60% Mechanical Keyboard Thoughts - Obins, Anne Pro (Gateron, Brown Switch)
A Great Keyboard!... Just not the right one for me.
Original Review Date - 07/10/2017
I've seen nothing but this keyboard over on Reddit in /r/mechanicalkeyboards. So I caved and decided to try it out for myself. I can see why people really like this keyboard because it is a solid piece of equipment! It is built well, has a lot of cool features and is really compact. Just take a look at this comparison picture with what I would consider a compact keyboard (Drevo Calibur).
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| Obins Anne Pro vs Drevo Calibur |
Here is where the bad news comes in and my first con for this keyboard... It is too compact and limiting. One of the first things I noticed is that I use the arrow keys and the keys above them (insert, home, end, etc...) far too frequently. I use them very often to navigate around windows and with various other programs. To have those buried under a FN key combo takes too much time and requires too much workflow adjustment for me. I own two Drevo Calibur keyboards (The Outemu Blue switch version and the Outemu brown switch version) and I find them to be the perfect fit for me when it comes to size and usability.
I did not get to spend much time with the Obins Anne Pro because I caught myself switching back to the Drevo keyboard after getting frequently frustrated with the lack of dedicated keys for the arrows and functions above them. Therefore, I did not get to spend much time fully testing all of the features that the keyboard has to offer. I did test the Bluetooth connectivity and I did not have any problems using the builtin Bluetooth on my computer.
It is a bit hard for me to make a solid conclusion on the Anne Pro because of how little time I spent with it. On the same day I received it, I turned around and borrowed it to a friend who was very interested in the keyboard. I do believe that this is a good keyboard, but it is not the right one for me.
On a different note, this keyboard served as my first experience with any type of Gateron brand key switch. I had traditionally used Cherry MX switches with all of my keyboards until I tried some Kailh switches at work and the Outemu switches on the Drevo keyboards. I rate the Gateron brown switches as being good Cherry MX clones. I would love to provide more thoughts on the switches themselves but again, I did not really spend a large amount of time with them. Therefore, I am unable to fully compare them with their Cherry MX counterparts.
In conclusion, the Obins Anne pro will not be joining my mechanical keyboard collection. Although, that doesn't mean that it cannot join yours. If you are not a heavy user of the arrow keys or the keys above them, then this may end up being a fantastic option if you are interested in a high quality, compact and wireless mechanical keyboard.
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