Ducky 1087 XM for budget tenkeyless?

[RetroHollywood]

I need a keyboard for easy traveling.  I make frequent trips and want a board (and mouse, but that's covered) that can fit in a laptop bag to plug into my Thinkpad when I reach wherever I am going.  I was looking at the reviews of the Ducky 1087 XM green ALPS and it sounds like it fits the bill.  I need it to be dirt cheap ($53 shipped?) but also hold up to travel.  I know the quality on these things used to be iffy at best, but supposedly improved.  Anyone want to chime in whether they think this board will do a good job?

-I read the review, but would love a short summary of quality by other owners.
-I also don't want to be told to buy a Leopold or Filco unless they can be had for less than $70 NEW
-I also am wondering if this board will work on Macs (not for me, but for a friend who wants to get a mech without breaking the bank)
-I would buy from PChome if that makes a difference

[bbbbqq]

Quality is quite good. Keycap lettering is not durable. Key action is superb. removable cable is great. Keyboard is quite heavy (i would ay about twice as much as the kbc poker I have). It is also not that small or portable.

I would recommend going with a smaller and lighter board like a kbc poker or a noppoo choc mini. Given that a thinkpad is already pretty heavy, a 1087xm is just going to add to it.

[RetroHollywood]

Thanks for the answer.

I have heard good things about both of those boards, but with shipping they come in at nearly double the price.  Weight is not an issue, so long as it can fit in a laptop bag.  I really should find some measurements to make sure whatever I decide on will actually fit.

[vipjun]

Quality is respectable considering the price. ABS lasered keycaps.  The spacebar could have been designed better, but doesn't give me troubles.

Can i ask why you want to carry around another keyboard for your laptop ? I find it quite inconvienant.  Do you happen to have an external screen to plug it into ? because for me i find that using an external keyboard with the laptop screen to be uncomfortable.

It may or maynot matter to you but these alps switches are rated at 10-20 Million keypresses instead of 50M of cherries. So if you're a heavy user you may be getting 1/5 of the durability of a cherry switch for half the price.

[RetroHollywood]

Using mechanical keyboards on my desktop has ruined everything else for me.  I type 20 WPM slower on my laptop and I hate doing it.  I will not be carrying around an external screen.  It's a T420 with a 14" 1400x900 screen, which is okay with me for for a little while at a time.  I sometimes borrow a monitor or feed into a small TV, but not that often.  Basically I am a university student and when I visit home or friends for extended periods of time I take my laptop and a mouse with me, and occasionally my RK-9000.  The probelm with that is I have to carry it outside a bag because I have nothing that it can fit lengthwise inside.  A tenkeyless board would be easy for me to take on trips.  

I think that 10-20 million presses will be enough for me.  I have a feeling that I will be passing this board or perhaps a similar one on as a Christmas gift to my dad, since he is something of a programmer and types a lot.  He has his own office, so noise wouldn't be an issue for him unless he himself didn't like it.  I would just let him try out the one I would order for myself before surprising him with one if he liked it.