You do a lot of typing when you blog. Therefore, having a great keyboard is a must. In this video, I unbox and review the Drop ALT Mechanical Keyboard.
The Drop (formerly Massdrop) ALT mechanical keyboard is just like Drop’s CTRL keyboard, but with 67 keys instead of 87. Absent of function keys, it wastes no space, but it still has a full set of arrows and numerals. Constructed with a solid aluminum frame with a built-in switch plate, the ALT is rock solid. And thanks to the hot-swap switch sockets, it allows you to swap switches whenever you want with no soldering required.
The ALT is fully programmable via QMK, meaning you can assign macros or custom keybinds to every key. With dual USB-C connectors, the ALT is outfitted with the latest connections. It has customizable RGB backlighting and underlighting. Set it to a single color or light it up with a rainbow wave pattern. To enhance the backlighting, there are shine-through double shot PBT keycaps.
Customizing the keyboard is a lot of fun. Using QMK firmware, you have total control over every key. The configurator allows you to program macros and customized key mapping so you can easily fine-tune your keyboard for work or play. The ALT is also outfitted with two USB type-C connectors (one on each side), allowing you to use the spare connector to transfer data and charge devices.
The ALT features light pipes built into the switches that are optimized to deliver the most light possible through the keycaps. You’ll also have your choice from millions of different colors for every single key. So if you want the lighting to cycle through the entire spectrum, you can do that. If you prefer a two-toned look to match your setup, you can do that too. There’s also a built-in translucent LED diffuser to minimize hotspots found in many other keyboards. The LEDs operate at a frequency of 100 Hz, so there won’t be any visible flicker.
The ALT is made from a solid block of anodized aluminum. Heavy enough to stay put when you’re locked into an intense first person shooter match or hammering out a blog post, the frame also has a low profile to complement your desktop. Thanks to the built-in switch plate and hot-swappable PCB, the ALT gives you the freedom to change out your switches whenever you like. Best of all? You don’t need to solder each switch. Just pop them in and they’re ready to go.
The ALT is available at Amazon. Price range from $199.99 to $209.99 depending on the switch you choose. My unit came equipped with Cherry MX Blue switches, which have a distinct “click” sound when pressed. The switch is the loudest and most tactile switches in the cherry MX family.