Custom Switch Layout Mechanical Keyboards

Great keyboard for an excellent price, I like the classic layout in particular, more productive than most of the keyboards I’ve used recently. The mouse also fells good and is very accurate. I would recommend this product.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] There are darn few wired keyboards (PS/2 or USB) remaining with a full stroke length and the PROPER key layout. No, I don't want chiclet keys -- I actually touch-type. I type a LOT. I need a keyboard that is accurate, has good rollover support (if you don't type quickly by touch you don't understand why this matters) and I want a WIRED keyboard because the latency on the wireless ones drives me insane. DELL used to have some good ones, but no more. This appears to fit the bill. So far, so good -- I did just get it, so only four stars since I can't yet speak to reliability, but in terms of the "N" key feature it's there or I'd know it INSTANTLY, and the layout and stroke is good. This is a rubber dome, rather than clicky-ratchet switch keyboard. If you're a hard-core keyboardist you understand the difference -- but unfortunately, the cherry ratchet-style switches are simply not found anymore unless you get into the specialty market (think the original IBM PC keyboards.) Then again the ratchet switches are LOUD; these are not. It's a flat layout rather than cupped or curved. Curved won't work with my desk which has a palm rest on the keyboard drawer already; I'd love to find a cupped unit, but they are unobtanium; nobody makes them any more. Oh well. Nonetheless the feel is good, the stroke is full and standard and the cord is blessedly long enough to reach, without an extension, a PC on a desk (through the back or a wiring channel) and maybe on the floor next to you. That's a nice touch too -- most wired USB keyboards have woefully short cords, and even some PS/2 style ones do as well. For the money this is impossible to beat if you want a real keyboard with a standard layout and all full-size, real full-travel keys. I'm sticking another one in my closet in case these wind up no longer available.

Excellent build quality and consistent across 3 of the same that I bought. There are too many choices of mechanical keyboards even if you narrow down to ones with Cherry Blue switches. So there are certainly others that will be equally good and consistent. So my review is not meant to be a comparison by any strech, but only what I see.

I've been wanting to move towards a mechanical keyboard feel. Glad that MX is offering an option now. So far, I've really enjoyed the typing experience, though it is taking some getting used to since I've been on scissor switches for quite a while. I don't love how they switched to a new dongle system with this one so I can't use the MX master 3 mouse with the same dongle anymore - I know they did that to force another upgrade. Other complaint is that their software seems to have regressed in the new mechanical keyboards. example - the calculator quick key still works but it doesn't bring it to the front anymore. Why would that be different from their previous keyboards? weird. Overall, I'm enjoying the keyboard, though.

This basic keyboard is well worth its price. I have other mechanical keyboards that I use, but I can't say those give as much value as this simple keyboard. 100% recommended.

Grabbed one of these for work with the blue switches and I can actually type faster on it than the keyboard that I use at home. I will only use full sized keyboards and they have to be mechanical and clicky for me so this hits the sweet spot. Much better than the dozens of other low priced mechanical keyboards I've owned and nearly as good as the custom GMMK that I use at home. Can't beat this for the price.

What can I say, it types, it functions as expected, it isn't too clicky like the mechanical keyboards these days. My girlfriend loves how simple and basic it is. It is just what she was looking for.

CM Quickfire Rapid is the ten keyless mechanical keyboard I could find that worked with Mac out of the box. All multimedia keys work with Mac. A lot of mechanical keyboards I researched had some sort of issue with Mac or required some software to be installed. The CM Quickfire rapid works right out of the box. The most you would have to do is update your modifier keys in OSX and switch your key caps for option/command. I own two of these keyboards now, one with blue and one with brown cherry mx keys. I used the blue version for over a year and wanted to get a quieter version for use at work. I tried adding o-rings to the blue keyboard and it greatly reduced the sound by preventing the keys from bottoming out. The main problem I had with this solution was that the click of the blue key switches is still very audible and the o-rings decreased the travel of the keys. Making it feel too short in my opinion. The brown key switch version is much quieter since there's no audible click. To prevent bottoming out, I removed the o-rings I put in the blue version and put them in the brown. Making the brown even quieter than it already was. Perfect for an office environment shared with other coworkers. The brown key switches are nice if you like the the blue keys, but need to do without the audible click. The brown keys have a noticeable bump when you press down on them. Cons: Lack of backlit keys. I don't have a need for the backlit keys, but would be a nice to have. All of the other ten keyless with backlit keys were about double the price of this one. No USB hub. While not needed, would be nice if it also had a USB hub like some of the other mechanical keyboards I researched.

(This review was collected as part of a promotion.) Gives that old-school mechanical feel without being an expensive, loud mechanical keyboard - not 100% comparable to a full mechanical, obviously, but better key engagement and feedback than most keyboards I've used in a long time. I used to try and get by with an older Apple keyboard even on Windows and when my workplace installed these I had to get one for home as well. Reminds me of the older PS/2 keyboards from the 90s/early 2000s that came with every desktop computer - solid, quiet, and no ridiculous gaming backlighting or RGB options. Built like it will last a while, and hopefully does as my Microsoft keyboard had 5+ keys with worn letters after 2 years.

I strongly prefer mechanical keyboards. My Cherry MX Blue Stem arrived today and it's perfect. Replaces a sixteen year old Mircon mechanical keyboard that was beginning to wear out. Unless one is a gammer I see no reason to spend more for the more expensive keyboards