INTRODUCTION

   Different types of consumers have different needs and although that's normal and certainly not something new i think that it's far more evident in the electronics industry in general. Of course the same applies for consumers in the PC market and so although gamers tend to place looks and features above durability/build quality when out to get new peripherals like mechanical keyboards the exact opposite stands true for professionals and in some cases even enthusiasts. For good or bad most keyboard manufacturers have shifted their focus towards the design and release of gaming oriented feature-rich models (the gaming industry does seem to be more profitable in this segment of the market) which may not be the best choice for people who are after superior build quality. Mionix has released several durable products over the years aimed at both gamers and professionals alike and today finally on our test bed we have their Wei Mechanical Keyboard.

   Mionix is based in Malmo, Sweden and creates high quality, well designed gaming hardware products. Mionix is a company with ridiculous ambitions that is set on changing the desk experience. For billions of people the peripherals on our desk are either toned in black plastic or grey aluminums. Our soul mission is to make the desk a fresh place.

   Unlike most mechanical keyboards currently in the market Mionix chose a more "simple" path for their Wei model and so at first glance it almost feels like we're seeing an IBM keyboard taken right from the mid 80's (coiled cord anyone?). Was that Mionix's goal when they were designing the Wei? We really can't say but we do think that because of that the Wei will be far more appealing to professionals and consumers in general who also happened to use a keyboard back then. Of course features like programmable keys (macro commands included), N-Key rollover, full anti-ghosting, 1000Hz polling rate, on-board memory (for storing of profiles), dedicated media keys, RGB lighting (4 modes with 3 brightness levels) and per-key illumination are present but it's thanks to the combination of Cherry MX Red Mechanical Switches, top aluminum plate and a solid rubber base that the Wei stands out from similar keyboards in terms of build quality.