Most gaming keyboards that clack their method onto my desk often fall into one in all two classes. They’re both nice huge hulking plastic issues, or they’re equally giant slabs of hard-edged metallic. They don’t make my fingers odor like a forest, nor do they double up as useful, alpine air fresheners. In these respects, Unick Invent’s new, ultra-compact Woo-dy keyboard is completely distinctive.
All proper, so the scent coming from the Woo-dy’s picket base isn’t fairly that potent, however the clean slab of walnut backing my specific overview pattern (it’s additionally obtainable in a lighter cherry wooden mannequin) undoubtedly has a definite whiff of the outside about it whenever you first take it out of the field.
It’s not completely made out of wooden, I ought to say. On high of its titchy 341x104x36mm picket base, there’s additionally a extra conventional aluminium tray that homes its selection of three completely different Gateron RGB switches – linear pink ones, loud tactile blue ones or, in my case, quieter tactile brown ones. It’s a beautiful factor to kind on, although, thanks in no small half to its well-spaced, N-key rollover supported keys and spherical keycaps, and I used to be in a position to rise up to full typing pace in virtually no time in any respect. The lowest row of keys felt a tad excessive off the bottom after I first began utilizing it, admittedly, nevertheless it didn’t take me lengthy to adapt to its total form, and never as soon as did I mourn the truth that it doesn’t have any height-adjustable ft.
Plus, I reckon the CLACK degree of the Woo-dy’s brown Gateron switches is nearly low sufficient to make use of inside earshot of different individuals with out operating the chance of getting them chuck stuff at your head with the intention to preserve the noise down.
Its customisable RGB lighting isn’t too in your face, both. Due to the tightly-packed nature of its 67 keys, you solely get a tiny glimpse of its rainbow-coloured lights whenever you’re typing, and even the keys around the facet of the Woo-dy preserve all of it fairly contained. That’s an enormous plus level for me after I’m utilizing the Woo-dy through the day, however I do want the keycap letters themselves had been RGB-backlit as effectively so I may use it extra confidently at the hours of darkness after I’m too lazy to go and activate my workplace mild.
Still, whereas the Woo-dy’s default keycaps aren’t backlight pleasant, I ought to level out that every one of them are hot-swappable, which implies that these of you who’re completely determined for a little bit of RGB backlighting motion can all the time use its bundled keycap puller and change remover to customize it with your personal caps and switches if you want.
The Woo-dy helps Bluetooth as effectively, and you may pair it with as much as three gadgets concurrently, equivalent to your Android or iOS cellphone/pill. However, with no devoted Bluetooth change or shortcut key on the Woo-dy itself, you’ll need to dive into its on-line guide to seek out the proper collection of shortcuts you might want to a) flip Bluetooth on, and b) pair it along with your meant gadget. After a little bit of digging, this all (fortunately) labored as marketed after I tried it out for myself, however in fact, the entire thought of having the ability to use it as a Bluetooth keyboard is a little bit of a non-starter.
You see, I additionally found it nonetheless must be plugged in through its USB-C cable to ensure that its Bluetooth to work, so anybody hoping to make use of this as a really wi-fi keyboard for, effectively, something, shall be sorely dissatisfied. Instead, it’s actually solely meant for wi-fi use if, for some cause, you occur to be flitting between your pill and cellphone whereas you’ve received it related to your PC or laptop computer. Sure, that may be helpful for banging out just a few issues onto your Google Keep buying checklist should you’re all fingers and thumbs in your cellphone’s onscreen keyboard, nevertheless it’s hardly as handy or as sensible as it would first sound.
Its bundled Windows software program additionally leaves one thing to be desired from a UI perspective, however it’s a minimum of useful. While its key and macro project menus aren’t the prettiest or most simply parsable issues on the planet, I finally succeeded in recording a macro and assigning it to a key, swapped the perform of one other key, and I additionally managed to change the Woo-dy’s RGB profile and create my very own. It’s not probably the most subtle software program I’ve ever seen, nevertheless it will get there in the long run.
Still, I’d think about most individuals will in all probability be completely advantageous utilizing the Woo-dy because it comes out of the field. Sure, its wi-fi Bluetooth help could also be a little bit of a disappointment, however its tactile keys, attractive design and compact form make it a delight to kind on, plus its picket base has the added bonus of creating me really feel like I’ve truly been exterior right this moment as a substitute of hauled up in my workplace all afternoon.
Indeed, if I used to be after a brand new compact gaming keyboard, I’d be hard-pushed to choose between this and the tenkeyless model of our present best gaming keyboard champ, the Fnatic miniStreak. The Fnatic is a fraction cheaper, and naturally comes with all of the added assurances of being made by an enormous firm with issues like warranties and buyer help, however should you’re keen to take an opportunity on shopping for from a smaller outfit like Unick Invent, then there’s lots to love right here.
So, should you do, the truth is, end up pining for a Woo-dy, you’ll be able to presently pre-order one over on its already 200% funded Kickstarter campaign page. With an estimated supply window of December later this 12 months, the early chicken worth for the Cherry Woo-dy is $99 at time of writing, whereas the Walnut model I used to be despatched for overview is $119.
