Hi All,
I'm looking for a new mechanical keyboard. Hoping for some advice. I used to have a Corsair K70 Pro, but unfortunately that no longer functions. I've been using a crappy dell keyboard from work and have finally been annoyed enough by it to buy a new keyboard.
I've considered going with another K70, but corsair doesn't give a shit about linux and I'm kicking windows outta my house. While I could emulate or build a vm, I'd rather just get a keyboard that doesn't make linux an afterthought if thought of at all. What I like about the K70 is that the keys aren't shrouded making it super easy to
Wants are:
- 100% full keyboard
- Ideally no shrouding around the switches, minor shrouding would be okay.
- A passthrough USB port on the keyboard for a mouse, to minimize wires and simpliy cable management.
- Hotswap switches
- Full Linux support
- Backlit (ideally RGB, but I"m not doing any fancy profiles, just a solid color)
- Media keys nice, but I can live without them.
- Ideally not much more than $200
I'd prefer prebuilt, but at most minimal soldering would be acceptable, as long as it's nothing too small, my soldering skills are an embarrassment.
I've looked at the following already.
Ducky All models I saw shrouded the switches. seem shrouded.
System76 Cost seems excessive and I don't really want a 96% keyboard.
DasKeyboard & Keychron The models pretty much all shroud the switches too much, or they're low form factor.
The DasKeyboard 5QS comes close, and I might just go with it if I don't have a better option, but it's got more shrouding around the switches than I like. It also doesn't seem to have a secondary USB port.
I just saw this as well. I really like the bigger one on the left, would just need to be a full keyboard, maybe an additional USB port on the back as well. https://lemmy.ml/post/10016605
I know you mentioned Keychron seems low form factor, but that's not my experience with the K10 Pro. I have been using this keyboard for a few months now and I love it. I got mine with Red switches.
Sorry typo, Low Profile is what I meant.
The K5 for instance, lists low profile keys and switches. Unfortunately, it doesn't looks like you can hotswap between low profile and standard or I'd go that route :/
I like the K10 for the most part, I just don't like that the switches are covered by the frame/case or whatever you wanna call it. I'm a bit OCD and brush my keyboard pretty much daily, sometimes multiple times... The frame adds a barrier to cleaning.
Maybe the pictures you were referencing weren't very good but the switches aren't covered by anything.
There's a top plate that covers the PCB, but the switches are fully exposed and fit snugly against the top plate to prevent dust from going down onto the PCB.
I took a couple of pictures of my K8 Pro which is identical in construction to the K10 Pro. One with the keycap removed, and one with the switch pulled.
The K10 Pro and the K10 on the website seems to indicate it looks completely different than that. Maybe they're different versions?
The K8 Pro and K10 Pro are in fact different designs (not just the layout) and the K10 Pro has the frame as you mention.
The K10 (non-Pro) is closer to the K8 Pro design if you leave out the Aluminum frame: https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k10-wireless-mechanical-keyboard?variant=39426668298329 (the frame obviously doesn't shroud all keys individually but just creates a single frame around the whole thing which you may or may not want).
I've got the K8 Pro (for work) and the Q3 (at home) and I'm quite happy (but the Q3 has the frame as well).