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Today we have another item from NewEgg.ca to review – The Rosewill RK-9000 gaming keyboard. This is a mechanical style keyboard that uses Cherry MX Blue switches to provide that ‘old school' feel of an IBM style keyboard.
There are multiple types of keyboards available today of which the most common is often referred to as a Membrane keyboard. This type of board uses small rubber domes that rest directly under the key cap – these rubber domes usually sit on top of a multiple layer rubber membrane that covers the entire surface of the keyboard.
When the user presses a specific key the rubber dome under the key cap makes contact with the membrane layer which then determines which key has been pressed. The keys on this type of keyboard are usually very quiet and have a spongy feeling because of their design. Membrane keyboards are the most inexpensive to build and often wear out quickly under heavy use. The most obvious signs of deterioration are additional force required to depress the keys or a spongy/sticky feeling to the keys when depressed.
Mechanical keyboards are very different from the typical membrane keyboards that most computer users end up with when they replace the keyboard that just quit on them. Mechanical keyboards like the Rosewill RK-9000 we are reviewing have a predicted life cycle of 50 million clicks per key and are more expensive then a membrane style which only has a 5-10 million click per key life expectancy. Other keyboards like the Rosewill are the Steelseries 7G and the DAS Keyboard.
Mechanical keyboards consist of a large group of mechanical switches like the one in the image above. Each individual key consists of a separate switch which is why these keyboards are more expensive to manufacture. A German company “Cherry” is responsible for manufacturing a large portion of the mechanical switches used in these type of keyboards. They make the switches in Black, Brown and Blue and each color has distinct differences.
The Cherry Black switches are linear and require consistent pressure through the entire keystroke. The Brown switches are a “light tactile” type of switch and produce a low level clicking sound when depressed and the Cherry Blue switches like the ones found in the Rosewill RK-9000 are often referred to as “Tactile” key-switches. The beauty of this style of keyboard is the responsiveness when typing and the precision accuracy when pressing multiple keys in combination while gaming. The Cherry Blue switches require very little pressure to complete a keystroke so finger fatigue during gaming is not an issue.
If you don't frequent NewEgg you may be unfamiliar with the Rosewill brand name so just to bring everyone up to speed here is some information about the company (in their own words).
About Rosewill
- Not long ago we had an idea – bring quality hardware and affordable prices together. From that idea Rosewill was born. Formed from a top team of hardware professionals, Rosewill is dedicated to our mission to compete and win on price, quality, and service. We work only with the best partners – businesses we know and businesses we trust.
The Rosewill mission
- Our vision is to become the leading brand in computer hardware and peripherals. We aim to achieve this goal by creating superior customer satisfaction. We view our customers as our most important assets. Through our integrity, our innovative products, and our excellent customer service, we aim to create lasting customer relationships.
Customer satisfaction
- We believe that excellence is a standard. Our customers deserve nothing less than the best. By purchasing a Rosewill product you are choosing exceptional value, unrivaled customer service and top quality hardware. If you are a Rosewill reseller, you can have the comfort of knowing that we at Rosewill value the success of our business partners.
