Keychron Q0 Mini 8K: The keyboard that isn't a keyboard
Keychron has a new keyboard that is consistently reduced to the essentials - a single key. The Q0 Mini 8K is not a typo. It is a product.
The Q0 Mini 8K - not to be confused with its namesake, the Numpad Q0 - is the dazzling new peacock among keyboards. Whilst its peers boast 60, 65 or over 100 keys, it makes do with just one - but this one key is anything but modest. The switch underneath is four times the size of a normal mechanical switch. The Q0 Mini 8K compensates. And how.
The CNC-machined aluminium housing lends the beam man a dignity that belies its purpose in life. It is heavier, more massive and more expensive than it should be. Its mass is not even its greatest attribute, but its speed: it reports to the computer 8000 times per second whether it has been pressed. Your office keyboard only does this 125 times.
Only the gods know whether this makes sense for a one-key keyboard. At least you can programme the device to your heart's content. It runs with QMK, an open source firmware that enjoys a high reputation among keyboard enthusiasts. Using the Keychron Launcher - a browser-based tool - you can teach the Q0 Mini 8K what to do when it is pressed: Trigger macros, press the mute button or minimise all windows - in case the boss pops in unexpectedly again.
The keycap is made of a mix of PBT plastic on the outside and transparent polycarbonate on the inside - so that the RGB light can shine through. Because of course the part has RGB lighting. For the one button.
So for around 65 US dollars, you get one button. A beautifully crafted, very fast and well-lit button. You won't know if you need it until you have it. Maybe not even then.
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