KeychronK8 Tenkeyless Wireless Mechanical Keyboard for Mac, White Backlight, Bluetooth, Multitasking, Type-C Wired Gaming Keyboard for Windows with Gateron G Pro Brown Switch

I regularly use a very basic Logitech K270 as my work keyboard with a Windows laptop. I found I preferred the taller keys, the key travel, and the overall precision of a deeper traditional keyboard. But on my 2015 iMac, I still used the stock, flat Apple keyboard. I have considered another Logitech for a while, but after trying their pitiful collection of Mac keyboards, I never found one I liked.Reading some recent reviews of mechanical keyboards, I became intrigued. The Keychron keyboards seemed to be recommended on just about every list I came across -- either as a good starter mechanical, or as an overall favorite. They may not be using the Cherry MX switches that more expensive keyboards use, but they are comparable. So I caught the K8 for Mac with Brown switches on sale and took a chance.I LOVE IT! It has the clack of my old IBM keyboard from "back in the day," while also being Bluetooth or wired, backlit, and a dream to type on. Also, because it has a metal frame and some weight to it, it stays put. I am by no means a touch typist, but I can get going pretty fast once I am rolling, and the Brown switches on this K8 have just the right sensitivity to give me much more precision than the flat Mac keyboard. It was quick to pair, easy to adjust the settings (lighting and timeout), and coming from everyday work on a PC, having the Home, End, and Del keys is a definite bonus.Is this for everyone? Maybe not. It is not as loud as some mechanical keyboards, but it does make a lot more noise than the Apple keyboard. It also sits a LOT higher than the very flat Apple keyboard and it's even a bit taller than my Logitech. Obviously, as a mechanical, it has a lot of key travel -- 2mm -- versus a typical Apple or laptop keyboard, so those used to those keyboards may have a bit of work getting used to typing. (The only laptop keyboard I have ever liked typing on is my old Surface Book, which has very solid keys and marvelous precision.)My one quibble is with the size of the lettering on the keys -- or more precisely, the punctuation keys. As I said, I am not a touch typist, so now and then I really do have to hunt and peck. Having half-sized punctuation laid out on a key side-by-side makes it hard for my aging eyes to see well. Still, I've cranked out quite a few pages before writing this review, and I am getting use to it. If you have been thinking of a mechanical keyboard, give the K8 a try.

I've been using the brown switch base version of the keychron k8 for a little over 2 weeks. I'm a software engineer and this is the keyboard I use for work (WFH). I was previously using a Durgod Taurus K320 TKL with cherry mx brown switches so this isn't my first mechanical keyboard.I REALLY LIKE THIS KEYBOARD. The switches are probably the best part. If you want a tactile switch but find the cherry mx browns too scratchy with too much resistance or hate that "spring" feel (I do), Gateron brown switches are for you. They just feel crisper and also easier to press.Having a backlit, wireless, bluetooth, TKL mechanical keyboard has got to be the dream. I've had almost zero issues with bluetooth. There was one time where the bluetooth disconnected for a moment but that hasn't repeated itself. I can wake my 2019 (work) and 2017 (personal) Macbook Pros with ease using the keyboard. It pairs very quickly. I haven't had to do any repairing yet (knock on wood). I'm obviously not doing anything sensitive like gaming but I haven't noticed any input delay doing normal office work.I use a wrist rest so the height of this keyboard is a non-issue for me. I'm able to switch to using function keys via Mac OS for all the keys except those controlling the keyboard backlight and the shortcuts for screen capture, siri(?) and the backlight on the far right. This is perfect for programming (in my experience).2 cons for this keyboard:- minor - it is slightly louder than my old keyboard and this loud seems to come from the case vs from the keys so I don't think o-rings are going to help. My family will just have to deal.- moderate - this keyboard has very good battery life (lasted a week of full time use) - BUT - when you need to charge you can't just use any old powered usb port. Like probably every macbook pro owner who uses their laptop professionally, I have a usb hub so I can do things like plug regular mice, hard drives etc into my computer. Plugging this keyboard into that hub resulted in a HORRIBLE sound and it was clear that the keyboard was drawing too much power. I ended up plugging the keyboard into the wall using an iPad charger. Which worked fine but meant I couldn't use my keyboard while it was charging and isn't really the behavior you would expect out of a peripheral like a keyboard.I would rate this 4.5/5 stars. My only real issue is with power draw while charging.