Mechanical keyboards are an enigma to me, with a lot terminology for fruit-flavoured switches, fanciful colors, and an entire load of lovers who swear by them. I’m nonetheless not fully positive what recent fruit has to do with something, however I’m starting to know why these keyboards are so beloved.
I’ve solely ever used low cost keyboards. The sort of wired ye olde keyboard design prevalent in colleges, places of work, outlets, and nearly wherever that has a pc current. I’ve tried just a few generic gaming keyboards prior to now too, however all the time ended up again with a trusted and unremarkable design, whether or not it’s to play video games or write. I’ve by no means actually put a lot thought into the keyboard I take advantage of since taking a full-time job in good old school word-writing, so maybe it’s time to vary that.
The Ducky One 3 Dawn SF sports activities a vibrant blue design, toned-down gray keycaps, and a yellow accent that every one contribute to a really snazzy aesthetic – and I’ve to be sincere, I used to be drawn by the slight Vault-Tec really feel the design gives. Nevertheless, how is the keyboard itself? Properly, as somebody fully unfamiliar with the ins and outs of mechanical keyboard design, permit me to sort out some clickety clackety phrases to precise why this keyboard is so joyful to make use of.
First off, in case you haven’t grasped it but, these mechanical keyboards are clicky, in an effective way. In truth, the totally different switches they use – Cherry Brown, Cherry Purple, and so on. – account for simply how clicky it behaves. With various levels of noise, resistance, and journey distance, you’ll be able to choose a keyboard really feel that fits you completely. For me? I picked Cherry Brown as a result of I used to be guessing that may be tremendous for me, and lo and behold, I adore it. The satisfying clicks whereas penning this evaluation give me energy.
It additionally comes with some further bits and items, together with instruments to take away keycaps in case you want to clear the keyboard – which is extremely simple to do – or swap out keycap designs fully. There are even just a few alternate keycaps included within the field, simply in case you need a bit extra of that yellow accent to be distinguished as a substitute of an array of blues and grays.
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The keyboard is straightforward sufficient to plug in and get began, and there isn’t a lot to fiddle with software-wise. There are updates you’ll be able to set up for it, which is fast and straightforward to do, however past that: you’re good to go. It has varied features, together with controls for RGB backlighting, which has just a few modes to change between – or you’ll be able to flip it off fully. This is a bit more fiddly, and I nonetheless don’t fairly perceive the particular features to manage it, however in case you spend a while and discover some sort individual on-line to clarify it, it’s simple sufficient to understand and set it to the mode you want finest.
At first, the peripheral appeared fairly small, too – it is smart, as a result of it is smaller. To be exact, it is a 65-percent-sized keyboard, so the leap between my boring previous commonplace non-click keyboard and this one took just a few days of adjustment, however now I admire its compact type. It’s neat, it’s tidy, and it seems I didn’t want a num pad almost as a lot as I assumed I did.
Whereas there are specifics that I haven’t delved into, such because the concave, angled keycaps, I don’t know a lot about these items of tech or have any level of reference for comparability. What I can say is that the Ducky One 3 Daybreak SF is a superb keyboard to make use of, and that I’m excited to enter the world of mechanical keyboards with what looks like the right entry level. Additionally, now I’ll by no means cease clicking and clacking as I work. Wonderful.
The Ducky One 3 Dawn SF was offered for this evaluation.