you start including in your videos on keyboards mentions of available layouts. Because for a lot of international or multilingual users products like this that check almost all of the boxes are still not an option because they don't sell their layout.
You have enough of a market influence to start pushing for some change in the industry and give international dealers other options over the usual available suspects like razer, corsair,...
And by layout I mean more than just QWERTY vs ASERTY, etc. There are multiple versions of QWERTY featuring language specific characters and symbols.
This!
I live in Sweden and have used US-layout-keycaps for years, as I found a keycap set that was blank on top and had the characters on the bottom sides, kind of like they come standard on the QuickFire Stealth. And honestly, it's no big deal. It might be a little bit weird at first if you don't know the layout by heart but if you just get used to it it's fine.
I mostly wouldn't even mind using my local keyboard setup with an ANSI keyboard, but ANSI simply has one key less then ISO which is annoying because for my German layout, what's missing is... . Which is important for your web dev haha
for mac users this is generally a non issue since a long press on each individual key will give you its special characters to pick from on a menu. I've been wishing Microsoft would implement something like that on Windows for years now, seriously.
I feel like he is probably one of the best dads ever.
“Probably”
They make a like 60% one but with arrow keys too.
I've got the K2 which is the 60% version of this keyboard. I absolutely love it since it's so small. Key spacing is tighter than I'm used to but it's not really an issue. It's nice and comfortable and the RGB lighting is surprisingly nice looking.
"I am a dad so no one got a gift for Christmas " i can feel that
Louie Anderson did a sketch about that. As a kid he would steal his dad's tools and give them back to him as a Christmas present 🤣.
@@CheapBastard1988 We couldn't do that. Dad lost them before we could steal them. I blame his method of tool organization.
My Keychron K4 V2 just arrived and so far I am loving it
I got a K4 from them around the middle of last year. Very easy to use with my different devices and battery lasts like 5-6 days of 12+hours use with backlights on. This was my first hotswappable keyboard, however, and I ended up taking unscrewing the assembly my first time around to make sure I wasn't pulling too hard when swapping.
Love the 1800 layout. Actually had a K4. Keyword here is "had". It's okay, and if you're big on the wireless aspects, it's solid. Same for the Mac support. I had the aluminium case, full RGB, version, with Gateron browns. There are much better options. The main problem is the complete lack of QMK support, or really, programability. Outside of that shortfall, the stock keycaps are bad. The whole thing has a cheaper feel to it. Biggest plus here, is the price. You get a lot for the price. It is Mac centric. Keycaps out of the box are Mac; though you get Windows keys in the box. If you're a Linux person, you're going to have problems; it has issues with bluetooth in Linux, and even with just a USB connection.
The Melody 96 is a much better keyboard, with full QMK support, can be had in a hotswap configuration, or a solder configuration. It will cost you more, but you get the same form factor, you build it with your switches and keycaps, and the aluminium case is solid, heavy, and available in several colours. Overall it is a much better keyboard. If you don't mind spending a little more, the Drop Shift, from Massdrop, is the same layout, a little larger, and a superior keyboard in every way. The only downside here is that neither of these is bluetooth. Personally don't need bluetooth, so that is not an issue for me.
On a budget, the K4 is a good choice as a gateway to mech boards in the 1800 layout. I sold my K4 after light usage, to a young fella looking to get his first mech board. He was thrilled to get a full mechanical board with full RGB backlighting, and hotswap sockets.
Thank you! It's tough finding fully-featured keyboard options for Linux, especially one with a dial.
when you do keyboard reviews and showcases, could you show a more standard 108-key layout to see a size comparison? I understand that the keycaps themselves are roughly a standard size but I would like to see how this keyboard's size compares to a normal one
"It's like a 60%" except, well... different in about every way.
Yeah, it's a "96%", or 75% + numpad.
Quite a rare layout, I wish it was the default for all keyboards. Almost all of the keys with less wasted desk space.
its like he doesnt understand about keeb...
You got his point stfu
Yeah, how dare he use common terminology that a lot of not keyboard fans would understand to tell us the keyboard is compact! They know nothing about anything
For those who care these also come with prelubed stablizers and preclipped stablizers. They also have keyboards starting from around 45USD but they charge 20USD for shipping.
I've had the K4 for a good little while now and I've loved everything about it. I'm glad it's getting some recognition
ts not too high for you?
These are my thoughts for this keyboard. Read it if you're considering to buy it or not. I'll keep it short and i'll reply to questions I am able to answer:
- You'll more than likely need a wrist rest for this keyboard. The body is really high without being in an elevated position and even higher when it has been elevated. So if you don't have one, cosider one.
- The keycaps feel a little cheap, but are definitely serviceable. As said in the video, the font is thin but they do work fairly well
- There are no extra keycaps you can buy for this keyboard from Keychron that will fit all the keys for this keyboard
- I have been using the keyboard wired almost exclusively and the latency isn't noticeable. It works pretty well
- Keys feel great and they are a little smoother than the MX Browns
- The keys work great on MacOS and, while I haven't used it on Windows, I don't think you'd have a problem.
- The orange is VERY noticeable. It's like a signature thing of the keyboard but for whatever reason, it REALLY stands out. Perhaps it's because it is the ONLY other color to distinguish it.
- There are 3 levels of elevation: flat, semi-raised, and fully-raised
I have used the first version of this and I can compare them:
- The key colors are different, the 2nd version is better than the 1st version
- The key caps on the 2nd version are a little sharper than the 1st version and honestly a little "cheaper" feeling
- The 1st version had 3 indicator lights on the top right, right above the numpad to indicate the connection status, the charging status, and something else (I never paid attention to that one, it never lit up, I think it was bluetooth). That charging light would be bright green and while a little distracting, it gave a good indication on whether or not it was connected.
- The first version did feel a little bit heavier than the second version, but that may be false because I didn't have both keyboards at the same time.
is the body height the same on both the first and the second version? I didn't buy the first one because i read about the crazy height, but I was wondering if the new one is improved at all, or is the same, really high position as before
@@user-hr9zv1mz5g it's about the same. You will need a wrist rest to use this keyboard
For anyone curious:
If you want to vastly improve the quality of a Keychron board, buy some nicer switches and some 1/8 inch neoprene foam sheet. Line the foam sheet under the PCB (circuitboard) and around the battery as to not compress the battery.
This way, you'll get a much less hollow-sounding board, and hopefully the nicer switches rattle less (or just lube your gaterons). The process should cost $60-70 and an hour or less. If you decide to lube your gaterons, it'll cost you around $20 and a few hours of your time.
When you realise christmas is almost a month ago and he is mourning now
I actually got one of these last Christmas, the combo of being as compact as a tenkeyless while having a numpad, with hotswappable switches, with rgb (though not programmable sadly), no obnoxious branding anywhere, with both wired and multi device bluetooth functionality, and that nice clean gray and black design makes it a really nice package
That said, finding full keycap sets of good quality or obscure designs is a nightmare
Update. My keyboard arrived. It is great and nice to type on. I get the basic with white back light and brown switches. Keychron were great and it arrived in Australia 8 days after ordering. Thanks James for the review.
Most True statement ever "I am dad, so nobody got me anything for Christmas"
I really appreciate how Keychron has been continuously improving their keyboards, though the one of theirs that I prefer is the K1, which is a low-profile tenkeyless design that is intentionally designed with Mac systems in mind. I had K1 (2nd-generation, I think) for a while, though the key switches on that were way too sensitive. Last year, I replaced that with a 4th-gen K1, which I've been quite happy with. I use it with a MacBook rather than relying on the laptop's built-in keyboard.
laptops keyboards are never good. ever.
they should just make laptops into tablets, with a standardized keyboard attachment port to do the hinge movement. I wouldn't care if each weren't the same size. You don't need them to be.
Thank you James for finally doing a Keychron keyboard review! I absolutely love my K2 Keychron for my Mac and going to buy the K4 v2 very soon!
Does the number lock really not work on Mac like is mentioned in the video? If so, how do you use the keypad?
@@Tugennov I don’t have this model keyboard since my is a K2 version 1 with soldered key switches. I also did not get the aluminum body and went with the plastic (I don’t mind and it’s been really great). Been looking at the K8 hot swappable version but I am holding it off because of the supply chain issue and backlog at the Port of Los Angeles/ Long Beach, California.
@@darkpepsi Thank for getting back to me. Cheers.
I got this keyboard a month ago and this is the best keyboard I have ever owned. I can highly recommend this to anyone looking for a wireless mechanical keyboard for both mac and windows.
I went to this website and fill in my address in English. It took me a lot of effort to pay for the order. And finally, the goods were delivered from Shenzhen, and I just live in Shenzhen.
"its like a 60%" - James. LOL!!!!
it's*
Don't forget about the shipping costs when looking at the price!
These keyboards are on Amazon Prime
@@TooFurious4 Right, but they cost more on Amazon if I remember correctly.
On the other hand, if you decide to buy it from the official store, the price is cheaper but then there's like a $20 shipping fee, so it's not as cheap as one might think at first.
@@EdgarLee-ig1ue They're like $4 more on Amazon.
I wish there were more keyboard layouts for this.
got the K6 for my birthday yesterday! the aluminum frame is removable and thus customizable so i am looking forward to making this little thing my own. highly recommend!!
Got their K1V4 low profile keyboard and love it. I just love how the keycaps are so reflective than expected, the RGB really shines.
She is a stiff boi - father salty that he doesn't get Christmas gifts.
I love how “deck flex” is a common evaluation of keyboards on ltt but literally doesnt exist on r/mk
wel yeh, because deck flex does not matter that much really, unless you are someone who constantly smashes around their keyboard or uses it to hunt down burglars... in which case you probably don't care enough about your keyboard to care about deck-flex anyways.
@@CarthagoMike I mean, when you have a 1/2 in thick aluminum case for every build...
Yeah my keyboard never leaves my desk, deck flex is an absolute non-issue.
its really not that common for mechanical keyboards, its more for laptops, and for r/mk most of them use custom keebs and those are way more premium to have a deck flex problem. In fact most half-decent mechanical keyboard doesn't have that problem
I love my flexy pom plate tho 😭😭
After using the keyboard for a couple of weeks now, I have to say it works really well. To have numpad included is very valuable for me and there aren't many layouts. However, the arrow keys (while it's also a must to have them) do not fit as nicely as I thought. For one you have to relearn to touch the right side of numpad 0, because the right arrow key eats into its space. In addition, the up arrow key eats into the space of the right shift, so you have to relearn to hit the right side of it, instead of the left. Overall, I'd wish there was a haptic difference in the arrow key caps, like a different texture or some other signs, because hitting them correctly takes a bit of time and training. The keyboard has locked up two times in Bluetooth mode and which was resolved by turning on/off. Overall, I feel the layout is a compromise, but given that it saves so much space I think it's a good compromise.
Great timing, I have been eyeing this keyboard for a while
Editor - please help James sound smarter 68 isn't more than 72. White led should last longer than RGB on battery
"Don't be a sucker who has to plug it in." follows by "First of all i have to plug it in."
Glad to see Keychron getting more exposure lately. Would really love to see a K4 Ultra slim version, though K3's fine for now I guessed.
Imagine not giving your own *dad* a Christmas present…
Imagine being a baby
Imagine being a kid broke and not knowing what your dad likes because he is a workaholic
I have the low-profile version (the K1) and can definitely attest to the quality and functionality of the keyboard! Adjustable settings and lighting built into the keyboard, Bluetooth and wired capabilities, and compatibility with Windows and MacOS. The keyboard is very comfortable and the switches are what you would expect. Keycaps are concave and smooth to the touch. Best of all the price is extremely competitive ranging from $60-100 depending on your model and configuration.
Though the website and overall experience is nice, be aware these are sent from China. I got the Keycron K1 because it is the only one with low profile red and full 104 layout. Keyboard's bluetooth is problematic and their support is actually the usual bamboozeling which ends up with giving up. Keyboard doesn't work well with bluethooth dongles on desktops which have broadcom chips and they also said to me that the aluminium base impedes with the range of the bluethooth signal.
Him: "She is a stiff boy"
Me: *She is probably dead* 😂
"This gateron keycap..."
That's a switch :/
"Now these switches on the board..."
Those are sockets :/
White is a lot of energy!
lul
68 > 72
“ *She* is a stiff *BOI* ”-James, less than one month into 2021
What do you know, might be a genderfluid keyboard.
Can't get canceled if you cover both genders
An RBG LED uses the most energy when white because all three diodes Red, Green, and Blue, are energized at once to create a fabricated white color.
Right but if you bought the non rgb one thae wouldn't make since unless its the same keyboard and just firmware locked
@@fauxminer Not sure what you're talking about. The non-rgb one would have dedicated white LEDs which use less power.
I’ve got a K4 V1 for work about 6 months ago, I love it
2:04 "she is a stiff boy"
i'm confused about this keyboard's gender
It starts with an _f_ and ends with an _i_
@@CarthagoMike i dont like where this is going...
James sounds more dead inside on each video. He either needs vacations or a raise.
Keep an eye on him, Linus!
a raise?he just bought a 100$+ keyboard
@@gamingaccount7172 lmfao that's pretty inexpensive for a good keyboard lmfao
@@EliteSniperTV that's exactly my point.(for an exa) don't buy fancy expansive furniture,you need a table for your PC,make it. your size you color, shove in your cables your speaker. more comfortable, more cheap, more flexible and more (actual) wood for you to play with.
I love that there are options out there like this. I don't know if I could ever go back to a non ergonomic keyboard without some kind of mouse built in, myself... Wish there were more ergonomic options for gamers...
Do you consider this an ergonomic keyboard?
why would u need a mouse built in?
I've had the k4 for a few months now, and I love it!
Which keys you bought gateron red or brown
@@huzaifaijazbaba2395 I went for the browns, I like the subtle tactile bump.
I have this keyboard with browns and an aluminum frame. I absolutely love it. Had the 60% once upon a time but vastly prefer this version (closer to full size) for my daily use.
"I'm a dad so nobody got me anything for Christmas."
Stop attacking me, bro.
I'm also a dad, and this is the first time I bought something right after watching it on youtube (although I bought the K2 instead)
I’m confused since when in 68 more than 72?
I have the low profile version and it is amazing. The typing experience is amazing, the lighting is amazing, the BT connection is GOOD and the batterylife is amazing
Just received a K3 which has similar updates but much slimmer with hot-swappable optical switches and it’s dope AF
2 months later: buys it and rewatches
hows it now? is it the rgb or white light one?
@@viksankar973 it's coming in around two days, got the rgb swappable aluminum version tho
@@uncvbe its out of stock now. I am really interested to know more about it. Looks amazing
@@viksankar973 once it gets here I'll try to say more about it for you! Hope they restock soon for you
Sign up for the email alerts, that's how I even realized about the restock lol
"This Gateron Keycap" :O I never knew Gateron got their own keycaps available? lol priceless
and the key switches supporting 3 pin and 5 pin
did he really just call w-a-s-d, "wazdee"
Yes. I've actually heard that expression used a lot before
No, idiot. He called it "WAS-D" you know, like the actual fucking characters are.
sad W keys
Bought the k2 back in September as my first mechanical keyboard. Love the quick Mac and Windows switch.
I am a happy owner of the V1. Battery life is amazing, quality is superb. The only problem is linux bluetooth connection (not sure whether it is related to this keyboard specifically).
For this price you cannot find anything better (I suggest buying the base version).
I'll get you something for Christmas next time
This dude is my favourite character in this web series
Last time I was this early, I saw James shirtless 😂
Ikke from the future here. White light is a balanced mix of the different colors, there is no single light wave that is white, so if the rgb lights with all the colors equally it should be the exact same energy as white light of the same amplitude. I'm guessing the increased complexity of the electronics to control the rgb leads to more energy loss to heat on the way to the diodes. Blue light is more energy dense than red though
3:00 the 3 rgb LEDs working together but with less current through each LED makes them more efficient lm/watt-wise. But the lower forward voltage of red and green LEDs is also a factor
Id love to have this in available in EU with ISO layout...
There is. Go to their website. I ordered today with ISO-nordic
"she is a stiff boi" yes inclusive
I got the 10-keyless version and love it! Bluetooth is great for when I need to switch from work and personal PC.
I'm so happy I bought this keyboard, the shipping cost from their ali-express store is much cheaper. (I paid a total of 125$ instead of 144$)
I think the hot-swap RGB model is sold out.
"She is a stiff boy". Nice one
"I'm a dad" Weird flex but ok
" she is stiff boy"
Yes indeed, she is a Brad
Im jk no offense pls dont hate on me
It's been 3 years and I have never looked back after buying this keyboard.
Highly recommend keychron! My K2 has held up beautifully! Best keyboard out there that is RGB, Bluetooth, and Mechanical, and for those who don't need a numpad!
That keyboard makes me feel claustrophobic for some reason lmao.
"these to me feel like the box jades" -james
Appearently she-boys became a tradition at LTT.
bro you have been trolling us since the beginning of the video but im with it. you just earned a subscribe mate. cheers from houston!
I got one before Christmas and now I'm on to my first custom keyboard, k4 is just that good
"that means if you want to swich to cherry" me laughs in r/MK knowlege
So many people here are for some reason under the impression that Cherry is better than Gateron... Some of my favorite switches are gats and I’ve never had a good experience with Cherry thus far so I have no idea where that myth came from
@@TomYourmombadil cherry is just the standard, not the best but the base line of good quality.
Other then that its just what folks know, I mean they've been around since the dawn of computing.
But then again, different strokes for different folks. Its all subjective. Though recently gat's, Kalih, and others have been getting way more attraction from the pc userbase.
I think it has something to do with when mechanical keyboards went more mainstream cherry was in all of the most popular ones
Switch I will... to Alps or Panda's that is!
@@Enixious99 The thing is that back in the day, Cherry used to have both the most reliable switch manufacturing process (which is pretty important for OEM keyboard manufacturers, since they need consistency in their products) and thanks to their history as an automobile parts producer also the capacity needed to put out a lot of switches. They had personal contacts with a lot of American pc brands, back then dominant on the market (because yes, Cherry was actually founded in the USA, not Germany, fun fact there), making their patented switches a dominant factor in the 90's and early 2000's.