The Das Keyboard 5Q Cloud-Connected Mechanical Keyboard Review: How To Get Noticed
by E. Fylladitakis on February 26, 2019 10:00 AM ESTConclusion
It is obvious that Das Keyboard tried to make the 5Q be as unique as a mechanical keyboard can be nowadays. Aside from it being the first "cloud-connected" mechanical keyboard, the company is also using proprietary mechanical switches that are exclusively available to them. The company’s point was to create a product that has no direct competition and, in a way, they have succeeded.
Generally speaking, the Das Keyboard 5Q is a very well-designed, reliable mechanical keyboard. Its design is deceptively unassuming, masking the advanced electronics and proprietary mechanical switches hidden inside the simple but elegant chassis. In terms of quality, we cannot voice even a single complaint.
The Omron-made Gamma Zulu switches left us with mixed feelings. They are very responsive, quick switches, with strong and quick recovery. These characteristics, along with the shorter travel distance, make the Gamma Zulu an excellent gaming switch. For professional use, however, the Das Keyboard 5Q is a bit more tiring than a keyboard featuring standard switches, tactile or not. Furthermore, the feeling of the Omron-made switches is mushy and the tactile feedback is hardly even noticeable. We would not go as far to say that the feeling resembles membrane-based switches but it may alienate people who were already used to other mechanical switches.
Das Keyboard’s idea of a cloud-connected keyboard certainly is innovative and, for the time being, unique to their top-tier keyboards. Although there is a learning curve for a user to be ready and take full advantage of the keyboard’s capabilities, the possibilities are virtually endless, especially for users with some API programming skills. Casual users can easily take advantage of the pre-programmed applets, which may be but a fraction of the keyboard’s full capabilities, but can be useful nonetheless.
The only problem here is that visual feedback from the keyboard is not really practical. This is especially the case when it comes to important notifications, as any notification can be easily missed if the user is not looking at the keyboard. Which due to the very nature of touch typing is usually going to be the case, and even more so for a high-end product like a Das Keyboard that's aimed at experienced typists (to say nothing of their unlabeled Ultimate boards). So while novel in application, it's not clear that visual notifications on a keyboard are going to be all that useful; at least not for time-sensitive notifications.
The utility of keyboard notifications then is a bit of a compromise: cloud-based feedback can be helpful, but probably only non-sensitive notifications, such as for weather forecasts. Conversely, I can't help but feel that a more traditional high-end keyboard that includes key programming and remapping would probbaly be much more useful for most users; professionals and gamers alike.
In summary, the Das Keyboard 5Q is an excellent quality mechanical keyboard, sporting the unique capability of connecting to the internet and taking advantage of cloud-based services. With a feature set no other keyboard can match, the 5Q stands out as a premium product for users that really want something different and/or find its cloud-based capabilities interesting. However its unique and cutting-edge features come with a $220 price tag, which is high even for a high-end keyboard. Ultimately this makes the Das Keyboard 5Q a niche product: if you like the idea of a keyboard that can provide visual notifications, then the 5Q is going to meet your needs nicely. But for typical professionals and/or gamers who aren't interested in the 5Q's niche features, a more traditional but equally-excellent keyboard can be had for a lot less.
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boozed - Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - link
WHY?PeachNCream - Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - link
Product differentiation and the appearance of innovation are both necessary to land sales in a market that is saturated by cost-effective substitutes. Media keys, macro capabilities, per-key RGB lighting, mechanical switches...all of those things are already available everywhere. Even derelict bricks and mortar stores like Staples sell such keyboards. Das Keyboard MUST have a feature that isn't available elsewhere or at least is uncommon enough to make their product somewhat unique so the company can justify higher costs than some other company. They reached the conclusion that this "cloud connected" offering uses the right combination of uniqueness, buzzword injection, and low-cost capability to integrate it into the 5Q in order to proposition potential buyers that are in turn looking for a way to stand out from their friends. Das Keyboard is old. They know what they're doing and even if this thing flops, they have other offerings and a loyalist following of people that find branding important.FreckledTrout - Thursday, February 28, 2019 - link
For me they need to remove the cloud bits and make it tenkeyless but keeping the media / volume controls. I would buy one if they did that. This looks very high quality and the volume control is nice.sadsteve - Thursday, February 28, 2019 - link
Heh, after reading the comments the cloud connected keyboard sure sounds like a failure. I know I wouldn't buy it.abufrejoval - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
Dear God, a keyboard with an 80MHz CPU included?What has the world come to?
I am typing this on an IBM PS/2 keyboard manufactured on March 28th, 1990 which in all likehood was mated to an IBM PS/2 machine sporting a 33MHz 80386 at best, a 24/16-Bit 80286 more likely...
Whilst I'm at it, I still prefer the previous AT-style layout, because those function keys to the left you could actually reach blindly, whereas the top row requires taking your eyes off the screen every now and then. There was also a proper cursor pad uninfested by numbers and an escape key integrated within it, which you needed to navigate the intricate states software required before it got mice infested and all GUI.
It cost a thousand solid £, $, DM whatever(no € yet) at the time and it has remained worth it.
Of course I just picked it out of a pile of discarded computers (couldn't afford the original originally), to gether with a backup (still unused), so I won't ever have to switch to one of those plastic evils that have overwhelmed the world of keyboards since.
Of course it could have been left out there, because of the sound these things are making: To the person driving the keyboard, it's like the engine noise of a sports car you drive.
To any other person in the same office or room, it's like the engine noise of the sports car your neighbour drives.
Well now you know why I have a hard time posting a short comment: Typing is a true pleasure on this keyboard, like playing a Steinway piano.
Azethoth - Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - link
If it ever breaks you can get something with 18 G keys on the left and you can remap them to whatever you want, even F keys.Wahaj - Friday, March 1, 2019 - link
Nice article<a href ="https://mod-apps.ga ">here my website link</a>Dr_b_ - Sunday, March 3, 2019 - link
Did the kickstarter for this, the software is terrible, the keyboard took too long to develop, especially for a dedicated keyboard company.The RGB illumination is decent, but the software is still too basic.
The tilt supports on the back of the keyboard are too cheap and flimsy, one has already broken, and now i cant tilt the keyboard.
Avoid this thing
azrael- - Monday, March 4, 2019 - link
From https://www.daskeyboard.com/p/5q-cloud-connected-r...Double shot keycaps US, and ABS lasered ROW
To the uninitiated that means that the US gets (quite durable) double shot keycaps while the rest of the world needs to make due with simple laser-engraved keycaps (thanks a lot for that). I would imagine it's ABS in both cases. However, this is in contradiction with the review claiming the US version comes with laser-engraved keys.
Pull the "cloud" crap out of the board and it might actually be decent ...especially for US customers.
uberDoward - Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - link
Can I just please get a backlit, mechanically switched, ergonomic keyboard, please?