Das Keyboard 4 Pro: Cherry MX Flavored Typing
Introduction and Specifications
As a species, we've come a long way from the days of carving notes into stone. While our ancestors used chisel and rock, we now use keyboards to hammer out our thoughts and anything that needs to be documented. Some of us spend hours a day sitting in front of a PC, a large portion of which is dedicated to punching keystrokes at a frenzied pace. There's a good chance that your keyboard is actively used more than any other peripheral or accessory, save for your monitor, yet some people give little thought to their plank, as if to suggest that all keyboards are essentially the same.
Professional typists know better. So does Metadot, which started to build a better keyboard nearly a decade ago. You know it as the Das Keyboard and through several generations of refinements, it's evolved into what's now called the Das Keyboard 4 in both Professional (labeled key caps) and Ultimate (blank key caps) variants.
Professional typists know better. So does Metadot, which started to build a better keyboard nearly a decade ago. You know it as the Das Keyboard and through several generations of refinements, it's evolved into what's now called the Das Keyboard 4 in both Professional (labeled key caps) and Ultimate (blank key caps) variants.
;)
The market for mechanical keyboards has proven robust since the introduction of the original Das Keyboard, and these days, there's a lot more competition. Typists have shown they're willing to pay a premium for a better keyboard with mechanical key switches, and manufacturers responded by bringing to market a wealth of options. Rather than concede to the competition, Metadot went and redesigned the Das Keyboard, calling the Das Keyboard 4 "the most significant update since the original" model.
Having experience with previous Das Keyboard models and being big fans of mechanical key switches in general, we knew we had to get our hands on the Das Keyboard 4 for test drive. We opted for the Professional model with Cherry MX Blue key switches (both the Professional and Ultimate versions also come with Cherry MX Brown switches), which carries an MSRP of $169. Here's our initial impression.
Having experience with previous Das Keyboard models and being big fans of mechanical key switches in general, we knew we had to get our hands on the Das Keyboard 4 for test drive. We opted for the Professional model with Cherry MX Blue key switches (both the Professional and Ultimate versions also come with Cherry MX Brown switches), which carries an MSRP of $169. Here's our initial impression.
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| Cherry MX mechanical key switches w/ gold contacts |
| Dedicated media control with oversized volume knob |
| Two-port SuperSpeed USB 3.0 hub |
| Instant Sleep button to save energy |
| Lasert-etched key cap inscriptions (Professional) to prevent fading |
| 104-key US layout |
| Footbar to raise keyboard also functions as a ruler |
| 6.5-foot (201 cm) USB cable with single USB type-A connector |
| 18 inches by 6.8 inches by .08 inches (45.72 cm by 17.272 cm by 2.032 cm) |
| 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg) |
| NKRO over USB |
| Anodozed aluminum top panel |
| Firmware upgradeable |
| 3-year warranty |
| $169 MSRP (Professional w/ Cherry MX Blue) |
;)
With this generation of the Das Keyboard, Metadot allows its customers to go Cherry MX picking. By that we mean you have a choice between two mechanical key switches -- Cherry MX Blue and Cherry MX Brown. The Cherry MX Blue version that we opted for offers tactile feedback when the activation point is hit along with an audible "clicky" sound. By comparison, Cherry MX Brown switches produce a softer tactile bump and are not clicky.
There's also a slight difference in price between the two key switches when ordering a Das Keyboard 4; the Professional model with Cherry MX Blue switches goes for $169 MSRP and the Cherry MX Brown sells for $173 MSRP.
There's also a slight difference in price between the two key switches when ordering a Das Keyboard 4; the Professional model with Cherry MX Blue switches goes for $169 MSRP and the Cherry MX Brown sells for $173 MSRP.
