So, I bought the Vortex Core 40 those months ago with my first Steem cashout. It has PBT dye sub keys and it's awesome to type on. Though, as I noted before, it does require pressing a tiny bit harder than what I was used to. At the time, I wasn't working on my laptop project, I just wanted a cool new keyboard and it looked like fun. After a week or so of use, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to keep using it because it was just too damn awkward to hit the symbol keys that I use constantly for editing code and navigating the shell.

As a replacement, I bought the Vortex Pok3r (pictured below, slightly disassembled.) It's a great keyboard, and there's nothing wrong with it per se, but after using the Vortex with those wonderful keys, I didn't want to go back. So I put up with the weird chording movements for different key symbols and made a custom key map to get around not being able to quickly type symbols. This left me with an extra keyboard. So the Pok3r sat off to the side, occasionally being knocked to the floor.

One day I needed to plug a keyboard and monitor into one of my headless Raspberry Pi machines, so I grabbed my Pok3r and discovered a key was broken. I didn't mind too much, it's not like I was going to use it a lot, but even still, I don't like it when things like this are broken. Then, it occurred to me that it would be a great excuse for trying out some of those cool, retro looking round typewriter keys! Maybe I would even move the Pok3r back to my desktop now that I have the Vortex Core nearly permanently attached to my new laptop.

I used my Amazon points, placed an order for a set that looked pretty nice, and they arrived! Something happened just before they arrived, but I'll come back to that.

The new keys did not come with a key puller, I had to apply fingers to keys and pry off all the old keys. It didn't occur to me to take a picture before I started, but I did snap a few during the process.

For anyone that's curious, that blue mat that's recently popped up in pictures of my recent posts is a silicone baking mat, it's great for tossing down on surfaces, doing random hobby stuff, then rolling it up and putting it away. That way I don't scratch and burn as many tablecloths.

By the time I made it to the last few keys, my fingers were feeling quite tired from all the key pulling, but I managed to get them all, and then began the laborious process of putting the new keys on. The sizing of the keys is standard, so they're nearly the same size as the previous square keys, they just kind of look cooler because they're round. Entirely subjective, I know.

I must say, I was a bit apprehensive about the quality of the new keys when I picked the first one up. It felt a little cheap (but then what wouldn't compared to those beautiful PBT dye subs from the Vortex Core, eh?) but once I put them in the Pok3r, they felt much sturdier. All in all, the keys feel pretty good, it's not even awkward to hit them -- I was genuinely concerned that it would look cool, but be wholly impractical to use due to not being able to hit the keys. I know, silly, right?

There is one small feature that annoys me, though. Maybe you can spot it in the picture.

What's almost impossible to see there is the tiny little dot on the F key. There's also one on the J key, but the F key is the one that's really causing the problem. The damn thing hurts. I don't know if my finger tips are just sensitive from brutally de-keying the Pok3r earlier, but for some reason, when my finger tips hammer down on the F key they smack that little dot and it's painful. I'll take some sand paper to it later, and it'll probably fix the problem. Other than that, I did put these keys on the Pok3r, which is a pretty nice (and cheap) clicky keyboard. Let's get back to the tiny problem that arose before the keys arrived.

The problem

After I had placed the order, but before it could arrive, I stumbled over something so profound, so wonderful, but stupidly expensive, that I can't just buy it. I found that Vortex has already made a new mechanical keyboard, and it's the same PBT dye sub keys that are on the Vortex Core, except this is a full(ish) keyboard. It looks magnificent!

Here's a link to the product page: Vortex ViBE Dye Sub PBT Mechanical Keyboard. Ignore the ugly pastel colors, they have a normal keyboard colored layout when they ship, they leave it up to potential new owners to abuse them by swapping out the keys they'd like with those other hideous colors.

Anyway, the problem now is that I have a perfectly functional keyboard with these spiffy new type-writer-esque keys and I can't justify spending $140 on a new keyboard. No matter how amazing or how ecstatic it would be to type upon, I just can't do that.

The solution

If this keyboard feels as good as the Vortex Core, then typing on it is going to be amazing. I say it's a fullish keyboard because it doesn't have the F keys, the HOME/End/Whatever keys, but it has the same programmability as the other Vortex keyboards, so I can ease my transition between the laptop and the desktop because I can program in some of the same funny chords that I do so much on the core that I accidentally hit them while using regular keyboards.

So, now I need to devote more time to steem so I can justify spending some steem dollars on this awesome new keyboard. I have to make twice the value of the keyboard, half to go into SP and the other half will be free to purchase this awesome keyboard. With any luck, it'll be mine within the next three months, and I'll be even more motivated to make the time and engage more on the platform.

No, that's too weakly put. I vow, Vortex Core ViBE, you will be mine, oh yes, you will.