VELOCIFIRE NK01 Mechanical Keyboard

I really like this numpad. For the price the functionality is awesome.Pros for me:+ I already use two other Bluetooth devices, so being 2.4GHz wireless makes sense for my setup.+ The switches are good for the price, obviously mechanical is the only way.+ I like that I have some extra keys to re-map if I choose to.+ The numpad looks good.Cons (gripes, really):- The angle is fixed...and sub par (I am building a custom wedge for the numpad)- The "." produces a "," in Fedora 25 Workstation. An easy fix for a Linux user, I know, but an extra step...could just be my setup, TBH.- IMO, too much key travel (I had some extra 0-rings, but could only use one layer. Otherwise missed keypresses).Other reviews:* Some reviewers note intermittent keypresses not registering. I have not had this happen. However, I work in an environment with little 2.4GHz useage and lots of insulating construction. At home we only rock 5GHz WiFi...2.4GHz WiFi singnals could be causing the interference other experience.* Another review remarked that the "-" and "+" keys are proprietary...that is a mis-statement. They are non standard, yes. Usually you get a full size "+" key, but this fits 22 keys in the space that a full size keyboard fits in 19. It's a compromise.My solution: blank key caps ;)Summary:* All-in-all this is great bang for the buck. If you are new to mechanical keyboards, this is a worthwhile addition; if you aren't you probably be sympathetic to my gripes-- but see them as a minor issue.+4.0 stars for features-0.5 stars for gripes+1.5 star for priceRating: 5 starsEDIT:* I failed to mention there is no built in storage for the wireless receiver...no bueno if you are travelling with this thing. See pictures for my temp solution to travelling with the receiver. It just add some size so I don't lose the receiver in the picture...not very elegant.* I opened up the case. For the DIYer, there is some room to possibly create a space for the wireless receiver.* Range on this is surprisingly good. I have tested the range from first to second floor, through a couple walls...just an observation.

Pros:Great battery life: I've been using this 3 months with occasional use as a student at my desk and I have one Harbor Freight AA battery (terrible batteries) in it and it hasn't died yet.Immediate wakeup: The keypad goes to sleep after a few minutes but as soon as you hit a key, it wakes up and registers the key press. Honestly, you wouldn't know it went to sleep except that the numlock LED turns off when it does. I thought it would need one wakeup key press but it doesn't. Use it as if it's always on. Awesome.Mechanical Keys: Yep, they're loud mechanical keys with that clicky feeling you obsess over.Dedicated Calculator Button: Works great on windows and it is so nice to have instead of going to the search bar and typing in "calc" it just takes one button press and you can continue with your work. Nice for quick calculations.Cons:Key quality: Keys have a decent amount of wobble and feel like cheap Chinese mechanical keys. I won't take off a star for this though because you get what you pay for and this baby is cheap! A PC gamer with a $100+ mechanical keyboard will immediately notice the "cheapness"; others may not notice.No Backlight: Would use way more battery and up the cost. Would be nice but I don't mind not having it. I only use it during the day for productivity and I don't live in my mother's basement (so I have a window).Whether you use it for hot keys, annoy your coworkers with the mechanical click-clack, or keep it around on a shelf so you can keep your desk looking clean with that sexy custom tenkeyless keyboard you've got with the RGB sitting in it's place of honor at your "battle-station", I won't judge.

Great keypad, switches work, and feel like the real deal. A very nice value. My only two gripes are that most of the top row keys don't work in MacOS, which I knew about going in. Karabiner, was able to easily remap most of the keys, the only one it couldn't, was the weird Windows calculator key (2nd button on the top row). Also, the nonstandard plus and minus keys made it impossible to use custom keycaps. Still, it's a very nice numpad for the price.Update: After 7 years this thing is still going strong. I don't use the top row keys at all anymore, so whatever, also the num lock indicator doesn't work anymore (if ever, I can't remember). The thing I love the most about this numpad is that it just always works. the battery life on it is nuts, it lasts for months if not more. I have no idea when I swapped the battery, I want to say about a year and a half ago? The battery in there is an ancient enloop battery, so that's saying a lot. I tend to forget about it and end up under stuff when crap accumulates on the desk. It would be cool if there were backlit or something to remind me that it exists. But I guess the battery life would take a huge hit if there were. (Added new photo, I have since painted it to machine my keyboard.)

It works as expected, however, the misses some keystrokes probably due to it being wireless. And my dongle is very close to the keypad. The additional backspace that is usually where the "-" key is was an annoyance at times if you're very used to a traditional 10-key, after getting used it though, I though it was a good addition.At the price point, its good value, but in practice, as someone who crunches numbers, the missing keystrokes is a big issue. It also uses a lot of battery.Next time, I'll be sure to purchase a wired numpad.