So, i decided to join the mechanical keyboard bandwagon.
In August 2016, my Sony Vaio Pro (that i love for its design and portability) stopped working for yet unknown reason, which forced me to use my old Sony Vaio SB and rearrange my workspace layout. The Vaio SB performance is okay, but the display is not.
My Vaio Pro has full HD (1920*1080) resolution that i scaled back to 100% in Windows 10, while the Vaio SB only had WXGA (1366*768) resolution which is too cramped for me.
On my old layout, i used my Vaio Pro as the primary display and input with a Dell monitor (also with full HD resolution) on the right side of the laptop. As i already mentioned above, the display resolution on the Vaio SB is too small, so i decided to use the Dell monitor as my primary display and move the Vaio SB to the left side of the monitor. Because of this, obviously i need a keyboard in front of the Dell so i can type comfortably.
From August to early December i used an old keyboard which originally intended for Windows 98. My father has a cheap wireless Logitech keyboard, but i feel that the keyboard is too mushy and uncomfortable. I also started to see more and more news and pictures from Instagram (here, here, and here) about this thing called mechanical keyboard.
After reading many articles about mechanical keyboards, i was tempted to acquire a mechanical keyboard. What held me back is the price, which is (relatively) expensive especially when you live in a country with weak currency against the dollar. I found one store located in central java that sells mechanical keyboards with acceptable price, but the website didn't explained about the payment option. Somehow, i decided to search for mechanical keyboard in Lazada Indonesia and stumbled upon this keyboard.
It was made from a Chinese manufacturer called Aula (as you can see in the keyboard) and the model name is F2012. It uses "Aula Blue Mechanical Switch" with "ABS material precision manufacturing key cap", whatever that means. Based on my reading about mechanical keyboard, i think that the blue switch will suit me most, and this keyboard has a blue mechanical switch. A quick Googling about this keyboard reveals that the manufacturer of the switches are still debatable, but it's certainly not made by Cherry.
The main reason i decided to buy this keyboard is the price; it's only Rp 315.900 (or $23.50). secondly, the seller accept cash-on-delivery payment method. The keyboard is sent internationally from China.
I choose the white model because it hides the Aula logo better, and placed my order on December 8, with estimation that the keyboard will arrive around December 19 to December 24.
The keyboard arrive on December 17.
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| Front side of the box |
Strangely, the box says SI2012 instead of F2012.
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| The back side |
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| Specifications of the keyboard |
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| And the keyboard itself |
The top plate of the keyboard seems like was made from metal, however after a quick touch reveals that it was made from plastic (to save cost i presume).
It also has chamfered edges, which reminds me of Apple's iPhone 5 and 5s.
For a first time mechanical keyboard user, this thing is a joy to use. It's (obviously) way more comfortable compared to other membrane-based keyboard. True to the nature of blue switches, this keyboard feels tactile and sounds clicky. It's also a tenkeyless model, which removes the number pad that i don't use and takes valuable space on the desk.
As you can see from pictures above, there's a faint blue color under the keycaps.
Although the keyboard switches was not made by Cherry, the blue switches used in this keyboard is still very loud. I have to use my old keyboard at night so that my sister whose bedroom is next to mine can sleep without being annoyed with the sound.
They also gives a tool to help remove the key caps, which is nice.
Because of the design of the keyboard there's no place to display numlock indicator, so whoever designed this keyboard decided to place the indicator on top right of the Aula logo.
A blue LED lights up when the caps lock is active.
This keyboard also features windows key lock, which disables the windows key. Apparently this is a feature to please gamers community. Just press fn + F8 button...
...and a red LED lights up, indicating that the windows button is disabled.
When the caps lock and the windows lock key are activated, the result is this red and blue light combination.
One thing i don't like about the keyboard is the design of the USB plug, which is rather tacky. Why don't they just design the plug plain and simple.
Overall i am pretty pleased with this keyboard. It's cheap, looks good, feels good to type on, and make a pleasant clickety clack noise when in use. Hopefully this keyboard will last for a reasonable amount of time.
