We all know that mobility always conflict with capability, when we get a smaller size, it always accompanied with incomplete function, a smaller keyboard will keep your desk clean and neat, and it is easy to take with, so when we have a beautiful full sized keyboard, like G80-3K, we will start to pursue a smaller keyboard.
Same thing happened on desktop and laptop, now even we have a laptop, we may desire for a net book or MID.
I always want my desk clean so that I always keep an eye on smaller sized keyboard, my first small keyboard is a DELL Bluetooth foldable keyboard, can be applied to PDA and PC. This one can just put into the pocket, so I call it “Pockeyboard “, when I was in college, my schoolmates always took their laptop with them to go to the library to do their papers ,while I just put my BT keyboard and my PDA from my pocket and start to click, girls looked at me as a IT Geek, that was really nice.
The keyboard was OEM by THINKOUTSIDE and it clicks likes IBM T43, already very good for a super slim keyboard, but when I need to input numbers, it was really killing me to use the FN key, especially when I need to input Chinese. So I have to give it up.
My second stop is PLUM 86, a Chinese brand mechanical keyboard, using Cherry blue switch. It was amazing that the designer can have the numbers pad into such a small layout without the shrink of the key size, and the blue switch clicks very nice, it is a very good choice for SOHO, (maybe a little noisy in the office) but you know, the nonstandard layout always brings small trouble, for Plum 86, the position of the backspace will kill you, you fingers will need to take a flight to reach it. Although you can use some software to remap the key function, but when you plug in another keyboard, you need to reset the layout, for these reasons, it is not my terminal, and I have to go on.
By chances I heard Cherry G84-4100 is a perfect choice, some cherry fans gave very high comments for ML switch, when I got the keyboard, wow, it is so small that nowhere to put the logo and very cute,
but honestly speaking, it cannot even compare with IBM laptop keyboard, let alone the MX switch, also it is time consuming to get used to this layout, when you use 10 minutes blue switch and change to 4100, you will find it just like you fingers on the mud. So I give it up quickly.
At last I met Filco Tenkey less, actually it is not necessary to design a nonstandard layout, just a simple cut will make things perfect,.
People love this keyboard and give it a nick name 80%.
Also it provides a wire wrap and a plastic cover, I’d say the detail is better than Cherry.
All you need is to change the ABS keycap if you don’t like it, you can use a PBT set to change it.
Sometimes we tend to use the complicate way and professional tools to solve the problem, while we solve the problem we bring another problem at the same time, but 80% tell us, simple is the best. For instance, a plastic rope will be a good tool to pull out the keyboard.
Also I would like to talk some feelings for different switch.
Membrane Keyboard, like distilled water, flashy things, like most people around us are lack of motion.
Blue switch, like mustard, it may take some effort to eat it, but the aftertaste is amazing, of course, the mustard cannot eat alone, better with salmon, same as blue switch, it go with the right hands.
Brown switch, in China, people call it tea switch, it is like tea, light and good smell, it can be typed for a long time, just like two old friends can chat with a cup of tea for hours!
Black switch, like Coke, it is excited when you drink a lot, and it is fresh when you take a little.
Maybe we don’t need to buy every of them to find out which one it the best, if we are satisfied with our current keyboard, then make good use of it, same as love affair, we don’t need to taste each type of girl and find the best, what we need to do is cherish what we have.
