geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: intelli78 on Fri, 28 March 2014, 16:58:51
-
If you're already familiar with Matias keyboards, this post might all be old news to you, but I figure it'll be of interest to some people.
Matias keyboards don't seem to get a lot of love or attention on Geekhack, but I wanted to check one out for myself. I enjoyed the Reddit AMA that Edgar Matias did back in January (http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1wknkm/i_am_edgar_matias_designer_of_matias_keyboards//) and felt like giving the guy some business.
Older Matias keyboards used actual ALPS clones, whereas the current generation, including the Tactile Pro and Quiet Pro, use ALPS-inspired Matias switches. These came about in 2012 when Matias's switch supplier discontinued the supply of ALPS clones. They are very similar but not identical to bona fide ALPS.
I got the Mini Tactile Pro, which is kind of like a 60% layout plus arrow keys, function keys, page up/down, and forward delete. The footprint of the board is quite large due to rounded edges and the three USB hubs included above the function keys. The Mini Tactile Pro only comes in Mac flavor, and only in white. That's probably a good thing, since black Matiases are known as fingerprint magnets.
The packaging is quite nice - definitely has some Apple influence. The box has a handle and a lot of information on it. Inside, the keyboard is securely packaged in a styrofoam envelope. It comes with two nice USB cables of differing lengths, both of which have a right-angle micro USB connector. (Yes, the Matiases use micro USB instead of mini USB. Supposedly it's more durable.)
(http://i.imgur.com/Dg9qdKj.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/c9Og1vL.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/6TEevl7.jpg)
Keyboard itself is pretty sturdy. Very little creak or flex and the build quality feels good overall. The plastic seam and shiny plastic of the case leave something to be desired, but they weren't dealbreakers for me. Apparently the shiny plastic is actually more expensive to manufacture than the matte ABS in most other keyboards. Go figure.
Now, the part that really matters: the switches on this board feel and sound fantastic. They are louder than Cherry MX Blues, more tactile, and heavier in my estimation. The click/crunch is very pleasing and I can type fast on this keyboard with few errors. All keys are well stabilized. Alphas are slightly wobbly as a consequence of the switch design, but for me it's really just part of the experience. I'm still undecided on the placement of the FN key, but it is an interesting choice. The key legends are laser etched and aren't very dark. Not sure how well they'll hold up. The legends include quite a bit more info than most keyboards -- lots of secondary symbols.
Overall, this Matias is quite charming and really a pleasure to type on. I got mine for ~$107 shipped at Other World Computing, which is much cheaper than anywhere else online. I will probably pick up the Laptop Pro next, which is the same form factor but with dampened switches and a Bluetooth module.
No doubt Matias is an underdog in the current market. If you're looking for something off the beaten path, take a look at these boards. I'm glad I did, because I am really enjoying this thing.
-
I intend to eventually have some matias switches if not one of his actual keyboards. I just don't have anything I'd want to ditch and put those into currently, and I'm also waiting to see how the custom sprit alps and similar projects develop. Along with matias' PBT caps that he's working on. It certainly is nice that we have someone else's switches out on the market instead of just cherry.
I've currently got a vivanco with white dampened alps that I put into it, in this form factor.
-
Even though I now use Topre, I used to type on the Quiet Pro for a few months as my daily driver and love it. I take out the keyboard to use occasionally and is waiting for their new 60% board. If that came out, I will try out the tactile and clicky switch for sure. Thanks for the review!