The Vinpok Taptek isn't yet available, but it's just launched on Indiegogo, where I'm sure it'll be fully funded in hours. Vinpok sent me its wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac for review, and I was honestly skeptical.
I hadn't used a mechanical keyboard in years and had grown quite accustomed to the Magic Keyboard from Apple. I had no idea what I was missing. This thing is almost perfect… Almost.
Vinpok Taptek
Price: $199
Bottom line: Vinpok's mechanical answer to the Magic Keyboard is incredibly satisfying to type on, while its RGB lighting effects are some of the best around. There's just one flaw that is a minor annoyance, but a constant one.
The Good
- Satisfying tactile feedback
- Gorgeous lighting effects
- Sturdy and solid build
- Bluetooth or wired modes
The Bad
- The right shift button is too small
- The right shift button is too small
- The right shift button is too small
Vinpok Taptek What I like
I love the form factor of the Magic Keyboard, and the Taptek is the perfect size. It's actually only as thick as the Magic Keyboard is at its thickest point (not including the keys), and that's after cramming in the lighting. It's considerably heavier than the Magic Keyboard, but I like that. Several times a day, I'd find myself readjusting the Magic Keyboard because it had moved forward as I was typing.
The weight of the Taptek holds it firmly in place, and the rubber feet add a little more assurance on top of that. I received the version with black keys, which is sleek as all hell, especially against the space gray base. Add the rainbow lighting, and you have yourself a beautiful site.
The Taptek features the best backlighting I've ever seen.
Going from the Magic Keyboard to the Taptek is a flawless transition, because the Taptek's mechanical keys aren't as pronounced, so the transition from the near travel-less Magic Keyboard isn't abrupt. The Taptek's keys feel great, and the sound is just loud enough to be satisfying without being obtrusive.
There are 19 backlighting modes, and you can control the color and speed of each one to suit your taste. My favorite is when each key lights up when you press it. Some of the moving effects are just too much while I'm trying to write and concentrate. That being said, it's the nicest backlighting I've ever seen.
Vinpok Taptek What I don't like
There's just one thing, and it's almost a deal-breaker: the shift button the right side of the keyboard is way too small. That's the one I use to capitalize every single letter; I hit it with my pinky, which is an already inaccurate finger.
The right shift button's size might be a deal-breaker for some.
Instead of shrinking the up and down arrows like Apple did on the Magic Keyboard, Vinpok has instead chosen to shrink the shift button to single-key size. The number of times I've typed lowercase letters and/or deleted an entire paragraph I just wrote is innumerable and infuriating.
And that's honestly the only thing I dislike about the Vinpok Taptek. The problem is that it affects something that happens several times a minute. Once I started getting the hang of things, it wasn't so bad, but I still often hit the shift and up arrow together. Thank goodness for command+z.
Vinpok Taptek
The Taptek is the perfect mechanical answer to Apple's Magic keyboard, and I honestly hadn't considered what I was missing in a mechanical keyboard. I'm not sure I can ever go back now.
With superior LED backlighting, satisfying typing, a sturdy build, and solid battery life, the Vinpok Taptek is almost the perfect keyboard for Mac. If it weren't for that damn shift button...
