Satechi Slim X3 Bluetooth Keyboard (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
Here's something a little different...a keyboard designed not for gamers, but for professional Mac users. As somebody who is used to nice clicky mechanical keyboards, I wasn't expecting much. The X3 did, however, surprise me and surpassed my expectations ten-fold.
No Mac No Cry
Let me be honest with you... I do not have a Mac. I would never dream of owning a Mac. The image I have of Mac users in my head is of pretentious hipsters who just want to be different. That said, you have to admire the beauty of Apple's devices. I could never get used to the software, but the hardware itself is something to behold. This keyboard manages to capture this beauty well, all whilst not being an official Apple product, so that I can maintain my pretentious façade of 'never owning an Apple device'.
More important than it's beauty, however, is the way it performs. I've been using this keyboard at work for a few weeks now, and it fits like an old pair of shoes. Immediately, I could pick this up and type away, very rarely mistyping. Hell, even my colleagues at work seem to love this thing. I've been using this on a Windows machine, as you may have guessed, and there is almost no disadvantage to this, despite Satechi claiming that the X3 is 'designed for Mac devices'. To be honest, the best way I could describe the typing experience would be "a very good laptop keyboard", as in, good enough to be better than the average desktop keyboard, but not nearly as solid as a great mechanical one.
Build-wise, I think it's probably the most solid keyboard I've ever owned, or even used. This thing is made out of aluminium, making it feel heavy and substantial. The only flaw I can find here is that there are no built in 'feet' like you'd expect on almost any other keyboard. Instead, the box comes with some stick-on rubber domes, but this isn't quite as nice as feet that fold in and out.
Windows Caveats
There are a few caveats you have to keep in mind if you are using this on a Windows machine. Just a couple, really, really minor ones. The first is that, I cannot get alt codes to work. It's very rare I actually need these, but I do like to cram a cheeky em dash here and there in my emails. Secondly, (and I really am nitpicking here), is that the cable provided is USB C to USB C. A lot of PCs will not have this port, so you may need to find one of your USB-A to USB-C to charge or connect this in wired mode.
Overall, I cannot fault this keyboard. The only nit-picks I have are in a niche case that Satechi does not recommend in the first place, and I'm still having a great experience. And, if it makes you Mac users out there feel any better, my Mac-a-holic colleague at work loved this thing.
Verdict
- Solid build
- Comfortable to type on
- Stylish AF
- No built-in feet
- No alt-codes on Windows devices
Reviews
Astor: Blade of the Monolith
Astor, a young Diokek warrior, must journey across Gliese to solve the mysterious disappearance of his creators.
CMP2 Globular Cluster
PSVR2 comfort is imperative to keep you playing for longer!
Hypercharge: Unboxed
Playtime is over! Grab your action figures and defend the Hypercore from Major Evil’s forces in Hypercharge: Unboxed!
POCO F6 Pro
POCO, the global smartphone branch of Xiaomi, launched its latest F series phones last week. Among these is the POCO F6 Pro, the company’s current flagship which aims to be a contender for your...
Huion Kamvas Pro 16 (2.5K) Pen Display
A portable 1440p pen display from Huion, we check out the 16 inch Kamvas Pro.
Site & Scene News
New Hot Discussed
Skyward Sword HD randomizer announced with release date and trailer
PlayStation State of Play May 2024 showcase - God of War: Ragnarok coming to PC
Marvelous/XSEED 2024 showcase provides updates on new Story of Seasons and Rune Factory games
Review Astor: Blade of the Monolith
'MudRunner VR' launches on Meta Quest
XREAL Beam Pro AR spatial computing accessory revealed
The Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 LEGO Set officially announced
Review Hypercharge: Unboxed
Nacon reveals new accessories line-up and racing-focused gaming department
'Caravan SandWitch', a narrative-driven sci-fi adventure game, revealed
New static recompiler tool N64Recomp aims to seamlessly modernize N64 games
Nintendo officially confirms Switch successor console, announces Nintendo Direct for next month
Name the Switch successor: what should Nintendo call its new console?
DOOM has been ported to the retro game console in Persona 5 Royal
Mario Builder 64 is the N64's answer to Super Mario Maker
Anbernic reveals the RG35XXSP, a GBA SP-inspired retro handheld
Majora’s Mask PC port 2Ship2Harkinian gets its first release
"Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition", a new NES Remix-like game, launching July 18th
Microsoft is closing down several gaming studios, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin
Ubisoft reveals 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' which is set to launch later this year
Name the Switch successor: what should Nintendo call its new console?
Nintendo officially confirms Switch successor console, announces Nintendo Direct for next month
New static recompiler tool N64Recomp aims to seamlessly modernize N64 games
Ubisoft reveals 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' which is set to launch later this year
Majora’s Mask PC port 2Ship2Harkinian gets its first release
The Kingdom Hearts games are coming to Steam
"Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition", a new NES Remix-like game, launching July 18th
DOOM has been ported to the retro game console in Persona 5 Royal
Microsoft is closing down several gaming studios, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin
Select PlayStation 2 games are coming to PlayStation 5