Features of Leopold Keyboard
- Build Quality: Also highly praised for its quality, Leopold keyboards are built to be sturdy. Generally, they use decent materials—PBT plastic for the keycaps, which wears and shines much less compared to the considerably more common ABS keycaps.
- Key Switch Options: All Types of Cherry MX Switches: These keyboards have all the full flavors of Cherry MX switches, trusted, reliable, and with their own tactile feedback. These range from the Cherry MX Brown to the Cherry MX Blue.
- Design and Aesthetics: Generally, Leopold keyboards are closely associated with a minimalistic design and form factor, compact to save desktop space without functionality. The main features of the design are the keyboards, which are generally clean and understated, very suitable for professional environments.
- Sound Dampening: Many models are given with sound-dampening mats inside the case so as to have noiseless typing. It’s a feature that has been appreciated by many users who work in quiet office settings.
Popular Models
- FC660M: Compact 65% layout with arrow keys and a few nav keys; many people like this layout a lot since it allows a bit more than the basics, yet it is smaller than a TKL.
- FC750R: Tenkeyless keyboard with no number pad, but does have other keys. It is the most popular due to portability and saving space.
- FC980M: What makes this model different and interesting is the fact that it gives all of the keys of a full-size keyboard in a more condensed layout by just decreasing the space between the keys, and adopting its own version of the number pad and arrow keys layout.
1. FC660M Leopold Keyboard
Technically, the Leopold FC660M is a part of the 65% keyboard family. That means it has 65% of the keys one would normally find on a full-size keyboard. The bean-shaped design comes well-equipped with 66 keys that have embedded arrow keys and a few function keys that bring a few functions that are normally only available with a bigger keyboard without taking up too much space.
Key Features
- Compact Size: The FC660M is a compact-sized keyboard, a good addition for individuals preferring minimal designs or where setup space does not allow for larger desk spaces.
- High-Quality Keycaps: The keycaps on this keyboard are made of PBT with dye-sublimed legends, ensuring that the lettering does not fade away with use. The caps themselves resist the shining that occurs from oils on fingers.
- Cherry MX Switches: Equipping the Leopold Keyboard FC660M is a range of Cherry MX switches, including the tactile type and the clicky type, like the Brown, Red, and Blue, respectively. Which means these would give the user a better option to decide on the best one suitable for typing, depending on his or her preference toward noise tolerance.
- Sound Dampening: So, I think the FC660M is nowhere near as loud as most of its mechanical keyboard competitors. It uses a mat inside the case, which suppresses some noise. It’s an open office worker’s secret weapon.
- Detachable Cable: For example, it has a detachable USB cable, which allows portability of the device and hence makes it easier to manage the cable by itself.
Design and Build Quality
The Leopold Keyboard FC660M hosts an exoskeleton case that also has a slight keyboard inclination to it, catering to ergonomics. The keyboard doesn’t have much RGB lighting or any extensive programmable features, suiting the demeanor of the keyboard for focused core typing performance and durability.
Customization Options
The FC660M Keyboard may not be as convenient out of the box as some other enthusiast keyboards, but the unit can be modified for:
- Keycaps: The layout is standard, and you can easily replace your keycaps with a lot of the aftermarket sets that are made for Cherry MX stem-compatible caps.
- Switches: The switches are soldered, so generally that means changing them is a bit harder than it is on keyboards designed with hot-swappable sockets, but those are doable with soldering skills.
Ideal Use Cases
Ideal for writers, programmers, and similar users who want a top-quality typing experience without the distraction of extras, this keyboard will be due to its compact size and silent operation, which makes it a perfect fit to be used in shared spaces.
Conclusion
The Leopold FC660M is a cut above in practicality with its sturdy and reliable performance. It prevails as a favorite for many mechanical keyboard enthusiasts because of its compact, effective, and resilient design. If what you want is a top-notch compact keyboard which gets only the essentials done, then the FC660M is a great place to be. It really promises function and portability in one piece for use either at home, in the office, or on the go.
2. FC750R Leopold Keyboard
The FC750R from Leopold will be an actual tenkeyless keyboard, meaning that while it lacks the number pad, all other keys are present. It actually has this layout preference for a lot of people now, who increasingly don’t need the number pad and would actually like to save that space of more accessible, ergonomically effective reach for the mouse.
Key Features
- Build Quality: Leopold keyboards in general turn out to be amazingly built, and the FC750R is no less. Being rigidly framed and keycaps made of high-end polycarbonate, the FC750 can go on for a long time and go on to shine.
- Cherry MX Switch Options: Examples of these kinds include the tactile MX Browns, the linear MX Reds, with a clicky MX Blues. The variety explains in depth how the various cherry MX switches on the board could be used in conjunction with the user’s typing style and possibly their preference of sound.
- Sound Dampening: Also added to this version of the FC750R is a sound dampening mat inside the casing of the keyboard to reduce the noise of key presses. It’s, therefore, a pretty good one for office use in shared environments where light noise reduction seems to be the order of the day.
- Keycap Quality: The keycaps are also dye-sublimated PBT on the FC750R, and this is, again, thicker and much more durable than the common ABS. This guarantees that the feel of the key presses and the cleanliness of the keycaps is apparent over time, with no kind of shine.
- Detachable Cable: It has a detachable cable, so it becomes easier to store it, and also becomes easily carried. Also, in case of an incident that might result in the damage of the cable, it can be easily replaced with another one.
Design and Aesthetics
The Leopold FC750R has very clean, minimal aesthetics and avoids over-branding. The design comes with a variety of color options that one can choose according to either personal or office décor. It’s functional with ergonomic design and a slight angle, allowing comfortable typing and quite a bit of ergonomic adjustment, although that is accomplished with flip-out feet at the back.
Customization Options
Although limiting compared to most of the DIY mechanical keyboards we have out here, the FC750R is quite flexible overall.
- Keycaps: Thus, the keycap layout on FC750R supports the standard Cherry MX stem in compatibility, allowing users to easily have an assortment of keycaps in other colors and materials.
- Switches: The individual switches are soldered to the keyboard, making their replacement less convenient and therefore one that needs soldering skills. Although this is technically doable, it’s for the really passionate folks who want to tune their typing experience down to the smallest detail.
Ideal Use Cases
With such a keyboard, the target market is writing professionals, programmers, data entry workers, and many other professionals who have to spend a considerable amount of time working at their keyboards. The compact form factor, dependability, and large keypads also make it ideal for gaming and most other computer uses where space is an issue.
Conclusion
The Leopold FC750R is considered one of the best tenkeyless class mechanical keyboards in terms of build quality, key quality, and a classic design. It appeals to a user who seriously wants a typing- and/or gaming-efficient keyboard, except for those bitten by flashy-feature bugaboos. If you want a more clean, practical keyboard for intense typing or gaming, these features combined in the FC750R should make this your pick.
3. FC980M Leopold Keyboard
The Leopold FC980M can be described as a compact full-size keyboard. Actually, it has a layout that is full, almost, of the number pad and almost all functionality found in a traditional 104-key keyboard. This model has proved to be really popular among people who certainly need a number pad and function keys while, at the same time, wanting to save on space.
Key Features
- Compact Full-Size Layout: The FC980M is a rare feat in layouts as the full number pad is included, and it reduces the space between navigation and alphanumeric blocks. This shrinks the keyboard’s dimension but leaves it with full functionality in a regular layout.
- High-Quality Keycaps: The keycaps are made of durable PBT and the legends on them are dye-sublimated, not printed on, but dyed directly onto the keycaps. This process keeps the keycaps lasting longer, prevents them from wearing out, and retains a non-shiny appearance over time.
- Cherry MX Switches: Available with a variety of Cherry MX switches, such as MX Brown, MX Blue, and MX Red. This choice allows any user to select the perfect switch type that matches their typing preference and noise tolerance.
- Sound Dampening: The FC980M comes with a built-in sound-damping mat that wraps around it, which brings typing noise down to a minimum and, as a result, is ideal for silent office environments.
- Build Quality:Quality in Leopold follows up rather well with the FC980M; it’s a great-feeling case, good and strong, designed to not flex or creak.
Design and Aesthetics
The Leopold Keyboard FC980M is a very simply designed professional piece, without much branding. It comes in a plurality of colors, befitting someone’s favourite personal colour or office aesthetic. The layout and size of the keyboard are simply ideal for both spacious and constrained workspaces.
Customization Options
While this doesn’t bring the FC980M to the same extent of flexibility customization-wise as most of the modular or enthusiast keyboards, it does help:
- Keycaps: As the individual keys are following a layout that is mostly standard, even the keycaps are easily replaceable by one of many custom keycap sets. In addition, since the key switches are Cherry MX stems, the aftermarket keycap sets should fit without problems.
- Switches: The problem with the switches is that they are soldered, so switching them out requires some level of soldering skills. In a way, this means they can be personalized by anyone who is comfortable with a soldering iron who wants to have a go at DIY.
Ideal Use Cases
The Leopold Keyboard FC980M, compact and lightweight, is the best choice for those who use a number pad frequently but can’t stand the size of a full-sized keyboard. This should work really great with professionals like accountants, data analysts, and others who depend quite highly on numerical data entry. In addition, it is compactly laid out, is quiet, and blends into the smaller home offices or shared offices.
Conclusion
The Leopold FC980M is an exceptionally practical keyboard that actually fills the role between a tenkeyless and a full-size keyboard. This keyboard offers the best of both worlds, with full numeric keypad functionality but without the usual spatial demands of a full-size design. This is the keyboard to have when you are looking for something that is tough, performs well in your everyday use typing tool, and compact. The FC980M, as it sits on your desk, is a very compelling alternative that is married to functionality and space efficiency, be it for professional use at work, gaming, or general use.
Frequently Asked Questions about Leopold Keyboards
What types of switches are available with Leopold keyboards?
Leopold keyboards come in models and have the multiple Cherry MX switches—Red, Brown, and Blue. The user can select any of these switches based on their typing style and sound preference.
Are Leopold keyboards good for gaming?
Absolutely, Leopold keyboards are excellent for gaming. They have high-quality Cherry MX switches that are almost synonymous with reliability and responsiveness. They might not be infused with all the lighting elements and macro keys that a majority of gaming keyboards have, but this respect of gamers’ sensibilities—that a sterile environment leads to maximum performance with prolonged life—is appreciated.
Can I customize my Leopold keyboard?
On the other hand, although Leopold keyboards cannot be customized to the extent of the enthusiast models, keycap customizations are still available, as they are standard-layout keyboards with Cherry MX-compatible stems. Switch modifications are also possible, but such a thing would require soldering skills.
Do Leopold keyboards come with a warranty?
Yes, Leopold keyboards generally come with a one-year warranty for labor and material. Warranty terms may vary by retailer or some regional obligations, so we advise contacting the place where the keyboard was purchased.
What is the difference between the FC660M, FC750R, and FC980M models?
- FC660M: The 65% compact layout includes arrow keys and just a few extra navigation keys. It really is a good size for users who feel they need a little more functionality than a 60% keyboard but far less than a TKL layout.
- FC750R: It is a tenkeyless (TKL) layout without a numeric keypad but containing all the rest of the essentials, making it compact and portable.
- FC980M: This special layout remains compact while including a full-size number pad, with a minimized gap between navigation and alphanumeric blocks, in an attempt to bring the best of both worlds to full-sized and TKL keyboards.
How do I clean my Leopold keyboard?
To clean your Leopold keyboard:
- Unplug it and remove the keycaps.
- Use a can of compressed air to blow out debris underneath the keys and wash the keycaps with warm soapy water.
- Let the keycaps air dry completely before reattaching them.
- The surface of the keyboard shall be wiped off with a moistened soft cloth.
Where can I buy Leopold keyboards?
Leopold keyboards are sold through and marketed by numerous electronics and computer hardware manufacturers at online shops and retail stores. They are also carried on major online portals like Amazon. It is best to buy from authorized sellers to be able to validate their purchase and receive valid warranty support.
