Less than two months after the launch of the KM17, KM18 came out, which is not a substitute for the former, but an experimental product. The reason is that although the layout of this new product is the same as the 87 keyboard, the arrangement is very special, and the upper right corner is actually a separate number area. In the popular words of the moment, it is the unimagined path.
Exterior details
Km18 three-mode wireless mechanical keyboard 359.3 * 149.1 * 35.1mm body, 4 to 5 cm shorter than the regular 98 configuration, as long as the 87 keyboard. The keyboard features a suspended shaft design, hull construction, a wide forehead, and a pink metal positioning plate that matches the theme color. The keyboard corners are relatively rounded, and the colorful DELUXE logo and four indicator lights are placed in the upper left corner and the upper right corner, respectively. This keyboard supports three modes, the function key distribution is relatively simple, and there are intuitive multimedia key combinations and device switching annotations.
One of the most striking things about km18 is that this keyboard is 89 keys, which is just two more keys than the traditional 87 keyboard. The key position arrangement of the number area is relatively compact, unlike the F-area and the letter area. This independent number area cannot be added to the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division key due to spatial layout, so the strategic significance is probably to facilitate the user to enter the number password. Colorful also do not forget to give NumLock, just FN + BackSpace can lock the digital area.
KM18 supports Type-C key-wire separation, magnetic USB receiver slot at the bottom, and double feet. The Win/Mac switching function is placed on the switch as a separate key, which may be more convenient if you can switch in the form of a key combination.
Keycap shaft body
Judging from the color matching of the first red and pink lady, KM18 returned to the small fresh pink and white color patch field, looking more coordinated. Other color schemes will be added to take care of users who uphold a straight male aesthetic. The KM18 comes standard with a stepless height PBT two-color ball cap (because of the XDA flat chest height, the height of the keycap in the right number area is the same as that of the primary keypad, not one high and one low), and it is also pudding layered. Smooth side, very delicate and supple to the touch. The fly in the ointment is that there are also obvious burrs left on the cap, which affects the look and feel.
The shaft body is still Jia da long's G Yellow Pro, G Yellow Pro comes with its own lubrication, another point worthy of praise is that the shaft core stability is very good, so that the KM18 key shake amplitude is at a low level. The KM18 large key satellite shaft in the hand is not lubricated at the factory, so the feel is not crisp enough, there is also a noise (it is confirmed that the large-scale version will add grease to the factory), and thanks to hot plug, the satellite shaft can be easily removed, and adding lubrication by itself will have a big improvement. Or directly replace a set of satellite axes.
KM18 also supports hot swap, anti-paste LED lights, compatible with three-foot and five-foot shaft bodies. There is also a silencer cotton between the positioning plate and the PCB, and thanks to this silencer cotton, the cavity sound is much smaller.
Wireless experience
KM18's Bluetooth solution includes versions 3.0 and 5.0, supporting up to 3 Bluetooth devices and 1 2.4G device. Switching between wireless and wired mode requires the light on the bottom of the keyboard to be turned on. Bluetooth's somatosensory delay is less than 100ms, the connection stability is temporarily out of condition throughout the working day, and the office is completely OK.
Km18 has a built-in 2000mAh lithium battery, which can be used for about 25 days when the lights are turned off and about 3 days when the lights are turned on.
Drive the app
FN+ right menu keys can toggle the lighting effect, if you do not need to use the macro key can not download. The macro editor interface and usage are much the same as other software and are not described here.
Lighting effects
KM18 only supports mixed color light effects, can adjust the brightness, and can support the replacement of light effects (but can not adjust the light color).
KM18 already has all the ingredients of a three-mode hot-swappable mechanical keyboard, and the experience has reached the mainstream level. Admittedly, KM18's groundbreaking matching is very novel and has a certain degree of practicality, for those who attach great importance to independent digital areas and have requirements for desktop space, perhaps KM18 will be the only solution for the time being.