First a comment about mechanical keyboards in general, they work better for fast typing. You can prove their utility to yourself by merely opening notepad or other word processing program and typing at maximum speed the single word "were" - without the quotation marks. This particular word can be typed in a single coordinated drop of three fingers of the left hand immediately followed by a stroke of the long finger. You just can't consistently do it on a membrane keyboard because the keys don't fire exactly when they're supposed to and there is a process called 'key blanking' in the cheap keyboards where the board deliberately ignores keystrokes made too closely together. If you can't make your left hand work fast enough to jam an OEM membrane keyboard you can probably do so with the word "there", which is started by a nearly simultaneous attack of the two index fingers producing "th" every time on a mechanical keyboard and about half the time on a membrane keyboard. Or if you have a two handed password that you've typed so many times it is burned into your subconscious, this would be the word to use to see how much faster it will go into a mechanical keyboard. Regardless of how good the keyboard, there is still a speed limit if one is using a cloud based word processing program such as the dog of a program I am on for eight hours per day and which sometimes gets as far as 20 or 30 characters behind.
This is a review for the CM Storm QuickFire Rapid - Limited Edition Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Cherry MX Green switches. For my typing needs I've been using a Das Keyboard S (old style) with Cherry MX blue keys for about a year and find it the best keyboard since the old IBM Selectric typewriter. But I find the CM Storm has some distinct advantages. It has a couple of minor disadvantages.
Advantages:
* Tenkeyless - for typing (fiction drafts - an endless chore) the ten key pad stuck on the side of a keyboard gets in the way of my coffee cup. This keyboard is shorter than the Das Keyboard and easier to manage on the desktop.
* The Cherry MX green keys available on the CM Storm have heavier springs. This allows heavy pounding, heavier than its closest rival the Cherry MX blue keys which are the best available on Das Keyboard as of the time of this writing. According to Wikipedia the Cherry MX blue springs are 60cN and the Cherry MX green springs are 80cN. For anyone who was raised on manual typewriters or who likes to pound keys this heavy feel is the most natural feel. The keys cushion the finger tips better than lighter keys, which bottom out with more of a jolt. Keys feel a bit like the old IBM Selectrics.
*This keyboard gives the best tactile and sound feedback for us old farts who grew up pounding a manual Remington or Underwood. Keyboards using Cherry MX blue are definitely good but are second best due to the less heavy springs.
* Bigger brighter laser etched letters on the keys than the Das Keyboard. Once you get started typing you ignore them, but it helps a lot if you're on the phone typing one handed or have to stop and look at the ~ or the } key. You can get a
Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard
with blank key caps, but I don't consider this a good option, due to my recurring need to type while on the phone. There is also another brand, Keycool, which can be bought with LED backlit keys.
Keycool 84 Keys Portable Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Cherry Mx Switches (BLUE/RED/GREEN/YELLOW/WHITE LED Backlight Available) (RED switches + Black body + Green LED backlight)
That it a bit much for me, since I normally do my heavy typing in dim light and ignore the key caps. Also I've only found the Keycool keyboard with red, black or brown switches.
*The power cord has a woven cover similar to high end guitar power cords, rather than the plastic standard cover. It is detachable and replaceable unlike the fixed Das Keyboard cord.
Disadvantages:
*Has no USB hub. That same woven-covered power cord I really like lacks the second USB plug that Das Keyboard uses to power two USB hub terminals on the right side of the keyboard.
*The Das Keyboard power cord comes out a fixed point in the back center, but the CM Storm cord connects through a Motorola style small USB plug. Then you can route it out from under the keyboard on the left, right or back - but the re-route is only by friction and has no tabs to keep the cord from popping out.
*The lack of the ten key pad. I used to do math programming using FORTRAN and found a ten key pad (freestanding, not on the keyboard) helpful. The Das Keyboard has a ten key pad, But you can also get one on another model of the CM Storm - so that really cancels out the disadvantage.
What about gaming? I respect gamers and I really appreciate their dedication to supporting the manufacture of excellent keyboards. But this is not just a gamer's keyboard. It is also a serious typist's keyboard, probably the best on the market. There is a rhythm of sound and the cushioning effect of the heavy springs which makes typing for hours much easier than using a membrane keyboard or even a tactile non click version or a version with softer springs.
| Brand | Cooler Master |
|---|---|
| Series | Quickfire Rapid |
| Item model number | SGK-4000-GKCR1-US |
| Hardware Platform | PC |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Item Weight | 2.5 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14 x 5 x 1 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14 x 5 x 1 inches |
| Color | Rapid - CherryMX Red |
| Manufacturer | Cooler Master |
| ASIN | B007VDLVD4 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | April 18, 2012 |
