UPDATE, the next day: The firmware update indeed showed no progress when I checked in the morning, so I unplugged the keyboard, plugged it back in and it appears to operate exactly as before--with one exception. Apparently Windows (or me, unwittingly) had changed the default for sound to one of my monitors, instead of the headphones. I corrected this and the knob is now adjusting system volume as before.
In other words, all the time I spent on this last night could have been managed in a few seconds. Technology is grand.
Sometime in the last few days I noticed the knob on my Keychron Q1 keyboard was no longer working. It normally lets me adjust system volume up or down, which is kind of handy. I can program it to do other things, too, but this was always good enough for me.
I was puzzled as to why the knob suddenly stopped working. It seemed to be OS-independent, but the rest of the keyboard worked fine. In fact, when I adjusted the knob, Windows would still report the volume control working–except it really wasn’t working, it was just showing as if it worked, while doing nothing.
I decided to check the keyboard mapping software to see if something was amiss and it said I could not program the knob because my firmware was too old. This didn’t really explain why it had worked fine before, but whatever. I decided to update the firmware.
The firmware process consistently failed at the same point. I did some internet sleuthing and finally came across a video from Matt Birchler–yes, the guy in my dream who I talked about squircles with–and watched his three-year-old video, which revealed a DFU reset button under the keyboard. This finally allowed the flashing process to start.
It has not finished. It has probably been 25 minutes since it started. It looks like this:
As you might guess, I am afraid to do anything to interrupt, but I also suspect it will look like this if I leave it overnight. But I’m going to do that, anyway.
For now, I have plugged my old CTRL keyboard back in, with its much firmer Halo keys, which I still find easier to type on, though they don’t have that silky smooth feel of the Keychron’s. It also has no knob. But this also means it has no knob that can fail and lead me down a rabbit hole that might lead to me bricking a rather expensive keyboard.
Back in 2019 I got the CTRL keyboard. It defaults to a strobing rainbow lighting effect when you first plug it in. This is very dumb, but it’s an otherwise very fine keyboard.
In 2022, I got a Keychron Q1 with knob. It is also a mechanical keyboard, but is in many ways a very different thing altogether. For some time now, I have used both, usually swapping them out after a few weeks or so, but I find myself gravitating to the CTRL more often now. Why is that? Let’s compare!
CTRL keyboard
Type the rainbow!
This is a tenkeyless design, meaning it’s like a regular keyboard, but with the numeric keypad lopped off. It comes with hot swappable keys that are backlit. The backlighting shines directly through the keycaps, which means the keys are actually difficult to read if the lighting is turned off–an issue for a non-touch typist like me. Here are its main features that matter to me:
Adjustable backlighting
Halo Clear switches (more on these later)
Two USB-C ports, one on either end
Pros:
I really like Halo Clear switches. They have some of that familiar CLACK you get with blue switches, but it feels softer and smoother.
Keys are big enough and spaced in a way to mostly work with my fat-fingered typing style
The rainbow lighting (non-strobing variety) eventually grew on me
Relatively light, but not so light that it slides around
Cons:
The magnetic feet are all but useless, popping off when you stare intently at the keyboard
The aforementioned keys pretty much requiring the backlighting to be on. Granted, this could be fixed with different keycaps.
No knob or other special features. It’s just a solid tenkeyless keyboard.
Default keycaps don’t have media controls listed on them and I can never remember the proper FN-key combos to use them, so I always do it from the software.
Keychron Q1 with knob
This is the same colour as mine, but I have a red ESC key. Also, my desk does not have any mini cowboy hats on it.
I specify “with knob” because you can get the same keyboard with a key in place of the knob. This is also a tenkeyless keyboard, but goes a step further, by lopping off most of the keys that normally sit to the left of the numeric keyboard. You still get arrow keys and a few others. It also has that programmable knob, which I’ve used mostly for adjusting volume.
Features:
Adjustable backlighting
Gateron G Pro Blue switches
One USB-C port
Pros:
Built like a tank
Gateron G Pro Blue switches are pre-lubed, so have a velvety smooth feel when typing
Switches are also relatively quiet for blues
The knob adds versatility
Convenient switch on back to flip between Mac and Windows keyboard layouts
Comes with both Mac and Windows keycaps
South-facing backlight means the keys work fine with backlighting turned off
Cons:
Doesn’t include silly little removable feet, but also doesn’t include any way to adjust the angle of the keyboard at all, which I think is a mistake
The keys feel smaller to me or are arranged more tightly, so I find myself making a lot more errors when typing vs. the CTRL
The space bar is noticeably louder than the other keys
The keyboard is so heavy you never have to worry about it sliding around the desk, but it’s also so heavy that it’s just plain awkward to pick up and move, even a little
I don’t care for most of the backlighting options, and settled for a rather muted green as the least weird-looking choice
Verdict
In the end I find myself sticking mainly to the CTRL, for two reasons stated above:
I prefer the Halo Clear switches to Gateron G Pro Blue, though both are very nice. Halo Clears feel more “solid” to me.
The size or position of the keys on the Keychron Q1 has consistently confounded my fingers. I try to get used to it, but never quite get there. It occurs to me now (seriously, I just edited this in after publishing this post) that the slightly upright position of the Q1 may be throwing my fingers off. I use the CTRL laying flat on the desk. There’s no way to adjust the angle on the Q1, so I can never adjust it to my liking.
Both keyboards are excellent, but each has its own flaws–at least for me (though I do think the magnetic legs on the CTRL are pretty silly). If someone took away my CTRL keyboard and hid it in a very clever place, I imagine I’d eventually get used to the different keys of the Keychron Q1. But I’d probably spend a few nights having typing-related nightmares along the way. Maybe the ghost of Mavis Beacon would show up.
I saw this posted in the comments of this Ars Technica article on mechanical keyboards (I am typing this on my Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard and the CLACKS are so very satisfying). It was in response to someone writing that “Mechanicl (sic) keyboards are the nerds’noisy crotch rocket.”
It is my favorite thing on the internet today, and something I will try to remember when someone likes something I don’t like.
UPDATE, August 14, 2023: I bought the Keychron Q1, complete with knob. I'm not sure why I never posted about it. Or maybe I did, and I have failed in searching my own site.
Smoke-flavored cheddar sticks
They taste exactly like smoke and cheddar. Somehow this does not delight me as much as I thought it would, and now I am sad.
Also, the “peel here to open” plastic wrap is strangely difficult to peel open, as if it’s designed to make you work up an appetite or something.
Keyboards
Dave Lee disses on the very keyboard I own in the video linked below. Now I want a Keychron Q1. This is completely irrational, as my CTRL keyboard continues to work perfectly. Still, I want one.
This is not a full review, as I’ve only had my 2020 M1-based MacBook Air for a day, but I can give a few impressions.
First, yes, I got a replacement for my 2016 MacBook Pro just a few weeks shy of its four-year free keyboard replacement offer ending.
After mulling over the differences between the equivalent MacBook Pro replacement and the Air, I opted to go with the Air because:
The Air costs a fair bit less, allowing me to increase the ram and storage without spending more
They have the exact same M1 chip, so general performance is pretty much identical
The Air only loses out on sustained performance, something my use case would rarely if ever hit
As a bonus to the above, the Air has no fan, so is completely silent
The Touch Bar still seems like a goofy, unnecessary idea
The extra battery life of the Pro is nice, but the Air is already way better than what I had before, so the improvement in the Pro is not worth the price premium
Setting up the Air was pretty straightforward. I have made a new rule this time, which I plan to strictly enforce (until I stop):
Only install programs I am actually using, not ones I might use or may eventually need to install. Slim (installs) is in. So far I have installed:
Firefox
Edge (to have a Chromium-flavored browser handy)
Ulysses
OneDrive
And that’s it!
For Firefox, I started with the current non-native version, but it was just janky enough to drive me to use the 84.0a beta, which is M1 native. The two issues I encountered were crashes on quitting and searches not working. Annoying and I could have probably managed, but the beta has been stable and runs fast.
Ulysses is M1 native. Edge and OneDrive are running under Rosetta 2 translation, but they both seem fine. So software-wise, I haven’t had any major issues, or nothing that couldn’t be fixed fairly easily.
I set up Touch ID and it is fast. FAST. Pretty much instant. But having the system unlock with the Apple Watch is even better.
The system wakes up almost instantly, too.
Battery life so far seems very good, though I haven’t really used the Air enough to give it a proper workout.
I selected Silent Clicking for the trackpad, but can still hear it click. Maybe I need to reboot? Maybe silent means kind of silent.
Oh, and the keyboard. This feels much closer to the keyboard on my old 2013 MacBook Air. It is still clicky (and clicks notably with my caveman typing style), but the clicks are much softer, because there is actual travel now. It no longer feels like pounding your fingertips into hard, unyielding plastic. It’s what the 2016 keyboard should have been. Better late than never, I suppose.
I’ve ordered a dock for the Air and in a few days will ship off my Mac mini for trade-in, so the Air will be doubling both as my laptop (for the future days when people can take laptops outside their homes again) and as a desktop machine, where simply plugging one cable from the dock to a Thunderbolt port should be all I need to get it working with an external monitor, keyboard, mouse and all that stuff.
So far it seems pretty good. We’ll see how it holds up over the long term. My MacBook Pro still works, but I can’t say I ever enjoyed typing on it. Considering it was my primary writing tool for a few years, that was a bit of a problem. Hopefully the Air will be a better overall experience.
Today at lunch I somehow found myself troubleshooting an intermittent issue with my CTRL keyboard repeating certain letters, usually the E key. This led me to a possible solution: update the firmware. Or more properly, flash the default firmware again.
I downloaded the appropriate files, ran the command and the LEDs on the keyboard turned off, as expected, the command reported Success! as expected, but then nothing else happened. The LEDS never came back on. I tried repeating the steps. I tried resetting the keyboard using a pin in the tiny hole on the bottom of the keyboard where the reset button lives. Nothing.
I then put it aside and started hunting for a replacement keyboard as my current setup really needs a backlit keyboard and none of my other thousand keyboards feature backlighting.
Tonight, I decided to try reviving the keyboard again. More failure followed. I pressed on, though, out of stubbornness or insanity. I decided to download the default firmware file again and it was then I noticed that somehow, I had not been using the default file. How this happened I can’t say. But I followed the steps with the fresh copy of the firmware, and it worked exactly as expected, allowing me to type this post.
I was already wound up over YASUUPSD (Yet Another Screwed Up UPS Delivery), so I suspect that played a factor.
I’m also reading A Complaint-Free World again to help keep my brain calm and relatively happy. We’ll see how that goes.
For now, I’m happy to have my zombie keyboard return to the land of the living.
As a footnote, I’m still looking for another keyboard, so I can have at least a backlit replacement ready to go in case the CTRL keyboard gets accidently tossed into a cement mixer or something.
Today Apple released the updated 13 inch MacBook Pro. As updates go it was pretty tepid. The lower end version is essentially unchanged, still shipping with 8th gen Intel processors, but now with more base storage and the revised Magic keyboard. The magic part is that it’s not prone to fail like the butterfly keyboard. The higher end models include 10th gen processors, but are otherwise pretty much the same as well.
This has led people to speculate that another update is coming later this year, that may include a larger display and other niceties. We shall see.
The important thing here, though, is that with today’s update, Apple is no longer selling any laptops with the butterfly keyboard. From the introduction of the new MacBook in 2015 to today that means that users have been suffering through one of the worst keyboards to ever be fitted into a laptop for five years.
Watching Apple’s flailing attempts to fix the design (multiple times) was painful. And nothing could fix the actual typing experience that some loved, but many actively disliked, or even found uncomfortable (raises hand).
At long last, though, the butterfly keyboard is dead. Hopefully it has taken along with it the obsession with thinness over function that seemed to have Apple designers in its thrall. Yes, the butterfly keyboard was thin. It was also terrible. I still find it amazing that it made it into an actual shipping product (ironically that first product, the new MacBook, was killed after only four years).
Anyway, good job, Apple, for finally purging the butterfly keyboard. But next time don’t make your users suffer through years of a deeply flawed product, OK?
Today I bought my second Logitech K750 solar-powered keyboard. I kind of broke the original version at work when trying to get it working with the USB receiver. But I got a lot of use out of it before my gentle destruction of it, so I’m not perturbed.
But you may be thinking (well, probably not), why would I buy one when I have the CTRL mechanical keyboard with the best keys ever? A good question! These are the features I wanted:
Wireless. I could easily swap it in and use it as needed.
Numeric keypad. This is one of those things I occasionally need.
Quiet. The keys are very quiet, making it the perfect alternative when even I get a little tired of the CLACK of a mechanical keyboard. It happens!
And that’s about it, really. The solar part is a bonus, because it means I never need to buy batteries. It was on sale for $20 off, so I decided to go for it. The only issue right now is the keyboard has a slight curve to it, making it a bit bow-shaped. This means that if I press hard enough on the keys or the board itself, it noticeably flexes, as most of the bottom surface is actually not flush against the desk. This is an issue I did not have with the previous model. It’s not terrible because the keys work with a fairly light touch, but I may still take it back. I’ll mull for now.
And so my vast keyboard collection expands by one more. In a way it’s good that my new PC’s motherboard doesn’t support Bluetooth (a baffling omission, really), as it prevents me from trying out any of the vast number of Bluetooth keyboards out there. Mind you, a $15 USB Bluetooth adapter would fix that…
UPDATE, November 13, 2019: Apple today announced the long-rumored 16 inch MacBook Pro. It’s a direct replacement for the 15 inch model (it’s still the same price, even), but the most interesting part is the keyboard. This is the first Apple laptop since 2016 to not use the butterfly switch mechanism. And it’s probably just the first of what will eventually encompass the entire MacBook line: the 13 inch Pros, the Air and, well, not the MacBook. Because they did kill it, after four years (of which it received refreshes for only the first two).
Here’s how Apple describes the new keyboard. Yes, it’s Magic, which might be Apple’s word for “reliable.”
The 16-inch MacBook Pro takes workflow efficiency to a new level. The new Magic Keyboard features a refined scissor mechanism with 1 mm travel for a responsive, comfortable and quiet typing experience.
Original post:
The Wall Street Journal published a column today by Joanna Stern in which she reports that Apple’s butterfly keyboard used on its MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops is still having issues three generations in. This prompted Apple–currently facing a pair of class action lawsuits over the design–to offer an apology of sorts:
“We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry. The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard.”
Apple didn’t say they were sorry for first or second generation butterfly keyboard owners, likely because every one of those keyboards is guaranteed a free keyboard replacement up to four years after purchase.
Apple has effectively admitted there are issues with all three generations of the butterfly keyboard. I have gone from hating the feel of the keyboard (mine is the dreaded first generation) to tolerating it. I’d prefer to have more travel on the keys and have them be quieter/less clicky, but could otherwise adapt to them. The third generation, with its silicone membrane is apparently a little less noisy, but I’ve yet to test it out in a quiet-enough environment to notice a difference. Also, the membrane apparently contributes to heat build-up, creating a new avenue for issues to arise.
All said, what John Gruber calls “the worst products in Apple history” are perhaps hopelessly flawed. I mean, if issues are still coming up after multiple fixes, maybe it’s time to move on to another design entirely?
The MacBook is overdue for a refresh. If Apple doesn’t kill it, the next version of it may show if Apple is staying all-in on what appears to be a fundamentally broken design, or gives up and goes for something else, like adapting the low-profile scissor switch design used in their external keyboards for their next generation of laptops.
I’m leaning toward the latter at this point, mainly because of today’s apology. It feels like the beginning of the groundwork to kill the butterfly design and bring in something butterfly-like, but with none of the fragility.
And while reading about this today, I came across PCWorld’s The 10 Worst PC Keyboards of All Time. The butterfly keyboard isn’t on the list, as it dates all the way back to 2007. Still, it’s a fun–and horrifying–read. It’s kind of amazing how many computer keyboards didn’t have a backspace key.
In one of those “down the rabbit hole” journeys that happens when I get caught up searching for something on the web and get inexorably drawn into finding and poring over a bunch of unrelated things, I came across the D2D YouTube channel.
Dave Lee seemed personable enough, and I liked his low-key style, so I kept watching for videos that would interest me and lo, he had one featuring one of my weirdly favorite computer topics: keyboards.
I used to collect computer mice like no one’s business and I still change up semi-regularly (my current mouse is a Logitech G703 wireless, which I’ll review separately. Super-short review right now: Great mouse except for battery life.) but the pace of collecting mice has dropped off over the last few years, perhaps because mice are generally improved enough that I don’t see the need to keep searching for something better.
Which brings me to keyboards.
For some years after I got my first PC (way back in 1994) I just used whatever cheap keyboard I could find, ones that would go for $10-15 today. They were all pretty much the same. The biggest change was when they started including a dedicated Windows key. It seemed weird at the time.
But after I’d upgraded my rig a few times I became more particular and started looking for keyboards that had backlighting or extra keys. I eventually decided the extra keys/macros were something I never used, but backlighting was nice to have, as my computer space was not brightly lit.
Fast-forward to around five years ago when mechanical keyboards became a big thing. I didn’t pay much attention at first because they seemed absurdly expensive. Well, they were absurdly expensive, really. I was intrigued, but not enough to buy.
As I spent more time working on laptops, I found myself starting to prefer the low-travel keys they featured and settle on a desktop keyboard that emulated the style. Although it was not backlit, my computer space was now brightly lit, so it was no longer a priority. The keyboard was wireless (nice, but inessential) and runs off solar power. This is nicer than expected because it meant that I literally never have to worry about batteries.
The worst aspect of the Logitech K750 is probably the glossy sheen the keys and surrounding surface have. Under bright light it can produce surprisingly annoying glare. Glossy is never good on keyboard.
Although happy enough with the keyboard, curiosity got the better of me and I got a Cooler Master Trigger mechanical keyboard. It has red backlighting, extra macro keys, and a weird setup that disables the Windows key by default. I never warmed to it at all and quickly set it aside, regretting the decision to buy.
But buyer’s regret never stopped me, so I next picked up a more business-oriented Das keyboard. It had blue switches and I learned to love the CLACK. However, like the K750, it had a glossy design I came to dislike and it was big and bulky. A tenkeyless design (without the numeric keypad) would be better ergonomically and take up less space. From here I experimented with some tenkeyless designs using red, brown and blue switches. They were all fine, but none really clicked (so to speak), though the blue switches remained my favorite.
Then Dave Lee posted a video for what he declared the best keyboard ever, the CTRL keyboard, featured on Massdrop. I was intrigued and liked the clean look. The drop ended before I could buy, but eventually came back and I placed an order.
It took a few weeks to show up and I had to pay an additional fee to actually collect it, so it came out to be very expensive in the end–over $200 Canadian. Although it has a few flaws, it has become my favorite mechanical keyboard and the reason has nothing to do with anything Dave mentions in his video, but rather in the choice of switches.
I was intrigued by the description of Halo Clear switches as having the clickiness of cherry switches, but with a smoother, more “velvety” feel, so I took a chance and ordered the keyboard with them, trusting they would live up to the description.
And they did. And they are the key (ho ho) reason why I really like the keyboard and have finally ended my great keyboard quest.
For now.
The good points:
Halo Clear switches are clicky, but smoother than blues and a bit quieter, too
Backlighting offers a good set of options
USB Type-C connections on opposite ends of keyboard allow for easy cable management
Switches are actually hot swappable if you’re into that
Aluminum chassis is very solid
Works great with both Windows and Mac
The not-so-good points:
With the backlight off, the lettering on the keys is very difficult to see. Not a big deal if you’re a touch typist, but something to be aware of.
The removable feet will almost always pop off if you try moving the keyboard by sliding it around the desk. Folding legs would have worked better.
The default backlight mode is a strobing rainbow effect, which you will see every time you connect the keyboard. It is pretty, but entirely impractical, so you have to go through a series of FN-key shortcuts to get back to something “normal.”
I found all but the white backlight color to be too garish, even after adjusting the brightness down.
Sometimes the backlight controls will stop responding, forcing you to unplug the keyboard and start from the strobing rainbow again.
The keyboard configurator is clumsy
Really, I think any reasonably well-made keyboard with Halo switches would win me over, but even apart from them, the CTRL is a sold offering. Overall, I’m happy with the purchase and typing is once again a satisfyingly clicky experience, though now with a pleasingly softer touch.
One day I’ll write up a proper review of the CTRL keyboard I got through Massdrop. I actually quite like it. But it also prompted me to make my first YouTube video. Or at least the first one I can remember.
When Windows reboots, the keyboard shuts off, then when it comes back on, it goes into its default backlight mode. It looks like this. The effect is so pronounced you don’t even need to actually watch the video, just look at the still image from it. But go ahead and watch it, it’s only two seconds long and it’s magical.
Now, you might be thinking, “Who would consider a strobing rainbow pattern to be a good choice for a default backlighting scheme on a keyboard?” and then answer quite sensibly, “Absolutely no one.” And yet we know at least one person would, given the video evidence above.
It takes a few keystrokes to set the backlighting to what I prefer (white, no strobing), but this is a textbook example of just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should (technology edition).
(Also, the video was made from the two-second live video clip from my iPhone. It’s like video-making for lazy people with no attention spans. Perfect for me!)
Actually, I did it to put sound-dampening o-rings under each key cap. I think it was 88 keys total and yeah, it took a good long while. I don’t recommend it as a hobby, unless you’re trying to learn patience and plenty of it.
I did this on the Cooler Master Masterkeys S keyboard I recently bought. It has red switches, which are allegedly quiet, but they are more “quiet” in practise, because while they don’t have the loud (and strangely satisfying CLACK) of blue switches, they definitely do make a distinct click when bottomed out. And my typing involves a lot of bottoming out. And the clicking has a vaguely unpleasant hollowness to it. I experienced some regret over the purchase, but decided to order a full set of o-rings after some testing with a set of six and now that I’ve cushioned all the keys, I can state a few things:
the o-rings definitely have a significant effect on sound. The keys still click, but it’s much more quiet
the o-rings also eliminate most of the hollow feel of the keys
it’s still a mechanical keyboard and the keys feel very solid, though the 8 key is curiously shifted slightly up from the others:
As you can see, the F5 through F8 keys adjust the speed of the keyboard, allowing the user to type at dangerously high velocities.
I like it, but I’m still adjusting to it and honestly, I think I may prefer the CLACK of blue switches. The feel is just so weirdly nice.
So my keyboard kaos has settled down for the moment, but there may be one more keyboard in my future…
