Das Keyboard Model S Professional | Ultimate

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Growing up as a kid in the late 70's and early 80's, keyboards were mostly crisp, clacky, and sturdy. They evoked feelings of working on something special. Computers *were* special back then. Keyboards had well designed actions, built around techniques such as leaf spring mechanical switches, buckling springs, and a number of other innovations. But over the years that followed mass production techniques and tightening profit margins led to the industry-wide adoption of lightweight, plastic-feeling keyboards with keystroke actions built upon rubber domes. Nowadays a typical OEM keyboard might have a production cost of a few dollars, and a spongy, rubbery action to match. We sailed right past midrange scissor switch actions into the low end rubber dome action with barely a thought, arriving at mediocrity.Mid-range keyboards from reputable manufacturers still build upon the rubber dome actions, so even upgrading from OEM or $12 keyboards to the $40 - $50 range significant improvements in the action are not found. So again, we are duped into settling with mediocrity.There is hope out there. Cherry MX switches, Topre switches, and other mechanical style switches are being manufactured for keyboard actions. They're expensive compared to rubber dome keyboards. Each key has a mechanical switch of some sort beneath it, rather than a sheet of heat-molded rubber domes. And the mechanical switches are made with precise characteristics -- softer, firmer, clicky and tactile, non-clicky and tactile, and smooth linear. Each style is designed with a different market segment in mind; linear being the preference of gamers, tactile (clicky or quiet) being the preference for those who's keystrokes produce text, softer for light-press typists, and firmer for mashers.The Cherry MX Brown is a soft, tactile, quiet key, with a subtle bump at the actuation point. With practice muscle-memory is able to get accustomed to that bump, and users become able to type without bottoming out the keys. Typing speed and accuracy often improve, and finger fatigue is reduced compared to typing on keyboards where you have to bottom out each stroke (rubber domes, for example).I debated back and forth between this keyboard and one from WASD, and ultimately went for the Das-4 because of the sturdy aluminum face and USB3 hub. It arrived today and I've had a chance to put it through its paces. While it may take a day or two to get used to the feel, it's going to be a pleasure getting there. Lifting it, the keyboard feels like a tank. Typing on it, the keyboard feels absolutely fantastic. However, I may still add 2mm O-rings to reduce clatter, though I'll wait until I've gotten more accustomed to the tactile feel of Cherry MX Browns. It's possible I'll develop more of a habit of not bottoming out my keystrokes.This sounds too predictable, but when I first plugged it in and began typing on it my first notion was "Wow!"Pros: Heavy and sturdy like you might imagine a keyboard in a 1960's NASA mission control center. A light, tactile, pleasing touch with ample stroke and precise response. The tactile bump of Cherry MX Browns allows me to type without bottoming out the strokes. Already with a little practice my typing is feeling more effortless. USB 3 hub. Nice, sturdy media controls with a well-engineered volume knob. Beautiful design. If there is a better feeling and better engineered keyboard on the market, I sure can't find it. The keycaps are crisply engineered, flawless, and elegant.Cons: Because it is built to last, and made of metal, bottoming out keystrokes makes a bit of clattering that you wouldn't be accustomed to if you have spent years obliviously enduring the misery of rubber-dome keyboards. A set of 2mm O-rings would alleviate that issue, and they are easy enough to order. It's too bad the keyboard manufacturer doesn't make O-rings a special-order option as WASD does. Another con is that the keyboard's elevated support is a little on the low side -- the keyboard sits slightly flatter than I would prefer. But after a few hours I'm already getting used to it. Nearly every mechanical keyboard has a spacebar that seems to stick up a little higher in the air than space bars for dome keyboards. That takes a little time to get used to as well, but after awhile will begin to feel normal.Conclusion: If quality and feel are more important to you than price or RGB lights, this keyboard must be on your short list. The keyboard seems to strive for elegance, feel, and function while eschewing trendy light shows and annoying color schemes.Updated 2/4/17: I've been using the DAS Keyboard 4 Professional with Cherry MX Brown key switches for a few months now. And I even installed first WASD red, and later WASD blue O-rings to further customize the feel. The keyboard feels so nice to use I barely notice it's there. It's a pleasure to type on. ...and then I go home from my office, and when I sit down at the home computer I place my hands over the mid-range "rubber dome" style keyboard, and loathe every moment. The solution? I ordered a second DAS Keyboard 4 Professional and a set of WASD blue o-rings. One at work, one at home. Great keyboards!Updated 9/30/2017: I've been using one of these at my office, and one at home. The one that has had the most use is in my office. I'm a software engineer, and type all day long. The key caps have become a little polished, but the symbols have not faded at all. The key strokes feel as good as the day I got the keyboard. ...maybe even a little better with age. It's my "daily driver". Recently my company provided a second office for me a little closer to home, with the understanding that I would split my time between the offices. For my third mechanical keyboard I ended up going with a Logitch Professional (tenkey-less, with Roamer-G switches). The Roamer-G switches have a slightly shorter keystroke, and the overall feel of that keyboard is more plastic. The Roamer-G switches don't allow for o-ring installation, so it clatters a little more too. But I had to try something new. One thing I can say for the Roamer-G switches is that they feel smoother right out of the box than Cherry-MX Browns. But with age the MX Browns acquire that smooth feeling too. Overall I'm convinced that I like the Das Keyboard better. (A few weeks of use and I have to conclude the MX browns are smoother, and feel more high-end. Sticking with browns in the future.)Update 12/2018: I now have the same keyboard with Cherry MX Blue switches. I put blue O-rings under its key caps to reduce bottoming-out clatter. It took longer to get used to the click blues than the subtle browns, but I also like them very much. If it weren't for the fact that the noise level using blues is higher than when using browns (disturbing to others but gratifying to the typist) I would have to say for typing I prefer the nuanced qualities of both. The blues feel a little more crisp, slightly firmer. Browns a little less tactile, and a little softer touch. Both are excellent. If you don't care about making some noise typing, and want additional crispness, get the blues.If you are a gamer do not get the blues, as their reset point is higher in the stroke than the contact point, making them slower switches for rapid bouncing on a single key. Totally irrelevant for typists.Browns: softer touch, more subtle tactile bump, quieter. Blues: clicker, more crisp feel, slughtly firmer spring. Both, excellent.Update 6/30/2020: I have three of these, now. One at each if my two offices, and one at home. Two of them are MX Brown switches (soft tactile) and one is MX Blue (soft tactile&clicky). I got the blue on accident (thought I was ordering a brown), but kept it and love it too. I've now been typing on these since 2016, and they're still as good as new. The key caps are easy enough to remove for the occasional deep cleaning, but if you avoid spilling drinks on them these keyboards are built to last. They get plenty of use, but aside from the key caps having a more polished look to them you would barely know they're several years old. And the laser etching is still intact. The switches still feel great too.