My family is built different. Mom and Dad could have asked for anything remotely useful like utensils on their wedding registry, but instead, they asked for a Commodore 64. And the moment I hit five years old, I got it as a hand-me-down in my bedroom.
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I could go into what I learnt about cheating games by fast-forwarding the cassette tapes, or how it was a brutal lesson in programming language for a kid that young, but it was the first time I got to experience (and love) that keyboard. The clacky tactility of every switch, the angle for ergonomic typing, that beige plastic that is unmistakably retro. At that age, I was typing complete gibberish, but I loved every moment.
And now, I’ve been reliving that same rush with the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard - C64 Edition. Over the past year, it’s become my favorite board to type on, and I don’t care how much my colleagues hate the noise of typing on it!
It’s a beauty
I mean can we just stop for a second to appreciate how good this looks? I’m a sucker for two design traits in tech: transparency or retro, and this nails the latter perfectly. From the classic warm grey and brown plastic combo to the utilitarian typeface on the keys itself, and that gorgeous rainbow logo with the serif font up top, it all looks absolutely beautiful.
Out of all my keyboards, this is the one that gets the most adoring looks — taking people back to a better time of computing simplicity. Does it stick out like a sore thumb amongst modern technology? Absolutely, and I’m considering a sleeper build in an old family PC case to get away from that. But ultimately, there’s a feeling of coming home that makes me have a soft spot for this board.
And then, I get to typing.
The old ways are best (and worst for your colleagues)
If there’s one thing I miss in a lot of mechanical keyboards nowadays, it’s a much more strongly-defined key dish. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely still there and my finger pads fall into them gracefully, but my old Commodore keycaps felt like you were dipping your pointers in tiny bowls.
And that clackiness. I’ve become accustomed to the warm, quiet thock of red switches over the years, but moving to the Kalih Box White Switches with the tall keycaps you find in the 8BitDo Retro took my mind way back to those plunger-style switches of the 64 that felt like you were on a typewriter. Everything just feels more mechanical.
However, while you will love them, I will admit that your colleagues will be slowly driven insane by the sound. I love it, but it can sound like popcorn in a microwave when you’re typing at speed. Either keep it for home use, or bring it into the office if you want to get passive aggressive.
Hit the panic button!
Let’s turn our attention to that joystick and buttons. I remember firing up Paper Boy on the regular with the Commodore’s joystick, but it serves an altogether different purpose here. These are basically stylish programmable keys, and they’re amazing for cutting corners in your workload.
For me, I’ve got the Dual Super Buttons programmed for copy and paste, and the four directions of that joystick for adjusting volume of the music I’m listening to and skipping tracks. But there’s been other situations where I’ve reprogrammed that joystick for key functions in Chrome, Photoshop, even Final Cut Pro.
Just set the device to record with that button at the top of the board, type it in and map it. It’s super easy to use and is a massive time saver.
Caught me in the retro feels
Most recently, I’m finding myself going back with my gadgets — modding and using my iPod over the iPhone for example. 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard is the best of both worlds in that it’s modern in its capabilities while also remaining impressively authentic to that Commodore 64 feel.
Provided you have no gaming purposes and have home use in mind for this (or you really want to troll your coworkers with those switch sounds), this is simply a must-buy from a keyboard aficionado like myself. One year later, it’s still the GOAT in my eyes.
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