At a look
Knowledgeable’s Score
Professionals
- Good typing really feel
- Excessive-quality supplies
- Mac key format
- Acceptable quantity
- Very compact
Cons
- No numeric keypad
- No Mac software program for configuration
- Comparatively heavy
Our Verdict
The KW 300 MX is an effective alternative for followers of mechanical keyboards. It affords a first-class mixture of correct typing really feel and quiet operation. Macs are properly supported and the included Mac keys are a pleasant bonus. The rotary swap is fashionable, however sadly affords few capabilities. Nonetheless, it’s not supreme for all customers: the compact keyboard isn’t appropriate for cell use because it is just too heavy. The dearth of a numeric keypad can be an obstacle when you usually have to enter numbers.
Value when reviewed
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Greatest Pricing As we speak
Value When Reviewed
$149.99
Greatest Costs As we speak: Cherry KW 300 MX
$149.99
Apple presently makes use of a really flat design for its personal keyboards: each the desktop keyboards for Macs and pocket book keyboards have elegant, flat keys and the important thing journey may be very quick—similar to on a laptop computer. This ensures the identical typing really feel on all gadgets.
Nonetheless, followers of mechanical keyboards with actual key journey and a exact stress level won’t be proud of these enter gadgets. There are quite a few alternate options for them on the Mac: take a look at our evaluations of the finest Mac keyboards. An fascinating new wi-fi mannequin is the KW 300 MX from Cherry, which prices $149.99.
Visually, the keyboard makes a sober however very high-quality impression with its gray keys and black housing. The retro-look design could even remind some folks of outdated Mac keyboards such because the open-top Professional Keyboard.
Cherry has chosen a so-called 75% format with no quantity pad for this compact keyboard, which is presently in vogue. It’s about as extensive as Apple’s Magic Keyboard with no quantity pad, however thrice larger. This makes it supreme for small desks, and a mouse can be positioned very near the keyboard with this format.
The Cherry KW 300 MX is considerably taller than Apple’s Magic Keyboard.
Stephan Wiesend
As a consumer of a standard keyboard, nonetheless, I needed to spend a while getting used to the unfamiliar place of a number of the keys throughout testing. The arrow keys, Enter key and Web page Up/Web page Down keys are barely offset in comparison with a normal keyboard. There isn’t any palm relaxation, however at the least you possibly can regulate the angle of the keyboard with stands.
The Bluetooth keyboard can handle as much as 4 gadgets, and even an iPad Professional can be utilized with it with none issues. Nonetheless, the KW 300 MX is much less appropriate for cell use, because it is just too heavy and thick at just below 750 grams.
A particular characteristic of the keyboard is a placing rotary wheel on the aspect, which additionally serves as an influence button and is backed by a bronze steel floor. You possibly can swap on the keyboard by urgent and holding the wheel, and later swap between two capabilities by merely urgent it.
It’s a nifty characteristic, however I’m somewhat upset with the vary of capabilities. The rotary wheel can solely be used to regulate the brightness of the keyboard lighting in levels or to vary the quantity of the Mac. Each are helpful, however given the restricted vary of capabilities, the rotary wheel looks like a missed alternative to me.
The backlight is kind of shiny and white, and pink LEDs additionally point out configuration choices. For instance, after switching on, you possibly can choose the 4 Bluetooth channels utilizing the F1 to F4 keys.
The built-in battery is charged by way of USB-C, however you may as well join the keyboard on to a pc by way of USB-C. The battery ought to final for every week of use with the backlighting energetic, and Cherry claims a runtime of six weeks with the backlighting turned off. That’s not precisely lengthy, and most customers will in all probability solely use the backlighting sparingly in the long term.
The rotary wheel is a cool characteristic, however affords few capabilities.
Stephan Wiesend
Nice typing really feel
The largest drawback of many mechanical keyboards is that they’re very loud and disturb colleagues or flatmates with their loud keystrokes. Nonetheless, there are additionally quiet mechanical switches such because the MX2A Silent Purple, which might be put in within the KW 300 MX on request.
These switches, produced in Germany by Cherry, mix a first-class, exact typing expertise with acceptable noise ranges. The housing is even specifically insulated to additional scale back the quantity. Nonetheless, this doesn’t make the keyboard silent by any means; a keyboard equivalent to
These Cherry switches, manufactured in Germany, provide a first-class, exact typing expertise at a average quantity. The housing can be specifically insulated to additional scale back noise. Nonetheless, the keyboard isn’t fully silent—fashions such because the Logitech Signature Slim Photo voltaic are considerably quieter.
The keyboard can be out there in a model with completely different switches, the Cherry MX2A Brown. These are so-called tactile switches, which supply barely stronger suggestions than the linear MX2A Purple. Nonetheless, the MX2A Brown can be fairly quiet and are primarily really helpful by Cherry for workplace customers or programmers, whereas the MX2A Purple are extra appropriate for players.
Regardless of the insulation, the typing really feel is superb. In contrast to an Apple keyboard, the full key journey is about 4 millimeters and you may really feel a definite stress level. Because of the insulation, that is softer than on different mechanical keyboards, however in my view it is a wonderful compromise. The sturdiness can be stated to be spectacular, with Cherry promising a lifespan of as much as 100 million keystrokes.
Mac compatibility
You possibly can really use nearly any Home windows keyboard on a Mac. Nonetheless, the Alt and Home windows keys are assigned in another way on Home windows keyboards, and you need to reconfigure this by way of System Preferences > Keyboard .
Even with out this reconfiguration, the Cherry keyboard can provide Mac key assignments. All you need to do is press the Fn and M keys for 3 seconds after switching on, and the keyboard will swap to Mac mode. You possibly can reactivate the default Home windows mode utilizing the Fn and W keys. You may also set this default individually for every of the 4 Bluetooth modes—for instance, when you use the keyboard on each a Mac and a Home windows pc.
The keyboard has one other particular characteristic to supply: it comes with three keyboard caps and a particular loop-shaped device that you should use to take away the three Home windows keys (Alt, Home windows and Alt Gr) and exchange them with Mac keys. The keys are specifically designed by the producer to be simply changed.
That is one other benefit over Apple’s delicate keyboards relating to repairs. Sadly, the Keys software program for configuring the operate keys is simply out there for Home windows computer systems; there is no such thing as a Mac model.
Value
The Cherry KW 300 MX prices $149.99 or £125.
Do you have to purchase the Cherry KW 300 MX?
The brand new Cherry KW 300 MX affords an fascinating various to Apple’s flat keyboards. It’s significantly geared toward customers of compact mechanical keyboards who wish to be thoughtful of their environment. The compromise between exact typing really feel and average quantity is properly achieved, and Mac compatibility is a welcome bonus. Nonetheless, it’s not with out its limitations: the compact format and relatively excessive design require some getting used to for a lot of Mac customers, and the restricted performance of the rotary management is considerably disappointing.
This text initially appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.
