We’re not entirely sure who’s the target audience for the Qwerkywriter. Is it the older generations who grew up on the mechanical typing device? Is it the newer ones who have never had to use a typewriter in their lives? Whichever the case, this quirky-looking keyboard is an aesthetic throwback to the mechanical typewriters of old
Designed to look like vintage typewriters, this wireless keyboard is fitted with keycaps that look straight out of your grandma’s Underwood and Olivetti typewriters, complete with a carriage return and a pair of knobs on either side. No, the knobs aren’t there for moving paper in and out of the keyboard (this is not a real typewriter), but it does serve a more contemporary electronic purpose.
The Qwerkywriter has a 75 percent layout, so it has a pretty compact profile, with keycaps that look straight out of an office typewriter straight out of the 1960s. Under the keycaps, though, sit Cherry MX mechanical switches, so you get the tactile and clicky typing experience with that satisfying sound letting you know as soon as every keypress successfully registers, making it a really good combination of a modern keyboard and retro aesthetics.
Beyond the keycaps, what really sells the typewriter aesthetic is the addition of a carriage return, which, on typewriters of old, will move the paper one line up, so you can start typing on a new line. In this keyboard, it performs the same function as the Enter key, basically, letting you start a new line. It is programmable, though, so you can use it for any specialty functions you can think of. There are also a pair of scrolls wheels on either side of the keyboard just like old typewriters, which, in this device, are used to control PC volume and onscreen scrolling. No word on whether they’re programmable, but that will be absolutely useful if they are.
The Qwerkywriter has an integrated stand at the top, so you can use it to hold your tablet or phone if you want to type on them, with the stand able to accommodate even larger 13-inch tablets, so long as they’re no more than 0.62 inches thick. It has built-in Bluetooth for wirelessly pairing with any compatible device, as well as a USB-C slot if you’d rather use a wired connection,. The keyboard supports Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, by the way, so it should work with most PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Dimensions are 13 x 7 x 2.5 inches (width x depth x thickness), so it makes for quite the compact addition to any desk, with a weight of just under three pounds. Other features include a rechargeable battery (rated up to four weeks of use between charges), a durable aluminum chassis, and a selection of classic colorways resembling those of traditional typewriters. They also a similarly-styled number pad separately, in case you need that for your regular workday.
The Qwerkywriter is available now, priced starting at $199.99.