Meet My New Keyboard: The JAMESDONKEY RS2!

How Much Does it Cost?

That’s the astonishing thing, this keyboard is only hitting the market at $99 US. That’s insane value for money for what’s on offer here, and that simply cannot be beaten. Well, actually it can, because if you stop picking your nose for five seconds and go order soon, you can snag one for just $79… No, don’t throw your wallet at the screen, that’s not how this works. Check them out on the Mechkeys.com or at jamesdonkeylab.com; it’s available in Brown and Red switch variants. Money where my mouth is though, this keyboard is staying on my desk, I have a choice of hundreds of keyboards, and I’m keeping this one for sure. International shipping is calculated at the basket, but for the UK it seems to be $21.

Overview

This keyboard is a little bit unlike anything else that’s ever crossed my desk, and that’s mostly why I absolutely love it. I’ve seen hundreds of keyboards that are just like the last one, and while that’s no bad thing, it only makes the JAMESDONKEY RS2 stand out from the crowd even more than most. The design is really freaking awesome, with the mixture of two-tone beige and brown that tickles my inner love for all things Noctua and gives me a nostalgia kick from my old Packard Bell Windows 95 PC-owning days. Sure the design isn’t going to be for everyone, but it doesn’t need to be, this is something a bit different and that’s great.

The market is riddled with RGB rectangles that cost a bloody fortune. The overall quality of this keyboard far exceeds what I’ve ever seen in this price range. The new Gateron switches, the internal anti-dampening technologies, of which there are a fair few, the high-quality PBT keycaps, the durable chassis, and more… it all adds up to a premium quality keyboard. I think the typing experience is extremely similar to the best typing keyboard I’ve ever used, the Mountain Everest 60 and that’s high praise! However, the JAMESDONKEY RS2 is a quieter mechanical keyboard overall, so it has that advantage all to itself.

Trimming some keys and slimming it down is great, as I get a lot of the benefits of a TKL design. It’s smaller, a little lighter, takes up a bit less desktop space and is easier to fit into a backpack, should you need to. However, I haven’t actually lost the number, which is great, as I use mine extensively; I’m getting the best of both worlds here. The addition of no desktop software appeals to me too, as I can control the lighting, wireless modes, my media and the volume all from the keyboard itself, making it very user-friendly. I will mostly use mine in wired mode. However, the wireless dongle is great for when I’m testing another computer, as I can quickly deploy my keyboard anywhere in the office. Having Bluetooth on top of that is a welcome bonus too, although I doubt I’ll actually use it very often.

Should I Buy One?

I’ve had a few people take one look at this keyboard and tell me they want one. My son, my partner, heck even my 9-year-old daughter wants it. But alas, they can’t have it, it’s mine! The same goes for Mike, and the list goes on. It’s just so damn nice, it gets your attention with its unique look. However, once you lay fingers on it, you know it’s more than just aesthetics. For under $100, I doubt you’ll find a better-looking or better-made keyboard. If this is any indication of the quality of the rest of the JAMESDONKEY series of products, then I’m eager to see what else they can do!