The world of keyboards is facing two new currents. The wave of making them designed and special for the needs of gaming has been coming for years, which ask for good response times, and many RGB colors. Then there is the popularization of new keyboard shape formats, TKL being the most popular, to make users have a little more space on their desks because they eliminate the number pad.
The Trust Callaz TKL keyboard is an example of tackling these two waves. Both complement each other very well for a simple reason: a more compact keyboard allows more space to maneuver the mouse in a demanding game.
Although TKL is not a feature or a unique need for gamers. Office workers, students and anyone who simply wants a little more space on their desk, a very limited resource; going to appreciate the more compact keyboards. Although there are models of 60% or even 40% that reduce the keyboard to its minimum, for now it seems that the TKL model is the one that is going to be established the most by offering the least drastic leap from the traditional keyboard format. The rest of the reduced keyboards will only be for those who are really demanding and in need of space.
We thank Trust for sending us the product for review.
Trust Callaz TKL Keyboard Unboxing
The front side, the one we would see in the store; of the Trust Callaz TKL keyboard. You see the usual design of Trust products. It is possible to confuse it with a full keyboard, since the TKL label is quite small, this being a determining factor and so important.
On the opposite side you can see the usual features of the keyboard, which we list below in its corresponding section.
The packaging of the Trust Callaz TKL couldn't be simpler. Outside of the manuals and warranty, there's only the keyboard itself wrapped in protective semi-padded plastic. It has the connection cable separated from the main keyboard so that the USB connector does not suffer impacts during transport and handling of the case.
in the box too comes the anchor to comfortably remove the keys of the keyboard without hurting our hands. It is an addition that few make, and that we do not understand why it is done more, since cleaning the keyboard and the keys individually is essential, at least for table hygiene.
Callaz TKL Trust Design
We remove the protective plastic and we can now better appreciate the Trust Callaz TKL keyboard. We see the shine cast by the finish of the keys and the metal plate that makes up the upper body of the keyboard. They are not glitter that will bother a lot, but it is possible that depending on where the keyboard is placed and the brightness of the screen itself.
We will notice the reflection of the keys if we do not go to pages with dark mode. The letters may not look good in a bit extreme cases, but there is RGB backlighting with colors for that.
The back of the Trust Callaz TKL keyboard. The bottom plastic plate is noticeably textured, which doesn't help much.
The risers for ergonomics, if we like to have the keyboard in a raised position.
As we look at the details, we appreciate that the risers have their own anti-slip rubbers, although of a small size that does not cover the entire surface.
Each of the corners of the Trust Callaz TKL has its non-slip rubbers. They're not particularly thick, but they do the job.
Specifications
Below we list the Trust Callaz TKL keyboard features that appear on your web page.
- TKL form factor
- mechanical keys
- 35mm height
- 367 mm long
- 137mm wide
- 659g weight
- QWERTY layout
- 87 total keys
- Outemu Switch Red Linear Keys
- 12 multimedia keys via function button
- 50.000.000 keystrokes duration.
- Anti-Ghosting
- 8 ms response time
- 4mm key travel distance
- 47 g required for keystroke
- Game Mode Pilots, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock
- Connection via USB 2.0
- 180cm long cord
- RGB backlit keys
- Compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Chrome OS
- 2 year warranty
To check the key switches, we have prudently removed the directional keys on the right. In effect, they are the Oetemu Red switches.
By their very nature, Owetemu Red switches are focused on gaming. They have a slightly lighter actuation than average, little travel and are by nature quiet. But that does not make the pulsations silent. A mechanical keyboard is going to sound as loud as we push it, and this keyboard is no exception.
We have tested the RGB capabilities of the Trust Callaz TKL keyboard. This keyboard's approach to key backlighting, a field in which all manufacturers are fighting very fiercely, is that of a rainbow of colors with one row showing a different color.
Color effects are not lacking, as there are twenty of them. There is even a reactive mode that generates light waves inside the keyboard that becomes useful to know if the keyboard receives the keystrokes. But we notice that the lack of customization makes its RGB features seem a bit insufficient for those who have tried customization, even if instead of a color fan, the rainbow flows or you can use solid colors.
We like to put RGB on keyboards or any backlighting, but we think you can do more than just put fixed colors.
By turning off the lights, you can better appreciate the luminance of the keys in less favorable light conditions. They all manage to stand out and be lit enough to be able to write correctly in low light conditions. It is a utility that many people do not give to RGB, which in the end is backlighting, and depending on which device, backlighting can help a lot.
Trust Callaz TKL Keyboard Photo Gallery
Is it worth upgrading to a TKL keyboard?
TKL (Ten Key Less) form factor keyboards are entering mainly for the market more focused on domestic and professional gaming. Games rarely ask to use numpad keys because the standard for the position of the hand is the WASD and the one on the right is the mouse, if you are right-handed. The number pad is getting relegated to be used only for office workers who work a lot filling in forms with numerical entries
It is for this audience that a TKL keyboard can feel like an aberration of nature, and we understand it. Computers were originally made to fill in numerous sheets of data quickly and efficiently, to make calculations and complicated economic operations... They were not used to play, although it took a few years since their creation to be used for it.
Technology advances and its peripherals and others must adapt to the needs of users. TKL keyboards offer users to detach from the number pad to save space on the table. It seems little, but at increasingly cumbersome tables where we practically live a large part of our lives, additional space to operate is appreciated. Removing the number pad gives more space for the mouse, whether we are right-handed or left-handed, to have a larger area for it, especially if we are right-handed. If you are very annoyed by the clicks of the mouse in a gaming session or simply surfing the internet or working, switching to a TKL keyboard is almost mandatory.
They also make the keyboard much easier to carry around thanks to their lighter weight and size. It is easier to carry it in a normal backpack next to a laptop or mini PC. Even a shoulder bag can fit an entire keyboard, thanks to something as simple as not having a number pad. That it turns out that you eat in front of the computer for privacy or for comfort to watch videos or series? You can more easily store a Trust Callaz TKL keyboard under the monitor.
Switching to the TKL format costs, but it is very grateful.
The big inconvenience it lends is getting used to the new layout. We are going to lose many buttons to save space. If we have any habit with the numeric keyboard apart from entering numbers in forms or Excel, such as using the Enter button, then we will notice it during the first days or months. In the end, then the only drawback is remembering to use the traditional number buttons that have always been above the letters on the keyboard.
It's all a matter of getting used to. but we understand that the TKL form factor of a keyboard can be a drastic change for many and not worth it. But if you value space, one of these keyboards is perfect to start reducing the size of your keyboard.
Do gaming features matter much?
It should be understood that the term "gaming" encompasses an approach to the qualities that are expected of used products in order to offer great performance in certain situations. In this case, they are expected to have low latency, since the difference of a few milliseconds in highly competitive games can be crucial when it comes to recording decisions and movements. There is the fact that actions are not overwritten, with the so-called anti-ghosting.
It should be said that it does not mean that without them you will not be able to play well, but that the products are made for day-to-day use and also for playing video games efficiently. If we are not professional players, we will not notice much difference, so expecting that only buying the best products is a very common mistake. It is true that the equipment must have a minimum, and it can help you to have better results if they work correctly, but it is more because of the desire to improve and show the best of oneself in the games that help to have better results. but having a keyboard with less latency and great endurance helps a lot and is a great tool.
Even in the home office a gaming keyboard helps a lot. The colors can help take away the visual dullness of a traditional office keyboard, and in the end, it's a keyboard that works efficiently and quickly. Gaming keyboards are characterized by having great resistance and being fast to press, so when I am writing this article with the Trust Callaz keyboard, typing what you have in your head on a keyboard that is easy and fast to press feels like cheating.
We insist that the features focused on gaming, as long as they are well done, as is the case with this keyboard. Responsive, easy-to-press, and sturdy keys are much loved in the gaming world, but perfectly anyone can appreciate them.
The RGB, if you put it, put it right
The theme of RGB on keyboards, we understand that it is something very superficial. Some say that they raise the price and so on, but it is an addition that many times you think is not important, but if you start playing it, you tinker with it until you have your favorite configuration. Well, it seems to us that backlighting on the keys is a must on any keyboard. Be it white or colored light, and it must be done well.
As keyboards become more advanced with their features, RGB evolves with it. Manufacturers compete with offering effects and even customization of the backlight. Whether it's to give it a personal touch for our brand image if our keyboard is seen in streaming or videos, mark the most important keys with individual lighting, or because we simply want to use our favorite colors.
RGB is not essential in a keyboard, but when you have one from a certain range, many more options are expected, apart from simply some effects that illuminate or not certain parts of the keyboard.
This is why we must say that the Trust Callaz TKL is limited to having lighting effects without being able to fully customize the colors, it makes it seem insufficient. Personalization is something that is appreciated and helps to appreciate the keyboard.
We insist that this is a minutiae, but it is the small details that we are left with. The small details are what make life and from a certain range, we expect a little more.
Experience with Trust Callaz TKL and conclusions
We have written this same text, emails, some news and played some games of DOTA 2, League of Legends, and a few Call of Duty and Ballefield, since they are games that do or do need a keyboard or that benefit a lot from the combo of keyboard and mouse. The operation of the Trust Callaz keyboard has been precise and without errors, which is the least we could expect from it, knowing that it is a keyboard focused on gaming.
No appreciable lag has been noticed in the most demanding games, and it detects every key pressed. We already discussed the TKL step, which is a matter of getting used to it. But in a small office table, the space gained by being a TKL model is one that we would not change for the world, unless our work suddenly made constant numerical data entry paramount. To alleviate this need, there are numeric keypads that are sold separately, although an extra USB connector must be dedicated to it.
At the hour of writing, the lightness and ease of pressing makes the hands much less tired. Physical health should not be left behind for a heavy and firm keyboard that is difficult to handle under the pretext that it is gaming and therefore has to be large. The Outemu Red switches are easy and fast to press, which while they are fast and comfortable, their downside is that since they are part of a mechanical keyboard, if you want to use it in the office, your colleagues better be okay with constantly hearing the noise when typing if there is no wall in between. But typing sentences from your head is really fast, comfortable and if we could explain it with an expression, it would be “it's like cheating» because its comfort, speed and the slight stimuli that comes from the impacts of a mechanical keyboard make typing simply satisfying. If you want a keyboard that will work for your home office, this is still a good choice.
- Easy to install right out of the box.
- Lots of RGB effects.
- The TKL format is very welcome once you get comfortable with it.
- Past the initial moment of getting used to typing with it, it feels like we're cheating.
- Very resistant and does not bend with pressure.
- As with any keyboard that comes close to a mechanical keyboard experience, if you type fast and hard, it sounds great. We wouldn't recommend it as an office keyboard, and as a work from home keyboard, only if you can get used to the sound.
- Not having a numpad will take some getting used to if this is your first TKL keyboard.
- RGB is limited to effects and you cannot customize its colors.
The Trust Callaz Keyboard complies very well with being a keyboard with features for gaming, which can also serve as an office keyboard. It is resistant, light and compact. A very small pity that in terms of RGB it is insufficient.
