Which Keyboard to Choose: Wireless or Wired?

Introduction

Hello, as you know, our store has two types of keyboards: wired and wireless. And if you are choosing your first split, it would be logical to take a wireless one to get a minimalist setup on the table, but in fact, it’s not that simple, there are several important nuances that I want to talk about today, as well as compare the advantages and disadvantages of connecting both wired and wirelessly.

Connection

So, the first difference between a wired and wireless keyboard is, of course, the connection. A wired keyboard, for example, the K:03, connects exclusively via cable. All our keyboards have a type-c connector and can be connected via a type-c to type-a or type-c to type-c cable. The connection between the halves occurs exclusively via a type-c to type-c cable. A wireless keyboard, in turn, has the ability to connect to the device both via Bluetooth and via cable, but the connection between the halves occurs precisely via Bluetooth.

Software

Still, the main difference lies precisely in the firmware and software that you will use to customize your keyboard: wired keyboards use QMK firmware and the Vial program, and wireless ones use ZMK firmware and the online editor Keymap editor to configure the keyboard.

Vial vs Keymap editor

For wired keyboards, the setup is simplified as much as possible: You download Vial or customize the keyboard through the browser on the website vial.rocks, all changes occur in real time, after which you can immediately use the keyboard. To configure a wireless keyboard, you will need to take a few more additional steps:

• Create an account on Github and make a fork of our repository
• After completing the changes in the keymap editor, you will need to reflash the keyboard using the files that will be compiled automatically

There are not so many special differences in the functionality of these programs, the differences are more in the interface, and in my opinion, Vial will be easier to master for a beginner. There is also an analogue of Vial for wireless keyboards - ZMK Studio, but the program has the status of MVP (Minimal viable product) or, translating into English, raw with very limited functionality, since, according to the feedback from members of our community, no one uses it, we won’t talk about it much, we only hope that the developers will not abandon the project and bring it at least to the level of the Vial program.

QMK vs ZMK

Probably, some people are now wondering “Why is everything so complicated and not make QMK firmware for wireless, why is this ZMK needed at all?”. I won’t go into details, I’ll just say that the developers of the QMK firmware do not want to deal with the proprietary nature of Bluetooth and for this reason refuse to add wireless keyboards to their firmware. Because of this, in fact, the ZMK firmware appeared, in which the main emphasis is on supporting wireless keyboards.

Convenience

Wireless keyboards, due to the absence of wires, have more freedom when placed on your desk, and they are also more convenient to take with you and work anywhere. For example, our universal tenting system is more convenient to use with a wireless keyboard, because the connecting wire between the halves with a large tenting will not look very aesthetically pleasing or even interfere. Also, via Bluetooth, you can connect to several PCs and switch between them, while with a wired keyboard there is only one connection.

Stability

If your keyboard is always in the same place, then the wired version will save you from recharging the keyboard, and, in theory, its response is faster, which can give an advantage in games. I also want to note that with a large number of Bluetooth devices, interference can occur that affects the connection and performance of devices, but this is if we talk about a Bluetooth connection in general, regardless of our keyboards. In general, we and our clients have not noticed such problems, but it is still worth knowing, while with a wired connection the connection will always be stable regardless of the number of connected devices.

Cost

A wired keyboard is more affordable than a wireless one; this is primarily due to the components that are used for wireless connection. They cost 2-3 times more, hence the difference in price.

Which keyboard to choose?

Well, let’s summarize, which keyboard is right for you?

• For beginners, we recommend a wired split, such as K:03 or HPD: a numeric row, the presence of indicator lighting, displays on the K:03, as well as the easy-to-learn Vial program will be a great start to your journey into the world of ergonomic keyboards.
• For people who value a minimalist setup on their desktop, portability and compactness - we recommend, of course, our wireless keyboards: wireless Velvet v3 installed on the universal tenting system can be an ideal solution in terms of ergonomics and aesthetics, and the OP36 keyboard is so compact that it will become your best friend when traveling and other cases when you need to use a laptop while outside your workplace, however, be prepared for more complex customization of wireless devices.
• For people who only need a stationary keyboard for productive work, as reliable as possible and with a minimum of settings, we also recommend our wired keyboards: K:03, HPD, Imperial44 and Planeta

Article author: Evgeny Sin
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