The humble pc keyboard may really feel utilitarian, however given it’s the a part of your setup you work together with essentially the most, it’s kinda wild that we do not usually give it thought. Fortunately, there’s a vibrant scene of small (and never so small) firms that perceive everybody’s wants are totally different and that getting the best dimension, form and ergonomic format can improve your working or gaming life in important methods. Keychron is one such firm.

Keychron has earned a status for making inexpensive but feature-rich , and (beginning at $169) is the most recent member of the household. The Q is a nod to , a preferred open-source firmware that permits you to customise suitable keyboards to your liking. It’s Keychron’s most bold deck but, and a direct competitor to one thing just like the or the , each of which price north of $250 relying in your most popular configuration.

The Q1 is a 75-percent keyboard, which implies there’s no quantity pad and the house cluster and arrow keys are positioned slightly extra tightly in comparison with a tenkeyless deck (that offers these keys slightly extra space of their very own). The Q1 is Mac- and Windows suitable and comes with an cable so that individuals know you actually imply enterprise. Alas, there’s no Bluetooth possibility right here if that’s one thing you wished.

As customization is the important thing right here (no pun supposed), it’s no shock that the switches are hot-swappable. Keychron already provides an honest , although you possibly can in fact seize your personal if in case you have a most popular set already. If you already personal switches you want, you possibly can order the barebone deck and save $20. You may select from three aluminum case colours: black, navy and house grey. Both ANSI and ISO layouts can be found relying in your desire (or, extra seemingly, location).

One factor I really like about all Keychron keyboards is that they not solely include a keycap puller device and a swap remover device (the place relevant), however you’ll additionally get the keycaps for each Windows and MacOS layouts. This makes it straightforward for the corporate simply to inventory one SKU and presumably helps hold prices down. If, like me, you utilize each working programs — you possibly can then repurpose any of their keyboards with out having to purchase new caps later. Or worse, stay with a CMD key whenever you desire a Windows key or vice versa.

A elaborate keyboard isn’t something with out RGB lighting, in fact, and naturally, that’s included right here too. Keychron opted for a extra delicate “south-facing” integration, which just about means what you suppose: The lights are solely seen from under. I don’t want or use RGB, so I have a tendency to show it off. The implementation right here is delicate but brilliant sufficient to nonetheless stay helpful if it’s one thing you need.

For the extra hardcore fanatic, inside there’s a gasket-based design with a noise-reducing foam deck between that and the PCB. For those that actually prefer to get into particulars, know that the stabilizers listed below are screw-in (quite than plate), which often means the bigger keys are steadier. There’s additionally the choice for a personalized steel “badge” the place the Insert key can be. If you ship Keychron a design, it’ll etch it onto that badge so that you can make it actually customized. There will even be an possibility so as to add a rotary dial right here (very similar to on the GMMK Pro), or you possibly can simply swap it again to the Insert key if none of that tickles your fancy.

For all its changeable components, arguably essentially the most helpful solution to customise the Q1 is with the , or with the aforementioned QMK. (Via is mainly a graphical interface for the latter.) With Via you possibly can reassign any key to just about the rest in addition to design and assign macros to the perform layer (i.e., press Fn and a goal key to set off extra advanced key combos). More on this later.

With all this speak about gaskets and stabilizers, it might sound that the Q1 is designed for superior customers. And it actually will attraction to these with particular necessities. But Keychron’s recognition, in my view, is born out of creating the geeky and unique accessible to the normies on the market. The Q1, then, is probably marketed towards those that have dabbled with mechanical keyboards and need to dip a toe into deeper waters, whereas nonetheless providing sufficient for the avid keyboard tinkerers.

That mentioned, the very first thing you’ll need to do with the Q1 whenever you take it out of the field is… put it down. At 3.5 kilos (1.6kg) it’s positively on the chunky aspect. For context, wi-fi keyboard has a related footprint however is a svelte 1.5 kilos (663g) — lower than half the load. The Q1 isn’t actually designed for portability, although, in order that further heft simply glues it to your desk and makes you are feeling extra assured that this isn’t going to rattle itself aside as you bash out fanfic/code/faculty essays on it. The weight can be fairly normal for this class.

The mannequin I used to be capable of take a look at got here pre-installed with Gateron brown switches. Before then I had been utilizing Gateron reds however I’m an instantaneous convert. Of course, the very level of the Q1 is that you could put in no matter switches you want. Keychron additionally included a set of blue switches, which I used to check out how straightforward it was to swap ‘em out. Not only was that process pretty easy (once you get used to the very firm pull required to get them out), but I found myself fond enough of the blues for certain keys that I left them in. They’re usually slightly too loud for my style to have throughout the board, however with the ability to combine issues up that method is the very spirit of customizable keyboards like these.

On that theme of noise… for me that was one of many larger turn-offs for mechanical keyboards. Until I experimented myself, my most important publicity to them was listening to somebody throughout the workplace frantically clacking their method by way of an electronic mail. This is why I gravitated towards crimson switches at first. On the Q1, although, even one thing clicky like a blue swap isn’t too audible because of the gasket design and the froth insert on the Q1. Even the noisier swap flavors received’t alert your neighbors to your frantic typing throughout the small hours. If, like my former officemate, you might be unencumbered by such worries, know that the identical design makes for a keyboard with comfy flex, giving it a a lot smoother motion than plate-based designs.

As alluded to earlier, although, maybe one of many extra thrilling options right here for these trying to take their keyboard customization to the subsequent degree is the help for VIA/QMK firmware noodling. If you get uninterested in doing the identical convoluted keyboard shortcuts for normal duties (like Windows’ Ctrl+Win+Arrow combo to change between desktops), that is for you.

I already talked about you possibly can just about map any key to a different. So in case you wished to swap Z and X round… you may. More usefully, you may also change which keys management media etcetera. Out of the field, the Q1 makes use of the usual “Fn+F10” combo to mute audio. My stubby fingers discovered this slightly unnatural, so I used Via to remap it to Fn+Left Arrow. Much extra manageable for my typing model.

Taking issues a bit additional, you may also enter way more sophisticated key combos with macros. An clarification of that is past the scope of this text, however for example, I used to be capable of arrange a easy key combo to launch one in every of my favourite chat apps. This was extra of an experiment for somebody who hasn’t carried out something remotely like programming in various years. You’ll have to do some studying up to determine the right way to inform a macro what to do, however upon getting (and it’s actually not that tough), you’ll end up considering of evermore intelligent concepts.

Some keyboards, just like the GMMK Pro, supply their very own software program for personalization. You can usually count on these apps to be slightly extra tightly built-in with the makers’ merchandise, however VIA is straightforward sufficient to make use of that you could get most issues carried out with out a lot trouble.

Support for VIA/QMK is much from distinctive to the Q1: The GMMK Pro and KDBFans Bella each supply it too, together with many different customizable keyboards. But contemplating the worth of the Q1, it rounds out a powerful spec sheet making it each a really accessible but technically succesful alternative.

Some potential patrons may lament the shortage of wi-fi connectivity, or the actual fact you possibly can’t modify its top (it measures simply shy of two inches/45mm on the again). But each of this stuff are pretty normal for barebones and customizable keyboards. The truth that you could configure just about the rest to your liking makes this an excellent entry into the world of barebones keyboards at a worth that’s very aggressive.

The Q1 is accessible now straight from Keychron beginning at $1.69. The rotary dial add-on will come within the following weeks.