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REVIEW: VORTEX POK3R KEYBOARD
Nicolas Herry
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2017/03/28
1 Review: Vortex Pok3r keyboard
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[file:images/pok3r.jpg]
Since I spend my time typing on keyboards, I like having something
decent under my fingers. Sadly, most keyboards that ship with
computers feel more like a designer's wet dream and a programmer's
nightmare than anything else. You get extra-long keyboards, a
collection of media keys and unresponsive feel... Luckily, some time
in the mid-90s, some manufacturers noticed the problem and started
offering better products. There's now a whole market for these
keyboards, and thanks in part to a side-effect of the pro gaming
movement, we now have plenty of high-end, robust mechanical keyboards
to put on our desks. Here's a quick review of the Vortex Pok3r I
bought a few months ago.
1.1 The good
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The maker of the Vortex Pok3r, KBT, isn't new to this business: their
former model, the KBC Poker II, was very well received across the
world. The Pok3r thus had some high expectations to answer for when it
came out in 2014, and looking at the specs, the least we can say is
that KBT tried their best:
- Aluminium case
- PBT keycaps
- Three programmable layers
- A large selection of 2*6 [Cherry MX switches] to choose from
- [N-Key Roll-Over]
- Optional backlighting (RGB backlight)
- Optional ANSI or ISO layout
- Available in two colours: black or white
Opting for an aluminium case is perhaps the most brilliant idea here:
this garantees no bending and no bouncing while you type, and a very
stable, hefty keyboard on the desk. The PBT keys are also a very good
choice, as they don't develop the ugly shine the ABS keys do, and the
keyboard is likely to age better as a result.
KBT offers you to choose between six regular switches (Red, Blue,
Brown, Clear, Green and Black) and six RGB switches for the backlit
version (Red, Blue, Brown, Black, Silver and White). Hating backlit
keyboards vigorously and loving tactile switches, I opted for MX Clear
switches. The combination of a sturdy case, nice PBT keys and tactile
switches really help in making the typing very comfortable. I also
added a set of O-rings to help damper the sound a little (as I often
work in open floors and my heavy typing has a tendency to garner
disapproving looks from any person in a 100-meter radius).
[Programming the keyboard is not as intuitive as it could be], but it
doesn't really matter, as you typically only do it once. I really
appreciate that I can carry around a keyboard with the exact layout
I'm used to, without having to fiddle with the Windows Registry,
XModmap or the OSX equivalent every time I hook it up to a new
computer. It's my own, personal interface to computers that I can
always rely on.
[Cherry MX switches] https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX
[N-Key Roll-Over]
https://deskthority.net/wiki/Rollover,_blocking_and_ghosting
[Programming the keyboard is not as intuitive as it could be]
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/35uy60/guide_howto_program_your_pok3r_programming_layers/
1.2 The bad
~~~~~~~~~~~
Building a high-quality keyboard costs a lot of money, and you can
easily tell when you open the box: no money was left to spend on
anything else... When the Poker II came with a leaflet, a branded
keycaps puller and RGB modifiers, all you get with the Pok3r is the
keyboard itself. It's a bit ironic that a rather costly keyboard
appears to be so cheap.
Another thing I didn't like is the layer indicator. KBT had the idea
that you wanted to know, at any time, what layer you were using, so
they included a set of LEDs underneath the space bar to shine their
little blue or purple light *all the bloody time*. I know nowadays a
lot of people like to have an electronic rainbow inside their
keyboard, but I don't, and I feel a bit ridiculous with my tiny,
neon-lit nightclub for fingers.
One last thing I regret a bit with the Pok3r is the lack of USB hub. I
really appreciated being able to plug a mouse directly in my [Happy
Hacking Keyboard Lite 2]. Laptops have a tendency to go frugal with
the connectors they offer, and the more that remain available to
plugging external drives, the better.
[Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard
1.3 An excellent purchase
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All in all, the Vortex Pok3r is an excellent 60% mechanical keyboard,
well worth its price (around $130). I expect it to last me at least a
few years (my good old HHKB Lite 2, bought in 2001, is still in good
condition after over fifteen years of heavy use, so I expect at least
the same durability with the Pok3r). Just keep in mind you should add
an extra $20 for a key puller and O-rings, and possibly some more if
you want alternate keycaps.