This computer keyboard is different than all other keyboards that we have reviewed in the past. Rather than putting all these fancy features on a keyboard that we may not actually need, a company has decided to go back to the ‘basics’ of the keyboard. Going back to the ‘basics’, may not always have the desired effect. This keyboard has a pricetag that most people may not be willing to pay for a keyboard. At the same time, this review aims to see if this keyboard justifies its cost.
Introduction
The Das Keyboard was the idea of Daniel Guermer, the founder of Metadot Corporation. He believed that people spend a lot of time at their keyboard and wanted to find a way to improve things. Therefore, he decided to create a keyboard with the highest quality components. This became known as the Das Keyboard. The keyboard comes in two different flavors: Professional and Ultimate. The one we received was the Professional version. The only main difference between professional and ultimate is that Ultimate does not have any key markings. Supposedly, the company believes that it encourages someone to learn a keyboard more quickly and be able to type faster since a person has no key labels to look at.
The Keyboard
The Das Keyboard came in a simple box with a full sized picture of the keyboard at the front of the box. When opening the box, the keyboard was neatly wrapped in a thin foam material.
When taking the keyboard out, I immediately noticed the weight of the keyboard. It was almost 2-3times heavier than my cheap Dell keyboard that I was using. The keyboard has the standard keyboard layout with all the keys where you’d expect them to be. The function keys are at the top of the keyboard and the numeric pad and directional keys on the right side. There are the typical ‘Windows’ keys towards the bottom of the keyboard. In terms of layout, this keyboard doesn’t deviate when comparing it to older keyboards.
This keyboard does not require any drivers in order to function. All you need to do is plug the keyboard into the USB port in your computer. I was using Windows Vista and the operating system was able to detect and install the keyboard immediately without any hiccups. The keyboard was still able to work even though I didn’t unplug my other USB keyboard connected to the computer. All I had to do was move the old keyboard aside and I was able to use the Das Keyboard immediately.
There is not much to see at the back of the keyboard except a label dead center in the middle and there are two pieces to flip out to prop the keyboard high.
The difference you will immediately notice in the keyboard are the keys. If you look closely at the lettering on the keys, there is no evidence of the lettering being like stickers. They look like they are part of the key itself. On cheap keyboards, you can look closely at the keys and sometimes see substance around the keys like they were ‘ironed’ on. Another difference are the button presses. When you first press a button, you will hear a click. The clicking noises are very reminiscent of really old keyboards. When I started typing on the keyboard, the clicking noises I heard kind of encouraged me to type faster. Compared with my older keyboard, the keys on the Das Keyboard don’t stick at all making it easy for keys to be pressed.
The quality of the keys really do make typing easier. When inputting data or typing keys for a long period of time, my hand starts to feel strained and I might feel some slight pain. When using the Das Keyboard, I was able to notice less strain on my hand and slightly less effort needed to press keys. This makes the keyboard great for long gaming or typing sessions.
At the top right of the keyboard are LED lights which light up when you press the numlock, scrolllock, and caps lock function keys. This adds a nice little touch to the keyboard.
Conclusion
At the price of $99 for the Das Keyboard Professional is a great product where it made me realize how much the quality of a keyboard matters. I really couldn’t find anything to criticize about the keyboard except its price. At $99, the cost of the keyboard might be a bit high to the average consumer. But if you are looking for a keyboard that will last for an extremely long time and will help ease your typing, then you will find the price of the keyboard justified.
This keyboard can be purchased at Das Keyboard’s website (http://www.daskeyboard.com/) at their online store.
