The sound of success

Apple makes excellent pack-in keyboards--unlike the bizarro world of PCs and their cheap-as-possible extras. But even Apple’s standard can be beat, and Matias’ new Tactile Pro 3, a USB 2.0 keyboard with a decidedly old-school feel, does just that. Mechanical springs and switches let you feel the action as you type, subtly improving your accuracy and comfort while you’re in front of your Mac.

The key action echoes the classic Apple Extended Keyboard.

Of all its features, Tactile Pro’s keys speak the loudest--literally. The keys click and rebound like clattering rain on a sheet-metal roof. This keyboard definitely won’t blend in if you work in a quiet office, and recipients of our phone calls found it distracting. But we embrace the sound and consider it a small price to pay for the precision of mechanical keys. The keys collapse at a point that you can feel, sending commands to a Mac. With either nimble typing or half-hearted stabs, we could tell every time if the key had traveled far enough to register a keystroke.

Tactile Pro gets high marks for its key switches, but its other features back up that success. Contoured key caps cradle your fingers, helping you stay centered. Each key is also etched with its extended characters, making it easy to use often-forgotten symbols. Two feet raise the back of the keyboard at an angle, although we prefer the default pitch. Three USB ports are useful for flash drives and other accessories even though Matias doesn’t officially support charging. Despite that, we were still able to charge an iPhone.

We only have one complaint. We wish the Caps Lock key would stay down when activated. It’s a small detail, but it would’ve provided excellent feedback in a keyboard that otherwise excels at feedback and accuracy.

Its sweet feel--and sound--make the Tactile Pro 3 one of our favorite keyboards ever.

Tactile Pro 3
COMPANY: Matias
CONTACT: www.matias.ca
PRICE: $149.95
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS X; USB port
Great feel keeps you connected to your typing. Symbols and special characters printed on keys. Built-in, three-port USB 2.0 hub. Includes Volume and Eject keys.
Clattering sound can overpower quiet rooms. Caps Lock lights but doesn’t stay down when activated.