[Pre-order] Epomaker GK96S

Really nice keyboard. Feels nice to type on and I love the southpaw layout.
My one complaint about it is the stabilizers on the backspace, enter, etc. all make the keys feel more mushy than the other regular sized keys. Probably going to mod those a bit.

Unfortunately i was a bit disappointed that the kickstarter wasn't more clear on the keycap options and i ended up with a full white keyboard which I didn't want. I've tried a couple times now to email epomaker and try to purchase the multicolored PBT caps to no luck. If I could get those caps I would be 100% satisfied.

I got the southpaw version (left handed) from the Kickstarter because I really wanted support this project, specifically I wanted to support and show interest for the southpaw version. I work in the games industry with 3D modeling, VFX, animation etc. And having the numpad to the left side with a programmable keyboard means I can keep my hand on the mouse more often, which means I can work faster. I can macro up the entire numpad for different programs it's simply awesome. And also since I spend all day in front of the computer working, this is a lot more ergonomic.
The build quality is great and I enjoy this a lot more than I thought I would, having bought and tried 5 different keyboards this year this comes out in the top.
So why only 4 stars and not 5 ? That's because it's not available in ISO layout. With all these great things I still might go back to my regular keyboard because of the layout, which is a shame on such a great product. my hope is that showing support and buying this might if it becomes popular enough a ISO version might be available and then I promise I will by one more =)
One small detail, it would be nice if the numpad had the arrows home/end pg up/down marked.
But with these small noes, this is an amazing keyboard. and if you don't mind the ANSI layout it's damn near perfect.

The build quality seems really good. All the parts and functions are working properly. It isn't light or flimsy; it's got heft to it. Could just be the battery, but still, it makes it feel sturdy. The stabilizers come pre-lubed, and honestly? They're not bad. They have some rattle, but I don't even think I want to mod them because they're good enough in stock form. The included keycaps are Epomaker's own unique profile, and the colors are similar to the popular Carbon keysets. The cross compatibility is nice; I can switch from my WIndows PC to my iPhone with no issues. Double-pressing FN keeps it in FN mode, so you won't have to hold the FN key while accessing layers (just press FN again to go back to normal).

My only gripes with it are that the white coating on the plate scratches VERY easily (same issue on my Geek GK61), and there isn't a lot of room between the wall of the plastic case and the switch to properly fit a switch puller along the outer edges. It's a little disheartening when swapping out switches and scraping the plate up, also struggling to get the puller wedged between the plastic case and the little tab on the switch itself. I'm using one of those cheap little pullers, but I will be trying a better quality puller soon.

I've been wanting a 96% board for a while, but the choices on the market were all either group buys, non-hotswap, or too expensive. I saw Switch & Click's review of a GK96 prototype and thought "Finally! A board that meets what I'm looking for!" I backed the Kickstarter last year, and now I've been using it for a couple weeks.

I installed Kailh BOX Pinks, NKxKailh Sherbets, and Hako Royal Trues. I ordered the white case with the intention of painting it, but I might just enjoy the board in stock form for a while. :)

I went through multiple keyboards in the last year, and so far there was no ideal keyboard for reasonable price until this one - Epomaker made it just right. The best keyboard. Period.