(Image credit: Dell)
Transitioning from membrane keyboards has been a revelation for me. As someone prone to occasional clumsiness, I’ve had my fair share of mishaps, including recently bidding farewell to a beloved Logitech MX Keys Mini. Surprisingly, I’m not as disheartened as I thought I would be. Let me share why.
The Logitech MX Keys Mini, with its compact 75% form factor, had been my go-to membrane keyboard. It excelled in portability, effortlessly connecting across my desktop, Steam Deck OLED, and iPad Pro 2024 via Bluetooth. It was, until recently, the pinnacle of my typing experience.
Unfortunately, a recent incident rendered my trusty keyboard unusable, and I attribute its demise to an unfortunate accident—one that my clumsy tendencies often invite.
The Alienware Pro : The life saver
(Image credit: Future)
Handily, I had the Alienware Pro on standby. Dell’s mighty mechanical gaming keyboard may be expensive at $199/£199, but you get what you pay for with this premium product. When I reviewed it a couple of months ago, I praised its superb battery life, alluring RGB lighting and the fact it proved a blast to use for blowing away aliens in Doom Eternal — and this is coming from someone who does 99.9% of their gaming on Sony’s DualSense Edge controller.
Not only does the Alienware Pro feel super tactile to type on, I also love the fact it makes me feel like I’m writing on an old school typewriter.
In retrospect, I think I may have slightly underscored the Alienware Pro in my review. Back in April I awarded it 3.5/4. Now that the Pro has saved my bacon after that Irn-Bru incident, my affection for it has grown. Not only does it feel super tactile to type on, I also love the fact it makes me feel like I’m writing on an old school typewriter, such is the extended travel on the keys compared to Logitech’s teeny keyboard.
The Alienware Pro has also saved me from being forced to use a wired Microsoft board (which has been lying in the corner of my home office for a year) that looks like it was manufactured shortly after the human race invented the first wheel.
Its software is also probably the best I’ve ever used on a keyboard. The Alienware Command Center may sound like an institution where you go to serve hard prison time, yet despite the questionable moniker, it’s a fantastic app.
Command and Conquer
(Image credit: Dell)
A significant part of my enthusiasm for the Alienware Pro lies in its exceptional software, especially as a gamer who revels in RGB lighting. Dell’s keyboard has truly illuminated my setup this past week.
Using the Command Center, I have a myriad of dazzling options at my fingertips. I can seamlessly switch between 12 vibrant color presets, enhancing the experience further by selecting one of Alienware’s dynamic animation modes such as “Pulse”, “Breathing”, and my personal favorite, “Single Color Rain Drops.”
The Alienware Pro’s ability to maintain up to 72 hours of battery life with RGB enabled is a testament to its impressive endurance. Throughout the last seven days, I haven’t needed to recharge it even once, and its reliable 2.4GHz dongle has consistently maintained a strong connection—a crucial advantage for wireless peripherals.
Reflecting on this week-long journey, I’ve firmly transitioned from Team Membrane to Team Mechanical. The satisfying “clickety clack” of every key press on the Pro has won me over. Additionally, I’ve learned a valuable lesson: never again will I place a can of Irn-Bru within 10 feet of any piece of my technology.