DocumentationDas Keyboard Model S Professional for Mac is a mechanical keyboard that is specifically designed to be used with Apple computers. It works with the Mac OS and comes with several Mac-specific features, such as the Option and Command keys along the bottom.
![]() Das Keyboard Mac Is AIt would have been nice to see double-shot molding, since laser etching can wear down over time. It comes with a detachable palm rest, and some very thick rubber feet on the bottom to keep it from sliding around.Justin Rubio + 2 moreOverall, the X50Q’s construction feels heavy and rugged, and the keycaps feel solid—there’s almost no wobble whatsoever—though they’re made of ABS plastic with laser-etched legends, which is a little disappointing at this price. The top panel is swappable and made from aluminum, with a few exposed Torx bolts around the edges and some sharp gamer-esque styling on the sides via an RGB light bar. The RGB lighting is impressively bright, and shines through the keycaps very evenly. They took a bit of getting used to at first, since they don’t have offer a loud, “clacky” typing experience I've discovered on lots of other mechanical keyboards, but I’ve actually come to really like the softer, quiter switches, and the lack of noise is sure to please coworkers and co-habitants.Apart from the standard full-size key layout, you also get two dedicated media keys (Play and Next Track), along with a volume knob and a brightness key for the backlight. They have a slightly shorter travel and actuation point, with a “bump” in the middle similar to Cherry MX Browns.They are from the same company that makes Logitech's Romer-G switches, and they look identical, so if you've used those they should feel familiar. Bulk email program for macOnce you create an account with Das, you’ll see two main panes: the Edit view, which allows you to adjust the backlighting, and Dashboard, which is where you can setup notifications.Backlight customization works much like any other RGB keyboard: You can select individual keys or groups of keys, assign them a color, and (if you so desire) give it a cool effect, like blinking or breathing. Das Keyboard X50Q – SoftwareThe X50Q’s cloud functionality all takes place within the Das Keyboard Q software for Windows, Mac, and Linux (Mac and Linux versions are currently in beta). It’s clear a lot of thought went into the design of this board (keycaps aside). The “Signal Center” is where the real action happens. During the boot process, it’ll just use a standard red backlight. The X50Q does not, unfortunately, have onboard memory, so your custom lighting profile will only appear after you’ve logged into Windows. The software comes with built-in color profiles for things like Photoshop and League of Legends as well, which you can customize to your liking. As a touch typer, I rarely look down at my keyboard, so a single key blinking didn't catch my attention very easily. In practice, I found these notifications cool, but not very useful. There’s a huge list of stuff you can do, and you can head to IFTTT.com or Zapier.com to set up even more custom automations using your favorite apps, devices, and services. For example, you can have your keyboard blink one key a certain color if your Nest Cam detects motion, or if a new YouTube video is released by your favorite channel. Pressing the “+” button brings up a new window which, once you’re logged in to IFTTT, will list a bunch of example notifications you can set up. The software also had a few small bugs and quirks, though Das has already assured me these are under review. But as it stands, the cloud connectivity—its most heavily advertised feature—feels a little lacking. Das tells me they’re “coming in the future.” The keyboard also has an open API, so other developers can theoretically do something useful with it soon. This would actually be pretty cool, but these features don’t currently exist in the software. I find it less useful for more urgent notifications, like text messages or breaking news, but depending on the urgency with which you need to know such things, you may find it convenient.IGN ReviewDas’ advertising also boasts other integrations, like monitoring CPU usage or tracking package deliveries using a “progress bar” across certain keys. That said, if you look down at your keyboard occasionally, this could be useful for certain types of notifications—like knowing if it’s going to rain tomorrow, or whether certain stocks have gone up or down during the day. The per-key RGB lighting is convenient, though, allowing you to create different profiles for each of your favorite titles and have them automatically activate when you start that game. Das Keyboard X50Q – GamingDespite being a “gaming” keyboard, the X50Q doesn’t have some gaming features you’d find on other boards—like the ability to create custom macros. If you have a bit of money to burn, you can probably justify the price for the build quality alone—I just wouldn’t buy it solely for its cloud-connected features quite yet. This was more noticeable than I expected, at least when compared side-by-side with other keyboards, and while I can’t say that it made me better at Titanfall overnight, I liked that the keys were quicker to actuate. The texture can be a little distracting during normal typing, but I liked them enough for gaming that I kept them on all the time.In addition, the Gamma Zulu switches are intended for gaming, with a slightly shorter travel distance (3.5mm vs 4.0mm on Cherry switches). It comes with grey, textured keycaps for W, A S, and D, which I enjoyed more than I thought—they’re incredibly helpful for finding your way back to “home position” when reaching for a faraway shortcut. That said, the X50Q’s “gaming” moniker is really more about hardware than software. Purchasing GuideThe Das Keyboard X50Q is launching today (9/6) with an MSRP of $199.99. They’re a bit farther away than some keyboards, but this does make them a bit easier to find by feel. There are only two media keys, but I didn’t find this to be much of a problem for everyday use, since Play and Next are the only keys I typically use anyway. The volume knob was also a welcome inclusion, though spacing around it is a little tight.
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