• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Best minimal keyboard?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Ü

Übermatik

Member
I'm looking for a keyboard that's simple and elegant, and that doesn't look like it's been designed by an angry twelve year-old. It will mostly be used for productivity, with some infrequent gaming.


  • I much prefer low-profile keys (think MBP keyboard), so nothing with Cherry MX switches or anything like that.
  • Wireless is ideal (especially if 2.4GHz), but not mandatory, and if it comes with a mouse, all the better!
  • Budget is ideally around £50, but I'm willing to spend a bit more for quality.
So far I've pretty much exhausted Logitech's lineup, and have considered the K375s. Microsoft's Designer Bluetooth keyboard is also a possibility, but the mouse looks pretty uncomfortable.

So GAF, what am I missing? Any recommendations?
 
xxracerxx said:
What about the bluetooth Apple keyboard?
Click to expand...

The Magic Keyboard? It's not got great reviews, and is way too pricey for what it is. If you're on about the mode beforehand, I can't seem to find it anywhere new.

For clarity, I'm going from using a Mac for like, eight years, to my first PC build.
 
Übermatik;232579407 said:
I'm a little put off by the shape of those keys, but this is a contender. Logitech have the best lineup, it seems, so it might be a keyboard from them in the end.
Click to expand...

Their upgrade pick is not as minimal but has square keys.
 
Still rocking my Xoom keyboard on my PC but have been seeing the surface keyboard getting rave reviews. Not sure how much money that is where you're from.
 
Happy Hacking Keyboard
maxresdefault.jpg
 
Jigolo said:
Still rocking my Xoom keyboard on my PC but have been seeing the surface keyboard getting rave reviews. Not sure how much money that is where you're from.
Click to expand...

Wow, I hadn't noticed this one, thank-you!

One thing I'm gonna go ahead and assume - being a brand new PC and all, I'll have to use a wired USB keyboard to set up and install windows first, won't I?
 
Microsoft designer keyboard. It's one of the very few things Microsoft does well.
It's basically the apple bluetooth keyboard in black.

10383890_1wtu23.jpg
 
Hoo-doo said:
Microsoft designer keyboard. It's one of the very few things Microsoft does well.
It's basically the apple bluetooth keyboard in black.

10383890_1wtu23.jpg
Click to expand...

As it stands I'm leaning heavily towards this, mostly because it also includes a mouse and is on sale due to the Surface keyboard/mouse release.

I don't understand why Microsoft aren't selling the Surface Keyboard + Mouse together... Even at that pushing-one-hundred price, I'd snap it up. It's beautiful.
 
Übermatik;232580587 said:
As it stands I'm leaning heavily towards this, mostly because it also includes a mouse and is on sale due to the Surface keyboard/mouse release.
Click to expand...

And, you know, it looks clean as hell on any desk. Got to keep those work spaces clean.
 
mauvais said:
Happy Hacking Keyboard
Click to expand...

I think you missed a crucial part:

Übermatik;232579047 said:
Budget is ideally around £50, but I'm willing to spend a bit more for quality.
Click to expand...

I don't think they're going to spend THAT much more for a keyboard, lol.
 
Hoo-doo said:
And, you know, it looks clean as hell on any desk. Got to keep those work spaces clean.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I didn't get that Phanteks Evolv ATX case and Infinity Edge Dell monitor for nothing. Plus my entire room is like, white.

Okay I won't lie, a hell of a lot of this build revolves around looks haha. I bought a white RX 480 just because it was white... shame on me.

En Ex said:
I think you missed a crucial part:



I don't think they're going to spend THAT much more for a keyboard, lol.
Click to expand...

It's also the polar opposite of what I want haha. Thanks for the contribution nonetheless!
 
I use a varmillo keyboard with the gateron brown keys

ivuv_varmilo_bluetooth_mech_keyboard.jpg


You can change the keycaps to any color easily, I have a white key black base setup with orange LEDS. You can turn the LEDs off if you want even mroe minimal
 
For what it's worth, when I saw the thread title I thought instantly of the Microsoft Designer mouse and keyboard too.

And having read your OP, I can say that in my experience the mouse is pretty comfortable.
 
Übermatik;232579047 said:
  • I much prefer low-profile keys (think MBP keyboard), so nothing with Cherry MX switches or anything like that.
Click to expand...


  • People aren't reading your first bulleted point, smh.

    I have a PC hooked up to my living room TV so I just use a simple Logitech K400 Plus

    JJMWtXa.jpg
    Click to expand...

    It's cheap, wireless, has a touchpad mouse and gets the job done.
 
Superimposer said:
For what it's worth, when I saw the thread title I thought instantly of the Microsoft Designer mouse and keyboard too.

And having read your OP, I can say that in my experience the mouse is pretty comfortable.
Click to expand...

Ah have you used one? For me it looks a little flat, but I did use the Magic Mouse for years and never experienced problems. Does it cope okay for gaming?

I wish Microsoft replaced the Designer Mouse with the new Surface Mouse - it looks just that little bit more thought out.
 
VARIA said:
People aren't reading your first bulleted point, smh.

I have a PC hooked up to my living room TV so I just use a simple Logitech K400 Plus



It's cheap, wireless, has a touchpad mouse and gets the job done.
Click to expand...

I have that exact same keyboard too and it's in no way a good everyday keyboard. It's creaky, feels cheap and plasticy and the spacing of the keys is cramped as hell.

It's fine for a HTPC or something, but for actual everyday typing go with something else.
 
I've used Apple keyboard for a long time because it is wired but I'm switching next time as Apple makes it too hard to acquire drivers. You have to do it through this command line tool called Brigadier and then when Windows 10 has a big update the drivers break and you need a new one from Apple.

The Microsoft designer one looks great but I dislike that it is wireless and you have to buy a crappy mouse with it. There are Windows focused, wired keyboards that rip the Apple style but they always seemed like they have something ugly about them. Like the bezel on the cherry one is massive. I like that the Apple keyboard has such a small footprint.
 
I have a V1 WASD mechanical w/browns. It's not "minimalist" in that it still has the 10-key pad and all that (but they do sell those), but otherwise it's as barebones as you can get. Plain black, no lights, no frills, no fancy switches or knobs or screens or any of that. I've had this one for years now, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Best keyboard I've ever owned by a mile.
 
Übermatik;232583401 said:
Ah have you used one? For me it looks a little flat, but I did use the Magic Mouse for years and never experienced problems. Does it cope okay for gaming?

I wish Microsoft replaced the Designer Mouse with the new Surface Mouse - it looks just that little bit more thought out.
Click to expand...

Yeah I use it daily.

It's fine for gaming, I use it to play FPS multiplayer etc., only thing I would say is the left click gets stuck maybe 0.5% of the time but that could just as easily be something physically stuck under it
 
demon said:
"Best keyboard ever"

*doesn't have arrow keys*

Yeah okay.
Click to expand...

Once you learn how to use your pinky, it's not that difficult. The design was specifically done to keep your fingers on the home row at all times. Becomes second nature after a week or so.
 
yeah it's the Surface keyboard. literally just went through this whole thing myself OP. it costs a pretty penny but think about how many hours you will touch that thing.

if it had a backlight it would be perfect. although it probably wouldn't last a year on one pair of AAAs.

hard to find a good low travel full sized keyboard, turns out.

i tried the Logitech K800 first and hated it instantly.

Hoo-doo the Surface kb is the old Designer KB but gray and soft touch coating.
 
Übermatik;232586493 said:
How are keys? What's the tactility like?
Click to expand...

I bought another one when I managed to knock some keys off of the first one so obviously I like it, not too clicky, but enough tactile feedback.
 
Get a 60% keyboard with a light switch (Browns, Red, Gateron clear). After using a planck (40%) keyboard, I would just get a 60%. As for keycaps, go with some DSA's since they are flat similar to mac keyboards keycaps.
 
Corsair Vengeance K65
Cherry MX Red switches
yYsVqkG.png


I love this thing. Reasonably priced at $70, but it does lack a numpad, which isn't an issue for me.

I did buy sound dampening o-rings for it because I type with too much force.
 
Arulan said:
You can't get better than a Filco mechanical keyboard.
Click to expand...

I have a Filco mechanical. It's alright, but it's only a few months old and 2 keys are already sticking/defective. It got it to replace a Realforce 87U Tenkeyless Silent keyboard for me, that I've been using for a few years, because my wife couldn't handle reading the gray-on-black keys of the Realforce, but even with that "problem" I'm back to using the Realforce again. In every sense other than key readability the Realforce is better than the Filco. It's quieter and the typing experience is much better. The only other downside is it's extremely hard to find one to buy at this point.

I've also used a non-silent Realforce. It's not exactly loud, but the silent version feels better to me, and is quieter. Best keyboard ever in my opinion.
 
A coworker had this wireless mouse that I had to use at work for a couple of days:

Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard

51d-8HmI6%2BL._SL1000_.jpg


I enjoyed using it. It doesn't have a mouse in it though.
 
I use a Logitech k750 which I like a lot. Solar powered to no need to replace batteries. Has a numeric keypad though if that might make it too big for you
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

My first kickstarter…lofree hyzen keyboard
34
779
Northeastmonk replied
Anybody tried split keyboard?
7
507
lachesis replied
Best DVD ripping software?
2
140
ReBurn replied
Is W the most used keyboard key?
44
1K
nightfly replied
  • Poll
Best Deep Purple lineup
0
143
666 replied
Top Bottom