Capsule Review: Rosewill's RK-9000 Mechanical Keyboard
by Dustin Sklavos on January 26, 2012 12:40 AM EST- Posted in
- Keyboard
- Peripherals
- Rosewill
- Cherry MX
- Input Devices
Conclusion: Worth the Upgrade
I know there are a lot of users out there that honestly just don't care that much about how their computing experience goes. My dad couldn't care less, as long as the mouse is reasonably responsive and he gets a recognizable picture on the screen. He's not a heavy duty typist, so as long as he can press a key and have that letter appear, he doesn't care. A keyboard like the Rosewill RK-9000 is most definitely not for someone like him.
Chances are, though, if you're reading AnandTech you're not like him, in which case this review is most definitely for you. Many users cheap out on the basic peripherals: the screen, the keyboard, the mouse. They shoot for adequate. Yet while there's been a decent market for good screens and especially good mice, supposedly high-end keyboards (typically gaming keyboards) still often leave a lot to be desired. When you're using your computer, there should be as little abstracting your experience with it as possible. If you notice the peripherals you're using, it should only ever be in a positive way. Of course, there is the concern of others noticing your typing if you're in a cubicle with neighbors that don't like all the clicking, but at least your boss will be able to hear you hard at work.
While the month of use I've put the Rosewill RK-9000 has revealed to me that the white printing on the keyboards isn't quite as durable as I would like, and the generic appearance does leave something to be desired, as a pure typing apparatus the RK-9000 and its Cherry MX Blue switches is easily the best keyboard I've used in a long time. $99 is a lot to ask for the kind of commodity peripheral you can get for $10, but the RK-9000 makes a very convincing case for the expense.
Other keyboards with Cherry MX Blue switches exist, but most are priced similarly to the Rosewill or higher, and without trying all of them we can't easily say which is best. Regardless of that fact, while I'm concerned about the print wearing out and I can't (yet) compare the experience to other high-end mechanical switch keyboards, I can say that overall the typing experience was great. For writers or others who primarily type (e.g. not gamers), the Rosewill RK-9000 seems to be worth the price.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
112 Comments
View All Comments
JNo - Friday, January 27, 2012 - link
Just looked it up. Gosh darnit they make them with bluetooth so you can press an 'iphone' key and use it to instantly switch to typing out a text message on your phone. That is too cool (works with android etc as well). But no UK layout for me :(I really want to get a tactile keyboard - probably cherry brown from what I've read. I just want one with a UK layout and a few basic media buttons - y'know like play, pause, ffwd, rwd, volume up and down, mute. Mebbe sleep key. Mebbe a couple of USB ports to recharge/sync my phone/mp3 player. Is that so much to ask?!?!
I know purists like them plain but I use those things. The new Corsair one has a gorgeous machined metal volume roller but not much more.
superccs - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
Aren't there red, blue, grey, and black versions of the actuators? They are all different, and would be justly suited to people looking for a different feel from their mechanical keyboard.Mr Perfect - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
There are quite a few. Blue, Red, Brown and Black are most common, but you can sometimes find Clears. Greens and Greys are found in spacebars, which get their own heavier switch type.More then anyone should even know about Cherry switches can be found at Geekhack. http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Cherry+Corp...
superccs - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
Wow, unreal... That's waaay too much info lol. Though there was not a section of sound clips letting you hear what each keyboard sounds like when you throw it out of your window in to traffic.DanNeely - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
It might not have as much trivia; but overclock3d has a much better guide about what type of switch will work better for what type of person.http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keybo...
Sunsmasher - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
Very much a personal preference.I like membrane keys. They're quiet and easy to press.
Noisy, clicky keys do nothing for me at all.
To each his own....
Leyawiin - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
Had no idea there even were mechanical vs. membrane keyboards. I've been using Keytronice "Lifetime" series keyboards since I read a recommendation for one back in the 90s. They never fail, have good feel and are no frills (which I like). My only gripe is the black keyboard's letters fade (old beige one never did). Still, I have no idea what kind of keyboard it is, just that it works really well.bobbozzo - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
Keytronics made both mechanical and membrane keyboards, but my guess would be that the Lifetime is mechanical.Metaluna - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
I have no idea if the Keytronic is membrane or not, but it could just be a really good quality membrane. Usually membrane goes hand-in-hand with cheap, so you have a lot of awful membrane boards out there."Mechanical" is kind of a misnomer. It's really membrane vs. everything else. Basically any switch that doesn't suck, while not obviously being a membrane, is grouped in the mechanical category. Topre capacitive switches, for example, aren't very "mechanical" at all, and have rubber domes that superficially resemble a membrane board, but the switch works on a completely different principle and does not rely on physical contact between two conductors to actuate. Cherrys, on the other hand, literally have two metal contacts that snap together when the switch is actuated, so are very close to how you would normally envision a simple electrical switch to work.
The common theme of "mechanical" switches is that the actuation point occurs before the switch bottoms out. There is also usually some tactile feedback at, or very close to, the actuation point. For most people this gives a more pleasant typing/gaming experience and generally allows you to type faster with less fatigue.
fffblackmage - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - link
I picked up my first mechanical keyboard, an RK-9000, just about a couple months ago. I was originally going to get the one with the Red MX Cherry switches, but though I'd better go with the Blue switches, since I do more typing than gaming. $100 was a lot of money for "just" a keyboard, but I definitely love typing on my RK-9000. There's just something really nice about the tactile feel, and maybe even the clicky sound.I happen to like the basic appearance of the keyboard, especially the matte quality versus the glossiness of my old keyboard. The red backplate is also a nice aesthetic touch.
My only complaint is the printing on the keycaps. They are fading, and my keyboard is still practically new. It's a relatively minor aesthetic issue, but considering the keyboard was $100, I suppose I was expecting better.