The Keyboard Rabbit Hole: How Derek Spent $600 to Save $0
Six keyboards in 18 months before finding the right one. Derek now has a three-question framework that would have saved $400 and 16 months.
The Six-Keyboard Timeline
Keyboard one: a well-reviewed 65% layout with Gateron Brown switches. Problem: no function row, which Derek uses constantly for Mac shortcuts. Keyboard two: a full-size 100% layout with Cherry Red switches. Problem: the numpad moved his mouse 4 inches to the right of his preferred position. Keyboard three through five: iterations on the theme of "what if I just tried something else." Keyboard six: the Keychron Q1 Pro, which Derek bought after articulating the three requirements he had implicitly failed against five times.
The Framework That Would Have Helped
Derek now evaluates keyboards with three questions before purchasing: Does the layout fit my desk without displacing other items? Does it connect wirelessly to avoid cable management disruption? Does the typing sound work in my shared environment? The Q1 Pro answered yes to all three. His previous keyboards answered no to at least one. He did not ask the questions explicitly until after failing five times. This is a solvable problem before purchase.
The Cost
Six keyboards: approximately $600 total between purchases, the eBay sales of keyboards he tried and returned, and the two keyboards he could not sell and donated. Net loss after reselling what he could: approximately $380. The lesson is not that mechanical keyboards are a bad investment — the Keychron Q1 Pro at $170 is a good investment by Derek's current evaluation. The lesson is that buying without a framework is more expensive than buying with one.
The Kyle Report
Kyle asked Derek what keyboard to buy. Derek sent him a three-question email. Kyle replied that he did not want to think about it that much. Kyle is using the keyboard he has been using since 2019. Derek has not mentioned it recently.