Das Keyboard 4 Professional Review

Even if it seems that a keyboard doesn’t play such crucial part as PC case stuff that’s a huge mistake. What is your top-notch graphics card, motherboard or a new CPU cooler worth without a hefty keyboard? Definitely, these are important PC units but will you experience their great performance without a keyboard? We have some doubts.

A keyboard gives you an access to all options a PC can provide you with. And if this keyboard is a professional one then you are definitely lucky to get the cream of the crop. Das Keyboard 4 Professional seems to be one of those high-grade products. At least its name sounds like that. But whether it’s true or not – we have to check. So, let’s see what so special Das Keyboard 4 Professional has to offer you.

First Impression

When you look at this keyboard you have a feeling that it’s the thinnest keyboard you have ever seen before. And you know what? That feeling is absolutely true! Das Keyboard 4 Professional is really the slimmest representative of a keyboard family.

Firstly, there’s no more plastic cover as this keyboard has luxurious aluminium plate what makes it look stylish and elegant. And note that such modern look is well-combined with readable key cap font, which was specially designed to provide you with easy reading and unobtrusive view of the keyboard.

Secondly, this German-engineered brand can’t but make you trust it as it has already gained a reputation of high-quality manufacturer. Add to this a range of updated options and you get something really worth trying it.

Technical side

Das Keyboard 4 Professional has mechanical Cherry MX Blue key switches with laser etched key inscriptions on ABS plastic. These gold-plated switches create the distinct click of each keystroke and have much better tactile and audible feedback than other models. Note that these switches can last up to 50 million keystrokes. The plastic itself is dyed in black, so there is less risk of yellowing effect which usually occurs after the UV rays affect.

By the way, such feedback helps to increase typing speed as there’s no need to push the keys to the very down. As to the gold-plated switches, they are responsible for best contact and typing experience. The point is that gold does not rust, so it is perfect to create durable switches.

Under each larger key there is installed Costar stabilizer. However, we could feel some squeaks when pressing a Shift key fast. Such squeaks indicate that a stabilizer bar wasn’t lubricated properly. Still, we cannot say for sure whether we’ve got such one, or it is a typical feature for all Das Keyboard 4 Professional models, and we won’t.

As we have mentioned above there is an improved panel made of anodized aluminum what makes this keyboard a durable one. Das Keyboard 4 Professional has also got a magnetic footbar which inclines it to make a 4-degree angle. What is this it for? The point is that such angle doubles as a ruler which can be used instead of common flip-out fee.

Its super-speed USB 30 hub has a two-port 5Gb/s hub which is suitable for fast high-resolution picture and video file transfers between USB devices. And if you need nice speed for gaming then we have great news for you! Das Keyboard 4 Professional is equipped with N-key rollover (NKRO) over USB. It means that you won’t need a PS2 adapter like with older keyboard versions. NKRO is a useful option not only for gaming but also programming or anything else that requires fast speed. All you need to turn NKRO on is to press shift + mute. Keep in mind that full N-key rollover works only with Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

What we really like about this keyboard is how functional it is. Das Keyboard 4 Professional knows how to make your life easier, simpler and less stressful. For example, there is an over-sized volume knob as well as dedicated media controls thanks to which you can adjust volume during Skype calls, while listening to music (online streaming as well) and using Google hangout. Besides, there is an instant sleep button which switches computer into a sleep mode. Thus, you can save energy just with a slight move of your finger.

The second thing which makes this keyboard so much attractive is its flexible character. If you need only 3ft of cable it’s OK, as all keyboards can offer this. But what if there’s much longer distance to cover between a keyboard and your PC? Das Keyboard 4 Professional won’t consider it as a stumbling block. This keyboard has extra long 6.5 ft cable with single USB type-A connector, so you can extend it anywhere you need it for.

Das Keyboard 4 Professional is a flexible product. It can adjust to different conditions due to its cable length, instant buttons and several USB ports (1.1/2.0/3.0). What is more, it is compatible with the most popular operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Mac and even ChromeOS. This keyboard is firmware adaptable too and doesn’t need any drivers.

By the way, there is no backlighting. On the one hand, it’s a true trouble for night owls but on the other one, it brings certain positive moments. And the main one concerns USB ports. Usually keyboards that have USB pass-throughs and backlighting need two ports to support both options. But if there’s no backlighting you get an additional USB plug for extra power, which is so important for those who want to increase the number of available ports.

Summary

On the whole, Das Keyboard 4 Professional is a hefty mechanical keyboard comfortable in use and pleasant to look at. Of course, it’s not ideal and has certain minuses but the number of pluses proves that this product deserves to be chosen as one of the best keyboards for gaming or any other purpose that requires fast and accurate performance.