Matias Ergo Pro review: my new favourite ergonomic keyboard

Posted on by William Judd

2015-03-20 03.05.07

Ergonomic keyboards have been a kind of holy grail in the mechanical keyboard industry for a long time; many companies have produced one, but none has become a standout success.

Naturally, when we heard that Matias were working on an ergonomic keyboard of their own, we were intrigued. It’s called the Matias Ergo Pro, and I’ve been lucky enough to try out an early USA production model for the past two weeks. Here’s what I think.

Design

The Matias Ergo Pro comes in two halves of roughly equal size. The split enforces correct hand placement for the main keys, while leaving ancillary keys on the outside. The two halves are connected by a 3.5mm cable, which sounded weird initially but actually makes a lot of sense – they are easily and cheaply replaced, and the version provided with the keyboard has a spool to minimise cable clutter.

A view of the back of the keyboard, showing two of the three USB ports and the 3.5mm bridge

A view of the back of the keyboard, showing two of the three USB ports and the 3.5mm bridge

On the left side you have small individual keys for undo, cut, copy and paste, as well as a Function key. On European models*, you have three full-size keys for cut, copy and paste (no undo).

On the right, you have media controls on the F keys, plus eight more small keys for the navigation cluster and directional arrows tucked into the right bottom corner.

Here's the layout of the US version of the Ergo Pro.

Here’s the layout of the US version of the Ergo Pro.

The advantage of this design is that it keeps the width of a keyboard to a minimum, while still including all of the keys that you’d expect.

The keyboard uses Matias’ Quiet Click mechanical switches, an Alps variant. The switches are super quiet, yet retain satisfying tactile feedback. This makes them ideal for typing even in quiet environments, and they’re quite nice for gaming as well (as I’ll mention later). The keyboard features N-Key Rollover, meaning you can press down as many keys as you like simultaneously, and all will be correctly registered.

A look at the underside of the keyboard

A look at the underside of the keyboard

The Ergo Pro is adjustable, an important consideration for any ergonomic keyboard.  Leg supports can be flipped out, giving the keyboard 9° tenting and 4.5° negative tilt. Tenting refers to the inner side of each half sitting higher than the outside, forming a tent shape. Negative tilt is provided by a pair of legs under each wrist rest.

Tenting

Tenting

Finally, the keyboard is connected to your PC using a micro USB cable. Two such cables are provided, both with a handy right-angle jack on the micro USB side. The Ergo Pro also includes three USB ports for connecting additional devices like mice, USB drives and game controllers.

Impressions

Writing

The Ergo Pro is designed as a writer’s keyboard, so it seems only natural that we talk about this first. The keyboard certainly delivers on this front, immediately offering a more intuitive layout and better-feeling switches than all other ergonomic keyboards I’ve tried over the years.

The sole problem I had was the placement of the key to the left of ‘n’ – for whatever reason I am accustomed to pressing the ‘b’ key with my right hand, so I kept reaching over and hitting ctrl instead of b as I intended. I slowly trained myself to type the b using my left hand, but it did take a while. I’d say that the closer you are to the standard ‘home row’ typing method, the easier you’ll find the keyboard to adopt.

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Of course, there are more keys on the keyboard beyond the letter keys in the middle. I found the modifiers and ancillary keys well-placed and easy to hit, which was my biggest issue with other ergonomic keyboards in the past – there’s little relearning required here. The home/end/page up/page down keys are a little unusual in their size and placement, but I quickly adapted here.

In terms of ergonomics, I definitely found the Ergo Pro more comfortable than standard mechanical keyboards. Being able to choose the width of the keyboard at any time is a great perk, and it’s also nice to have a little space to put your cup of tea. The palm rests are great as well, much more comfortable than resting your palms and wrists on your desk.

It just feels cool too – it reminds me of operators in The Matrix and its sequels, cooly summoning information and dispatching advice in front of a bank of monitors.

Gaming

Being a big gamer, I of course had to try the Ergo Pro in a few games. I played Counter-Strike and Heroes of the Storm on the keyboard, and found it quite pleasant. The keys were largely on the left side of the keyboard in these two games, so I could just keep the left half of the board at the front of my desk and push the other to the back, leaving me plenty of space for my mouse. The keyboard kept up even in hectic moments, and I felt my wrists were in much better condition at the end of a session than they would be normally.

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A convenient place for tea. Please excuse the clutter.

Conclusion

The Matias Ergo Pro is a comfortable keyboard that’s great for typing and gaming alike, and I’d definitely recommend you check it out. Its near-standard layout really makes it easy to use without a long training period, and also ensure that it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Overall then, a quality mechanical ergonomic keyboard.

Update: Hidden DIP switches

The Matias Ergo Pro also contains hidden DIP switches, allowing you to remap either of the spacebars to backspace, swap Ctrl and Caps Lock (for *nix systems) and even swap between Mac and PC layouts. The DIP switches can be found underneath the right-side Alt key.

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Links

The Matias Ergo Pro is available from The Keyboard Company Store in the UK, and all are in stock at the time of writing. Please see the links below to place your orders, see more information and check prices:

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Mechanical keyboard glossary

Posted on by William Judd

Here is a glossary of mechanical keyboard terms. Let us know if we missed a term or we didn’t explain something as well as we could have done!

60%: A style of keyboard which is about 60% the size of a full-size keyboard, by means of omitting the top function row, the navigation cluster and the numeric keypad. Access to the missing keys is typically achieved through a Function layer. The Filco Minila is an example of this style.

ABS: a material used for keycaps, provided by default on most Cherry MX keyboards (including Filco and Max Keyboard) and also available as standalone keycap sets. ABS keycaps are generally lighter than their PBT counterparts.

Actuation point: the point at which a key press is recognised by the keyboard. The amount of force required to reach this point is used as a measure of the switch’s stiffness.

Alps: a mechanical switch that was once produced by a Japanese company of the same name. Today, the switch is out of production but has been adapted by companies like Matias into their own switch designs.

ANSI: the standard physical keyboard layout for the United States and the Netherlands, among some other countries. Modern full-size ANSI keyboards generally have 104 keys, including wide Enter and left Shift keys.

Buckling spring: a loud and heavy mechanical switch that uses a large spring that buckles at the actuation point, hence the name. Used by IBM in their Model M, and has since become rather rare. Modern equivalents are produced by Unicomp.

Cherry MX: mechanical switches made by the Cherry Corporation, featuring a distinctive cross shape. Named by their colours (e.g. Cherry MX Red), each of which has a unique combination of weighting and feedback. For more, see our Intro to Cherry MX mechanical switches. Adapted by Kaihua into Kailh and Razer switches, among others. Cherry MX are the most popular mechanical switches worldwide.

Click: a keyboard or switch that makes an audible “click” sound when pressed. Clicky switches often include a tactile bump as well (see Tactile). Examples of clicky switches include Cherry MX Blue and Matias Click.

Debouncing: as a switch reaches its actuation point, it will bounce around a bit before it comes to rest. Debouncing is the act of correctly interpreting when a key is pressed, without reporting multiple actuations. This is largely a solved problem in modern keyboards.

Full-size: A full-format keyboard, which includes a numeric keypad (for the opposite, see Tenkeyless). Also called by the number of keys included (e.g 105-key for a full-size British keyboard). The Filco Majestouch is an example of this style.

Ghosting: an issue where pressing a combination of three or more keys results in the registering of an addition, unpressed key. Ghosting is prevented by manufacturers by blocking any keys which might be ghosts, but this limits the number of keys that can be pressed simultaneously. See Key Rollover.

ISO: the standard physical keyboard layout for most of the world, with the notable exception of the United States and the Netherlands (see ANSI) and Japan (see JIS). British, German, Spanish, French and Nordic are all examples of ISO layouts, although each has a different logical layout (e.g. the first six letters are QWERTY in the UK and QWERTZ in Germany). Modern full-size ISO keyboards have 105 keys, including tall Enter keys and small left Shift keys.

JIS: the standard physical keyboard layout for Japan (for western layouts, see ANSI and ISO). A modern full-size JIS keyboard has 109 keys, including additional keys to the left and right of the shortened space bar, in order to facilitate entry of characters from various Japanese alphabets.

Key Rollover (#KRO): a limit to how many keys can be simultaneously pressed and correctly registered by the keyboard, often expressed. If you press more keys than your keyboard can register, some key inputs will be missed. Low numbers like 2KRO are typical of low-cost rubber dome keyboards, while 6KRO is the usual standard for a mechanical keyboard. Some keyboards are capable of more; other common figures are 10KRO and NKRO. Modifier keys (e.g. Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Win) do not count towards this limit.

Linear: a keyboard or switch that lacks a tactile bump or click – instead, the resistance increases linearly as the key travels downwards. Examples of linear switches include Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Black.

Mechanical: a high-quality keyboard or switch that utilises a mechanism with a metal spring in order to register key presses. Many different switch designs fall into this category, including Cherry MX, Alps, Buckling Spring and sometimes Topre.

N-Key Rollover (NKRO): a keyboard with NKRO can register as many keys simultaneously as you care to press down. See Key Rollover.

PBT: a material used for keycaps, provided by default on most Topre and Unicomp keyboards and also available as standalone keycap sets. PBT keycaps tend to wear better and have a slightly more abrasive feel than their ABS counterparts.

Rubber dome: a non-mechanical keyboard that uses a rubber dome to provide resistance and tacticality, mounted above a membrane sheet that registers the key press. Rubber domes are found in the vast majority of keyboards sold, thanks to their low cost.

Tactile: a keyboard or switch that provides feedback you can feel, normally a “bump” or sudden increase in resistance that occurs as the key reaches its actuation point. Examples of tactile switches include Cherry MX Brown and Matias Quiet Click.

Topre: electro-capacitive switches, consisting of a slider in a housing, above a rubber dome, above a coiled spring, above a circuit board. While the switch includes a rubber dome component, it is normally considered a mechanical switch rather than a rubber dome.

Tenkeyless (TKL): A keyboard that does not include a numeric keypad, in order to minimise size and weight. These keyboards can allow for a more comfortable hand position and are more portable, a reasonable tradeoff if you do not often use the numeric keypad. The Filco Majestouch TKL is an example of this style. For the opposite of Tenkeyless, see Full-size.

Travel: the distance that a switch moves from the top to the bottom of a key press. On an average laptop keyboard, key travel is noticeably lower than on the average desktop keyboard.

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Matias Tactile Pro for PC: available now in UK, US, German and Nordic layouts

Posted on by William Judd

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We’ve recently received stock of a great Matias keyboard, the Tactile Pro for PC. Unlike many of the latest Matias keyboards, the Tactile Pro doesn’t use Quiet Click switches. Instead, it uses original Matias Click switches – a “full fat” option that provide noticeably more tactile and audio feedback.

Our fearless leader Bruce recently told me that the Tactile Pro is one of the closest keyboards to the original IBM Model M. Typing on it now, I can see what he meant.

While the Alps switches here work differently than a buckling spring, the overall effect is very similar – you get loud, crunchy key presses with a heaped helping of tactile feedback. It surpasses even the effect of a Cherry MX Blue keyboard, which is usually known as “the loud mechanical keyboard” these days.

The Tactile Pro includes quite a few nice bonus features too. You’ll find 10KRO on this most recent version, meaning that ten keys can be pressed and correctly registered simultaneously. Lesser keyboards often neglect this feature, which can mean your inputs aren’t registered, which is annoying whether you’re typing or playing games.

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Another useful feature are its USB 2.0 ports – you’ll find three ports in all, one each on the left, right and back sides. This makes it easy to connect mice, gamepads, smartphones, cameras and even other keyboards.

The redesigned numpad is another bonus, which trades the number lock for a much more useful tab key. This is incredibly useful for data entry, and number lock key is still easily accessible just one key above. You’ll also find volume controls here, allowing you to raise, lower or mute the volume with a single key press. There are also media controls (play/pause, forward, back) accessible via an Fn layer.

The Tactile Pro looks good too. Its piano black colour scheme looks slick and professional, with easily legible legends and indicator LEDs tucked into their respective keycaps. The keycaps used here are ABS with laser-formed legends. The layout is fully PC-compatible; of course a Mac version also exists in white (see links below).

Writing a few rapid sentences on the Tactile Pro made me grin unabashedly – this was fun. I use a lot of different keyboards for reviews and other work, but the Tactile Pro won’t be leaving my desk after I finish this article.

Try the Tactile Pro and you’ll see what I mean. We have keyboards available in UK, German and Nordic (Swedish / Finnish / Norwegian / Danish) layouts:

You can also pick up the Mac version in white:

Thanks for checking out the article, and be sure to let us know what you think of the Tactile Pro!

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Win a Filco MiniLa 60% keyboard from KeyboardCo!

Posted on by William Judd

Update: We have our winner! Thanks to everyone that entered.

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Want to win a Filco MiniLa mechanical keyboard? Enter using the Rafflecopter box below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can get more entries for visiting our Facebook page, following us on Twitter and tweeting about the contest.

Thanks for entering and please share the competition with your friends!

The keyboard comes with black switches and is available in USA (ANSI) or ISO (UK, Nordic) layouts. For more information about the Filco MiniLa, please see our review of the keyboard or our product pages linked below:

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Matias Ergo Pro availability update

Posted on by Bruce Whiting

We have been in consultation with Matias about the upcoming European Layout Ergo Pro Models.

The first batch of USA layout has been made and sold from Matias Canada base and the feedback was strong that it is a superb ergonomic keyboard, but that caps lock would be better moved up to an F Key. To accommodate this the key currently used for caps lock will become right control.

We all agreed that this was the correct thing to do in the interests of making the keyboard to the highest standard now and for the future.

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Sadly, this has meant that we missed a production ‘slot’ and it will add 30 days to the ETA. We now expect our stock in UK around June 30th.

Apologies to anyone who has pre-ordered. If you’d prefer a refund get in touch, we will arrange it. If you are plain angry at having to wait another 30 days after one delay already, please feel free to contact Bruce here at The Keyboard Company or Steve at Matias.

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Bruce's Blog – August 2015

Posted on by William Judd

bruce 300pxJust popping in to say Hello and share a little news from The Keyboard Company.

We’re working hard on a new website design. Many would say it is long overdue but the website feels to me like a pair of old slippers. It evolved from a one page website which itself was based on a one sheet fax that we used to have as a send out to new customers. It was a basic list of keyboards. It was never the greatest but we were comfortable with it and it served it’s purpose as a source of information very well.

So I am now all nerves, we have a new design, nothing fancy, but using the more modern tiled feel and using more ‘white space’ and all the user friendly touches that the designers are keen on. I just hope it works. We have some work to do on the back end but expect to see it live in a month or two. For those who prefer the old homepage we will run that under a link.

If any of you were present when I had an AMA on Reddit/r/mechanicalkeyboards you may have noticed that someone asked if we wanted an intern this summer. Well, we talked afterwards and the long and the short of it is that David came in and helped us for a few weeks during his university summer holidays. He was really helpful, reliable and a joy to have on the team. We tasked him with creating a format for promotional videos for the new website. He has done a great job and you will see his videos when the new website goes live. It was a shot in the arm to have someone young and enthusiastic around for a few weeks.

Talking of video, we decided that we didn’t want an unboxing video as we see so many. We didn’t want to try and do a glitzy promo type thing either so we eventually chose to have quite basic ‘showcase’ video that simply showed the keyboard with good photography (David did that too) and some descriptive text added. I hope you like them.

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On the keyboard front things continue to move along at pace. We now have the Convertible from Filco which gives us the finest quality that we all know from Filco, in a wireless full size option. Alongside MiniLa (Short for Minimum Layout) or 60% as they are now known, we have all the bases covered from the finest of all keyboard makers.

Matias too have been busy and we are really excited about the Ergo Pro. We have these in stock now in various language layouts. It has given us a fully adjustable, fully split field, ergonomic keyboard with mechanical switching. This is something we have wanted for some time and already sales are looking healthy. We can recommend one to anyone who has RSI concerns, or who wants to ensure that they never have RSI concerns.

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Also from Matias we have now the classic Tactile Pro in PC format. Mac users of a certain age will remember that the Tactile Pro was the keyboard Mac sold with their premium work machines back in the day. Now they don’t sell any high quality keyboards we are all indebted to Matias for keeping the Tactile Pro going, and indeed, improving and updating it. So we were thinking that this great keyboard should be available for the humble PC too. The guys at Matias were in agreement so we now have the Tactile Pro for PC. If you like your switches hardcore tactile, this is as tactile as they come. Available in UK, USA, German and Nordic layouts.

Thanks for reading. We at The Keyboard Company are all very aware how lucky we are to have such a great bunch of customers. I am always happy to answer questions, listen to suggestions or just chat on bruce@keyboardco.com or my Twitter @FilcoUK.

I’ll pop back from time to time with news and I will sign off now with a word of thanks to Will who is doing an excellent job running the blog.

Bruce.

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OrthoMouse Ergonomic and Adjustable Mouse: hands-on review

Posted on by William Judd

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Today I’m looking at the OrthoMouse, an ergonomic and adjustable mouse that’s designed to keep your hand in a natural, comfortable position. Let’s take a look!

Unboxing

We’re looking today at the OrthoMouse Laser, although the wired optical variant is very similar in almost all respects. These differences are noted when applicable.

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The OrthoMouse comes in a simple cardboard box.

Inside, you’ll find the mouse itself wrapped in bubble wrap…

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…and a number of upper and rear sections that allow you to customise the shape to suit your hand and grip style.

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The upper sections are called “upper adapters” and the rear sections are called “prolongers”. The smaller upper adapter is pre-installed, with a larger one in the box. In terms of prolongers, the long version is installed and short and medium options are in the box.

You’ll also find a wireless adapter for the wireless model (as shown here). This is very short, so you can easily tuck it into the side of a laptop without it sticking out too much. The wireless adapter is actually inside the mouse when first unboxed, wrapped in bubble wrap inside the battery chamber.

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You’ll also note some small pieces of paper with various instructions are recommendations on them – including a note that the laser uses a wavelength outside visible light, so it’s normal not to be able to see the laser when it’s on. The OrthoMouse also has a nice document that outlines the idea behind the mouse, and provides suggestions on the correct posture, emphasising proper support for your arm. The manual (PDF) is also quite good for instruction on this point.

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Design

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The OrthoMouse has an interesting design which is immediately different from most mice. It’s contoured to fit your hand, with long left and right mouse buttons that sit directly underneath your first two fingers.

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The remaining buttons are on the left side. There’s one in the middle which acts as a middle click button, and buttons at the top and bottom which serve as a scroll wheel. Your thumb has to move only minimally to activate these controls.

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The upper section is replaceable as we discussed earlier, and sits higher or near equal to the side buttons.

The back of the model can also be replaced with differently sized alternatives; the default is quite long, with two progressively shorter options. The default should suit most users and prove the most ergonomic, but it’s nice to have these options.

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The wireless model requires two AA batteries (which are not included in the box), which are stored in a compartment underneath the prolonger. The wired model is identical, even including a (nonfunctional) AA compartment, allowing to be as balanced as the wireless model. The wired version, of course has a USB cable that attaches to the very front of the mouse.

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All in all, it’s a radical but sensible design. It won’t look out of place upon most desks thanks to its dark and textured matte finish, but should be noticed if anyone tries to use your PC.

Testing

In order to evaluate the OrthoMouse, I used it over a period of two weeks as my go-to mouse. I also used it intensively for a weekend, playing a few games and getting some Word and Photoshop work done too. Of course, there was also a lot of Twitter and Reddit surfing going on too.

Work & Web

The OrthoMouse is immediately different in terms of design, but that doesn’t translate into a long training period – you can become quite accurate and comfortable within the first few minutes of using the mouse.

My worry was that the mouse would have odd buttons or just feel weird, but everything was surprisingly natural. The buttons were easy to click, the sensor felt accurate, and of course the posture that the OrthoMouse inspires is quite comfortable.

It was a bit odd getting used to scrolling using two buttons instead of a wheel, but I can see the ergonomic benefits here. After a few articles, I was scrolling around like a pro.

I really noticed the difference after a long day working with the Orthomouse. Normally I have some aches and pains in my wrists and fingers, but I felt quite fresh with the Orthomouse. Adopting the correct posture seemed to work well for me, and working slightly more slower seemed to improve matters too. Overall, it was a highly comfortable mouse, and on a different level to the gaming mice I normally use.

Gaming

I’m a big fan of videogames, so I wanted to find out – is it possible to use this mouse for gaming too? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. I had no issues playing strategy and RPG games with the mouse, as it allowed for a comfortable position and reasonable accuracy, thanks to the 1600 DPI laser sensor. I even tried the mouse in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and it worked surprisingly well; I was able to place top three in a full deathmatch server. You’d probably still want a gaming mouse for competitive play, but for casual stuff the OrthoMouse works just fine – particularly if you go for a shorter prolonger.

Conclusion

All in all, the OrthoMouse surpassed my expectations, proving a comfortable mouse for gaming, work and web surfing over even long periods.

Availability

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There are two different varieties of the OrthoMouse available. One is a wireless laser mouse, and the other is a wired optical variant. The two are quite similar in price, so it’s largely down to your preference – would you prefer a wireless option that’s more convenient but requires batteries, or a wired version that goes without?

What do you think of the OrthoMouse? Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to use the links above to order an OrthoMouse of your very own!

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CM Novatouch TKL UK review

Posted on by William Judd

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Today I’m looking at one of most exciting keyboards of 2014: the Novatouch TKL. The Novatouch is a new keyboard from Cooler Master that combines the sublime feel of Topre electro-mechanical switches with ubiquitous Cherry MX keycaps. This hybrid design means that you’ll be able to fully customise your Novatouch with the same widely available Cherry keycaps that would normally be used on a Filco or Ducky. Let’s go on and find out how well the Novatouch works.

Unboxing & Specifications

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The Novatouch TKL comes in a durable black cardboard box, inscribed with the CM logo and wrapped in a sleeve that contains more information about the keyboard.

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You can see those purple-coloured Topre switches on the facing side of the sleeve, atop the ‘switch up your style’ tagline.

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Taking a closer look at the specifications, we can see the relevant data points:

  • Key switch: Hybrid capacitive switch
  • Key rollover: NKRO (Windows only)
  • Polling rate: 1000Hz / 1 ms
  • Interface: Micro USB 2.0, full speed
  • USB cable: 1.8m braided, 18K gold-plated and removable
  • Dimensions: 359 x 138 x 39mm (14.1 x 5.4 x 1.5 inches)
  • Weight: 895 grams (1.97 pounds)

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On the back we can see CM’s claims of ‘the ultimate typing experience’, which seems fair enough given the Topre switch’s legendary reputation.

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Opening the box now, we can see the keyboard for the first time, safely ensconced in a thick layer of foam.

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Besides the keyboard itself and some literature, we have some accoutrements: a removable braided USB cable, a wire-and-plastic key puller and a set of o-rings. The o-rings are intended to offer further customisability, by dampening the actuation of the switch and making its operation quieter.

Now, let’s move onto the design of the keyboard itself!

Design & Physical Features

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Of course, the most important part of this keyboard is that unique switch: an electro-capacitive Topre switch with a Cherry-compatible stem. These particular Topre switches have a uniform 45 gram weighting, with a 1mm actuation point. The keyboard also support NKRO (N-key rollover) on Windows, meaning that there is no limit to the number of keys that can be pressed simultaneously while still being recognised.

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You can see a little of how the key works thanks to this nifty Topre keychain. There’s a conical spring at the base of the switch, sitting below a rubber dome. When the key is pressed down, a circuit is made and the keypress is registered. Then the key is rapidly returned to its starting position.

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So why are Topre switches so desirable? Well, the Topre is a very smooth switch, granting some tactile feedback and a quiet ‘thunk’ sound when pressed. The feel is somewhere between a rubber dome keyboard and a Cherry or Alps mechanical switch, with a soft landing but a fast reset. Typists tend to be quite fond of Topre switches because of their smooth feel, but they can be used for gaming and other tasks as well. For more on Topre, check out our review of the Topre Type Heaven keyboard.

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This is a TKL keyboard, so of course we have no number pad here. Instead, the keyboard stops after the cursor and navigational clusters. This design obviously makes for a smaller and lighter keyboard, but it’s also more comfortable. That’s because your mouse arm can lie more in-line with your body, so you don’t have to adopt a wide, bowed stance.

The Novatouch utilises a very standard layout, with the lone addition of a Function key amongst the modifiers on the right-hand side. This key activates additional functions along the top row. You can control your media, disable the windows key and adjust the volume. There’s even the ability to get multiple keystrokes from a single press, if you ever need to spam buttons in games for quick time events (QTEs) or for performing an attack as quickly as possible. This key repeat function can be set to 2x, 4x, 8x or 1x (back to normal) via the first four function keys.

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The keycaps provided with the Novatouch are made from ABS, standard for most keyboards, with a nicely legible font that resembles Futura or Spartan Classified. The keycaps aren’t bad by any means, but there is more of an expectation here than with other keyboards that you will swap the keycaps, so the originals are less important.

The default ABS keycaps, seen from a variety of angles

The default ABS keycaps, seen from a variety of angles

The back of the keyboard has its serial and model numbers; as you can see this is a model made in China for the UK market. It’s worth noting that there are no cable channels or DIP switches here, which can be found on some Topre models.

The back of the keyboard also has a simple single-stage leg, which feels quite sturdy and props up the keyboard at a higher angle.

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Finally, we can also see the reinforced micro USB port that you’ll use to connect your Novatouch to your PC (or smartphone / tablet via adapters). Combined with the right-angle cable, the connection should be quite durable.

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That’s all of the keyboard’s features covered, so let’s move onto the important part – how does it feel and how well does it work?

Impressions

Installing custom keycaps

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The biggest feature of the Novatouch is installing custom keycaps, so let’s go ahead and do that! I wanted to try some PBT caps, so I took some blank PBTs from a KBT Pure Pro I had lying around. This 60% size keyboard has fewer keys than the Novatouch (and is a US model), so I opted to only transplant the letters and number rows, leaving the modifiers intact.

Using the key puller provided, it took me about 10 minutes to take off the original keycaps and replace them. As promised, the Cherry MX keycaps from the Pure Pro fit perfectly onto the Novatouch. Once installed, the keyboard had a new two-tone look and PBT caps that more closely match Topre keyboards like the Realforce.

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Thanks to the standard layout of the Novatouch, most TKL sets should allow for a full swap, including longer keys that require stabilisers. I swapped on a Backspace key with Cherry-style stabiliser fittings, and it felt quite stable (and quiet) on the Novatouch. Two things to note are the 6.25x size spacebar and the four 1x right-size modifiers (Alt, Win, Fn, Ctrl). You’ll want to find a key set that includes these size keys to do a full swap… although keeping the default black spacebar works fine with most black keysets.

I tried a few keys from pretty much every set I had lying around, and everything fit well. With so many Cherry MX keycaps in circulation, the Novatouch definitely delivers on its promise of an easily customisable Topre!

Typing

The Novatouch is a keyboard built for typing. The smooth force feedback curve and deep, quiet thunk of the keycaps while typing makes for a blissful typing experience. The feel is a bit odd if you’re used to sharper Cherry MX keyboards, but the feeling is certainly one that will find many fans.

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Novatouch ABS keycap (left), a PBT keycap (mid) and a standard Topre PBT keycap (right).

With the standard keycaps, the Novatouch feels quite similar to the Topre Type Heaven. Replace the default ABS caps with PBT alternatives, and you get a feel that is much closer to a Realforce. It’s a little lighter than the Topre Realforce though, and you can feel a small difference side-by-side.

Regardless of the keycaps, you’ll find a nice typing experience that offers a good insight into why Topre keyboards are so prized.

Gaming

The Novatouch doesn’t immediately scream ‘gamer’, but it’s a surprisingly good piece of gaming kit. The keys feel a bit like a rubber dome on the way down, but they’re lighter and rebound quickly.

The Novatouch also includes NKRO, so you can press as many buttons as you like simultaneously and have them all register. For example, in shooters you might want to move back and left (A+S) while walking (Shift), crouching (Ctrl) and swapping to your knife (Q). I played a few matches of competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and I had no issues with the keyboard even in the most frantic of moments.

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CM are also claiming a more rapid debouncing time compared to Cherry MX switches. Debouncing is a mechanism that ensures a single keypress doesn’t register as multiple presses, which naturally occurs due to the tiny oscillating nature of the keypress. In theory, a shorter debounce time would minimise the time between a key press and its interpretation… but this hasn’t been a serious issue since the 80s, and I can’t tell the difference between the Novatouch (5-8ms) and an MX keyboard (19-25ms).

There are no LEDs or macro keys on the Novatouch, although you can disable the Windows key (which some gamers find quite useful to prevent accidental mid-game trips to the desktop). There’s also the option to have repeated keypresses, which was useful in games like Tomb Raider where you have to spam a key in Quick Time Events. Unfortunately, activating this function takes time so it’s not that convenient.

All in all then, this is a keyboard that you can certainly game with – it would be folly to think of this keyboard as for typing only.

Conclusion

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The Novatouch delivers on its promise of Topre switches on a keyboard that can be easily customised with the thousands of Cherry MX keycaps in circulation. This is the ultimate keyboard for enthusiasts who love to play with different keycaps in cool colours and different materials. It’s also a nice entry-point for Topre newcomers, so they can see what the fuss is all about. While some will find Cherry MX switches more to their tastes, typists and gamers alike can recognise the value of this unique keyboard.

Pros

  • As promised, the first easily customisable Topre keyboard
  • Standard layout and feature set
  • Durable construction for case and cable
  • Comes with key puller and o-rings for easy customisation

Cons

  • The unique switch isn’t to everyone’s tastes
  • Relatively boring ABS keycaps to start
  • No backlighting, macro keys or other gamer extras

Signing off

So that’s the Cooler Master Novatouch TKL, a unique keyboard that combines legendary Topre electro-capacitive switches with Cherry MX keycaps. To order the Novatouch TKL in a UK layout, please visit our website via the linke below:

Please let us know what you think of the keyboard and ask us questions below! You can also reach us on Twitter @keyboardco or on Facebook.

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KeyboardCo AMA: highlights from Bruce's Reddit interview session

Posted on by William Judd

We recently held an AMA interview session on Reddit, where we invited mechanical keyboard fans to ask our head honcho Bruce anything! Check out the highlights, all nicely organised, right here:

Questions about Bruce

What’s your daily driver?

A Filco, UK Layout Majestouch1 with Browns. It is the first UK one we had – sent as a sample, I put it on my desk and never let it go. I don’t know any better keyboard. I do swap it for a Matias Quiet PC (I love this if I’m doing accounts because of the TAB on the number pad) and A Topre Realforce from time to time for a change and I do love that ‘first day back’ feeling with another keyboard. The Matias is growing on me all the time, that Alps scrunch is really addictive.

What other keyboards do you own?

Those three above are my main drivers. I have a Filco TKL with Reds at home, but that is on the PC that is mostly used by my wife who gives it a proper hammering whilst playing Travian. I always have a bit of time with any new products and we keep a shelf in the office with a nice variety so that any visitors can have a look and a play. On there we have Matias Mini wireless – secure pro, Filco Minila, Unicomp, Max Blackbird, Truly Ergonomic, Matias Tactile Pro, Topre TKL, and a Cherry 3000.

Which keyboard do you personally consider the best?

The one on your PC…. ? My favourite is Filco – but you know I have an interest there…. But I am a ‘less is more’ kind of guy so I love their design and the lack of gizmo bits and they really are made to the highest standards. But keyboards are like shoes, we all have our favourites and we don’t all share the same opinion.

Favourite switch?

Tough question. Blues for typing, Browns for gaming and/or general purpose. Matias Quiet runs it close – and their Tactile switch is great too. I don’t like to look at the switch in isolation though. The characteristics of the switch have to be complimented by the chassis. We’ve seen mechs that have flex in them – so people tend to want a tougher, more tactile, switch to compensate. Then in a really rigid chassis Browns come alive when they would feel like mush in a soft chassis. It’s holistic.

Do you have a favourite 60% size mechanical keyboard?

I love them; we always just called it a mini, or laptop style. Back in 89 when I started here I used one of our Sejin 86 keys for years (like this). Not sure my favourite mechanical one though. I really like the Matias mini-pro. It has a little more room around it.

Do you have the time and inclination for gaming, and if so, what genre(s)?

Not so much these days. I was playing more when the first Doom came along and Duke Nukem. They were so good! I still enjoy a racer, Colin McRae rally has been played to death on our PSII.

Besides keyboards, what other hobbies or things you are interested in?

Being English, I love cricket. I played for a local village team for many years. These days I don’t get so much time as a cricket match can take all day – so now I play some squash to keep fit. I have a game tonight..

I also love a good book, anything really but especially those old historical novels about when knights were bold….

If you were going to be in a keyboard fight, which one would you choose?

My keyboards are all too beautiful to fight with so I’d grab an old Model M! Those things really are solid. You know we once took a pallet of them as scrap, I think I paid £50 for the lot. We tested them all and they all worked, even the ones that had so much crud under the keys that it was limiting the travel!

Bruce’s Past

What was your first mech keyboard?

Haha, I am of an age whereby I can remember good mechs from the first time around! We had things like Model M, Cherry, Fujitsu way back. Then it all died a bit of a death, and it was only Geekhack and some loons like Ripster who made one of the greatest examples of consumer power I know of to bring it to the fore again… The real answer is a Cherry 3000. Blues I think.

What is your career background? What ever gave you the idea to start a KEYBOARD company of all things?

Chequered might be a good description. I gained an interest in computing while working for a small computer builder called Interset in the West of England for a year after education, we built computers for the print trade to do typesetting. I remember the day the production Manager brought in a Mackintosh to have a look at – a half hour after booting it up – we realised we might well need new jobs soon. This was the 80s and everyone in UK was making money on property so against the advice of all sensible commentators I jacked and started a painting and decorating business. So I was running my own company in construction in and around London up until the late 90s. It was hard work but fun and rewarding. This doesn’t appear to be the best grounding for doing what I do now but construction is a tough trade and if you don’t do it right you don’t get paid. So I learned very valuable lessons about service and the importance of customer satisfaction which have served me well in the Tech Sector where these things are often ignored. I was about ready for a change when my Step Father, Geoff Thomas asked me to help out with The Keyboard Company. It was temporary at first but things went well and I took over as Managing Director after a short time and Geoff retired through illness.

How did you start your adventure with mechanical keyboards?

There was a time when Andy and I really ran the company and we both started to think that NOT all keyboards were made the same. We had Fujitsu models (FK4725??) that were so much nicer than others, we also had Cherry 3000 and Datalux and we noticed the difference. This would be early nineties but it was more a personal thing, the trade we were doing was different.. It was only when we were told about Diatec/Filco and Geekhack that it became something more than that.

The Future

What keyboards are you looking forward to?

There are two, The Matias Ergo Pro and Filco Convertible. Both of these break new ground – and will be popular.

Where do you see the state of the keyboard industry in five years?

I think (hope) we’ll see more smaller manufacturers and more variety. Manufacturing techniques will improve more and more and smaller batches won’t be so limiting. We’re seeing that already. The web helps there too. Some big companies are muscling in on mechanicals and seem to do OK selling keyboards that don’t really merit the cost of the switches but I think people will get wise to that.

What do you see as the future of mechanical keyboards?

I think the worm has most definitely turned and mechanicals have proven to us that we don’t have to accept a poor quality keyboard when we type at work for hours and then at leisure too. I think mechanicals will be with us until we decide we’re not going to use keyboards at all. I see the cheap and nasty stuff going down and down. I often think about the car business and how cars now are so good, feature wise, reliability, comfort, speed. I think that is a good analogy for keyboards and how we now, as mature users of computers want and expect something that is well built and as nice to use as is possible.

KeyboardCo Questions

How many people work at KeyboardCo?

There are seven including me.

Are you hiring now or in the foreseeable future?

We’re not right now. But I’m always happy to check out a CV and keep a name for the future.

Do you have any plans for keyboards parts for European DIY enthusiasts (plates, pcb, controller, springs, cases, etc)?

We have been doing more spares and accessories and I think it is needed. Not least we sell expensive keyboards and they are worth maintaining and repairing and that makes our proposition add up more. Some of the manufacturers we work with are great and will supply virtually all the component parts but that is not always possible. Then there is the third party upgrade stuff, like Pexon PCs, that is all really good too. I can’t honestly say how much it will grow, it needs to be a compliment to the existing sales that we do and It is really tough making any profit on small bits because fixed costs come into play. I’m not sure it’s our strong suite.

Do you plan on selling the Pok3r?

We think long and hard about new suppliers – we are only as good as our partners. As a company, we need to bring something to the party so if things are already up and running it tends to not suit us so well. We are at our best when we can enable a manufacturer in some way, usually by investing in some stock, making new layouts available and improving distribution and service. This all takes up resources so we have to find a balance between variety and making sure we do our job properly.

This is particularly pertinent at present – there is new stuff coming from those we already work with and there is so much happening in the market that it is hard to keep up. New makes, new switches, new gizmos.

I’m not sure what POK3R are up to or what plans they have for Europe but we are always happy to talk to people. Supply relationships are like any other relationships, sometimes it’s just not the right time and place, sometimes you just don’t seem to click, and other times you can’t find a room quick enough. Oh – and you can get in trouble for playing the field.

What was your oddest customer request?

There was one where we were asked to provide dummy keyboards, or dongles. We had a call from a UK supermarket who were installing till systems that were connected to PCs. It was never needed, but there was a PS2 keyboard port on the PCs and without a keyboard plugged in they would not boot. Behind the till there was no room for a keyboard so they wanted to use a dummy of some sort. Now I always suspected that this could be solved via the bios but who am I to question why? Also, doing it this way they could plug in a working keyboard if they needed to. Back then we dealt in surplus so we had a lot of keyboards that really had little or no value, I pulled one apart and cut out the PCB with the controller chip on it, plugged the lead back into it and taped it all up so that there was a small bundle of tape with 6” of lead and a PS2 connector. This we put into a BimBox so it looked tidy and sent to them. They tried it, liked it, and ordered 20-30 at a time steadily for years, each time they rolled out to another store. We made good money on it and they never had one fail.

Conclusion

Thanks to everyone who contributed questions, and to Bruce and John for contributing their time to answer questions and get things organised! If you have a question you’d like to ask Bruce or anyone else at KeyboardCo, feel free to leave it below.

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Cherry UK

Posted on by Bruce Whiting

cherry-logoIt is with some sadness that we heard this week the news that Cherry UK will be closing its doors at the end of 2015. ZF Friedrichshafen AG will be implementing a new business model which does not include boots on the ground in the UK.

I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks on behalf of The Keyboard Company to Mike Groom and his team in Luton. Steve, Carol and Robin have been fixtures in the keyboard business since the day I began and although I am sure they had easier customers, they have always been efficient, expert, calm and friendly. I shall miss them. Every Cherry keyboard sold in the UK in the last 20 years has been handled by them in one way or another.

I’m sure everyone will join me in wishing them all good luck in their future ventures. And maybe hoping that any money saved will be spent on new MX switch production by Cherry/ZF!

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