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  • Pinkynator - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    I'm honestly wondering if I'll ever be able to buy a mechanical keyboard. They all have the US layout, making them utterly worthless for a very, very large part of the world.
  • philehidiot - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    I got a UK layout one without any issue from Amazon. Getting it to work was however an issue due to Razor screwing it up but hey. 3 or so years after buying it, the bugger finally works properly.
  • DanNeely - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    The US layout ones might have an overwhelming advantage in sending product to international review sites. A quick check on Amazon.co.uk shows a number of UK layout ones though. Google shows at least a few French/German layout ones as well. If you're looking for specific advanced features, you might not be able to find one directly; but (assuming I can trust wikipedia anyway) the physical layouts for both are the same as for the UK. That means you should just need to buy replacement key caps and tell the OS to treat it as your native layout.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16?url...
  • Pinkynator - Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - link

    My problem is that I'd have to get something imported... Customs, taxes, shipping, just awful. I drooled over WASD, but in the end, I realized it would probably cost over $400 (converted) to buy one of those. And that still leaves the keycap issue - I have small and big family members needing to use that keyboard, and they can't do it if it's not fully localized.
  • mr_tawan - Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - link

    If you're in the area that people use ISO layout (says ... Canada), you should have no problem getting one without importing.

    If you're in the USA, where people use ANSI layout, then you might have to import.
  • wsjudd - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    There are plenty of rest-of-world models available. These are called ISO, so if you search 'mechanical keyboard ISO' or 'mechanical keyboard UK' then you should find a lot of examples on Google, Amazon, eBay, KeyboardCo, etc.
  • andychow - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    What are you talking about? All mechanical keyboards have that tool, pictured in this article and talked about, that you can use to remove the key-caps and arrange them however way you want. If you're talking about the "missing" key next to the left shift, it's above the enter key. Doesn't make it utterly worthless at all.
  • Calin - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    Good luck then moving your keycaps to show on the same keycap both ; and , (as on German keyboards)
  • andychow - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    Do you even look at your keyboard when typing? And if you do, you can buy custom keycaps, and just the individual ones you want for any language.
  • Pinkynator - Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - link

    There actually *IS* a missing key. Don't put it under quotes. The US keyboard has 104 keys, but normal keyboards have 105.
  • Mumrik - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    There are tons of mechanical keyboards in ISO layout too, but why would you expect to see them on a US site? Just include "ISO" in your search.

    My issue is that there aren't any with the same kind of wedge design as the MS Natural series. Give me that, a reasonable price and feel free to skip the LEDs.
  • twtech - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    I agree - it would be really nice if MS would release a natural mechanical keyboard. In the meantime, there are a few completely split mechanical keyboards available, that you can manually arrange in a MS Natural-like configuration.

    I'm currently using the Matias Ergo Pro. I've actually bought four of them now to this point, since I managed to ruin two over the last couple years by spilling coffee into them. (After the last mishap, I bought an anti-spill mug.)

    The Ergo Pro has occasional key-stuck issues which you can read about on Amazon, etc., but despite that, it's otherwise a nice keyboard, and in my opinion better than being stuck with a membrane board. One difference from the MS Natural layout is that it positions the '6' key on the right rather than the left half. I generally like the layout otherwise, and the USB ports on the keyboard are nice and convenient.

    There's also the soon-to-be-released Kinesis Gaming keyboard, which will also be a split mechanical keyboard. Since it isn't out yet, I can't comment on any issues it might have. It has the '6' key on the left side like the MS Natural boards.
  • DanNeely - Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - link

    As expensive and niche as split mechanical keyboards are, would just offering a 6 on both halves really be that big a deal. Make both typing factions happy for a <1% increase in the BOM.
  • Jad77 - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    WASD Keyboards sells keyboards with international layouts and they have the added benefit of being remarkably staid designs.
  • Hul8 - Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - link

    Obviously if you order a keyboard from an international internet store, you'll have trouble finding your specific language version. What you need to do is look for keyboards in stores of the appropriate region.

    Case in point: As a rule, all keyboards - mechanical or other - available in stores or webstores here in Finland have either the 105(+Fn?) key Finnish/Swedish layout, or the combination Nordic layout with Finnish/Swedish, Norwegian and Danish markings. US variants (for specialist use) are a very small minority.
  • Inteli - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    While this doesn't touch the historic price/performance board (the Quickfire Rapid), It's nice to see a new keyboard around the $100 price point with actual Cherry switches instead of a cheaper clone. The ANSI-compliant layout is also really nice for keycap replacement compatibility (and I'd assume that the international version is ISO-compliant as well).
  • Mr Perfect - Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - link

    It's especially nice that this ANSI layout doesn't have replaced keys. There are so many other boards out there where the manufacturer throws in some custom keys, but at the expense of some standard ones. Huzza for right Windows key!
  • jabber - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    Oh dear back-lit keycaps. They always wear out too fast if you don't bite your nails. Won't go down that route again.
  • BrokenCrayons - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    Bite? Ew! Nail clippers and a file please. Don't put those in your mouth after they've been touching everything.
  • Hurr Durr - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    Just how long are your nails, if KEYCAP WEAROUT is a factor?
  • Sarchasm - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    That's because the backlit keycaps you're using are probably Razer or Corsair, which use black paint over clear ABS. Get some actual doubleshots (like Vortex PBT from MechanicalKeyboards.com) and the issue goes away.
  • jabber - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    I clip my nails but they are really hard and healthy. They chip and wear keys like crazy. No brittle nails here. Keyboards just cheap out on the keycaps everytime.
  • Lolimaster - Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - link

    A well cared fingernail should never touch the keycaps while typing.
  • Diji1 - Sunday, July 23, 2017 - link

    We don't care about your rule, mayne!
  • Lolimaster - Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - link

    Unless you type with your fingers at 90° over the keyboard which is unreal xD
  • woergo - Monday, July 17, 2017 - link

    The reviewer stated that comment could not be made regarding the long term reliability of the keycaps. Having owned a Das Keyboard 4 Professional since 2014, I can comment.

    Within a few months the ABS caps were becoming shiny and the symbols fading. After researching, in March 2017 I purchased a Doubleshot PBT kepcap set from WASD Keyboards.com. The principal appearance difference from the original caps is that the Windows keys are unmarked and both black and a red escape caps are provided--I like the red.

    To date the WASD Keyboard caps show absolutely no wear and they've restored the keyboard to, in my opinion, better-than-original appearance.
  • Dug - Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - link

    Make a keyboard without the high profile with mx browns.
    I know there's one out there, but the space bar is all fubared, meaning you can't get nice actuation by hitting the edges.
    This high profile is killing peoples tendons and they don't even know it. Unless you are able to put the keyboard below the desk at lap height. Not to mention they look stupid.
  • lucam - Thursday, July 20, 2017 - link

    when you guys are doing to do the new iPad Pro review?
  • SajidBashir - Friday, July 21, 2017 - link

    I see nothing special in this mechanical keyboard. US keyboard is ofcourse a positive point..!
  • SajidBashir - Friday, July 21, 2017 - link

    http://techin.review/
  • nishajaiswal - Monday, July 24, 2017 - link

    actuallu looking great...ready to buy it
  • oranos - Thursday, July 27, 2017 - link

    completely ripped off Corsair K series. not a single original idea went into this product.

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