Mechanical keyboard enthusiasts have a new toy to consider. Epomaker just released the RT98 in China, and it brings a weird but welcome design twist to the desktop. According to retail listings, the main draw of this 96% layout keyboard is its detachable numpad. You can slide it onto either the left or the right side of the main body.
This modular trick makes the board comfortable for righties and lefties alike. It is a smart way to clear up mouse space on your desk when you do not need to crunch numbers. There is another detachable part sitting in the top right corner. It is a tiny 1.14 inch color LCD screen shaped like an old school television set. The little screen connects magnetically using Pogo Pins to show the time, battery status, and custom animations.
Customization goes beyond just moving the numpad around. The board features a hot swappable PCB, meaning you can swap out the switches without a soldering iron. Epomaker sells the keyboard with either Cloud Jade switches or Sea Salt Silent switches. They capped the switches with thick PBT plastic keycaps in a Cherry profile, using dye sublimation to print the legends so they will not wear off over time.
Inside the ABS plastic case, Epomaker used a gasket mount setup. This means the board feels softer to type on. They added a flex cut circuit board and 5 separate layers of foam to dampen the sound. It sounds quiet and deep. On the performance front, the board runs at a 1000 Hz polling rate with a 2 millisecond delay when plugged in. Wireless users get a massive 8000 mAh battery that can last up to 45 days before needing a charge.
Right now, the board is only available in China. It sells for 699 Yuan, which is about 103 dollars. Given the modular features, it is a very competitive price for custom keyboard fans who want to try a southpaw layout without buying a whole new deck.
