The Lofree Dot is One Funky (annoying) Keyboard
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 เม.ย. 2017
- Evaluating the mechanical Dot keyboard from Lofree! It's based on retro typewriters and Apple's Magic Keyboard, but it's also Bluetooth and has one of the strangest layouts I've ever seen.
● Lofree sent me this review unit. Here's their site:
www.lofree.co/
● Consider supporting LGR on Patreon:
/ lazygamereviews
● Social links:
/ lazygamereviews
/ lazygamereviews
● Music used in order of appearance:
"Not That Serious 1," "Uptown Bossa"
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I heard from the Lofree representative, and he said they hope to fix the problems I brought up in today's review in a later revision of the keyboard. Nothing set in stone, but that'd be nice as it _does_ have potential! 👍
So... they'll be completely redesigning the board? haha
A lot of the fixes they can do just by shipping out replacement key caps and making it so you can rebind switches. The double switch thing for larger buttons, not so much, but that does make it really customizable if/when they offer different keycaps and rebinding.
The dead second switch on the double keys could be replaced with a non clicky switch like a cherry mx red.
"shipping out" isn't that easy considering that would require new injection molding inserts to be designed and machined, and then key caps would be molded and labeled. At least a two month rushed lead time, I doubt Lofree will send free replacement key caps
They could start by replacing the double switch mods with a switch and cherry stab. Even a jury rig one by chucking the spring and clicker collar out of one key to make it work like a stab.
I physically recoiled at the sight of that arrow key layout... WTF
inund8 lol I had the same exact reaction when I saw the arrow keys.
inund8 I had the identical reaction when he first saw the layout
inund8 ridiculous
inund8 me to wtf
Yes but the number key layout is really a much more offensive sin towards typists and typing.
LGR is one of the most trustworthy reviewers out there
Tru dat
Wouldn't him being honest mean the opposite...?
Thank you for such honest and in depth reviews with the subject products! Showing us examples of what your talking about is a huge thing for me when people do reviews. I really appreciate that you dont just talk about your points with the item displayed on the screen or in the box or ect.! Sincerly thank you so much for your videos!
Thanks, I'm glad you find them useful :)
1:06 Those were metal ice cubes, weren't they?! Friggin' badass!
Yeah man, they're great for chilling whiskey and tea.
I can confirm this. I have similar ones, but mine are polished stones instead of metal.
All the chilling power of actual ice (even more, in fact - they last longer),
with none of the melting and watering down the drink.
Simply called "Whiskey Rocks", for the "on the rocks" pun.
Great, now I need some.
Available as a gift box set (9 cubes) at Amazon, comes with a velvet carrying pouch to keep them in.
www.amazon.com/Beverage-Chilling-Stones-Whiskey-Beverages/dp/B014Q2R6GS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491853222&sr=8-3&keywords=whiskey+rocks
I like my whiskey both room-temp and chilled.
But like you say, it does downgrade it, makes it a bit milder...
sometimes I want it mild, sometimes not.
When I do, I chill it with my "ice" cubes, and when I don't,
I drink it at room temperature.
Plus, the "ice" cubes obviously work for ANY liquid, not just whiskey.
they're perfect to chill down sodas and ice coffee during summer,
for example, since they don't melt, and therefore holds the chill longer than actual ice does.
That arrow keys just bug me so hard lol.
How do the vendors react to your negative reviews of their products?
Never had a bad reaction yet! If they're approaching me about a review, chances are they know the flaws and are willing to confront them head-on.
Well, I appriciate that you give honest reviews on things. When I click on an LGR video I know it's going to be a well thought out and intelligent review, and not a glorified commercial by a paid shill.
Thanks for the honesty and integrity.
When I heard that the product was provided for free, I honestly expected a shill review.. but wow was I pleasantly surprised! Great job, love the channel!
It is a bit of a gamble, but building up a history of brutally honest reviews may actually increase the ad value of a channel on paid review services. - Companies really don't want public opinion of their products to default to "Oh, it only got good reviews because they were paid for..." as it kind of defeats the purpose of review driven sales.
Sure, it might piss off a few clients who were trying to ship a substandard product, but it reinforces the "This guy is honest and customers are going to believe his reviews" for companies who have stronger faith in the quality and design of their product.
And at the same time something like this lets a company pull a media hype flip - Put out a good but highly flawed product, get it in front of a bunch of eyes in a public space, let them loudly point out the flaws, then the company can release the 'revised' product that fixes said flaws and stand up on their soap box to shout "Hey look, we 'listened' to the people, and made things better!"
And then people get all happy that they were 'listened to', and all start talking about how great a company it is because they actually address user concerns...
Media and marketing is weird.
@Lazy Game Reviews - As it should be Clint, as it should be.
~class action lawsuit for all of us who were injured when we fell off our chairs after seeing the arrow key layout~
Clint, your videos are like a nice cup of hot, aromatic tea on a chilly day. They're like the fluffy blankets of a swanky hotel room after you've cranked the AC down to 60 degrees. They're like the satisfying snap of inserting RAM into a motherboard on your first try. They're really good, is what I'm saying.
Haha, well thank you, I'm glad you think so.
Mechanical, wireless, tenkeyless and backlit for a reasonable price? Too bad that the actual typing sucks so much, this could've have been a great keyboard.
yeap
It truly is a shame, or I would have highly considered it for my HTPC/STEAM Machine in my gaming room, as the 2 Logitech wireless boards I have now are alright but after a few hours start too feel a bit mushy, and one has a sort of odd keyboard layout having a track pad with it.
+Jip Jackson Yes there are, but 98% of them are wired USB, and not wireless Bluetooth, or even wireless via a USB dongle. On my main computer I have an AULA tenkeyless mechanical keyboard with Gateron Blue switches with rainbow blacklighting I got for $30 US, and while it's a decent mechanical keyboard, it's not WIRELESS!
What I want is a Logitech mechanical, ergonomic keyboard with multiple system selection and 3 Unifying receivers, so I can use it without a KVM.
What, a man can dream right? :)
I don't get 10-keyless. Why?
Thanks for pointing out that the number row is shifted to the right. No other review of this keyboard said anything about that. Makes it a total nonstarter. They made so many weird design choices just for the sake of aesthetics that just killed any potential it had for being a great keyboard. It'll be interesting to see how they redesign it. Sad that it's the only mechanical keyboard that's been designed with a Mac key layout in mind.
i dont even like macs and i think that's a wonderful feature. according to LGR's comment they're making a revised model that takes feedback into account, so hopefully there'll be a truly universal keyboard with a nice design soon.
What are the differences between the Mac layout and the ANSI 104-key standard?
This does look Mac oriented because you can see the cloverleaf is on top of the super key, while the Windows logo is printed on its side.
The cloverleaf symbol is actually the generic "Meta- Key" symbol, common on all non-Windows keybiards.
ah, a new LGR-video on a day off. perfect!
yeah exactly!
TheMainCore o have a day off only because I'm sick :( but nothing like an LGR video to help me get off my feet!
Eddie Burke LGR rulz!!
LGR I love that even when people give you items to review, you don't have a bias to only look at the good parts of their products. Keep up the good work :)
I don't like anything that sacrifices practicality over aesthetics, especially when I can see that you can make a pretty mechanical keyboard without that sacrifice.
Man, I always appreciate how transparent you are. Honestly one of the best channels on this site, it's a shame you aren't getting more views.
When designing a keyboard, if at any fork in the road you go with aesthetic over ergonomic you've messed up. Simple as that.
When it got to the numbers being out of place I actually gasped in horror, then had to pause the video to go lie down for a moment... o.o'
Thanks for all the reviews of such interesting tech! Been watching for a while and I always love your Oddware series, but ANYTHING you do is usually pretty swell! Keep up the good work, and thanks again for all the great content!
Love love love this review! Thanks for keeping it real LGR!
I remember shows like BBC's computer programme and computer chronicles and you do them justice. Your low key and relaxed reviews are a welcome change of pace from the loud and fast soundbite style of other review shows. When you can even make a keyboard review interesting, you're on to something special.
I told lofree to get in contact with you seeing how you're a big mechanical keyboard fan! Awesome to see you got a unit from them! Thank you for your great content, Clint. ♡
thank you as always for lovely in depth, honest reviews. you're one of the last reviewers on TH-cam who don't fake excitement for these types of products.
when I saw the layout I was like
HOW DO YOU MESS UP QWERTY!?
Great review. every time you put something out I look for the best space and time to watch your video uninterrupted. LGR rulz! (oldskool)
LGR, keep up the good work man, the nostalgia factor of this channel makes me fondly remember building my first pc, and playing the many dos or windows games I got from the sneaker net or buying from ebgames. One of my favorite games was Dark Reign: The Future of War. It had ominous box art, an amazing game manual, advanced ai and controls, and an excellent gothic industrial/orchestral soundtrack going to a very dark brooding mindset of war. As a finishing touch, like a lot of earlier games, you could pop the cd into a cd player or Walkman and listen to the soundtrack.
Your review is scripted masterfully!
Lovely to listen to, my compliments!
I was just about to order the keyboard and luckily i found your review that made me changed my mind.. thank you very much sir
One thing i love about your videos is that you have credibility and honestly unlike most other TH-camrs who get sent something and love it beacuse the company promises more stuff if you think it's crap you say so and damn do i respect that thumbs up from me dude!!!
That feeling when you realize both you and LGR use the Neon Blue SwiftKey theme on Android... some things just make way too much sense! Love all the chill jazz you've been using in the background lately too... keep being awesome!
After watching this (I really enjoyed, by the way, great review with obvious experience to dish out) I started noticing, that I too have a thing for keyboards. I have kept my old keyboard for about 15 years now. I can't tell you what it is off hand, but it's in my office and I like using when I know I'll be getting some serious typing in. Although I don't have a collection, or knowledge on many keyboards, you are not alone LGR, you are not alone.
Man, I was super close to backing this to snag the lower price. You, sir, saved me money and frustration! Thanks for reviewing this!
fn key on the most outer part of the keyboard is the most evilest thing ever done by keyboard manufacturer.
Having used such a keyboard, I totally agree.
Came to say this. I tried to get used to Ctrl not being in the corner, but it was impossible.
I have an old Compaq laptop that has the fn key in the same spot at this keyboard. It drives me nuts!
Have a lenovo given by the company for my work. It hast the same thing (WHY DO THEY KEEP DOING THIS?). But fortunately you can swap it in the BIOS, however for some reasons it doesn't work in all applications.
The music that you play in the background is so soothing. What is it? And your voice! Man, it's really good.
Good review as always
I watched Unbox Therapy review this exact keyboard not too long ago, and I'm really glad you touched at those arrow keys. Those things would drive me up the wall. Unbox Therapy didn't mention the shifted number row though, and that's also a pretty big deal too.
It's nice that they gave you a free unit to test and review, and I'm sure this keyboard has uses somewhere, but I don't know many who go form over function when it comes to something as important as a keyboard.
Thanks for reviewing this. As a writer, this thing sounded pretty amazing. It's disappointing that it's not, but you saved me a $100
LGR's persistently honest and unbiased reviews restore my faith in humanity every time.
It's just so different than anything else here on TH-cam!
Ah. Classic LGR, getting something for free and giving an honest opinion about it. I really appreciate that. Keep it up Clint!
I really like how no biased these reviews are :)
That Nanoxia keyboard looks really nice though.
Also I love watching these keyboard reviews. Not something I expected to be so enjoyable to watch but it is.
great review... honest about both the fails and the good points 👍👍
Dayum they must regret sending you this! Thank you for the honest review! Still waiting for my ideal mechanical style keyboard.
Thanks for the honest and objective review on this Clint. This is why your viewers trust you on stuff like this.
Thank you for the honest review! I really respect your integrity.
Honest Keyboard Review™ Love it! :D
Good review, Look forward to more reviews of peripherals in future. I like the idea of this keyboard but it is not well implemented. The key caps looks nice to press though, almost luxurious in size.
Oh man! Review more of them round button delights! I enjoy the aesthetic most heartily.
Reviewing is an Art that LGR masters superbly!
Great video! Already looking at this keyboard I thought of plenty of ways it could be made better.
It'd be so easy to fix that layout. Keep the top row as it is, shift the second row to the left, and then make its backspace double-wide to the right, make the caps lock double-wide to the left, merge the single circle shift key with the up-arrow, remove the other three arrows, add mirrored "ctrl" and "fn" keys on the right and make both "fn" keys double-wide, centering the bottom-most row with the second row from the top row, and add secondary arrow-key legends to "W", "A", "S" and "Z" that can be activated by holding the "fn" key. The concept is to minimise key wastage while maximising functionality - my proposed tweaks would help balance it visually (as the current appearance is asymmetrical), and resolve all the issues it has with the non-standard typing characteristics. It'd also be a good idea to fix all the other issues addressed by LGR/Clint, including the asinine wastage of two switches for the double-wide keys.
Design-wise this team really flubbed it from the start when it came to coming up with a layout. Hopefully they'll take these criticisms on-board and really make a product that both looks beautiful but also types well. Until then, I'll be sticking with my standard 104-key layout that pretty much every mechanical keyboard follows.
Hey LGR! there is a second bluetooth keyboard very similar to this one on kickstarter right now: the Elretron Penna. It's kind of like a mix between the Lofree and the QwekyWriter. It has neat keycaps, a normal layout, and the macro lever. Also there is a wood edition.
In conclusion: This keyboard is NOT for fast typers
Solid review. Thanks for not being a shill.
As always, very smooth video. Greetings from Argentina :v
I love your videos remind me of the good old days
Oooh, I'm digging that Nanoxia keyboard. Hope we get to see a review of that one! I could use a new keyboard.
was waiting for something new from yours to watch
I saw a "pre-order" for this on the local classifieds, and your review came just in time, now I'm going to stick with the only mechanical keyboard I have.
hey! what do you think about the "Commandos" pc game series, is there any chance of seeing you reviewing it in the future?
Am I missing it or does this not have a pipe key, either? I'm used to | being between Shift and Z, but they wanted the two key switches under the shift for no apparent reason?
if it was not for this review, i would've bought and regretted heavily. thanks for nice, thorough review.
Any better mechanical bluetooth enabled keyboards out there? Preferably ones that don't break the bank (Under $150 US or thereabouts)?
Wow, I didn't even notice this was my own post at first XD. Just going to post here on the off chance someone is wondering about a mechanical keyboard in the price range.
Yeah, I came back here to randomly re-watch an old(ish) LGR review (because his videos are always fun, and the non-verbal asides amuse), and was going to post that the Corsair K63 is what I went with. I didn't end up using it much (intended partly to take it on a trip with family in 2020 and you can guess how that went, or rather, how it didn't go). What use I did get out of it was nice. It's a BT mechanical keyboard with backlight (I went with Ice Blue), with the additional option to use a dongle (if you intend to use it with a computer that doesn't support Bluetooth), or wired.
Can't comment on it much, other than the fact I didn't have issues with responsiveness when typing out messages I tried on my phone. Apparently there are complaints about battery life (1 to 2 days of use, depending on the backlight usage), and the lack of a sleep mode apparently? Currently going for $160 CDN at the moment, so it's not too expensive, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were a fair few better wireless mechanical keyboards in the price range these days.
My daily desktop driver is a Corsair K95 Platinum, which I have had since 2017. On the pricy side, but it did include 6 dedicated macro keys (a big selling point for me at the time, since my previous non-mech keyboard had dedicated macro keys and those were rare on mechanical keyboards), RGB with effects, and so on. No real complaints with it, aside from the occasional bugging out of iCue (like, once every couple of months, restarting the application fixes it). It's nice seeing colours rippling as I type even several years after I go it. I've it set up so various keys (WASD, space, arrow, number keys, macro keys in use) are lit up by default and override the ripple effect. I actually went whole hog in the end and got a life of Corsair RGB products. Good stuff generally.
Since you brought up the hot-key to switch between which devices are being controlled, any advice for mouse/keyboard/audio options that allow switching control/audio between multiple computers/devices very quickly and easily on the fly? I often have my main PC set up for gaming, but sometimes want to listen to other media while doing so.
Rather than alt-tabbing, I'd like to conveniently switch control to a nearby laptop to select/play videos or podcasts while being able to easily switch back to controlling my main PC (while keeping my audio coming from the laptop).
Any suggestions?
vlc player supports remote control/playback, but i only tested it between android and pc
I don't know how this showed back up on my feed after so long, but Lofree has turned into such a big company. Their Lofree Flow is now one of the best low profile mechanical keyboards out there.
Thanks for the honest review.
I've always liked those type writer style keys, but I'm pretty happy with my K70 RGB and CM QuickFire. Just wish I would have gotten blues on the QuickFire.
Cool review man. I'm going to avoid this one, but I love the concept of a wireless mech with some style to it. If they could make it a standard keyboard layout, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Spot on review. A lot of people looking to buy something like this would not really consider the points you make until AFTER the purchase has been made! Then comes frustration and the dreaded returns process.
Hopefully they take this video as feedback and don't just dismiss it. Good review!
I hope you make a budget keyboard video, a video where you review cheap keyboards that are as functional or nice to use as expensive keyboards. I would really dig that.
Hi, i searched for the nanoxia ncore retro. I guess the model shown in your video is the retro 105. But it seems the models are not iluminated. Is the one shown in your video a special edition?
I have been using a PC since i was 8 and I can only dream of typing as fast as you do.
LGR, how do you clean your headphones, the rubber type which goes over the ears, like in a Tandy headphones. Where i live, someone "smart" planted trees. Long before i moved in and i have in my different places, mold. Mold goes on my headphones too, like white spots.
hey Mr Clint, I have me a win 98 setup with an LCD attached and I use i for win98 games and dos games... but my problem is when using dos.. my lcd screen just wont scale the picture right. it always goes outside the screen in all the 'dos res.' I use dvi->hdmi... then hdmi on lcd.... my gpu is a geforce 4200ti agp and samsung syncmaster p2770... any suggestions ??
Clint, are you still rockin that Note 4 in 2017? There is something special about that phone, I really love it. id always be Interested to hear your liquidy smooth voice do a retrospective on it one of these years!
Respect
Hi man. You gonna do review of games like C&C, Red Alert, KKND, Phantastmagoria and such? I love your channel :D
Do they have choices of which switches to put in?
The keys aren't even lined up like a normal qwerty board. Look at the W and Z. They shouldn't line up vertically like that.
I'm used to laptop keyboards, but I have madce the shift to desktop gaming. What Keyboard should I use? Also, I want wired.
Woo hoo I made it early! I love how you are honest all the time.
This review was BRUTAL
Just checked the website to see if there have been any flaws mentioned that have improved since this review and it looks like the caps button and backspace have extended to the length of the left shift, the number row has shifted to be in a more standard position, and the long buttons now have one centered switch instead of sitting on two (on newer keyboard models but not the dot). The arrow keys are still in that funky lineup but it looks like they’ve taken critiques to heart
i love how LGR receives all this review gear for free and then proceeds to tear it apart. one of the few trustworthy popular youtube channels.
0:28 I want all the boxed mech games on that shelf, especially Earthsiege 1+2, Starsiege, and Cyberstorm
I'd been looking at this thing on Indiegogo. Seems like a fair evaluation. What were those other alternatives you mentioned at the end of the video for that Olde Typewriter look?
Seems like the kind of thing that with a revision or two it could be really neat. I'd also be interested in a version that maintains the same "guts" but has a standard layout & keycaps to be a nice portable mechanical keyboard.
I love my Das Keyboard Pro 4 w/ brown keys. Mechanical keyboard are wonderful! I'm so glad there's such a big culture for it now, because that just means tons of options and competition.
P.S. I always love the soft jazz music you use!
I want a Das Keyboard. It looks kool.
Would it be okay to ask you for keyboard recommendation given some specifications?
can you put regular square key caps on it?
They are swappable, yes. But if you're gonna spend another ~$20 on a keycap set, ya may as well just get a better board to begin with.
Looks like most caps would probably jam on the housing. Switches seem to be slightly recessed into round cutouts.
Lazy Game Reviews I wouldn't buy this due to the layout sins alone. But I'd love to have the Bluetooth features in something the size of a Pok3r. Great videos!
I'm not sure if I've just discovered a bit of a keyboard fetish myself but this reminds me of fond memories of a keyboard I used at work 10 years ago. after a few minutes of googling I believe it was an evoluent. It sat so flat on the tableit was amazing, but the best part was the crisp springy responsive feel of the keys. Funny what you remember
I'm glad you told it like it is rather than sucking up to the company because they provided it to you at no cost!
I've been using and in love with the Cherry G83-6000 keyboards since one came with the first PC I ever bought, a lovely 400Mhz Machine with Win98 SE. Not mechanical, but for a cheap one, the tactile response is great, a lot better than most others I've used, including some fairly expensive one.
I feel so nerd watching your videos
and thats a great thing
Im more interested in the ice cube shaped things at 1:00
What are those and where you got them?
They're whiskey stones :)
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G5LX842/
Thanks!
I probably wont use them much. I just like the looks of them
Hi Clint, could you do a review of powerslide?
Sheesh, just make the darn thing wider. Do you have more info on the other boards you mentioned towards the end?
That last keyboard you showed at the end looks interesting as it's a full sized one with backlight. The price seems a bit too high but it might be worth it for a mechanical device if it's got a good list of features as well.
Will you make a review of it in the following days ? : )
LGR What is the quietest keyboard and mouse you could recommend?
The Institute called, They want their keyboard Back. Keep up the good work LGR.
Yes. Please do more mechanical keyboard reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where can I buy the keyboard featured at 5:19, it looks beautiful, and is it good for touch typing since most of my typing is done like that. Have had to suffer with too many shitty keyboards these last few years
nanoxia-world.com/en/products/keyboards/ncore-retro/363/nanoxia-ncore-retro-us-layout
Thanks for the ninja response. You're the best.
Thanks. I have been looking at replacing my current mechanical keyboard.