Seeking help choosing a keyboard

[Jon123456]

Hi, my first post here. I am from the UK and looking to get myself a mechanical keyboard. Currently, I am using a dad Keyboard 4 professional and it is paired with my Mac. Sadly, it is not backlit and so I cannot see the keys very well in the evenings.

So, I started to look at various boards, and the Anne Pro 2 seemed recommended. Then the Ducky was said to be better, although it doesn't have bluetooth. Then I came across someone recommending the Drop Alt, and I like the look of that one but it only seems to come out occasionally.

My idea board would be hot swappable and have bluetooth. I could skip the bluetooth but it would be great if it had it. I am ok about spending perhaps up to £200 if needed.

Any recommendations?

[jamster]

If the only problem with the existing keyboard is that the black keys are hard to see in the dark, consider spending $25 for a light/white keycap set. The light from your screen will probably be enough to see by using more appropriate caps.

Or if you really want to jump into the world of keyboards, that's fair enough too. Figure out what form factor you like- are you okay to give up nav keys and have arrow keys built right into the main key cluster like with the Anne?

A couple more options would be Keychron (Bluetooth and regarded to play well with Macs) and GMMK (hotswap).

> the Anne Pro 2 seemed recommended. Then the Ducky was said to be better

You really have to figure out how these statements apply to you. What makes the Anne recommended, and why is the unnamed Ducky better?

[desipalen]

You really have to figure out how these statements apply to you. What makes the Anne recommended, and why is the unnamed Ducky better?

Agreed. Try to to imagine yourself using various boards and the pain points associated with using them. Do you want a 40% for the compact matrix and portability to compliment the MacBook's? Would you rather have a 60% so you don't have to switch layers as much? Do you prioritize ergonomics and might prefer a split so you can place your hands at a location that feels best for you? These are all things to think about.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[Jon123456]

Ah, I missed specifying my preference for a 65% board. My das is a bit too big for me.

I am only using the keyboard with my iMac. I do not have a MacBook.

I don't like those split keyboards. I had a Microsoft one many years ago and I found that a bit too wild.

[desipalen]

Dang. I just found the link for the board I was thinking of, the mini-van: https://drop.com/buy/minivan-keyboard

Probably not what you're looking for then with an iMac. Don't know why I read that as MacBook.

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[vintonole]

I have both a Drop ALT and Anne Pro 2. I like both. The Anne Pro 2 was a group buy on Drop with more switch choices. It is also portable and bluetooth. Plus, just very nice to type on, but without the designated cursor keys that the Drop ALT has. The down side of the ALT though is that it is a bit noisy and supposedly less reliable because of the hot-swap feature. There are some current threads on here that list and discuss the issues with the ALT from the pov of an experienced keeb. Those same threads also recommended the KDBFans KBD67 has a higher quality hot-swap alternative. I think that is what I would personally get to replace this ALT if it proves not to hold up.

I also have the MiniVan. One of the last shipped, I think. It is brutal to learn as it is only 40%, but fun. My new portable if I ever get to a coffee shop again.