Today we’re gonna check out a numpad from NiZ, but also talk about numpads themselves,
and how they can be used in a desktop setup.
The greatest feature of mechanical keyboards is customisability, and being able to tailor
a setup that’s just right for you.
For many people, a full sized keyboard that has a dedicated numpad isn’t absolutely
100% necessary, because not everyone constantly uses it, and can get away with just using
the number row, or even having them on another layer.
And because of this, we can use smaller keyboards, like the very common tenkeyless keyboards,
or smaller like 75, 60, 40% etc.
Here I have the NiZ EC21-XLED electrostatic capacitive numpad from DigitEvil.com In one
of the previous videos I checked out one of their tenkeyless keyboards which is also electro
capacitive.
First of all, the design is very simple, which I appreciate.
It’s a clean rectangular design, with a chamfered edge all the way round.
The chamfered edge reveals a more glossy finish, but the rest of it is this quite textured
plastic finish that looks good, and doesn’t pick up fingerprints.
The keycaps are a classy white and grey, with a clean typeface.
And the legends look lasered on, so unfortunately they’re not dye subbed or anything.
They’re nice and thick 1.5mm keycaps, and like their keyboards, these are Cherry profile
keycaps, so they’re shorter than your standard OEM caps you see everywhere, which is a profile
I really like.
And this only comes in white, so while it does look nice, it may not match your setup.
On the bottom we have 4 flat rubber feet for non slip, and a large flip out foot which
is actually quite tall, giving it quite a bit of elevation.
All NiZ products are programmable, so we can remap the keys, set macros, and all that stuff,
which I didn’t cover in the last video with their keyboard.
This is a great feature to have on a numpad, like the Ducky Pocket I checked out a while
ago.
And this feature sets it apart from a standard numpad.
We can download their software, and this allows us to do a whole bunch of stuff.
And they also have a manual there.
There are 2 modes, which is office mode being the default, and custom mode.
And this is pretty standard fare when it comes to software like this.
We can set shortcuts, program a key to be any other key, open up programs, record macros,
have multimedia control.
We can even emulate the mouse functions.
It’s all pretty self explanatory, and you can make it pretty mcuh do what you want.
Being able to program different functions to an external numpad is a huge feature if
you have those requirements.
For example when using various work programs like a video editing program like Premiere
Pro, you can set a key to carry out a function which may be hidden in a drop down menu.
And this would be the same for all sorts of programs that involve such things like CAD,
music, and art programs, and the list goes on.
And of course games.
I mostly stick to FPS games, so I don’t personally really use macros and shortcuts,
so I wasn’t really able to test it out properly.
But you do see many gaming keyboards which will have a bunch of macro keys on the left
hand side, like the Corsair keyboards.
Obviously people find them useful, but I guess it depends on the games you play.
However its effectiveness is totally up to you.
You really do have to push yourself to get the best out of it, and that will take time
and effort to get used to pressing different buttons than what you’re already used to.
And that’s how it is with all different keyboard layouts, it takes time, but in the
end it can be beneficial.
One of the biggest advantages of using a smaller keyboard is that it gives us more space on
our desk.
So if desk space is at a premium, then it’s a no brainer to get a smaller keyboard.
And in giving us more space on the desk, it gives us more space for our mouse, and allows
us to bring our mouse closer to the centre for a more natural shoulder and arm position.
Having a separate numpad means that we can move it wherever we want on the desk.
We can have it completely out of the way.
We can have it on the other side of our mouse.
Or we can have it on the left side of our keyboard, amongst other places.
Probably the more common scenarios for moving the numpad, would be switching between gaming,
and work.
For gaming, that extra space for large mouse movements is valuable, and you do see many
gamers angle their keyboard for more space.
Like the other NiZ products, these are using electrostatic capacitive keyswitches, which
is the same technology as the famous Japanese Topre switches, so these are just clones.
The cool thing about these though, is that these have Cherry MX stems, so the keycaps
can be replaced, and these also come in this very light 35g weight.
I’ve gone in depth about these switches in the previous video, and also in others.
But basically these are not mechanical, but are using rubber domes.
However these are much better than the regular run of the mill membrane keyboard.
So we have the keycap which is on top of the plunger which we push down, just like a normal
switch.
And that depresses the rubber cup which has a conical spring inside.
And then that interacts with the capacitive sensor on the PCB which creates the actuation.
This creates a different experience in comparison to a typical mechanical switch.
It’s much like a rubber dome, where the tactile bump isn’t sharp and distinct, and
is towards the top, instead of the middle.
For more info on these switches, you can watch my previous video.
But yeh, I really love the feel of light capacitive switches.
They’re just so soft and relaxing to use, but most other people prefer heavier domes
to increase tactility, so it’s just personal preference.
And I guess I have to talk about the lighting, since it’s in the model name.
But it’s a fixed rainbow, which I never really like.
If you’re gonna have multi coloured lighting, it just has to be customisable RGB, otherwise,
you just stick with the 1 colour.
There are a few patterns and lighting effects you can do, but for pretty much 95% of the
time, I just kept the lights off, which you can do with FN and 2, making it much more
classy.
And finally, these are not cheap.
It is feature rich with the customisability, and does come with the electro capacitive
switches, which are more expensive than the traditional MX style switch.
And there’s just not that many capacitive numpads out there.
So overall, separate numpads are a versatile tool for your setup.
Again, it’s an option for your setup to be used in conjunction with your keyboard.
You can use it for various programs and use cases to improve efficiency.
The numpad itself looks nice and feels great when in use, but they are scratchy as clones
are.
The lighting is there, but I don’t think much of it.
If you’re gonna have mixed colours, it’s gotta be customisable RGB or a singular colour
at least.
So I just leave it off.
But also at the end of the day, it gives you an excuse to buy another cool input device.
Thanks to DigitEvil.com for providing this numpad, as well as their EC87 keyboard.