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Showing 1 of 24 reviews about:
TheWolf
198
Oct 3, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
An Amazing Keyboard with Janky Software.
To start, this is the best feeling keyboard I have ever used. Obviously most of this can be attributed to the switches, which are the Kailh Whites (if you like clicky switches, these are the best out of the few I've tried), but the layout of the keyboard is really well done, and didn't take a lot of time getting used to. If you have thought about trying out a 60% layout, get this one; it's a great size and the price is great for what you get (if it works, that is). There's a lot of interesting default key functions, like the bottom corner buttons becoming arrow keys if you tap them, and the caps lock key being an extra FN1 key (called "Magic FN"); I turned both of these functions off via the software - its a personal thing, but I found myself accidentally hitting the tap keys too many times while typing. The only complaint I have about the keyboard physically is that it is high profile - the keys sit up a good inch above the desk - so consider getting a good wrist rest to minimize fatigue unless you're used to it; also no adjustment legs, by the way. To note, if customization is a big deal for you, know that the board screws are awkwardly placed, and it's therefore hard to find new cases to swap for. There's some reddit threads that detail this and point you to compatible cases, however.
I love this keyboard, and am typing on it right now. However the real negative is the software.
The software (and instruction manual) is written in Chenglish - not well translated - but you can get by. You have to first download the software from http://en.obins.net/obinskit/ and then do a few things to get this keyboard to work properly... and nowhere in the instructions does it tell you how to do this, so hopefully my communication of it will help.
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When opening Obinskit, hopefully it will recognize the keyboard (default named ANNE PRO 2) if it isn't showing, or another strange name is showing (like USB - 1234 - ABC) try reconnecting via usb, and if this doesn't work (if it still doesn't show up) try holding down the ESC key while plugging it in (it goes into kind of a safe mode).
Don't just use the keyboard straight out of the box, as the default firmware it comes with is out of date. Although a product should work straight out of the box, there were issues for me before properly updating it: noticeable latency spikes, inconsistent Bluetooth/devices not recognizing the keyboard/backlight inconsistencies/crashes. I was very close to returning the keyboard because it felt defective, but I liked the feel so much, I went through the process of getting the firmware fixed.
So here's what you need to do. Go into the Home menu, then to the 'Firmware Upgrade' tab. Then look at the bottom right of the page and find 'Upgrade Source'. It should say 'Release'. Switch this to 'Alpha', but don't click Upgrade just yet. Go to 'Firmware Archive' where all of the firmware updates are listed in order of release. Click the top bubble (for me, at the time of writing this, it was 1.13.2-alpha). Then click return, then the big 'Upgrade' box. Then hope and pray during the firmware updating process that everything goes smoothly. One time trying this, the software or something bugged and the keyboard was non-functional-but don't worry! Just try the same steps again, or try restoring the default version by selecting 'Release' instead of 'Alpha'.
What the newer Alpha firmware does is give you the full package of what the keyboard can do. Using this firmware, I have experienced no latency (except rarely while using Bluetooth), crashes, or really any major issues whatsoever, and it gives you access to many more backlighting features than the default version.
The fact that I had to scour the internet to figure out what I explained above is the reason I give this three stars. The software is just janky, and updating the firmware isn't all - many parts of the software, like programming macros, keymapping, and backlighting functions are just plain un-intuitive and takes a lot of time to learn (and not accidentally delete all of your work because you forgot to first 'save as' then 'apply' before leaving the tab). But once you get it all working, it really is a great keyboard worth more than what you bought it for. Looks amazing and sharp, the LEDs are bright and fade extremely smooth, fits anywhere, battery lasts a couple work days assuming you have the auto-sleep mode enabled and the LEDs turned off (but can be easily swapped to a larger battery - check youtube) and the Bluetooth connectivity with keys specifically for swapping between devices is very hard to come by for this price.
A product should work straight out of the box - I wonder how many of these have been sent back with simply a firmware fault that can be fixed. It's a shame that a product so amazing can be almost ruined by firmware issues.
(Edited)
stray77
2
Nov 13, 2020
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TheWolfThere are custom firmware options available on Github if you're feeling adventurous. My bluetooth pairing is hit and miss. I don't think I've managed to get 4 devices paired to it at the same time. Right now my Raspberry Pi 4 won't connect to it. I went with the black version with Kailh Brown tactile switches and I love typing on this thing.
Xandar86
0
Keyboard Club Member
Aug 14, 2022
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TheWolfFunny you should mention garbage level firmware, because I just bought a DROP CTRL keyboard and put in the switches and keys, and now it simply disconnects from my pc constantly. On the Drop forums many other people have the same issues. The only mechanical keyboards I've tried that work right away without jankyness is DECK and Glorious. Now I have to transfer all the switches and keycaps to the Glorious keyboard because the Drop one is so frustrating, because it needs to be unplugged and then reconnected every time I use it, sometimes even while I'm typing. The Glorious firmware comes with many RGB colors and settings too, whereas the Drop comes with red green and blue and that's it, with like 5 patterns. It's really weak and lame programming, ruining a good piece of hardware. I feel like returning it rather spending days trying to figure out it's issues.
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