Review on 🎮 Glorious GMMK Compact Size Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - 61 Key - RGB LED Backlit, Brown Switches, Hot Swap Switches (Black) - GMMK-Compact-BRN by Marco Roberson

Get the full version for home office use during the COVID outbreak. Very happy with it. This is a great value for a hot-swappable keyboard, as you can easily spend twice as much. I was looking for clear or brown Cherry switches and was a little hesitant to go with Gateron brown switches, but since they can be replaced I figured they really aren't. Risk. As it turns out I like Gaterons, they have a faint audible click when lowered and decent tactile feel. I used to use a cheap board with Outemu blues which were very loud so this is a big improvement. Still not calm; I'll try the damper rings. I'm still planning on trying Cherry switches - that's the beauty of a hot-swappable board - but I don't see it as urgent. On my previous board, some switches also failed; The ability to swap out the switches is a great feature. The board doesn't come with spare switches, so I haven't changed anything yet. I pulled out a switch just to try it and it was easy. The backlight was important to me as I often work in the dark. The lighting on this board is a bit flashy and will likely appeal to gamers; suitable for my purposes, and some modes are a bit quieter. kb has shortcuts for changing modes with a function key, and the keys are conveniently labeled with different lighting functions. Speaking of function keys, it has eleven different functions: seven multimedia keys, display, browser, calculator and music player. I'm using Linux with XFCE and was worried they might not work for me, but all the media keys work, as does the calculator key. (Of course, the rest can be bound to functions using regular X utilities.) The keyboard has a reflective silver border. Some have complained about this, but I find it understated and stylish. The mounting plate is aluminum and has a nice feel that gives the board a solid weight and premium look. Thanks to the mounting on the plate, the board is very easy to clean. There is a removal key in the socket on the underside of the board: nice touch, won't get lost. It also includes a separate metal key switch puller. The USB cable is long and braided. The only downside to this board is the font used on the keycaps. It is a stencil font with bold square letters commonly found on game boards. It gives the KB a cheap and amateurish look IMO, which is probably why I won't be taking it to the office. Worse, they're difficult to read: sometimes I have to stop and look at the keys for a second or two before I can decipher the key I'm looking for. This keyboard also places "shifted" characters next to "unshifted" characters, which is harder to read and a bit confusing at times. The keycaps are well-lit and interchangeable. The downside to swapping is that special function keys are labeled on the standard covers and swapping would require memorization or the use of a cheap sheet. However, I plan to replace them as soon as possible. Ultimately, this kb is of great value and is maintained entirely by the user. I will consider buying another one as I have far too many computers with crappy keyboards here.