6 Keyboards to improve productivity & gaming: Epomaker, Feker, CIDOO, KiiBoom, Kemove & Gamakay

[@IOSam]

Small correction ⚠: The GamaKay model I referenced as "LK97" in the video is, in fact, the LK67 (script error that I failed to catch in post 🤦‍♂).

[@leo-ub6nb]

IO Sam doesn’t upload often, but when he does, you know effort has been put into it.

[@IOSam]

Hehe... Thank you so much!!! And let me tell you that the effort required to review 6 keyboards in one single video is even bigger than I was expecting! 😂 But I think it was worth it (to put them all together) since they all fit nicely into the same context.

[@kemovekeyboard]

yes， I love seeing sam's Video

[@LearnHax]

Awesome video man!

[@IOSam]

Thank you my good Sir!!! 👊

[@domenicolordi206]

Another great video! Thanks for bringing to my attention the CIDOO TKL, very interesting. Looking forward for part 2 and 3!!

[@IOSam]

Thanks Domenico!!! Yeah, I love me some nice keyboards that don't cost an "arm and a leg"! The CIDOO definitely caught my attention as a super practical board that is a great value for the price! Part II coming in February... ⏳

[@dw8555]

As I've come to expect, this video was super informative, highly detailed and your opinions are always well thought-out and comprehensively explained. Thank you, Sam!

[@IOSam]

Thank you so much DW!!! Feedback like yours is what motivates me, as a content creator, to keep doing this work!! Highly appreciated!🙏

[@kemovekeyboard]

Been looking forward to your video for a long time, such an engaging video.

[@IOSam]

More to come!⏳

[@kemovekeyboard]

@@IOSam waiting you here.

[@ihtepiioji]

Yes officer, that video right here. That is illegally useful and shouldn’t be that easily available. On a serious note, thanks Sam for being the beacon for this community, amazing video!

[@IOSam]

😂 Thanks man!!! Your nice words are very much appreciated (and a nice incentive to keep making more videos)!!!

[@AureliusAmbross]

Happy new year Sam! Kudos for repping the lunar calendar 🧧 Great video as always- I like that you covered a good variety of brands and setups. Looking forward to the next parts!

[@IOSam]

Thank you!!! (Ms. I/O is Vietnamese, so the Lunar New Year celebrations are still ongoing around here... 🥳) Happy New Year to you as well my friend!! Part II is coming in February, but there will be other videos in between (2023 will be the year when I finally crank up the volume of videos around here! :), so stay tuned!

[@Tavadi]

I see IO Sam video, I click Like

[@IOSam]

And I say: Thank You!!! 😆🙏

[@zakutenakazumiya1516]

At 40:22. Curious how you access the ~ keys. I need a way to get an ñ when typing on some chats like Discord without a numpad(now using a 75%). 😅

[@IOSam]

Hey Zakutena! The way to place the tilde (or the "back quote") on top of a letter in Windows when using an ANSI keyboard, is to set “United States-International” as the default language for your keyboard (inside “Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Language” in Windows 10’s settings). You can have more than one language set for Windows, but for that you’ll have to change/chose the language you want to type in at any given moment in Windows’ taskbar. With “United States-International” as your chosen language, you can hit the tilde key on this Kemove K68 keyboard and then the letter you want, and Windows will place the tilde on top of the letter. On other keyboards it is a bit more complicated, since the tilde key is shared with the "back quote" symbol, which means you’d have to press SHIFT + tilde/back-quote key + desired letter to achieve the same result. And if you’re using a small form factor keyboard that doesn’t have the tilde/back-quote key (such as the example I showed in the video with the Portico68) it is even more difficult, since now you have to first use the Fn key, to switch from “Escape” to tilde/back-quote on the secondary layer, which means you’d have to press all these keys (in sequence) to achieve the same result: Fn + SHIFT + tilde/back-quote key + desired letter. But luckily for you, a 75% keyboard does have its own tilde/back-quote key, so you're not going to have to change layers with the Fn key to do that. Hope this helps!

[@jeffordchoy3797]

Another great video! A while ago,I have decided to buy the GMMK PRO and expected to be my endgame, but your video just came in clutch and it had me reconsider. So can you do a video of the qk75 in the future and talk about it. I would really appreciate it.

[@IOSam]

Hey Jefford! Happy to hear that man!! While I still don't have a sample of the QK75, I do have the QK65 (the video is coming sometime in the next couple of months). But I can tell you that QwertyKeys boards are obviously in a tier above the mass produced GMMK Pro and Keychron Q1. So, if you can pay the slightly bit more cash (and deal with the long group-buy/pre-ordering process), the QK75 will certainly bring you a nicer typing experience.

[@Yapnoah]

Hey man do you remeber me? As always a good video. keep up the great work!

[@IOSam]

Of course! Have seen you around the Glorious Model O 2 video 👍 Thanks again mate!!! Happy to see you back in the neighborhood!

[@Yapnoah]

@@IOSam I have seen the Glorious Model O 2 video and it was such a good video! You should make some more mouse reviews i think that could be good content for your channel. I hope to see more videos from you 🔥🔥

[@IOSam]

@@Yapnoah Thanks man! I really had a lot of fun producing the O 2 video! As for making more mouse reviews, yes… Mouse reviews will be a mainstay on this channel going forward, although I’m still working on the methodology, since I don’t think all new mice release would require the same level of coverage I put in the O 2 video (which was more like a 3 mice review packed into one). I also don’t plan (at least not in the near future) to cover every little niche brand mouse release, simply because there are too many of those on any given week, and I simply wouldn’t be able to catch up if I want to keep the minimum quality standard of my videos. So at least for now, I’ll be focusing mostly on bigger brand/model releases going forward and then try to include smaller ones as my mice review methodology improves. One thing I will do (that very few mice reviewers out there do) is to also focus on using mice for productivity (even those models focused mostly on gaming), since I find it relevant for myself (and possibly also to the more mature audience of my channel).

[@Yapnoah]

@@IOSam that sounds like a good plan man. I know you will be on of the top Tech reviewers out there in a couple years!

[@Ryan-nh1tl]

The modded epomaker spacebar was WILD

[@IOSam]

Haha... True! It became a thonky beast! I even thought about damping it by placing some foam inside the keycap, but then I decided I liked it that way 😂

[@albertko1]

An alternative fix for the issue for the long pole switch on the spacebar for the Kiiboom is to get long pole stabs if you want to definitely use certain keycaps without tilting issue. TX and Gateron both make long pole stabs to for this purpose.

[@IOSam]

Hey Malchior! Thanks for the tip!!! That is actually something I might need to look into, although I have used long stem pole switches (with regular Durock and C3 stabs) before in some custom builds without having this type of issue, but maybe the keycaps I used before (Cherry, ASA and KAT profile) had longer mounts... But I'm not sure though. As for TX, I have two sets (Rev 3) that I'll use in future projects, but I didn't check to see how they behave with the combination of switches and keycaps I have on hand. I'll definitely look into it! But I'll also look for these specialty long pole stabs to have on hand for another situation such as the one I faced with the KiiBoom board.

[@rafnogueira]

Wish you could review the Feker IK 75, The GK 75, and the Board Cstc75 that seems to be the exactly board from Epomaker Feker IK 75

[@IOSam]

Yeah, I indeed saw this same board sold under many different brands on Amazon. But I believe Epomaker is starting to move their new keyboard designs away from OEM software solutions and in the direction of VIA compatibility. So, I think they will start to fade out these current models who use these much inferior software interfaces. I'm about to get a new 65% from them that has both wireless connectivity AND VIA support. A 75% version shouldn't be too far behind...

[@rafnogueira]

@@IOSam I’m new to this hobby and I was searching for a 75% board for low budget, and there is so many brands selling the same board even the board leds indicators are in same places. I got so much confused on which one to buy

[@IOSam]

@@rafnogueira Usually if they look exactly the same, is because they are the same... :) The packaging might vary, but many of these boards come from the exact same factory. And to be fair to Feker, they do a very good job with their budget line in terms of build quality, accessories and packaging (as long as you can put up with their OEM barebones driver software). So, if you can grab one of these 75% with the Feker badge on it, it should be a safe bet.

[@rafnogueira]

@@IOSam thank you 🙏🏻, I will try the Feker ok 75. Some people on Reddit commented that I should not get epomaker I didn’t know why but I will try it

[@IOSam]

@@rafnogueira There is nothing wrong with Epomaker as a vendor. The reason why they got a bad rep on Reddit is because of a public fight Epomaker had with the manufacturer of one their boards, who was trying to sell the same board with a different brand in the western market, which created some sort of contractual dispute between them. And then people on Reddit did what people on Reddit do, and blew the whole thing out of proportion... 😂 But OEM disputes aside, Epomaker is a good vendor (at least on the customer side of the business) and I see no reason to avoid them as a retailer if they have the model you're looking for (for a good price).

[@m4nc1n1]

I love my Akko smokey clears PC caps, bu they are fingerprin magnets! I ceal them as much as my phone (little OCD with that stuff) so for me they are work lol

[@IOSam]

It's true... PC keycaps are indeed fingerprint magnets... :-/

[@m4nc1n1]

How much 105 do you put in your 205?

[@IOSam]

I do 50% / 50% of 105 oil and 205 Grade 2. This mix gives me exactly the same consitency of 205 Grade 0.

[@marounboumelhem3984]

Yes

[@indigochicken]

How are you liking the Model O 2?

[@IOSam]

I have been using it for months now (mostly for gaming), and it is holding up really well! But not gonna lie... I can't wait to see the new Model D 2 when it comes out! (My D Wireless is still my most used mouse for productivity)

[@indigochicken]

Thanks for this and the video! Happy 2023! Hopefully we do indeed as that is one of my favorites as well🙏

[@LittleMew133]

Nice intro

[@IOSam]

Thank you!! Still improving on the art of making nice, smooth, and concise video intros... But we're getting there! :)

[@CheetoGuyMan]

what happened to the bakeneko review

[@IOSam]

I'm suuuuper late... As usual! 😂 So, please accept my apologies! Besides, my Bakeneko review will be part of a more elaborate project (where I install Alps style switches in it), so it is taking even longer than my usual videos take to produce. But it will be worth the wait! ;)