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.
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nexox - Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - link
I can't stand all those extra gimmicks on modern keyboards, and I suspect many others in the mechanical keyboard market have similar opinions of the various media keys and other 'value add' litter.I, for one, am glad to see a rise in mechanical switch keyboards - I've been using Dell w/ Black Alps keyboards for a decade, and I acquired enough of them (back when they weren't $50 on ebay - I paid an average of about $2 each, some cleaning required) to last me another decade.
But it's nice to know that if my stash ever runs out I'll probably be able to find some new ones. Not sure that I'd pay $100 for a Rosewill, given that the Das Keyboard is only slightly more expensive... and it comes blacked out.
Also, to those who love the Model M and it's lack of a Windows key - there's really no better key for global shortcuts in Linux, since nothing else uses that key, you are pretty sure of not running into conflicts. And shortcut keys are pretty much the best way to interact with a computer.
kbfreak - Saturday, March 24, 2012 - link
I have a black ducky DK1008 and this one looks very similar. Both have the slim edge design and similar key layout. The only thing I can see that's different is the lack of the 4 custom/shortcut keys just above the number pad.