Auf Wiedersehen, Das

I am typing this out on a Keychron K8 wireless mechanical keyboard. The beloved Das Keyboard has been relegated to the closet, simply because it commits the cardinal sin of the modern digital word: having a cord. The wireless Keychron’s convenience of movement outweighs the higher typing quality of the renowned Das keyboard. Admittedly, it’s rather decent on Keychron, but the Das has that extra bit of solidity and sturdiness.

The Das is also significantly more expensive. As always, you definitely get what you pay for.

I would say any mechanical keyboard is better than the standard stuff. The increased response and feel to the fingers is what makes them such a sought after accessory for the computing enthusiasts crowd. The Keychron K8 isn’t the best at delivering those attributes, but it’s just about the only game in town if you want a wireless mechanical keyboard that’s catered to the Mac platform. It comes right out of the box with Mac-centric keys. The media keys on the ‘F’ row work correctly with the OS with zero tweaking.

Perhaps the best attribute about the K8 is that it’s quieter than the Das keyboard. It makes clicking and clacking through these blog posts in the morning a more pleasant experience for me and perhaps my sleeping housemates. Relatively speaking, of course: mechanical keyboards are innately loud. If quietness is your supreme, then mechanical keyboard is not for you.

Hopefully this Keychron K8 unit will last for a very long time, though as with all wireless electronics, the life of the battery will dictate everything. I bought the poverty-spec model without the hot-swapping capability and only white backlighting. It was on sale for about $65 dollars on Amazon. No affiliate money for me if you buy it through the link.

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Testing, one two.

The typist

It’s been a long time since I bought my first mechanical keyboard, way back when it was a weird and quirky niche of the overall computing peripheral market. Why would anyone want a relatively huge keyboard with incredibly loud keys? Especially when Apple practically ushered in an era of small “chiclet” style keys with very flat caps and small travel. Mechanical keyboards were suppose to be a relic of the past, back when the biggest name in technology was IBM.

I purchased a mechanical keyboard because I think of myself as some sort of a writer, and as we all know, an artist is only as good as his tools (am I right?). I’ve read online from serious typists about the beauty of mechanical keys and how the tactile feeling really contribute to a satisfying and comfortable typing experience. I didn’t exactly think of it that way: back in those days the thought of spending a hundred dollars on yet another computer accessory was irresistible. I mean, I truly need it so I can type better!

Indeed I quite enjoy the feel of typing on a mechanical keyboard, though to say it contributed positively to my writing would be a lie. Much like a fancy sports car, it’s a nice thing to have, but functionally it’s the same as any other car. In recent years I’ve actually stopped using a mechanical keyboard because of how unwieldy it is compared to the modern wireless units. In these contemporary times when technologies are run wirelessly, any remaining vestige of cables stands out way too much. So I went for the aesthetics play, opting for form over function.

Because back in the days before the proliferation of mechanical keyboards (to where every major manufacturer has one), you were stuck with buying these behemoths that did not come in wireless versions. Worse if you’re Mac user like me: good luck finding a keyboard with the appropriate Mac-specific keys. Fast forward to now, not only can I easily find mechanical keyboards geared towards Apple laptops, the boards have also gotten much slimmer in build, and many bluetooth versions can be found for sale. It’s a supremely good time if you’re in the market right now, though sadly I am of a stage in life where spending a hundred dollars on a redundant accessory is not something to do.

Maybe if I sell my admittedly fabulous Das Keyboard…

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Very soon.

Changed up my typing regiment

Autocorrect have made me a worse typist that I already am. 

Typing is a large part muscle memory, is it not? Not having to look down at the keyboard whilst typing is all in our fingers remembering each and every key position. Autocorrect disrupts that memory because even when my fingers betray me momentarily, I never have to go back and correct the mistake - the computer does it for me. This happens enough times and suddenly my muscle memory on how to type a particular word is completely out of sync. 

I was never that great of a typist to begin with - thanks for nothing, Mavis Beacon - and autocorrect exacerbates it. Therefore I've turn it off on all my computers. 

On the same tangent of typing, I've recently had a nasty liquid spill on my desk and my old Corsair mechanical keyboard took the brunt of it. Water and electronics never mix so I had to purchase a new one. I've own the Corsair K70 for five years and to be honest I was hoping to get plenty more mileage out of it.

That thought escaped my mind as soon as the replacement arrived: a Das Keyboard Model S Mac edition. This unit is pricey indeed but the haptic typing experience is supreme. I hadn't realize there's a hierarchy in the realm of mechanical keyboards, and apparently I've bought the Ferrari of them all. The Model S has a tactility and response that feels mega on the fingers, rendering the other keyboards I use for work completely inadequate. 

Pray I don't end this keyboard's life prematurely with misuse liquids as well.