Conclusion:

Regarding the looks of the CM Storm Quick Fire TK mechanical keyboard, I am very impressed. The red back-lighting looks great and the three different modes you can choose is very unique. I really like the Windows Key lock feature and that it remembers the previous state after a cold boot or after unplugging the keyboard. Never again will you be accidentally thrown back to the Windows desktop during your favorite game!

After using the keyboard for a week I felt the biggest challenge was with getting used to the unique implementation of the num pad. I definitely had some trouble with the Enter key on the num pad, and it seemed like whenever I hit the Enter key it wasn't active because the Num Lock was disabled. Plus, with the back-light turned on, the Enter key stayed lit even when it was not active; which was very confusing.



One of the only online stores that currently has the CM Storm Quick Fire TK keyboard in stock is Amazon.com. It is listed for $99.99 and it is only available with the Blue Cherry MX switches. Other mechanical keyboards are priced around the same range, but for casual users it is probably too much to pay. But, for gamers and heavy typers it should last far longer than a cheap membrane keyboard, and would definitely be worth the extra money.

In the end I give the CM Storm Quick Fire TK the Bigbruin.com "Recommended" award for being a great quality back-lit mechanical keyboard.



Pros:

» Windows lock key keeps you from exiting a game accidentally, and remembers last state
» Rubber feet keep keyboard in place
» Compact size, even with a numerical key pad included
» Back-lighting with 3 modes and 5 brightness levels

Cons:

» Numerical key pad area takes some time to get used to
» No software or macro keys

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