Das Keyboard 4Q review: The smartest keyboard you can buy today

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Cardinal

If there's one facet of computing that hasn't changed in the last l years, it's the keyboard. Most keyboards you run into in the marketplace today are nearly identical to their counterparts from half a decade agone. Sure, there'south much more customizability these days: you go to choose from several sizes, switches, materials, and RGB lighting, but the functionality has largely unchanged.

Das Keyboard wants to change that. The brand's 4Q mechanical keyboard is a smart keyboard, and it connects to a cloud server to deliver notification alerts from the likes of Gmail, GitHub, Trello, and much more than.

So why should you buy a keyboard that connects to the cyberspace? Let's observe out.

Smart where it counts

Das Keyboard 4Q

$199

Bottom line: The Das Keyboard 4Q is a fantastic mechanical keyboard, combining a durable design with Cherry MX keys and cloud-based features.

Pros

• Sturdy aluminum design
• Cherry MX Bluish/Brown keys
• Customizable RGB lighting
• Useful notification alerts
• Dedicated media keys/book knob

Cons

• Software issues
• No palm residuum

What you'll love about the Das Keyboard 4Q

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

Before nosotros get to the smart features, permit'south take a look at the keyboard itself. The Das Keyboard 4Q is available in several configurations, and you can become it with either Cherry MX Blue or MX Brown switches. Y'all can also go a variant with per-key RGB lighting, or if you prefer a cleaner expect, at that place's a model without any inscribed keys.

I got the model with RGB lighting and MX Brown keys, and this particular option is the costliest at $199. If you don't care for RGB lighting, y'all can salve $44 by springing for the normal variant.

The sturdy design combined with Cherry MX keys and RGB lighting makes the 4Q a fantastic mechanical keyboard.

The Das Keyboard 4Q is 1 of the all-time mainstream mechanical keyboards y'all'll detect today. The company congenital its entire name on offering loftier-quality keyboards, and the 4Q continues that heritage with a sturdy anodized aluminum meridian plate. The MX Brown keys are wonderfully tactile, and they course the ideal centre ground in Cherry's portfolio.

They have the same great tactile feel as the clicky MX Blue switches, only the actuation point is lower (45g vs 50g). The fact that they're relatively serenity while withal offer a similar amount of tactile feedback every bit the MX Blue switch makes them ideal for typing. I switched from an MX Bluish over to MX Brown switches two years ago, and oasis't looked back. The lower actuation point makes it easier for both typing and gaming, and if yous're getting a mechanical keyboard for the starting time fourth dimension, I suggest going with the MX Brown.

As is the case with all premium keyboards, the 4Q has total n-key rollover (NKRO) over USB. You also get defended media controls for play/intermission and forward, and ane of the best features on the keyboard is the oversized volume knob. There'due south too a button to put the keyboard in low-ability mode, and a dedicated Q button that brings upwards the keyboard software. Oh, and y'all likewise go two USB two.0 ports at the rear.

The 4Q comes with per-key RGB lighting, and the LEDs aren't as bright as what you'll find on a few gaming-focused keyboards. You can even set the intensity of the RGB lighting with a dedicated push that sits adjacent to the media controls. There are ix levels of illumination, and if you decide that y'all don't desire RGB lighting, you can switch it off entirely. You tin can too prepare custom RGB profiles past heading into Das Keyboard's 4Q software.

There are 4 rubber pads at the bottom that prevent the keyboard from moving about, but y'all won't find whatever extendable feet here. Instead, Das Keyboard includes a red ruler in the box that attaches to the back of the keyboard magnetically, providing a 4-degree incline should you need it. That said, the bending of incline isn't as pronounced equally you may have seen on other keyboards, and even with the bar attached, the 4Q sits well-nigh flat on the table.

That may be a skillful affair in the long run, every bit using a keyboard with the feet closed is improve for ergonomics. It took me a few days to retrain myself to the keyboard'south position, but in the 2 weeks I used the 4Q I haven't faced whatever issues.

The usefulness of the 4Q's smart features will vary for everyone, merely there's a lot to choose from hither.

Now onto the 4Q'due south raison d'être: its smart features. You'll set and configure these features via the Das Keyboard Q software. The keyboard software comes with a few applets that you tin choose from, including system usage alerts, Gmail and GitHub alerts, weather forecast, and much more. There's every a hydration reminder that will remind you to drink water every hour.

Merely the best function about the cloud-continued features is that you lot can link the keyboard to IFTTT, unlocking a host of new use cases. Y'all can trigger alerts for merely about everything — YouTube video notifications, a new stream on Twitch, news alerts, and then much more than. Yous can set up IFTTT so that it triggers an alert on your keyboard when your phone's battery is low.

Information technology's great that Das Keyboard is taking a new route with these cloud-based features. Of course, the usefulness of these features will vary for every individual, and while I fix a few custom IFTTT triggers, the features I ended up using the well-nigh were system usage alerts. I assigned a CPU usage applet on the number keys, so if my computer'southward CPU usage was at 50% keys ane through 5 would light upwardly. Information technology was great to see existent-time CPU usage directly on the keyboard.

What you lot'll dislike about the Das Keyboard 4Q

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central

From a design point of view, the master issue with the Das Keyboard 4Q is that information technology doesn't come up with a wrist residuum. Das Keyboard's other cloud-connected keyboards — the 5Q and X50Q — both come with wrist rests out of the box, so its omission is particularly bothersome hither.

While the smart features are heady, Das Keyboard'southward Q software is buggy.

And while there is a lot of potential for Das Keyboard's deject-based features, right now there'south a lot of bugs to deal with. The 4Q paired seamlessly with Das Keyboard'south Q software later installing it for the first time, but information technology failed to recognize the 4Q after every restart.

In that location were a few instances where the applets likewise crashed, with the keyboard defaulting to factory settings. I had to reinstall the software for my keyboard to show upwardly in the software over again. Das Keyboard needs to address these shortcomings on the software front, and do so apace.

Should you buy the Das Keyboard 4Q?

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Fundamental

The Das Keyboard 4Q is 1 of the all-time keyboards I've used to date. Even if yous don't care much for the smart features, there'due south plenty to like here. The build quality is meridian-notch, you get Cherry MX Chocolate-brown keys, and the RGB lighting is not as gaudy equally some gaming options.

The smart features and RGB lighting add just over $40 to the cost of the 4Q. Whether that's worth the actress is a decision you'll have to take for yourself, just in my apply case I concluded upward liking the visual notification alerts. The Gmail notifications weren't every bit useful for me — my phone ever chimed before the alert showed upward on my keyboard anyway — merely the system usage alerts were worth the added cost.

Overall, the Das Keyboard 4Q gets a lot right. It is i of the best mainstream mechanical keyboards you can buy today, and the smart features give it an added reward.

If you decide that you don't want the smart features, yous tin get the regular Das Keyboard 4 for $145. It has the same design and Crimson MX Brownish keys, but yous miss out on the Q cloud-based features and RGB lighting.

Smart where it counts

Das Keyboard 4Q

Now get email alerts on your keyboard.

Beginning and foremost, the Das Keyboard 4Q is a fantastic mechanical keyboard. Yous go a sturdy frame with Cherry-red MX Brown keys and RGB lighting, besides as defended media controls. You also get usable cloud-based alerts, and the fact that you tin link it to IFTTT makes it that much more than enticing.

Portable (and affordable) ability accessories nosotros honey

Each and every ane of these charging gadgets will keep your favorite gear and gadgets going for longer, and none of them costs more than $thirty.

VisionTek 8,000 mAh micro-USB power banking company ($13 at Dell)

This compact dual-output powerbank can speedily recharge whatsoever and all your devices, cheers to a ii-amp "fast charge feature," using its micro-USB out port. Its elementary design includes an LED indicator, and information technology costs nigh every bit much as a unmarried ticket to the movies.

Panasonic eneloop AA batteries (From $13 at Dell)

Panasonic's rechargeable batteries are among the best available, and only a couple of them volition keep your favorite remote, mice or other peripherals powered up when yous need them. They're also eco. And the visitor'south affordable charger fits and charges both AA and AAA batteries at the same time.

Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad ($30 at Dell)

This unobtrusive Qi wireless charging pad looks practiced (and kind of like a UFO …) and hands charges all your Qi-compatible device up to 5W. Its LED indicator lights upwardly when you're charging. And it costs merely $30.

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UH OH

An internet connection will soon exist required when setting upwardly Windows 11 Pro

Microsoft has appear that later on this year, users volition be required to connect to the cyberspace and sign-in with a Microsoft Account during the out of box setup experience on Windows eleven Pro. Microsoft has already been enforcing this requirement on Windows xi Home since launch last October, and Windows 11 Pro is now expected to follow suit before long.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/das-keyboard-4q-review

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