Reliable and beautifully crafted keyboard
As a writer and graphic designer, I've been looking for a great keyboard for a while. This is certainly the answer especially if you're not an Apple product person. In general though, if you're looking for a very clean keyboard for PC (or for Apple) that looks and feels premium, but sticks to a $100 (or less) pricetag, you've found it.
TL;DR:
Pros:
- Key travel
- Key spacing
- Soft rubberized top coating
- Strong bluetooth signals
- Very clever and functional magnetic battery house caps
- Full 10-key pad (why these ever excluded on desktop keyboards I will never understand. Kudos to Microsoft)
Cons:
- Non-wired version
- Mouse isn't stable enough for steady, long-haul graphic design work
I've got nothin' but love for this keyboard. As a writer and graphic designer, this a product I really appreciate especially for the price. It's a keyboard that takes an unsacrificial approach to minimalism. The keys are very well spaced and the shallow mechanical keys feel gorgeous and emit a soft, but satisfying feel. The spacing is excellent, the travel is well set, and the keys are well balanced. I really love here that the 10-key is included. Considering the amount of them that surprisingly omit it, it's a welcomed feature. One nice touch to the whole package are the magnetic casings that house the batteries. The access to the batteries on both the mouse and the keyboard feature a cover that is held closed by magnets, creating a beautiful, flush solution to create the appearance of an unadulterated uni-body casing.
Many people will point out this is a near copy of Apple's bluetooth keyboard, and it's without a doubt inspired by it. But Microsoft brought some small changes that make a big impact. Though I like the shallow depth of Apple keyboards, they're too shallow for long periods of typing, which is something Microsoft's approach confronts. The keys have a slightly longer, but beautifully balanced travel to them. The detail here really pays off, something you'll notice more and more the longer you type on it. Furthermore, the soft rubberized coating is incredibly comfortable for your fingers to be constantly hitting when doing jam writing sessions. It takes what Apple popularized, and tweaked some details to create a refined, minimalist, full-sized desktop keyboard.
As for the mouse, while it's beautifully crafted and works well for basic use, it tends to falter under load (such as when graphic designing, which demands specific clicks and total control of the mouse). However, for me it's completely forgiveable. It's not really meant for that kind of use. That's why Logitech makes the MX mice that they do.
Overall, if you're looking for a quality keyboard this is well worth your money. Since many keyboards of this detail are priced at over $100, I take it as it coming with a free mouse with the keyboard alone able to carry the weight of this package. Since it's pretty often you can find these on sale, anything under $100 for this package is a great deal.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
