Heresy! Blasphemy!
I hear you, but before you fetch a pitchfork from your wendy house and bamboo torches from the lapa, understand this isn’t lightly-offered praise.
First, my credentials. On what basis dare I trespass upon the holy domain of keyboardism and speak the sacred words of thockology?
Simple: I own a Unicomp Model M, a modernised version of the original IBM Model M powered by the archduke of keyswitches — the buckling spring.
(I own many other mechanical keyboards and have used all sorts of different switches, but they are irrelevant beside the Mighty Model M.)
There were only two major problems with my Model M. The escape key was starting to act up (figuring out what happened there is left as an exercise for the reader), and switching between a Windows gaming PC and work MacBook was an inconvenience.
I tried tools like Synergy. In fact, I’m an “Innovator”-tier backer with the option of displaying my name on its website’s credits page. I don’t because I’m incredibly modest, but I can.
Unfortunately, there were small, infrequent lag spikes when using the Mac on Wi-Fi that seemed to always happen at precisely the worst time.
I also tried hardware switchers but hated the clutter they cause.
As a result, I ended up manually unplugging the Model M’s USB cable and plugging it back in every time I needed to switch between machines.
Enter Keychron, purveyors of mechanical keyboards specifically designed for the cross-platform warrior.
They are hybrid Bluetooth and wired, allowing up to three devices to be wirelessly paired with the keyboard. You switch between paired devices by pressing Fn and 1, 2, or 3.
You can also switch between Windows/Android and Mac/iOS modes.
In both cases, mode switching happens through honest and proper physical switches on the side of the board.
One switch toggles between Windows/Android and Mac/iOS keymaps, and the other switches it between Bluetooth, cable, or off.
To replace the Model M, I bought a Keychron K1 with low-profile Gateron Brown switches. It’s a lovely board, but I was never completely happy with the low-profile chiclet-style keycaps.
Not that there is anything wrong with island-style keyboards or low-profile keys.
Since I’m a humanitarian, I used an old penlight battery-powered Apple Magic Keyboard at work rather than a board with mechanical switches.
Apparently, the thock of a good mechanical keyboard is not a universally soul-stirring experience.
The Magic Keyboard has a chiclet design, and I type fast and accurately on it. I thought that would translate to the Keychron K1, but sadly it didn’t. Maybe it was the keycaps, or perhaps the slightly raised keyswitches — all I know is my typing speed and accuracy were much lower.
Then, last year, Keychron launched the Keychron K8 Pro after a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Distributor Syntech received some stock late last year, and I’ve been reviewing a plastic body model for almost three weeks on Mac and Windows, cabled and wireless, for writing and gaming.
It is a near-perfect tenkeyless keyboard for the aficionado who wants customisability but doesn’t necessarily want to build their whole board from scratch.
Keychron does offer a barebones version on its website that ships without keycaps, but it is better value for money to get the fully-assembled K8 Pro.
Although the default keycaps don’t allow much of the keyboard’s RGB lighting through, they are otherwise fantastic. Double-shot PBT and with an OSA profile, the keycaps are sturdy, durable, and satisfying to type on.
Like other Keychron boards, the K8 Pro comes with keycaps for Mac and Windows, allowing you to swap Option and Command for Windows and ALT.
Switch comparison
The actual keyswitches on the Keychron K8 Pro are also hot-swappable.
I requested a keyboard with Gateron G Pro Brown switches, and Syntech kindly provided samples of several other switch types to try.
These included Gateron G Pro Blue, Red, Black, White, Green, and Red.
After trying them all on a few keys, I returned to the browns. This is purely personal preference, and your mileage may most certainly vary, especially if you don’t like tactile switches.
In my testing, I found little discernible difference between the blue and green switches, both of which make an audible, satisfying *click* when actuating.
According to Keychron’s website, the green switches require more force to actuate. Perhaps I couldn’t tell them apart from the blues because of my heavy fingers.
As the spec sheets suggest, the Gateron G Pro white switches felt like extremely light black switches. They sounded almost identical.
On the other hand, the red switches sounded slightly different from the black and white ones, even though all three are linear-type. According to the specifications, the reds need slightly more force to press than the white switches.
A video showcasing what these switches sound like when installed in the Keychron K8 Pro is embedded below.
One of the benefits of the K8 Pro supporting hot-swappable switches is that you need not use a single switch type throughout. Your alphabet keys can be green, numerals red, and the rest black if you want.
Having removed and installed keyswitches from the board several times, I found the K8 Pro robust.
I used a fancy Gateron switch puller and the basic remover included in the box, and neither left any scuff marks on the keyboard.
The Gateron switch puller, in particular, requires you to push down with some force, and at no point did the keyboard feel like it might give way or break.
This was the plastic model — the more expensive aluminium model would likely feel even sturdier.
Pricing, availability
Although the Keychron K8 Pro was not yet on sale in South Africa at publication time, Syntech says it will become available through Takealot soon at a recommended retail price of R1,999.
Update (23 February 2023) — It is now listed on Takealot.
The K8 Pro offers incredible customisability, from hot-swappable keyswitches to running on the open-source QMK firmware.
Through QMK, the keyboard supports the VIA software configurator, making it relatively easy to remap keys and set up macros.
Being able to fully customise your switches and layout means the K8 Pro really is the last keyboard you’ll ever need.
But let’s be honest; it definitely won’t be the last keyboard you’ll ever buy.
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