- #SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM INSTALL#
- #SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM SOFTWARE#
- #SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM PC#
- #SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM MAC#
- #SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM WINDOWS#
#SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM SOFTWARE#
Changing its purpose is as simple as working out the relevant keyboard shortcut in your software of choice and assigning it to the dial. I wanted to see if it could be turned into a tool for scrubbing through music and videos, and you know what? It totally can. I just wish it didn’t have a weird square cutout around it, which is presumably so it can use the same keyboard case as the non-dial version of the keyboard. It’s a relatively stiff mechanism that means you need to be firm with it, but it’s easy enough to rotate with a single finger. The dial has three functions - scroll left, scroll right, and press - which by default handle volume and muting. It’s also VIA that lets you remap what the Q2’s optional rotary dial does. It’s relatively easy to completely remap the keyboard But everybody’s different, and keys that might be optional for me might be essential for you. Macs can also use Cmd + Left and Cmd + Right as simple Home / End commands, so there’s less need for dedicated keys.
#SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM PC#
For starters, the default keyboard shortcut for closing a program on PC is Alt + F4, relying on a physical key that’s not present on 65-percent boards (on the Q2 you access it with Fn2 + 4).
#SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM MAC#
Obviously, you should follow your personal preferences, but I’ve generally found that a 65-percent layout is usable on a Mac but occasionally tricky on PC. Its proponents love how compact it makes the keyboard, but for others the lack of a dedicated function row, and the more limited number of keys around the arrow key cluster, are deal-breakers. In my experience, the compact layout is a real love-it-or-hate-it design. Whether or not the Q2 is the right keyboard for you will, I think, come down to whether you can live with its 65-percent layout.
#SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM WINDOWS#
Mac and Windows keycaps are supplied in the box (That should provide better compatibility with third-party keycap sets, particularly those from GMK.) It also has per-key RGB backlighting, and the switches are south-facing, if you’re the kind of person who cares about that sort of thing. As standard, you get a choice of Gateron G Pro linear red, clicky blue, or tactile brown switches.
#SILICONE KEYBOARD COVER MACBOOK PRO CUSTOM INSTALL#
The Q2 is hot-swappable, so you can install or replace its switches without any soldering. You get a detachable USB-C cable in the box that’s braided, but not coiled, and it’s fine. If you want it with a UK or European layout there’s no fully assembled option and you can only buy it as a bare-bones keyboard, which sucks for me personally. Keychron characterizes these as early prices for initial customers and says it expects to see prices increase in mid-2022. Getting the keyboard fully assembled with a rotary knob will set you back $179 (this is the version I’ve been using, in its stock configuration, with Gateron G Pro Brown switches). Adding the rotary knob costs an extra $10 ($159), and adding switches and keycaps costs an extra $20 ($169). It currently starts at $149 for a bare-bones version without switches, keycaps, or a rotary knob. Like the Q1, the Q2 is an expensive wired keyboard. So think of this review as being part Q2 review and part Q1 rotary knob review. This dial is also available as an option for the original Q1, but it came out after the original keyboard launched and after our review was published. My Q2 review sample also has a rotary knob on the top right of the keyboard, which by default controls your computer’s volume. It means that choosing between the Q1 and Q2 comes down to whether you prioritize a compact layout or having more keys at your disposal. That makes it more compact (obviously), but if you want to access the function keys, you’ll have to use the Fn2 modifier.
The big change with the Q2 is that it has a 65-percent layout, meaning it’s missing the function row that the Q1 had. Now it’s taking a second swing at the premium market with the Q2, an even more compact keyboard that inherits much of what made the Q1 great. It was compact, it was hot-swappable, it was easy to customize, and it felt amazing to type on. Last year, Keychron entered the world of high-end mechanical keyboards with the excellent Q1.