Drop ALT 65% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Hot-Swap, RGB, Aluminum Frame for Esports & Office

So far so good. I don't think it's value for money. High priced.The keyboard is great and is quite solid in terms of materials and for what it offers at this price point. The hotswap PCB allows you to test a multitude of switches, making this a great entry board if you plan on building one yourself sometime in the future and want to figure out what switch is for you. Be aware though, the PCB is plate mount, not PCB mount. If you get switches with the extra two legs on them (not the metal contact points) you'll need to snip them off with either clippers or a finger nail clipper (please use eye protection if you do so, the tiny legs are like bullets when you clip them).The LEDs are bright and the doubleshot PBT key caps do a pretty good job at letting the LED lights pass through them. The key caps being made out of PBT also increases their longevity due to it not wearing down and becoming shiny like ABS key caps. An example of this is looking at your laptop keyboard's spacebar and seeing how it's permanently shiny even if you try to wipe it away.The QMK configurator used to configure the keyboard's LEDs, keys, and key layers is available on Drop's website. There is a bit of a learning curve but once you start messing with it you'll learn how to set and use the layers, key profiles, and LED configuration. If you don't want to mess with the configurator, the pre-installed settings and LED colors/animations are pretty good as well.In terms of the key switches, I went with the Halo Clear switches which are heavier and a little hard to get used to at first. I found the description of the switch to be quite accurate. After awhile of using it, I got used to the heavier feel and actually enjoy it better than my other keyboard with a lighter actuation force.If you're looking to buy this be prepared to replace the left shift, spacebar, enter and backspace stabilizers because they rattle quite a lot. If you do plan on buying alternative stabilizers, I recommend you get the Cherry GMK plate mount stabilizers from NovelKeys. (plate mount is the only stabilizer that is compatible). You'll need to buy a 6.25u stabilizer and 3 of the 1u stabilizer which comes out to about only $8. This greatly reduces the rattly sound and creates a more pleasing typing experience.Pros:- Great quality aluminum chassis- Great key caps- Hotswap- LEDs are bright- Lots of customizability with QMK- Nice amount of pre-installed key switch options to choose from- Tools that allow you to take the board apart are included (key switch puller could be better though)Cons:- Plate mount PCB requiring permanent "damage" to switches that are PCB mount (cutting off the switch legs)- QMK configurator has a learning curve and can be confusing at times- Stabilizers will need to be replaced if you want your typing experience to be at its bestAll in all it's a great quality entry aluminum keyboard with minor issues. These issues can also be easily be fixed through Drop simplifying the UI and instructions of the QMK configurator or by you just swapping out the stabilizers.TL;DR: Great board if you want something premium feeling without having to wait for a group buy. Most of the issues can be boiled down to "user preference" besides the stabs. This is overall the best in-stock board out there, but if you don't mind waiting or having a poly-carb board maybe get something like the Kara/NK65/Portico instead.Overall the board is a good choice if you want something made of Aluminum that feels premium without having to wait on group buys. It has a nice, heavy, frame with a consistent finish that feels sturdy in the hands. The included keycaps are great but I did replace them as they are not my style. I also replaced the Halo Trues with Tangerine V2s. I really only bought the fully kitted out board so I could have some spare Halo trues around for when I Frankenstein switches together. Some people have complained about the board sounding hollow/pingy but I have not found that to be the case at all. I did add foam to the bottom just because I had some around, but I do not feel like that is necessary at all. It does have an integrated plate, which can make the typing experience "stiff" but I think that is going to boil down to individual preference. I personally think linear switches work really well with stiff boards, but with tactile switches it depends on the tactile bump of the switch. Since it' has a hotswap PCB it is super easy to swap around switches and see what works for you. On the topic of the PCB, it does have north facing LEDS meaning that cherry profile keycaps feel and sound slightly different. Overall the single worst part about the board is the included stabilizers, which you should replace or at least lube. The included stabs feel like the most bargain bin ones they could have included, to the point where that alone drops the quality down to a 4 for me. I do think this board should be sold at $150-$180 instead of the $250 MSRP. If it was regularly sold at $150 it would be a 4/5 value wise. I do think its more of a "premium" experience than some of the poly-carb budget boards that have been popping up(IE NK65 entry edition), but those boards are better values for what they are priced at. I would also say this is better than boards like the Tofu. Overall this is a great board if you want something now that feels/looks like a high end board , but if you are willing to wait maybe join a group buy instead due to the various problems this board has. If Drop ever makes a V2 of this board/makes a brand new board, they really need to include some decent screw in stabs and flip the pcb orientation.I was excited to get this pretty key board and chose two day shipping. That was a mistake as it sat in the sorting warehouse for a week before moving on (due to COVD-19 I'm guessing), ended up being 10 days for delivery. But that doesn't reflect on the keyboard in any way. My issues are with the quality vs price. I purchased the pre-built, Cherry MX Brown switches. This is a beautiful board, LED lighting patterns (only two default) are smooth and bright, however the lighting does not show well through the cheap feeling key caps which I would need to replace, costing another +$150 for quality key caps (if you can even find them to order these days). Second big issue is the horrible stabilizers that cannot be replaced with screw-in stabs due to the PCB not providing screw holes. Again, more money to replace these. Next, pinging - possibly a result of the metal board, but it's annoying to the point of distraction. Next, software - too complicated and not user friendly unless you are already a programming guru. All in all, I'm sad to return this since I was so excited to find it available on Amazon, but for me I think it a better option to do my own custom, hot swappable build with better quality parts. Unfortunately, the blank is now not available.High quality build that will certainly last longer than my parent's marriage. Premium feel, real boujee.Has some real weight and heft.This is deceptively a chonker and in the heavyweight class despite the cute size.Keycaps feel great and lots of QoL. You'll keep fingering it that's for sure.A con will be that it is very costly compared to competitors of similar quality. Ain't no messing with a broke mf. Alternatively, going custom on a similar budget may yield a more personalized feel of similar quality. But you pay what you get for.Best to get a braided cord as well for it as while it does come with it's own USB C cord, it's the standard vanilla kind. You might as well spend on one if you can afford this.Overall, great keyboard. Pricey. But real good.I can type URL's and work on spreadsheets in style and comfort.PS: Tested this on some sweaty Apex platinum lobby ranked games and least to say it's definitely a great keebs for gaming as well as working.Attached is a picture with a Corsair full 104 kb for comparison.This is a decent board out of the box. You're paying a premium for USB-C, RGB with good software, hotswap, and a very solid-feeling and looking frame. There's a chance you could do better for the price point, but those options are relatively hard to obtain, especially in Canada. If you want something like this *now*, this might be your best shot.Things aren't perfect: being able to see individual RGBs on the edge is honestly an eyesore (I turned mine off), stabilizers aren't great though better than the normal drop, and the case and Halo Clear switches are pretty pingy. That said, if you're buying this board, there's a good chance you are open to the idea of opening things up and getting a bit messy, and I give Drop credit for making this very easy to pull apart. After clipping/lubing the stabs, adding a bit of foam to the back of the case, and lubing the switch springs, things sound and feel fantastic and I can see myself using this for quite a while.TL;DR: 4/4 as-is, 5/5 product with some TLCThis is quite possibly the best keyboard on the market, hands down. And with good reason. At this price point, you expect nothing less than top-notch quality. It rivals custom mechanical keyboards that are far more expensive. The build is solid. It weighs a ton and feels great. Even the keycaps are better than the original ALT keyboard (low profile). However, to get the absolute most out of it, I strongly recommend flashing it with custom firmware using the profile creator on Massdrop's website. I've mapped custom media keys that make it a real dream to use.This is the last keyboard you'll every need. This Keyboard is a tank. The hotswappable feature is a huge bonus. The compact 65% design is nice for a clean desk look or for someone who likes having the arrow keys but doesn't want a TKL, the shortcuts for F keys etc. are easy; only problem is the stabilizers are awful... It does give me an excuse to waste an afternoon taking the keyboard apart and fixing them but I wish I didn't have to for the price... Would have been 5 stars if the stabs were even remotely good.