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                   REVIEW: VORTEX POK3R KEYBOARD

                           Nicolas Herry
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                            2017/03/28





1 Review: Vortex Pok3r keyboard
===============================

  <gopher://gopher.beastieboy.net/g/images/pok3r.jpg>

  Since I spend my time typing on keyboards, I like having
  something decent under my fingers. Sadly, most keyboards that
  ship with computers feel more like a designer's wet dream and a
  programmer's nightmare than anything else. You get extra-long
  keyboards, a collection of media keys and unresponsive
  feel... Luckily, some time in the mid-90s, some manufacturers
  noticed the problem and started offering better products. There's
  now a whole market for these keyboards, and thanks in part to a
  side-effect of the pro gaming movement, we now have plenty of
  high-end, robust mechanical keyboards to put on our desks. Here's
  a quick review of the Vortex Pok3r I bought a few months ago.


1.1 The good
~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The maker of the Vortex Pok3r, KBT, isn't new to this business:
  their former model, the KBC Poker II, was very well received
  across the world. The Pok3r thus had some high expectations to
  answer for when it came out in 2014, and looking at the specs,
  the least we can say is that KBT tried their best:

  - Aluminium case
  - PBT keycaps
  - Three programmable layers
  - A large selection of 2*6 [Cherry MX switches] to choose from
  - [N-Key Roll-Over]
  - Optional backlighting (RGB backlight)
  - Optional ANSI or ISO layout
  - Available in two colours: black or white

  Opting for an aluminium case is perhaps the most brilliant idea
  here: this garantees no bending and no bouncing while you type,
  and a very stable, hefty keyboard on the desk. The PBT keys are
  also a very good choice, as they don't develop the ugly shine the
  ABS keys do, and the keyboard is likely to age better as a
  result.

  KBT offers you to choose between six regular switches (Red, Blue,
  Brown, Clear, Green and Black) and six RGB switches for the
  backlit version (Red, Blue, Brown, Black, Silver and
  White). Hating backlit keyboards vigorously and loving tactile
  switches, I opted for MX Clear switches. The combination of a
  sturdy case, nice PBT keys and tactile switches really help in
  making the typing very comfortable. I also added a set of O-rings
  to help damper the sound a little (as I often work in open floors
  and my heavy typing has a tendency to garner disapproving looks
  from any person in a 100-meter radius).

  [Programming the keyboard is not as intuitive as it could be],
  but it doesn't really matter, as you typically only do it once. I
  really appreciate that I can carry around a keyboard with the
  exact layout I'm used to, without having to fiddle with the
  Windows Registry, XModmap or the OSX equivalent every time I hook
  it up to a new computer. It's my own, personal interface to
  computers that I can always rely on.


[Cherry MX switches] <https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX>

[N-Key Roll-Over]
<https://deskthority.net/wiki/Rollover,_blocking_and_ghosting>

[Programming the keyboard is not as intuitive as it could be]
<https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/35uy60/guide_howto_program_your_pok3r_programming_layers/>


1.2 The bad
~~~~~~~~~~~

  Building a high-quality keyboard costs a lot of money, and you
  can easily tell when you open the box: no money was left to spend
  on anything else... When the Poker II came with a leaflet, a
  branded keycaps puller and RGB modifiers, all you get with the
  Pok3r is the keyboard itself. It's a bit ironic that a rather
  costly keyboard appears to be so cheap.

  Another thing I didn't like is the layer indicator. KBT had the
  idea that you wanted to know, at any time, what layer you were
  using, so they included a set of LEDs underneath the space bar to
  shine their little blue or purple light *all the bloody time*. I
  know nowadays a lot of people like to have an electronic rainbow
  inside their keyboard, but I don't, and I feel a bit ridiculous
  with my tiny, neon-lit nightclub for fingers.

  One last thing I regret a bit with the Pok3r is the lack of USB
  hub. I really appreciated being able to plug a mouse directly in
  my [Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2]. Laptops have a tendency to go
  frugal with the connectors they offer, and the more that remain
  available to plugging external drives, the better.


[Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard>


1.3 An excellent purchase
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  All in all, the Vortex Pok3r is an excellent 60% mechanical
  keyboard, well worth its price (around $130). I expect it to last
  me at least a few years (my good old HHKB Lite 2, bought in 2001,
  is still in good condition after over fifteen years of heavy use,
  so I expect at least the same durability with the Pok3r). Just
  keep in mind you should add an extra $20 for a key puller and
  O-rings, and possibly some more if you want alternate keycaps.