Page 7 - Conlusion
Final words and conclusion
This has been an unusually in-depth review of a keyboard. The RK-9000 is also our first review of a mechanical keyboard, so there were lots of little details to cover. Hopefully those little details made for a good read. They certainly do make a great product, something that you'll notice right away. There's a lot of crap keyboards out there and jumping up to a mechanical keyboard can be one of the better upgrades you can make. Youll always need a keyboard, so you might as well make it a good one. Not to mention, there are so many new mechanical keyboards coming to market it is a pretty good time to upgrade.
If you're in the market for a new keyboard, then the new Rosewill RK-9000 is one of the best mechanical keyboards you can buy, period. It's also one of the best deals, especially if you can find it on one of the many sales at Newegg or Chiefvalue.
The new RK-9000 doesn't have too much flash, but what it does have is pretty darn solid. Many keyboards will entice you with extra features, like USB ports and audio ports, but Rosewill concentrated on the stuff that matters and kept cost reasonable. Its a lot more expensive than the standard rubber dome, but in the world of mechanical keyboards, the cost is actually pretty good.
You get some interesting perks, the detachable cables, easily replaceable keycaps, and who doesn't like the red plate under the keys? Above it all, though, the clicky Cherry MX Blue switches are just a lot of fun to type on. And since the RK-9000 uses the same keycaps as the Filco brand keyboards, there are lots of options to customize or upgrade the keys. Yup, an upgradable keyboard. It should also last a good long time with proper care around fluids.
I do worry about a few things, though. The mini-USB port and detachable cable are fine, but I wished there was a way to channel the cable to any side, instead of right-side only. The keycaps are also a little suspect, and might start to wear and shine easily. I haven't read any reports of them starting to discolor or shine, but the previous model keyboard had that reputation.
Overall, the new RK-9000 is a knockout. Being that I have personal preference to type and game, I would choose a different model, the RK-9000 with MX Brown switches. This is where the real problem with mechanical keyboards comes in, once you try one, you will inevitably want to try them all.
Verdict: Highly Recommended.
Stuff That is Always at the End.
Very special thanks to Chinny at Rosewill and to Hilbert Hagedoorn for his tireless efforts! Extra special thanks to Jason O'Connell and Melodie Myers for their recording expertise. Beer is OK?
Our Moment of Zen:
+++BAM
