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My New Keyboard I Recommend

My old keyboard finally gave out on my the other night. I can't say I was sad to see it go. It was a wireless Logitech keyboard that had uncomfortable keys, wireless connectivity issues, battery consumption problems, and was really loud.

I decided to be really picky and scrutinize my next keyboard purchase.

I already knew I didn't want a mechanical keyboard. I don't like the clicking, and I think they're too loud and expensive.

My criteria were clear: (1) Comfortable keys in feel, travel, and size; (2) Full size keyboard, (3) quiet keystrokes, (4) wrist rest, (5) Generally pleasant apperance, and (6) Definitely not wireless.

I found all of those things in the Corsair K55 Keyboard.

The K55 is the low-end keyboard from Corsair. They call it your "first step toward enhanced performance," but I think this can easily by my final stop. It's really comfortable to type on -- probably the most comfortable keyboard I've owned, and has all of the features I want.

There are a few additional features that aren't important to me, but you might find them appealing.

RGB Backlit
The keyboard has the ability to light up different colors. While gimmicky, it does look neat. What I really appreciate about the feature is that it doesn't require any software at all. The keyboard itself has internal software that allows you to set the colors yourself via keyboards using the function and F keys, as well as a light button at the top to commit your choices to the keyboards internal memory.

You can have the keyboard strobe different colors, or set a single color you find pleasant. I've settled on a nice purple color.

G Macro Keys
Down the side there are six "G" keys which are programmable. Again, no software necessary. Simple press the record button on the keyboard to begin recording keystrokes. Once saved, pressing a G key can execute an entire macro.

There are a few minor critiques I can make.

Pressing Escape
I find the inclusion of the macro keys down the left side of the keyboard confuses my fingers. I'm used to quickly pressing escale by sliding my hand up and left to quickly press that top left key. Although there's a clear separation between the G keys and the rest of the keyboard, I'll often hit G1 instead of Escape. Simple fix: Map G1 to Escape!

Audio Controls But No Calculator Button
This is incredibly dumb and picky, but I always find those sound control buttons an absolute waste of space. I will never use them. Ever. But I did use my calculator button that brought up my calculator on my old keyboard. 

As you can see, minor critiques.

Overall, an incredibly solid keyboard for a fair price. Last check it was $48.99 and Amazon's Choice. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a keyboard with my same criteria.

Pros

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    Quiet keystrokes.​
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    Great feel and travel.
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    No software at all.

Cons

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    Inclusion of G keys confuses my muscle memory for the escape key.
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    No calculator button.
  • I absolutely love that keyboard, and yes, I suffer from the exact same problem of the ‘G’ macro keys screwing with my ability to hit the ESC key.

  • I use a corsair k70, cause yay for no Gkeys. (I have my mouse for those)

    As a totally unrelated sidenote, I can’t stand the small enter keys either. Way too used to the larger ones. (But you can have corsairs in both versions)