TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- No matter how good your laptop keyboard feels, the right external keyboard provides more travel and a better experience for gaming or typing. At its Computex booth, accessory-maker Rosewill showed off a trio of new mechanical keyboards, which come with a choice of key switches and some neat customization features.
Rosewill RK-9200: Custom Backlights
If you like a touch of color on your keyboard, the RK-9200 could be for you. The full-size keyboard has two different backlight colors to switch between: bright red and high-tech green. You can control the backlight colors for the W/A/S/D keys and the arrow keys separately, so they can be red when the rest of the keys are green or vice versa.
In addition to the color, you can also control the RK-9200's backlight brightness, switching between dim, bright and cycle from dim to bright modes. Hitting the fn + Windows allows you to enable or disable the Windows key quickly and easily, something gamers need to do all the time so they don't hit that key by accident and end up on the Start screen. The keyboard also has a removable USB cable, which makes it easy to move between computers.
Rosewill Mini RK-9100
If you want a mechanical keyboard that's easy to fit in your bag for trips, the Rosewill Mini RK-9100 is a solid choice. The keyboard looks and functions much like the RK-9200 but saves a lot of space and bulk by omitting the numeric keypad. It only has one backlight color -- red -- but offers the same great feel as its big brother.
Rosewill Micro RK-9000
Though the Rosewill Micro RK-9000 lacks a backlight, its aluminum body gives it a more premium feel than the other Rosewill keyboards. Like the Mini RK-9100, this keyboard saves space and adds portability by leaving off the numeric keypad.
All three keyboards will be available with your choice of four key switches: Cherry MX Red, Cherry MX Black, Cherry MX Brown and Cherry MX Blue. Each of these industry-standard switch types has a different level of tactile feedback and noise. We prefer the Cherry MX Blue, which is noisy but extremely responsive.
The Rosewill RK-9200 is due out later this summer, while the Mini RK-9100 and Micro RK-9000 will be ready in time for the holiday season. Exact pricing has not been determined.
