Functional usage
Functional usage
As we always do, a little history first. Keyboards have always been a part of computing since the very beginning. The original IBM PC came with one, the Model M, which I used as a kid. The Model M, of course, set the standard for all keyboards that came after it. There are some variations in layout, but it's all based off the 101-key Model M. The modern keyboard, thanks to Windows, now has 104 keys, and depending on your location, you can have many more keys than that. Suffice it to say, keyboards are still the most efficient way of interacting with your computer, even with the great strides made in voice-recognition, touch screens, and GUI optimizations. I think the chances of humans ever growing out of the keyboard are pretty slim. In the early days of personal computing, the keyboard really meant something because it really was the only way to interact with the machine. Having a good-feeling keyboard was very important, at least until the mouse and GUI came along, and shifted the focus a little bit. Mechanical keyboards have always been around, though, part of the collective geek consciousness, and the enthusiasts that inhabit that world are as hardcore as their keyboards. The Corsair CORSAIR K57 RGB Wireless Keyboard has an 104-key layout + extras like the G keys for example.
Usage
The overall usage is totally fine. For gaming, Cherry MX has become the leading trend over the past few years, so going back to dome/membrane keyboards feels a little unnatural but yeah, I am not against it either as mechanical switches are not for everybody.
For example, if you need to type a bunch of letters on a mechanical keyboard, you'll learn soon enough that they are very noisy and can be a bit hard in the finger keypresses. For slightly better precision, mech's are recommended however yours truly is still using membrane-based keyboards not because he's cheap, they type just nicer and that typing feel I really like on the K57. Other than that, the K57 functions and feels as any other Corsair keyboard, it offers really solid aesthetics and functionality. The main difference is just the membrane-based switches, which feel very differently from mechanical keyboards. The RGB LEDs really pop out btw, very nice.
Battery life is really good, but after a day or two of continued usage, you will need to charge again if you enable RGB. Mind you that power saving features have been built in and after a few minutes of idling, RGB turns itself off. The wireless range easily is 6 meters, we could walk with this keyboard through the entire room and it remains responsive when in range. Quite handy if you want to game say in front of the telly eh?
