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                  REVIEW: VORTEX POK3R KEYBOARD

                          Nicolas Herry
                 _______________________________


                           2017/03/28





1 Review: Vortex Pok3r keyboard
===============================

 <gopher://gopher.beastieboy.net/g/images/pok3r.jpg>

 Since I spend my time typing on keyboards, I like having
 something decent under my fingers. Sadly, most keyboards that
 ship with computers feel more like a designer's wet dream and a
 programmer's nightmare than anything else. You get extra-long
 keyboards, a collection of media keys and unresponsive
 feel... Luckily, some time in the mid-90s, some manufacturers
 noticed the problem and started offering better products. There's
 now a whole market for these keyboards, and thanks in part to a
 side-effect of the pro gaming movement, we now have plenty of
 high-end, robust mechanical keyboards to put on our desks. Here's
 a quick review of the Vortex Pok3r I bought a few months ago.


1.1 The good
~~~~~~~~~~~~

 The maker of the Vortex Pok3r, KBT, isn't new to this business:
 their former model, the KBC Poker II, was very well received
 across the world. The Pok3r thus had some high expectations to
 answer for when it came out in 2014, and looking at the specs,
 the least we can say is that KBT tried their best:

 - Aluminium case
 - PBT keycaps
 - Three programmable layers
 - A large selection of 2*6 [Cherry MX switches] to choose from
 - [N-Key Roll-Over]
 - Optional backlighting (RGB backlight)
 - Optional ANSI or ISO layout
 - Available in two colours: black or white

 Opting for an aluminium case is perhaps the most brilliant idea
 here: this garantees no bending and no bouncing while you type,
 and a very stable, hefty keyboard on the desk. The PBT keys are
 also a very good choice, as they don't develop the ugly shine the
 ABS keys do, and the keyboard is likely to age better as a
 result.

 KBT offers you to choose between six regular switches (Red, Blue,
 Brown, Clear, Green and Black) and six RGB switches for the
 backlit version (Red, Blue, Brown, Black, Silver and
 White). Hating backlit keyboards vigorously and loving tactile
 switches, I opted for MX Clear switches. The combination of a
 sturdy case, nice PBT keys and tactile switches really help in
 making the typing very comfortable. I also added a set of O-rings
 to help damper the sound a little (as I often work in open floors
 and my heavy typing has a tendency to garner disapproving looks
 from any person in a 100-meter radius).

 [Programming the keyboard is not as intuitive as it could be],
 but it doesn't really matter, as you typically only do it once. I
 really appreciate that I can carry around a keyboard with the
 exact layout I'm used to, without having to fiddle with the
 Windows Registry, XModmap or the OSX equivalent every time I hook
 it up to a new computer. It's my own, personal interface to
 computers that I can always rely on.


[Cherry MX switches] <https://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX>

[N-Key Roll-Over]
<https://deskthority.net/wiki/Rollover,_blocking_and_ghosting>

[Programming the keyboard is not as intuitive as it could be]
<https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/35uy60/guide_howto_program_your_pok3r_programming_layers/>


1.2 The bad
~~~~~~~~~~~

 Building a high-quality keyboard costs a lot of money, and you
 can easily tell when you open the box: no money was left to spend
 on anything else... When the Poker II came with a leaflet, a
 branded keycaps puller and RGB modifiers, all you get with the
 Pok3r is the keyboard itself. It's a bit ironic that a rather
 costly keyboard appears to be so cheap.

 Another thing I didn't like is the layer indicator. KBT had the
 idea that you wanted to know, at any time, what layer you were
 using, so they included a set of LEDs underneath the space bar to
 shine their little blue or purple light *all the bloody time*. I
 know nowadays a lot of people like to have an electronic rainbow
 inside their keyboard, but I don't, and I feel a bit ridiculous
 with my tiny, neon-lit nightclub for fingers.

 One last thing I regret a bit with the Pok3r is the lack of USB
 hub. I really appreciated being able to plug a mouse directly in
 my [Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2]. Laptops have a tendency to go
 frugal with the connectors they offer, and the more that remain
 available to plugging external drives, the better.


[Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite 2]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard>


1.3 An excellent purchase
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 All in all, the Vortex Pok3r is an excellent 60% mechanical
 keyboard, well worth its price (around $130). I expect it to last
 me at least a few years (my good old HHKB Lite 2, bought in 2001,
 is still in good condition after over fifteen years of heavy use,
 so I expect at least the same durability with the Pok3r). Just
 keep in mind you should add an extra $20 for a key puller and
 O-rings, and possibly some more if you want alternate keycaps.

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