Long-Term Review of Keyboardio Model 01
This is a long-term review of the Keyboardio Model 01, written after a year of usage, from the point of view of a long-time Kinesis advantage user. During this period the Keyboardio was my secondary keyboard, the Kinesis remained my primary keyboard.
Looks
The first thing to notice is that the keyboard has a flashy “designer” look — likely to attract attention at the office. The Model 01 displays excellent build quality, which is enhanced by no-less-excellent boxing. During the first hours of use, the keyboard finish was leaving a bit of sticky residue on the hands; but this improved quickly with time.
Configuration
Right after connecting the keyboard I went into the layout configuration process, so that it would roughly correspond to the layout that I have on the Kinesis. I was expecting that configuring the keyboard would be difficult (one has to flash the firmware), but it was in fact nice and easy, even though the procedure might rebut non-programmers.
Switches
Keyboardio have decided to use Matias switches instead of Cherry switches. During the weeks of use, Matias quiet switches that I got had a poor feel compared to the Cherry MX browns that I’m used to. More specifically, they gave a “grinding” feel, as if some fine dust had come into the switch mechanism. I believe that it was due to poor lubrication: after a while the lubricant spread itself and the grind was gone. In fact, during this period, some switches also developed chatter. Following Keyboardio’s advice, this was fixed by removing some lubricant with isopropyl alcohol. (BTW Keyboardio offered great support. Right away they offered to replace the keyboard — but this was entirely unnecessary.)
Comparison with the Kinesis Advantage
Let’s look at the pro and cons of either option:
The Keyboardio Model 01 wins in the following areas, in order of importance:
- Split keyboard. It is great to be able to place one’s hands anywhere one likes on the desk.
- Configurability/hackability. (Flashable firmware, mountable keyboard, center bars, support plates, open source design, …)
- Portability (the Kinesis is humongous and cannot reasonably be taken in any laptop bag.)
- Build quality and attention to detail.
- Beautiful design and wooden finish
Kinesis wins in the following areas:
Ergonomics. For my taste, the keywells works better for me than adjusted key shapes. This is partly due to proper wrists rests. The built-in “wrist rests” on the keyboardio can be used only when not typing, otherwise the hand is not in an ergonomic position. This can be improved significantly by sticking additional padding on the built-in rests. I have done this with partial success.
The dedicated row of functions keys is occasionally useful.
Thumb clusters. In theory, the thumb clusters of the Keyboardio are superior, with all keys equally easy to reach. (The kinesis has 6 keys per thumb, but one can reasonably use only 3 comfortably.) However, in practice, I often use only these three keys — and for the rest of them I actually enjoy the tactile feed back of reaching out further.
Additionally, because I prefer to rest my wrists, the ‘fn’ key on the keyboardio turns out to be a learning curve. Indeed, the ‘fn’ key basically prevents to rest my wrists as I prefer to do. It is ‘in the way’ most of the time, and I had to specially train myself to not hit it by mistake.
Areas where I declare tie:
Layout. The kinesis has an additional bottom row while the Model 01 has an additional middle column. I am undecided here. I had a difficult time adjusting to the kinesis extra row, and I probably will have a difficult time adjusting to the additional model 01 columns.
LEDs. By default, keyboardio provides a bunch of flashy, but essentially useless lighting effects. Instead I like to use leds as reminder of which keys are mapped to what and in which layer I am. I could configure LEDs properly using a plugin. This required considerable effort. I understand that Chrysalis can do that too, but it seemed even more difficult to get around to set it up. In contrast, the 4-led row on the Kinesis does the job with no fuss.
Price. Both lie in the same price range.
Verdict
I applaud Keyboardio for putting together such an impressive product. However despite the Model 01 ticking most of the boxes I feel that the Kinesis wins in ergonomics, and that is what counts for me — even after padding the keyboard with wrist rests. The main functional advantage of the Model 01 is its portability, so I might be bringing it on travels. It is a shame that it does not come with bluetooth connectivity though.
Recommendations for Keyboardio Model 02
In case Keyboardio would work on a Model 02, I am offering some tips to them. As I see it, a Model 02 could either be a bigger keyboard with improved ergonomics, or a smaller keyboard with good ergonomics but focused on portability.
If going for improved ergonomics, keyboardio should use a keywell instead of custom keycaps. In the build process it seemed like custom keycaps were a major source of difficulties. Furthermore, replacing keycaps becomes difficult (involving 3D printing), or purely dependent on Keyboardio. A shame for an “heirloom grade” keyboard.
If going for portability, keyboardio should work a bit on the footprint. Another idea would be to get rid of the backlit keys. Save power, save weight, cut costs, simplify the config.
In either case, I would recommend to:
Continue using a split design. This is the main selling point of the 01 — stick to that choice.
Use aluminum instead of wood for the top cover. Sourcing wood was another major source of difficulty in the build. Brushed aluminum is another fair choice, and it would also make the keyboard more portable, because one would be less fearful of breaking the enclosure.
Add bluetooth capability. It would also allow the sides to work without a connecting cable. This is an obvious win in a portable keyboard, but it is also useful to freely move the sides of the keyboard on a desk, not to mention clutter-free.
If backlit keys are kept, pre-configure the LEDs as an indicator of the current active layer.