My review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab - Galaxy Tab General

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a feature-packed Android tablet, it’s the first Android tablet that can rival Apple’s iPad. Samsung’s done a commendable job distinguishing the Tab from the others with it’s design, hardware, and build quality.
DESIGN
With a slick black and white-styled body and a bright and shiny LCD touchscreen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab gets off to a good start in that it looks absolutely fabulous. The body is entirely made of plastic, this enables it to stay solid and pretty light.
On the front of the device there are four touch buttons, one for home, one for options, a back button and one for search. On the top of the device there is a 3.5mm headphone jack. The on/off button is on the right hand side next to the volume controls and further down that left hand side there are slots for a SIM card and a microSD expansion card. On the bottom of the device there is the charging and docking connector. And on the left side there is a microphone.
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FEATURES
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is powered by a 1GHz processor, full Flash support thanks to Android 2.2, dual cameras, support for up to 32GB of storage and WiFi / 3G connectivity.
Screen
The 7-inch display is just a fairly standard TFT LCD. It’s bright and colourful enough, and the WSVGA screen resolution (1024×600) is only slightly lower than that of the 9.7-inch iPad (so that’s 260ppi versus 132ppi) which means that the display on the Galaxy Tab is a lot sharper.
Camera
The Galaxy Tab comes with two built-in cameras: one 3 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and also a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video conferencing. The 3 megapixel cam with LED flash on the back is pretty good, it did take some decent still shots. The flash was helpful when taking some indoor dark shots and the outdoor pics are quite sharp. The camera interface consists of the standard Android controls, and per usual it handled auto-focus and white balance. The panoramic mode was great for taking wide-angle shots. There is also a continuous mode, which will take a sequence of nine shots.
Connectivity
This is intended to be an on-the-go device which means 3G connectivity is central to its functionality. Alongside this 3G connectivity sits 802.11n Wi-Fi which means streaming videos when you’re connected to a wireless network will be easy, also the Galaxy Tab got Bluetooth 3.0 for transferring files and streaming to external devices like headphones and speakers.
Storage
The Galaxy Tab does come in two different versions. There’s a 16GB version and also a 32GB version. The microSD slot can add up to another 32GB of additional storage.
Multitasking
Multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Tab is amazing. The device was able to handle having multiple apps open at the same time, and switching between them, without slow down. If you hit the Home button while you’re in an app, you’ll be taken back to your homescreen while the App stays running in the background.
This means you can play music while browsing the web and checking your emails. It also means you can have frequently used Apps all open at the same time without having to repeatedly load and close them.
On the homescreen there’s a very useful ‘Active applications’ button which, when pressed, gives you information about all the apps which are currently running on the device.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Tab’s battery is pretty good. After surfing the web and reading on the Tab for about a day with just WiFi on and at about 50 percent brightness, the battery is at about 30 percent.
Usability
The Galaxy Tab a heavenly joy to use. In terms of day-to-day use. Since i got the Galaxy Tab it has already taken control of my digital life. In fact, because of the mail support and display quality, i don’t have the need to open up my laptop, unless I need to do some high end stuff.
The Tab is really 8 devices rolled into one: Internet Browser, Multi Media Player, Gaming Console, Phone, Organizer, Messaging Client, Mobile Computer (documents etc), E-book reader.
Browsing and Flash
The browsing experience on the Tab is rock solid pages loaded quickly over WiFi and scrolling / zooming on most pages was snappy. However, when loading a few heavy sites i did notice the scrolling to be a bit jittery and not as smooth as on the iPad. But, obviously, the Tab differs from other tablets with its full Flash support. Thanks to its 1GHz processor, the experience isn’t as slow as i expected, but i can’t really say i took advantage of the feature all that much.
Media Performance
The Galaxy Tab is compatible with lots of different file formats for both audio and video. You’ve got all your standard must-haves in there, including DivX, Xvid, MPEG4, WMV and H.264. Audio compatibility extends to MP3, WAV, eAAC+, AC3 and FLAC files.
Conclusion
I like the Galaxy Tab, i really do. The Android interface is fantastic. The screen is bright and colourful. Watching videos and listening to music is easy, as is transferring content to and from the device.
The Android Market enables you to customize the device beyond recognition, and so you’ll never get bored of it. The size has its benefits, too. It’s a lot more pocket and bag friendly. Flash support is a major advantage over the iPad, and the ability to surf online video is very well received.
Video Review
Check the video review on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Bjf4taOMI

Related

Things You Don't Like About The Touch HD

Let me start off, I've got to say that the Touch HD is an awesome bit of kit. There's just 1 thing I don't like about it and that's the way the stylus is held in. I don't think it's held securely enough, a couple of times I have pulled the phone out of the pouch and the stylus has also managed to come out.
there is nothing that i don't like about the blackstone.....
only one thing the processor could be 5000 GHZ .......
Its not something i hate.. but its the only downside i find compared to the iPhone.. multitouch.. but then again... i knew it didnt have one.. and MY GOD this kicks iphones ass!
cheers!
ageorgiou1984 said:
Let me start off, I've got to say that the Touch HD is an awesome bit of kit. There's just 1 thing I don't like about it and that's the way the stylus is held in. I don't think it's held securely enough, a couple of times I have pulled the phone out of the pouch and the stylus has also managed to come out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have the same, i already lost 1 stylus because of it
Cbxu said:
i have the same, i already lost 1 stylus because of it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont mind losing the stylus.. i dont use it anyways
volume keys
give me the wheel back from the m3100 (hermes) damn site more usable!
menu's in WM6
Give us the menu's from WM6 instead of having to press several icons to get to the same item.
Direct to something is better than fiddling and wasting time!
The phone is the greatest, my only complaint is that it was a shock coming from the diamond as the screen on the diamond is excellent, the colors are really rich and the blacks are black where as the HD is a beautiful screen but a wee bit washed out.
After using the HD for a week now I am really happy with everything, even the screen as long as I don't look at the Diamond.
Things You Don't Like About The Touch HD
No camera bottom
Volume bottoms is to sensitive
Back panel squirks
But i still love the phone
HTC
That HTC spent a little more time, to iron out small issue's - instead of leaving it to dedicated peeps on the forum, like this....
Had better customer support as currently - discusting!
crystal_clear said:
Give us the menu's from WM6 instead of having to press several icons to get to the same item.
Direct to something is better than fiddling and wasting time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bro remember wm is highly customizable! i use QuickMenu you should check it out!
http://www.alensw.com/attachment/QuickMenu_en_2.7.rar
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screen taken with MyMobiler
is it....
foolproof????
thats a kinda objective question
There hasn't been a phone made that is perfect for everybody.
​
Things I don't like about the touch HD
Video recording, only QVGA
Back cover, should be smooth without that metal thing
The reset button inside the cover, should be outside
The headphones that came with it are useless, to big to fit my ears
When recording calls our voice gets recorded very loud and the other person voice very quiet
Wifi is very bad, receives low signal and disconnects easily
No good video player with full hardware acceleration
The other things are great
mmm!
some are very close....
recording calls...
there has been quite alot of talk re the recording of calls....
does anyone have any really good positive recommendations????
PJMDS said:
Things I don't like about the touch HD
Video recording, only QVGA
Back cover, should be smooth without that metal thing
The reset button inside the cover, should be outside
The headphones that came with it are useless, to big to fit my ears
When recording calls our voice gets recorded very loud and the other person voice very quiet
Wifi is very bad, receives low signal and disconnects easily
No good video player with full hardware acceleration
The other things are great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont agree with the WIFI.. here it works great, i recommend you set it to Best Performance setting when you have a low signal
umexed said:
i dont agree with the WIFI.. here it works great, i recommend you set it to Best Performance setting when you have a low signal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I did that but it doesn't work fine like my ETEN M700 did, I was using one FONERA www.fon.com with one 10db omni directional antenna as my home hotspot, it sends 2 SSIDs, the HD doesn't like it and disconnects, so I'm now using the wireless of other of my routers, it's one linksys WRT54GL, it doesn't have the same high range but it works.
What I don't like are:
Stylus comes out when removing from pouch.
Key buttons too small on keyboards resulting in constant incorrect key presses.
Takes too long to go back to previous screen after adjusting volume keys.
When using alphabet scroller on right edge on Contacts screen and you scroll to say 'S', the first contact beginning with S appears at the bottom of the screen instead of at the top of the screen.
Slow redraw rate of icons everytime you go to builtin programs list.

Elephone P9000 Lite 5.5" FHD, Helio P10, Android 6.0, 3000mAh, USB Type-C

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Highlights
- 5.5 Inch LG OGS Narrow Bezel, 1920*1080 pixels FHD
- Helio P10 MTK6755 2.0GHz Octa Core, GPU: ARM Mali-T860
- 4GB RAM + 32GB ROM, TF-Card up to 256GB
- Off Screen Wakeup & App Lock
- 3000mAh battery, 1,5Ah charger
- 13 MP f2.0 OV13850 main camera + 5 MP OV5640 front
- Dual tone LED flash
- CNC made alloy frame
- USB Typ -C, 2.4G / 5G WIFI, OTG , BT 4.0
- Gyroscope, G-Sensor, P-Sensor, L-Sensor, Hall, E-compass etc.
- Smart Key / Offscreen gestures
- Android 6.0 system Marshmallow
- Supports 2G & 3G & 4G LTE network
- Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz, FDD-LTE B1/B3/B7/B8/B20
Unboxing and Firts Look (Italian language comment):
Deep analysis:
TWRP 3.0.0 http://www.needrom.com/download/p9000-lite-twrp-3-0-0/
Multilanguage, more than 10 languages!
Download and Install correctly Mediatek Preloader drivers before using Flashtool
( Take care on Windows 8.1/10 drivers, you need to disable driver signature before install
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50pD0mONm44
http://laurentiumihet.ro/technology...-for-32-64-bit-drivers-installation-tutorial/
https://thebroodle.com/microsoft/windows/install-mediatek-mt65xx-usb-vcom-drivers-windows-8-8-1/
1- With flashtool load MT6755_Android_Scatter-TWRP3.txt
2- Select download and connect smartphone to pc (smartphone must be powered off)… in few seconds will start the process and the new TWRP will be flashed.
To restore original stock recovery, you need load ad point 1 the file MT6755_Android_Scatter.txt
P.P.S to enter in the recovery, power off the smartphone, push VOL + and Power at the same time, you will see three words with VOL + you move selection, with VOL – you must select Recovery
To have root flash with TWRP the archive supersu.zip found here: https://download.chainfire.eu/696/supersu/
Is there a recovery like TWRP for it?
PetaX8 said:
Is there a recovery like TWRP for it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm waiting for stock rom from Elephone.
After received i'll start to work on TWRP
Unboxing and Firts Look (Italian language comment):
Waiting for another updated video with Photo, Video, Gaming, Browser, Music!! ... and Recovery/Root of course!
And finally TWRP 3.0.0 is out!
http://www.needrom.com/download/p9000-lite-twrp-3-0-0/
Review elephone P9000 Lite
Package, Content, Aesthetics: [/ B]
The package is white, a rectangular cardboard of dimensions quite standard and similar to that seen on previous elephone.
Box contents: 1 Power supply with EU 5V 2A USB socket, 1 USB Cable Type C, 1 handbook quick guides and 1 Spillino for removal.
- External dimensions of the compact smartphone for the 5.5 "category; it measures 148 x 74 x 7.3mm (8.4 at the point of greatest projection given by the camera) and a little more weight 139g.
- Good quality construction, however, unlike the P9000, the side frame is made of plastic instead of metal.
- On the Right side we find the volume rocker and the power button at the bottom, buttons generally have a mild game and with not too ergonomic position to tell the truth.
- Left side which includes the removable trolley for the two sim (micro) or a SIM and MicroSD (shared second slot) and the middle one "smart key" that enable you to open any app you like.
- On the top side we find the audio jack.
- On the Bottom side we find the socket Micro USB Type-C, the microphone and the speaker that only deals with the right housing (although there is a second symmetrical left unoccupied)
- In the back up we find the camera from Omnivision 13Mpixel OV13850 (projecting), dual LED flash to the side and down the elephone logo.
- On the front we find at the top the capsule headset, the camera 8Mpixel OV5648 and brightness / proximity sensors; down only key to the central touch that performs the functions of the typical capacitive keys based on the number of touches or of the prolonged pressure. Although there is the housing for the LED below the central key, this is not present unlike the P9000.
- Rear Cover not removable (though it is possible to remove it with a pick) and the presence of an opaque black material and workmanship "sandstone" provides a great grip. In general good ergonomics for the rounded shape and the compactness for the excellent weight distribution.
- Outer pane that does not have films applied, appears to have a decent oleophobic treatment that makes it very pleasant to use and finger scrolling, but has no 2.5D machining as seen in many current smartphones. The same is however very well protected by the side frame to the benefit of resistance and ease in finding / applying glass / plastic film without being in any way forced to take them off the peripheral part that would not join.
- Brightness good screen, good viewing angle; FHD IPS screen LG LCD LTPS with natural colors and you can intervene with Miravision.
- Precise Touch, multitouch to 5 touches the rapid writing and pinch in / close out easy and make the satisfying user experience.
- Two in a Micro SIM slot and microSD slot format which shares space with the second sim and has tested capacity up to 128Gb.
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery which guarantees on'ottima durability thanks to the skills of low-power CPU P10 and the FHD screen.
- Android 6.0 without any customization, pretty much stock, if we exclude the gestures, customized "smart" key and some other additional function.
- Open app and switching between apps very fast .. stock browser that the marshmallow version is updated a minimum of basic chrome (I still recommend Chrome / Chrome Dev that further enhance the user experience).
- Excellent management of internal rom 32Gb which are available in a 26GB partition around for apps and data.
- Good management ram 4Gb by Android 6 .. more than 2.8GB of RAM left over after loading some apps into memory at startup; Android 6 then allows many customizations in the management app in memory, battery-saving features with Doze, and more ..
Connectivity: [/ B]
WiFi b / g / n showing the compatibility with the standard 2.4 and 5Ghz, the stable coupling but the power is slightly inferior to other smartphones tested in the past.
Bluetooth 4.0 / 4.1 tested coupled with smart phones, headphones / wearables and cars, no problems.
OTG: With various adapter cables USB Type-C micro usb have not managed to read OTG devices to P9000 lite.
GPS: Quick fix of satellites, accuracy of about 2 meters, the signal is good and we have the compatibility with GLONASS satellites. And 'this compass although in this first software release seems slightly "jerky and dancer"
camera:
- Main camera 13Mpixel Omnivision OV13850 f / 2 that produces good shots in daylight; good focus and powerful enough flash and synchronized; camera interface stock mediatek with very few differences from the one already seen in the past on Android 5.1.
Good video performance, good focus but in case of poor lighting, we have some problems with vertical stripes that will be resolved with the next update software.
- Second Camera for Selfies 8 megapixel OV5648 f / 2.8 the quality is just enough and I also ache this will be the subject of improvements with a software update.
Photo Album: [/ b]
http://imgur.com/a/8GT59 [/ url]
....imagebam.com/47176/3ed5f4471752282.jpg[/IMG]
Geekbench 3 with about 3036 points in the multi-core test and 834 in the single core test.
https://browser.primatelabs.com/us....imagebam.com/47176/352364471752341.jpg[/IMG]
Audio: [/ B]
sufficient volumes sound quality generally high but there was a fairly flat sound and without character.
Audio speaker at maximum volume slightly scratchy, position the speaker apt, no problem with the device resting on the floor.
Good vibrations and sound in good headset.
Conclusion of elephone P9000 Lite: [/ B]
PRO: [/ B]
- Hardware excellent consists Helio P10 MT6755 CPU with up to 2Ghz Core A53 Android 6.0 on a Marshmallow "under € 200" device
- 4Gb DDR3 Ram and 32GB Rom fast eMMC 5.1 to support you in every situation.
- Look & Feel and optimization of the overall dimensions thanks to the use of thin frames that allow it to be very handy and compact, seems to have a 5.2 "in hand.
- Miravision 2.0 for personalization saturation / white / contrast balance.
- Dual SIM (micro SIM) and Micro Sd with head capacity up to 128Gb.
- Main camera which although less than the brand name counterpart of this Sony on P9000, it still shows discrete and improved further by software
- Which, although non-removable battery that is about real 2900mAh, allowing more than 4 hours of screen on the average day of use with the active sim data traffic.
AGAINST: [/ B]
- There is the notification LED below the home button unlike the P9000.
- Is not this the fast battery charging, NFC, a fingerprint, the gyroscope and the metal side frame unlike the P9000.
- Rom "unripe" that generates some compatibility problems with some games, with the settings of the various menus and in some cases with sensors on board.
- Audio for improved quality and management.
- Protruding from the camera back cover which can lead to scratches and abrasions on the glass, if you do not use a cover.
- Location of the physical keys not very ergonomic and setting the "smart key" to the left just for opening the app.
- Accessories cut to the bone, although compared to the P9000 in the package are also the 5V 2A power supply.
- Absence of accessories (cover, films, houses) immediately available, but we trust in their short availability.
- With the vast majority of converters USB to Micro USB Type-C you will not be able to use the OTG function, but only the data transfer and charging.
Screenshots:
[/URL

Heat damaged display (Samsung S8)

I‘ll really appreciate if anyone can explain or possibly fix the damage of the AMOLED display/screen on my Samsung Galaxy S8. The screen has a few odd characteristics after it was accidentally damaged by heat. (Because I put hot takeway food into my bag that has my phone in it.) The screen started showing the following problems after the accident.)
1) the screen has a permanent yellowish/greenish tint
This tint is visible even in the boot up device name & Samsung logo screen, so I don’t think it’s caused by software. This makes the colours on the screenlook less vibrant and less saturated.
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2) the screen cannot display pure black.
In the black background of pictures in gallery and especially while charging when powered off, it is easy to see that what’s black is now gray. (Refer to photos below) When the phone is off, the bezel and the display is the same black color. When the display is on, the grey color makes the top and bottom bezel of the phone visible. On all Samsung AMOLED display, the black part is not supposed to light up because it’s an OLED display, but now it appears like an LCD with backlight bleed.
3) always on display doesn’t work anymore and show something like a static screen during always on display.
(refer to the video:
)
The clock and home button doesn’t show and the screen will show that weird static effect slowly. (takes around 30 seconds)
4) the screen is unusable at 20 to 80% brightness
(refer to the video:
)
At 20-80% brightness, everything on the screen become blurry and any animation causes ghosting of the image. On a non white image, the display will form horizontal white lines across the screen, obscuring the content on the screen. Strangely, none of the problems occur when the screen is at 0-20% and 80-100% brightness, the display appears normal and perfectly usable.
(This is the dealbreaker that forced me get a new phone to replace this S8)
Looks like a blown driver(s).
Try clearing the system cache and a hard reboot but I doubt this will help.
A hard reset will do nothing.
I had sunlight + charging blow out the drivers on my S4+
$hit happens...
blackhawk said:
Looks like a blown driver(s).
Try clearing the system cache and a hard reboot but I doubt this will help.
A hard reset will do nothing.
I had sunlight + charging blow out the drivers on my S4+
$hit happens...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was hoping that the display could be recalibrated for the brightness and color issues, but I don't know if the display itself or the driver embedded in the motherboard is physically damaged. Replacing either component is close to the resell value of a good condition S8, so I don't plan on doing that.
EddiePirate said:
I was hoping that the display could be recalibrated for the brightness and color issues, but I don't know if the display itself or the driver embedded in the motherboard is physically damaged. Replacing either component is close to the resell value of a good condition S8, so I don't plan on doing that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume the damaged drivers are on the display assemby* but not sure if they're drivers present there.
It seems the logical place to put them though.
White papers for these devices seem nonexistent. There should be service manuals but I've never seen one.
Blowing out a display sucks...
* most likely fully integrated into the display itself.

Best mechanical keyboards to buy in 2021

The PC market continues to make headlines due to the global chipset crisis, not to mention the scarcity of GPUs worldwide. But today, we are looking at an important PC component that’s often overlooked or is usually an afterthought when buying or building a PC, despite being a key member of the board. There are tons of keyboards available in various shapes and sizes at different price points, and we’ve got a list of some of the best mechanical keyboards that you should consider for your next purchase.
Why should you buy a mechanical keyboard?​Before we dive into some of the recommendations, let’s understand what exactly a mechanical keyboard is. Basically, a keyboard is defined by the switch it uses.
Cheaper keyboards usually incorporate a rubber-dome or a membrane switch system wherein a keypress pushes onto a silicone dome, connecting the circuit to register what the user is typing. These often require a large amount of force for actuation and give off mushy feedback due to the silicon underneath. These are relatively silent and don’t offer audible feedback, while the overall lifespan of the keys is also comparatively shorter.
When you press a key on a mechanical keyboard, an actual physical switch, including a spring-based pushback mechanism, comes into play. Depending on the type of key switch, you get a certain tactile or linear feedback as you type along. While that in itself makes a huge difference, these switches also last really long, with certain manufacturers claiming up to 50-80 million keystrokes.
In short, mechanical keyboards offer a longer shelf life, and you can expect a much better typing experience thanks to the wide variety of switch options.
Corsair K100 RGB​
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The best full-sized mechanical keyboard has to be Corsair’s K100 RGB. Not only is it one of the most expensive ones, but this keyboard has it all. It comes with a polling rate of up to 4000Hz and 0.5ms response time, making it the fastest keyboard that money can buy. It also comes with Corsair’s OPX optical-mechanical key switches that use a beam of infrared light to register an actuation, which means a fast and precise keypress registration at a 1.0mm actuation point. Corsair also sells the K100 with Cherry MX Speed Silver switches with an actuation distance of 1.2mm.
The keyboard also offers macro support, a dedicated control wheel for various functions, and to top it off, per-key RGB backlighting with a 44-zone three-sided RGB edge lighting. It also comes with highly durable construction and premium design, making it one of the most desirable keyboards on the market.
Buy from Amazon
Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro​
The Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro is the best mechanical keyboard for those who don't like wires. It's a full-size keyboard that's great for gaming or just regular typing. It's available with Razer’s Green switches for a clicky, tactile feel, or you can go for the Yellow switches that are linear, silent, and offer a smooth keystroke. The BlackWidow V3 Pro comes with a premium design, including a plush leatherette wrist rest and double-shot ABS keycaps.
You can use the keyboard with Razer’s HyperSpeed wireless tech using a USB dongle for low latency or go the traditional way using Bluetooth or wired. There are also some dedicated media keys, a volume control wheel, and individually RGB-backlit keys that can be controlled using Razer’s software.
Buy from Amazon
Corsair K70 RGB TKL​
Corsair’s newly launched K70 RGB TKL is the best TKL (Tenkeyless) keyboard and in our opinion, gives a tough competition to Logitech’s G915 TKL. It isn’t wireless, but Corsair’s AXON technology can deliver a polling rate of 8000Hz over a wired USB connection. This makes it twice as fast as the company’s most premium offering, the K100 RGB. The keyboard is available with either Cherry MX Speed Silver or Cherry MX Red switches.
Corsair hasn’t cut any corners here and has made the K70 RGB TKL to match the requirements of professional esports gamers. It comes with a solid metal frame, dedicated media keys and volume dial, and a special 'Tournament Switch' that can be flipped to move to static backlighting and disable accidental macro activations automatically.
Buy from Amazon
Logitech G915 TKL​
Logitech makes some of the best gaming peripherals, and the G915 TKL is a pristine wireless mechanical keyboard. It’s an ultra-thin keyboard with low-profile keycaps backed by Logitech’s custom-made low-profile GL switches available in either clicky, tactile, or linear type. Using the company’s Lightspeed wireless technology, the G915 TKL comes with a response rate that's as good as a wired keyboard, while the battery can last about 40 hours with the RGB lighting enabled. Although I really wish Logitech would stop using micro-USB for charging its peripherals.
Additionally, the keyboard includes Bluetooth, when low-latency is not required, dedicated media control keys, and a volume scroll wheel. If tenkeyless is not your thing, Logitech also has a full-size version.
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Razer Huntsman Mini​
Hands down the best compact 60% keyboard, the Razer Huntsman Mini is a delight for customers who like to keep things minimal. Razer offers the keyboard with newly updated linear red switches with a 1.2mm actuation distance and 48g actuation force. In comparison, the clicky purple switches come with a 1.5mm actuation distance and 45g actuation force. It features solid-looking PBT keycaps and a USB Type-C cable for connectivity.
Of course, it comes with Razer’s Chroma RGB lighting, a solid aluminum chassis, onboard memory for up to five profiles, and side-printed secondary functions on the keycaps. The Huntsman Mini is available in either Black or Mercury (White) color options.
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Glorious GMMK​
Claimed to be the world’s first modular mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting, the Glorious GMMK is for someone who wants something future-proof. It comes preinstalled with Gateron brown switches with black or white ABS double-shot injection keycaps depending on which color you go for. It's also available in full, tenkeyless, and compact form factors, thus offering a wide choice for the user to choose from.
It has a simple, minimal-looking design, so it doesn’t look very loud. Apart from the keycaps, the switches can also be removed if you change your mind in the future about the kind of switches you want. The company hasn’t missed out on RGB, and you can control that without installing any software, which is neat.
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Keychron K4 V2​
Keychron started as a Kickstarter project, but today offers a wide range of keyboards. One of the best offerings is the Keychron K4, a full-size keyboard with a 96% layout, available with a variety of customization options. You can get the keyboard with white or RGB backlighting and there is the option of an aluminum frame for more rigid construction. The keyboard comes with Gateron Red, Blue, or Brown key switch options, and you can also opt for the hot-swappable variant to quickly move between switches.
The keyboard is great for both Windows and Mac operating systems and it offers wireless connectivity via Bluetooth or regular wired connection via USB.
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Redragon K552​
If you are on a tight budget, say under $50, you can check out the Redragon K552. It isn't the most premium mechanical keyboard, but overall the keyboard should serve you well for most use cases. It is a tenkeyless keyboard with clicky Outemu Blue switches that mimic Cherry MX Blue, but there's also a variant with linear Red switches. Fully compatible with Windows and Linux, the Redragon K552 can also be used with macOS but with limited functionality. Other notable features include full RGB backlighting with 18 different effects, a splash-proof metal and plastic chassis, n-Key rollover, 12 multimedia keys, and the option of a white color variant.
Overall the keyboard is pretty good and responsive for gamers although it might offer higher latency than most keyboards. It's also suitable for typing and office use cases as the keys are light, but they can get noisy so the keyboard might not fit well with users looking for a silent experience.
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These are some of the best mechanical keyboards in our books. Share your thoughts and tell us if we have missed a certain category or form factor that you would be interested in.
Developers, gamers, and individuals who occasionally type love mechanical consoles for their consistency, responsiveness to contact, and customisable keypads.
G Pro X Logitech: Thanks to the hot-swappable key switches, you can easily alter the feel of the keys on this keyboard. Additionally, it has a compact design and programmable RGB lighting.
Bluetooth KeyBee from iGear Pro: It is compatible with numerous gadgets, including iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS, and has a sleek and lightweight design. It also supports Bluetooth, making it possible to connect without using cables.
Professional Edition of Das Keyboard: With a sleek aluminum top panel and braided cable, this keyboard is known for its high-quality construction. Cherry MX Brown or Blue key switches are available.
Razer Huntsman Tip Top: The Opto-Mechanical key switches on this keyboard, manufactured by Razer, offer quick response times and tactile feedback. It also features customizable RGB lighting and a magnetic wrist rest.

Understanding the different types of Mechanical Keyboard Switches

Mechanical keyboards are all the rage. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, wired or wireless, and of course, with and without fancy RGB lighting. But the most important factor to consider while buying a mechanical keyboard has to be the key switch. Choosing the right key switch can make a huge difference as opposed to a membrane-based keyboard. They are more reliable and offer a more personalized experience by offering varied feedback and travel time depending on which one you choose. Mechanical keyboard switches also tend to have a much better shelf life lasting millions of keystrokes.
What is a Mechanical Keyboard Switch?​A switch within the context of a keyboard is the mechanism underneath the keys. On a mechanical keyboard, each key has its own complete switch mechanism, comprising of a housing, a spring, a stem, and some other parts like click bars. Variations can be made on several of these components, giving rise to a plethora of options on the actual switch with different properties like the amount of pressure needed to actuate and to bottom out, the sound made, the travel distance, and more.
Practically all mechanical keyboards allow for the keycaps to be removed. And quite a lot of keyboards also allow for switching around for the switch mechanisms. If this swapping option is not available to the user, there's usually an option to choose the keyboard switch type at the time of purchase. This makes it quite imperative to know and understand the different types of mechanical switches present, in order to make the correct choice that suits your needs.
Types of Key Switches​Mechanical keyboard switches are broadly available in three categories. Depending on their characteristics, they are either linear, tactile, or clicky.
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Linear switches usually feel smooth and offer a consistent actuation without any tactile feedback. The actuation or the registering of a keypress happens when it bottoms out, and since there are no bumps in between, linear switches glide down rather easily. Many gamers prefer investing in keyboards with linear switches, with the most common one being Cherry MX Red.
Tactile switches have a similar construction as linear but include a bump halfway through the key’s downward travel. This bump signifies the actuation point, which means that a keypress is registered before it fully bottoms out. This enables a faster typing experience since the key doesn’t have to travel all the way down to actuate, thus becoming the preferred choice of typists. Cherry MX Brown switches are one of the most popular among the variety of tactile keyboard switches available in the market.
Clicky switches follow the same concept as tactile switches, which means they're bumpy, but at the same time, they are louder by design. These key switches offer a bump along with additional audio feedback, which is pretty satisfying, almost like an old typewriter. However, this can be annoying for people around you, especially in an office environment. If you like having a nice clicky keyboard, you could look at Cherry MX Blue switches.
Which Key Switch should I get?​Based on the above characteristics, you'll find various types of switches offered by several manufacturers. Cherry MX is the most popular and widely accepted key switch and was also one of the first to classify them by color. Primarily, you need to know that Red or Black switches are linear, Brown or Clear switches are tactile, while Blue or Green switches are clicky. Depending on the keyboard OEM, these can differ but most of them are aligned with Cherry's color-coding. We will be discussing them in detail in a future post.
Most users recommend linear-type switches for gaming as they offer a consistent keystroke adding precision to every keypress. Typists usually prefer tactile or clicky switches as these allow for a faster keystroke experience. To be clear, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to key switches. Depending on your personal preference, you can choose between either of the three options. Personally, I’ve used linear type switches for a while now, and in my opinion, they work great for typing and gaming. Having said that, there are certain factors that you should consider while investing in a mechanical keyboard.
First and foremost, you need to make sure that the key switches last a long time. You don't want to spend a lot of money on a keyboard that doesn’t have a solid shelf life. Usually, mechanical switches have a lifespan ranging up to 50-80 million keystrokes, with Cherry MX switches offering a guarantee of 100 million keystrokes. Avoid buying a keyboard with cheap or unknown mechanical switches at all costs.
Make sure you get the right switch with the right set of keycaps. Certain keyboard manufacturers offer low-profile keycaps to reduce the overall weight. These should work well for users who have smaller hands or don't type with heavy force. Speaking of which, ensure that you invest in a keyboard that offers the right amount of spring force as well as travel distance. A strong spring force can tend to put a strain on your fingers. Similarly, opting for a keyboard that offers a short key travel distance means that you don't have to mash every key.
I made the mistake of getting blue switches for my first mechanical keyboard. I had not done enough research, so I wasn't prepared to have the loudest keyboard on the planet. I got lots of complaints while in voice calls because other people could hear my keyboard through my microphone.
XDARoni said:
I made the mistake of getting blue switches for my first mechanical keyboard. I had not done enough research, so I wasn't prepared to have the loudest keyboard on the planet. I got lots of complaints while in voice calls because other people could hear my keyboard through my microphone.
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Oh no! Have you tried anything other than blue switches?
I like the Red Kailh switches cause I don't like the click

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