News BoT
RSS Feed
Joined: 11 May 2006
Posts: 32637
 |
 Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 4:00 pm Post subject: Cougar Computex 2015 Booth Tour: $60 Hybrid Mechanical Keyb |
  |
|
<p align="center"> </p><p><p>Every time I go to a trade show I come back with at least one or two highlights that really impressed me. At this year's Computex one of my highlights was from a product category that usually I barely even follow: keyboards. I've been a strong advocate for mechanical keyboards ever since I got my first one a few years ago, but the obstacle I still face is that people aren't ready to fork out close to $100 for a keyboard. Hence I was very excited when Cougar showcased its upcoming 400K and 450K hybrid mechanical keyboards with the cheaper 400K version being priced at only $60. </p>
<p>What makes the 400K and 450K hybrid is the fact that the keys are ultimately membrane based, but have a mechanical-like feedback (I will save an in-depth analysis to E.). I played around with the 400K for a few minutes and I have to say I really liked the feeling of the key feedback was very close to a real mechanical keyboard, although we certainly need a longer time with the keyboard before drawing a final verdict.</p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p>The 450K differs from the 400K by offering 3-color backlight as well as support for Cougar UIX software for custom key mapping. With such a short testing time it's hard to say whether the 400K and 450K can truly replace a mechanical keyboard, but nevertheless Cougar at least offers a viable option to those whose budget can't afford a proper mechanical keyboard. The 400K and 450K will be available in the next two months and we are eagerly looking forward to getting one in for review.</p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p>Another interesting aspect of the 400K and 450K is the splash-proof design. Since there's a membrane between the key and PCB, the keyboard can stand a splash of liquid unlike most mechanical keyboards. That's useful specifically for Internet cafes and other public computers, but it's certainly a nice feature to have in home environment as well. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p>Moving on to power supplies, Cougar demonstrated its CMD Series with Digital Power feature. Basically the end-user can play around with the PSU voltages using Cougar's software, which is a niche feature but for overclockers and others who like to tinker with their systems it can be handy. Note that the software only allows ~5% changes as per Intel's guidelines as larger changes could potentially damage hardware in case the end-user isn't fully aware of his doings. </p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p>Cougar also announced a new mini-ITX case called QBX. The design is fairly neutral and stylish to my eye compared to some of the more enthusiast cases and it can fit a full size GPU for high detail gaming. </p>
<p><div>Gallery: Cougar Computex 2015 Booth Tour<div>      </div></div></p>
<p>Check out the gallery for more products. We will also have a review of the 600K mechanical keyboard and 600M gaming mouse out in a short while, so stay tuned!</p>
</p>
Read more...
Source: AnandTech
This channel features the latest computer hardware related articles. |
|
