metaruss

This is the “Red Alert 2.0” key cap set that I got from a group buy on GeekHack. It is based on a similarly-named set that was run by KBTalking forums (Korea). While not quite as fancy, it still looks really sharp. It comes with red-on-white and white-on-red modifiers and Fn row.

This article was put into the GeekHack Wiki.

The KBC Poker X is a compact (60%) mechanical keyboard made by Vortex. Although it seems like it will be phased out and replaced by the Vortex Pure, it has a few advantages over it:

• The Poker uses completely standard key cap sizes so that any tenkeyless key set will work.
• The arrow keys are intuitively located both on the WASD cluster and on the lower-right modifiers.

It does have a few design problems, though. One is that the function lock on the Esc key (tilde) and on the lower-right nav keys is not reversible while holding Fn. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about this. This is a particular problem when using vi or other cases where tilde is often used.

The other issue is a mechanical one. The PCB is mounted to the case at either end with screws, but there are no screws in the center. This causes the PCB to bow up slightly in the center, giving the keyboard a bouncy feel on the middle keys. Some folks have used a layer of thin foam between the PCB and the case to absorb this flex, but it doesn’t really address the root problem.

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Here is the infamous Vortex “Race” 75% back lit keyboard. I’ve been using a KBC Poker X (a 60% keyboard) for a while with my laptop, so it is nice to have a real Fn row and a nav cluster of sorts. One has MX reds and the other MX browns. One or both will be “ergo-clear” modded at some point (MX clear stem with a blue/brown/red spring).

Here is the back lighting in action. It lets you set the brightness and lighting mode. One lame thing is that it forgets all the settings whenever it is reset. Another disadvantage is that it uses non-standard key cap sizes and profiles. So even if you give up the back lighting, you can only get other cap sets from Vortex. Vortex is a poorly-run company and I recommend avoiding working directly with them. Getting these turned into a bit of a mess over on GeekHack. The best thing is to buy them from a retailer that has them physically in stock.