Okay, so I’d been seeing these typewriter-style Bluetooth keyboards pop up online for a while. You know the ones, round keys, clicky sounds, trying to look like an old Underwood but wireless. Part of me thought they were just a gimmick, but another part, the part that likes tactile things, was curious. I spend all day typing on mushy laptop keys or standard flat keyboards, and I wondered if that old-school feel could be kinda nice.
Getting My Hands on One
So, I decided to bite the bullet. Didn’t go for the most expensive one, just looked for something that seemed decent enough and had Bluetooth. Found one that looked the part, placed the order, and waited. When the box arrived, I opened it up right away. First impression? It was heavier than I expected. Not like, heavy heavy, but it had some solid weight to it, which felt good. Didn’t feel cheap or plasticky. The keys looked cool, definitely captured that retro vibe I was going for.
Hooking It Up
Getting it connected was pretty straightforward, thankfully. I mostly wanted to use it with my tablet for writing on the couch sometimes. I just flipped the keyboard on, pressed the Bluetooth pairing button – had to hold it down for a few seconds. Then I went into my tablet’s Bluetooth settings, saw the keyboard listed there, tapped it, and boom, connected. No complex setup, no software to install, just worked right out of the box. That was a relief.
The Actual Typing Experience
Alright, here’s the main thing: typing on it. It’s… different. Very different.
- The Sound: It’s loud. Like, really clicky-clacky loud. If you’re in a quiet office or library, forget about it. People will hate you. But typing alone at home? It’s kinda satisfying, gotta admit. Makes you feel like you’re actually doing something.
- The Feel: The keys have long travel. You have to press them down quite a way compared to modern keyboards. It feels very mechanical, very deliberate. You can’t really glide over the keys; each press is an event.
- The Layout: Took a little getting used to. The round keys feel a bit strange under the fingers at first, slightly different spacing than I’m used to. My typing speed definitely dropped initially. Made more typos for the first hour or so.
Using It Day-to-Day
So, did it become my main keyboard? Nah, not really. For fast, everyday typing, like banging out emails or coding, my regular keyboard is still way more efficient. But I found myself reaching for the typewriter keyboard sometimes. Especially when I was trying to write something more thoughtfully, like journaling or drafting a blog post (like this one, maybe?). The slower pace and the deliberate feel of the keys kind of changed my mindset a bit. It felt less like typing and more like… constructing sentences, if that makes sense. It’s also just fun to use occasionally for a change of pace. Plus, it looks cool sitting on the desk, definitely a conversation starter.
Final Thoughts
Overall, getting this typewriter Bluetooth keyboard was a fun experiment. It’s not the most practical thing in the world, especially if you need speed or quiet. But it delivers on that tactile, retro experience. The sound is great (if you’re alone), the feel is unique, and it connects easily. It didn’t revolutionize my workflow, but it added a bit of enjoyable novelty. If you like that old-school vibe and want something that feels very different from standard keyboards, it might be worth checking out. Just be prepared for the noise and the initial slowdown in typing speed. It’s more about the experience than pure productivity.