QWERKYTOYSQwerkywriter Typewriter Inspired Retro Mechanical Wired & Wireless Keyboard with Tablet Stand

The media could not be loaded. These days, owning and using a manual typewriter is teetering on the brink of becoming the next "owning a record player to play vinyl records" niche sensation. In a digital age, making use of mostly mechanical, analog technology is a deliberate choice, but one that's fraught with much of the same baggage that caused us to abandon it in the first place. [To see what I mean, check out Scott Schad's nifty book, Typewriters for Writers (2014), where he lovingly describes the extraordinary lengths required just to do a small portion of the things even the most rudimentary text-centric software and apps can do with no manual intervention.]While the look and feel of a good manual typewriter is undeniably unique, properly maintaining and utilizing such a beast is probably well beyond those with just a casual interest. Enter the Qwerkytoys Qwerkywriter (Amazon, Official Website), which gives you much of the look and feel of a good manual typewriter, but with the benefits of the digital age. Paired with your computer or a good tablet and the right app, you can create an alternative writing environment that just might be the envy of even some of the more dedicated manual typewriter enthusiasts (although probably not Mr. Schad).A good, name brand mechanical keyboard - which anyone who spends any time typing should invest in - usually starts in the hundred dollar range and goes up from there. Even with those numbers in mind, the Qwerkywriter is pricey. And that price was lowered to $249.00. Of course, to be fair to the Qwerkywriter, it is a unique design, so it's not really surprising that it exceeds the price of most high-end mechanical keyboards, where it's probably easier to buy parts in quantity.The US keyboard layout model I'm reviewing features 83 keys, while the UK version has 84 (where the left shift key is instead two separate circular keys). Most of the keys are circular, while others, like BACKSPACE and ENTER, are rounded rectangles. These keys are beautifully crafted, although the space bar is unique among the keys and is neither as stylish nor feels quite as good when typing.A typewriter-style carriage return lever on the left side of the machine functions as a macro key, although, for enhanced authenticity, I just had mine duplicate the ENTER key's functionality.This is a Bluetooth-only device that supports just one profile at a time, so to use it with multiple devices you'll have to pair it again between device changes. The microUSB port is only for charging. Since there's no backlight, you'll get up to three months of battery life. Although it has automatic power saving, there's also a discrete on/off rocker switch.Towards the back, there's a generously-sized slot that should fit most tablets, like my Apple iPad Pro 9.7, or 2-in-1 computers, like my Microsoft Surface Pro 3, up to 5/8" in thickness. Of course, use of the slot is optional, and it's just as easy to use the Qwerkywriter with a desktop or other Bluetooth-enabled device. To the left and right of the slot are platen knobs, but sadly these are just for decoration and don't actually rotate (it would be cool to use them to move the cursor, similar to the dedicated cursor keys).Device dimensions are about 13" wide and 7" deep. Thanks to its aluminum construction and other mechanical parts, it weighs a solid 3 lbs. That heft helps with stability, and, like the Freewrite I reviewed earlier, helps with the overall feel versus a regular keyboard.I tried the Qwerkywriter with a variety of software and apps on my Surface Pro 3 and iPad Pro 9.7. It was on the latter that perhaps the most fun was had, using the popular Tom Hanks-driven Hanx Writer. Simulating the look, sounds, and yes, limitations of a typewriter on the iPad's screen paired perfectly with the authentic look and feel of the Qwerkywriter.Just like with the Freewrite before it, although not without its flaws, the Qwerkywriter is unique in the market and it services the purpose it was designed for well. You can have as little or as much of the "romantic" typewriter writing experience as you'll likely want, without all the hassle that goes into owning a real manual typewriter.Pluses:- Classy design- Good build quality- Great manual typewriter-like feel- Unique typing experienceMinuses:- Pricey- Only one Bluetooth profile, so need to resync each time you want to use a different device with it- Space bar is a bit disappointing, though even that is somewhat authentic- Platen knobs are just for decorationSummary:Although you probably won't want to use the Qwerkywriter as your daily driver keyboard, it's a great, if pricey way to create a unique manual typewriter-like writing environment while still maintaining the many advantages of today's digital world.

This is I think the 3rd 5-star review I've created.Mechanically this thing is apparently sound and it appears very well-made. In design and physical production it's really a beauty. The keys are loud; the switches themselves have a significant clickety, and the whole key bottoming-out in its housing produces its own separate clackety. In large part this latter is result of the metal construction of the box itself. I consider the clickety-clackety a good thing which remind me of the pleasure of my Royal typewriter, but consider it and whether it will work for you. Apparently the key switches are not "hot swappable," whatever that means for you mechanical keyboard-heads.It's high; you'll want a wrist-rest. It doesn't have to be the expensive-as one you see listed along with it; I'm using a piece of foam cut out from some package or another and it's Just Right.Paired with a couple of freshly downloaded Typewriter fonts from Dafont, it makes me want to write stuff despite having really not much of interest to say.

Really wonderful. I love the key feel, the clicky keys are fantastic, the sound makes me happy, easy to pair, feels solid and high quality and I seem to type much faster on this than a boring keyboard. It is the perfect blend of an old typewriter and new technology. I love it!

I first saw this gorgeous keyboard at Jack London's house, where it fit into the early 20th c. decor flawlessly. It was being used to leave a comment, perhaps, or just to let you pretend, for a moment, that you might have what it takes to be remembered as an author.It's metal, and fitted with plastic simulated-metal keys that make the perfect clackety sound, it's easy to pair, once you figure out where the button is in back (the instructions and website are really good), and it can be paired with up to 3 devices.I took mine into the apple store, cause my new iPad wouldn't connect to ANY keyboard (we sorted out the problem), and I was swarmed with admirers wanting to know where to get one. Because of the problem I was having with my iPad, I was in touch with customer service, and I was emailing with the guy who created it. I read it's a very small CA-based business, and it's been around for a minute, with strong customer service reviews, apparently well deserved.It's a solid, heavy-ish device, so you may want to splurge on the case Quirkywriter sells (currently out of stock), but it's not impossibly large or heavy to bring along, though you might get some looks at a cafe or library cause of the sound. I'm really happy I got it, even if it is a bit pricey, cause it just inspires me to really get into what I'm writing. Basically--it's a time warp.