Das Keyboard4 Professional for Mac Cherry MX Blue Mechanical Keyboard - Clicky

The keyboard arrived well packaged, wrapped in a foam-plastic cover in its retail packaging, and once again housed inside a cardboard box which fill remaining empty space with plastic foam. In the box contains very little, as this keyboard is completely driver-less, no software is included. All you will find is the keyboard, a quick start guide, and the footstand, which props the keyboard up at a more comfortable angle.I have quite a bit of experience with mechanical keyboards, while not venturing into the 'enthusiast' nature of customizing both the keyboard and the keycaps, I have owned the Corsair K95 (reds), the Logitech G710+, and the assortment of membrane alternatives that come with the vast majority of laptops. This is my first time, however, with the Cherry MX Brown Switches that adorn this keyboard.They're fantastic. Out of the other mechanical keyboards, Browns are now my go-to switches for all manner of applications.I purchased this keyboard for two main purposes, for the large amount of typing I do each day and for the slight amount of gaming I participate in. The keyboard and the Brown switches excel at both aspects, with the low activation force of the Browns being very notable and appealing in Counter Strike, and the tactile feel is practical and a joy for longer papers.Although many inexperience typists may have issue with the lack of labelled caps, for those who wish to take a chance I'd say go for it. I was apprehensive at first but you will quickly adapt to your fingers naturally seeking out the keys they need to press. I still have trouble with some keys, such as special characters but I'm sure that I will become accustom to this as well in time.The matte black is very becoming and looks good in both professional and gaming settings. The lack of labelled keycaps may attracted unwanted attention however, but this may be another selling point of the keyboard.Typing doesn't cause the board to flex at all, as the boards design is very sturdy. The media keys are far better than I expected, with the volume knob being very tactile and has a lovely clicking feedback as you scroll. The ff, p/p, rw and mute buttons are very flat and take very little force to activate, and fit very nicely in with the overall sleek and black construction of the keyboard.If you're looking for a keyboard without silly lighting effects and macro buttons, instead for build quality and simple effectiveness, buy this keyboard.

This is a premium keyboard with a matching price tag so one expects top quality in all areas.Firstly, the positives: build quality is top notch and the blank keys look fantastic. The metal case feels great and flex is almost non-existent. The volume wheel is a nice touch and there are two useful USB3 ports on the back of the board. Overall, it looks very nice.Unfortunately in its standard form the board is let down by the disappointing Cherry Brown switches. Despite being advertised as a 'tactile' switch, these have almost no tactility whatsoever; the keys sink with very little force necessary and the very slight tactile bump doesn't seem to correspond to the actuation point. If you have any experience with vintage mechanical or rubber dome keyboards, you will be disappointed.Key feel can be significantly improved by fitting a set of O-ring dampers (I went for the blue ones available from Amazon). The O-ring slides over the peg of the key cap and dampens the 'clack' of the key bottoming out. Fitment is simple (the larger keys with stabilising wires are slightly fiddly, but it isn't rocket science). A wire key puller makes removing the keys easy. After performing this mod, the feel of the board is transformed: keys are stiffer and travel is reduced slightly, making typing a much more pleasant experience.I have one other gripe with the board: the foot bar (with the "ruler") is too thin and does not grip well, so the board tends to slide about. I fixed this by placing it on a microfibre cloth but again it's disappointing to have to do this with a premium product.Overall: It looks very sharp but there are undoubtedly much better ways to spend this amount of money.

This keyboard is not cheap, but its build quality and sleek minimalist design justify this in my opinion. I now have one for the office, one for home and am about to gift one to my father - I hope he enjoys his das keyboard as much as I do.That having been said, the only thing I can think of that could be improved is the footbar. I like this idea over individual fold out feet because it is more robust, though I think some kind of rubber/non-slip coating on it would improve its utility.If you're thinking you like this keyboard, get it! Mechanical keyboards can last for decades and are worth their higher initial price. The ultimate version with blank keys is the most stylish peripheral I've ever owned and the feel and sound of the keys is so satisfying!

Used this keyboard for 16 months before writing this reviewPros- No drivers or firmware to worry about. Fully compatible on GNU/Linux.- Very sleek minimalistic design. Blank key caps look cool. No glossy surfaces to attract fingerprints.- Keyboard feels very solid with top metal plate. The magnetic ruler is unlikely to ever break unlike keyboards with leg stands. Volume knob feels very nice witch notches for each adjustment.- Cherry MX Blues are very satisfying to type on.- Blank key caps will force you to learn touch typing and will make you a better typist. But they are sometimes challenging when looking for that symbol you rarely use.Cons:- Quality Control is not great. Some of my keys feel different, 1 key is mushy and doesn't even feel like a mechanical key.

I was a bit scared that the keyboard will be too loud but fortunately it's not that bad (MX Blue), even my wife likes it.I'm using it with my rMBP 2012 and it works like a charm. I didn't have to install anything extra to get the media buttons and USB working.So if you are a programmer, you shouldn't get definitely one of these :)