We at Chalgyr's Game Room are no stranger to mechanical keyboards. Many, if not most of the contributors here grew up with "clicky keyboards" complete with their curly cords and serial connections. Fortunately we are beyond that and living in the midst of a resurgent era of the mechanical keyboard. With this boom it is expected to see everything from the ultra-expensive "brand names" to budget-conscious keyboards. Enter TOMOKO's I-600 waterproof mechanical keyboard, coming in under $60 USD, the blue switch mechanical keyboard is one of the least expensive keyboards we have ever tested. The kicker? It is easily worth twice that.
The I-600 ticks most of the check boxes for any modern computer user, whether that is gamer, cubicle troll, or remote worker. Running the standard 104-keys, the i-600 is decidedly simple and what I find best? Minimalist. This is a no-frills keyboard. You buy it so you can type with it. It works. Exceptionally. The anti-ghosting features mean you can smash a pile of keys and there will be no conflict, all keys working simultaneously. This also means that falling asleep on your keyboard yields some interesting results (not to mention some killer imprints on your face because these keys really protrude from the keyboard).
Inside the box is the keyboard which is slightly smaller than your run-of-the-mill OEM keyboard from say, Dell, a key-puller and a small "user guide" that really is not necessary; if you are unable to determine how to plug in a USB keyboard, I think it is time to reassess what it is that you are doing with your life. With the low cost though, does come a few cutbacks. For one, there is no wrist support and some users may struggle with that concept. I myself do not mind, though I have an interesting hold on the keyboard as I type.
Rather than my left thumb be on the spacebar, I have it riding along the front edge of the keyboard (my right thumb is the one that does all the spacebar action while typing). This, I think, comes from a dozen years almost exclusively using an ergonomic keyboard and keeping the left thumb on the front "face" of the keyboard helps keep my wrists aligned. Not all users will feel that way, but for me it works just fine. The other cutback, which I do not think is really a "cutback" is that this keyboard is not backlit. I honestly cannot remember the last time that I used a non-backlit keyboard, and not for wanting. Backlighting has become commonplace but the old curmudgeon in me still likes the good ol' plain keyboard and I tend to associate crazy backlighting to the less serious side of juvenile gaming.
In all honesty I did not know what to expect with such an affordable keyboard; normally there is some sort of cutback that explains the cost savings and really, I cannot find anything egregious. The TOMOKO I-600 (which can be found here) is a rock solid mechanical keyboard good for anything from smiting your enemies in League of Legends to typing up emails. Comfortable, affordable, and mechanical, the TOMOKO I-600 water-resistant mechanical keyboard is one that should be sitting on every computer user's desk.
Hardware Information
PC
Publisher(s):
TOMOKO
Victsing
Type:
Keyboard
Source:
Provided by Publisher
Source:
Provided by Publisher
Article by Robert
