Many keyboard enthusiasts want a retro-looking keyboard that brings back the nostalgia of the good old days in the ’80s and ‘90s. Nevertheless, they still desire the soft, sleek feel of modern mechanical keyboards to go along with that classic look.
TheEpomaker Dynatab 75Xbrings this retro-modern mechanical keyboard to life. Let’s see how well it brings back the nostalgia while delivering the modern-day needs of keyboard enthusiasts.
Epomaker Dynatab 75X
The Epomaker Dynatab 75X is a 75% retro mechanical keyboard with an excellent feel. Its dot-matrix retro LED display gives the images you create or upload to the keyboard’s screen an 8-bit feel.
Great Looking Design
Epomaker shipped a Black Grey Dynatab 75X test unit for MUO to check out. The Dynatab 75X uses a 75% layout, so we lose the number pad and one column of the control keys. Nevertheless, this layout is perfect if you want to save space on your desk and have more freedom to move your mouse.
The 75X weighs 1,054g, so it’s about average for 75% mechanical keyboards. Additionally, its dimensions are 145 x 181 x 42mm. Its width is what you would expect, but its depth is about 45mm greater than other models because of its display. You also get its 42mm maximum height when the feet are stowed, but you’re able to increase it to 50mm or 57mm with its two-position feet.
It also has a thick, gray USB-C cable about 1,880mm long. The cable uses beautiful aluminum ports and a yellow PU leather cable tie, giving the keyboard a premium feel. This length allows you to use the keyboard in a wired configuration, even if you have a complex cable management solution.
The Black Gray design is cleaner and more modern than the Purple White option, mainly because it doesn’t have the letters marked on the top of the keys. Instead, the letters face you, and you may only see them clearly when the backlight is turned on.
If you like minimalism, you’d want to pick the former design. However, you can barely see the letters if you’re not seated in front of the keyboard, so you will have difficulty typing while standing. But to maximize the keyboard’s retro look, you should get the Purple White color instead.
Nevertheless, the keyboard has a similar layout, no matter what color you get. Its connectivity switch is on the upper right side of the keyboard, with the LED screen control right beside it. You can also lift the plastic tab to reveal the 2.4GHz USB dongle for attaching to your PC.
A Retro Screen That Takes the Cake
What makes the Dynatab 75X unique from all other retro-looking keyboards is its massive LED screen. This billboard display at the top of your keyboard measures 211mm or 8.3in diagonally. However, it’s not a high-resolution display — instead, you only get a 60 x 9 pixel screen, which gives the keyboard’s screen an 8-bit retro feel.
One thing to note is that the keyboard’s screen detached from the case during shipping. Since I’m handy with repairs, I could fix it in less than 15 minutes, but it was a hassle nonetheless, especially as I had to disassemble the keyboard. Since we received a pre-production model, Epomaker assured me it is fixing the issue by enlarging the LED screen clips in the production keyboards.
The Dynatab 75X comes with five preset screen animations, or you can also use the Epomaker app to create and share your own designs or download designs from other users. You can also pick between three modes showing the current date and time, your processor’s temperature and load, or the keyboard battery.
It also has a mode that shows the last few keys you typed on the keyboard. It’s an interesting feature, but I don’t think it’s safe, as your keyboard could inadvertently reveal your password to everyone around you.
Because the screen has such a low resolution, it’s easy to create your own design from scratch. You can also import photos to show that on your keyboard. But because of the screen’s low resolution, it’s often better to just create a design from scratch than upload an image and not getting what you expect.
Feels Great to Type On
Aside from the quirky LED screen, the Epomaker Dynatab 75X offers an outstanding typing experience. This is because of its gasket-mounted build, with Poron Sandwich foam, Ipex Padding, and Silicone Plugs that distribute pressure, absorb shock, and reduce noise with each press.
So, even if you bottom out a switch, your fingers will not feel the stress of jabbing against a hard surface. Instead, the keyboard absorbs and spreads the stress of each keystroke, making typing on the 75X a dream.
The Dynatab 75X we tested was also paired with Epomaker Sea Salt Silent Switches, which deliver accurate keystrokes without the typical noise from clicky and tactile mechanical switches. But if you don’t like quiet switches, you’re able to also choose from linear Epomaker Flamingo or Epomaker Wisteria switches that come in either linear or tactile feels.
It’s also compatible with three- and five-pin switches, so you can easily swap out the switches if your favorite brand or model isn’t available from Epomaker.
Quick-Switch Connectivity and Other Functional Features
Switching between connectivity modes on the keyboard is easy, as you just have to slide it up for Bluetooth and down for the 2.4GHz dongle. Wired mode also turns off the keyboard if you’re not using it, thus saving battery life.
Speaking of battery life: the keyboard uses two 5,000mAh batteries, allowing you to use it wirelessly for an extended period. I haven’t been able to test it, as I prefer using my keyboards in wired mode. But I never ran out of power when I took it with me for a five-day trip and used it with my 15-inch M2 MacBook Air.
Another thing I like about the Dynatab 75X is that it does not lose the right Ctrl button, although it misses the home and end keys. Nevertheless, you can easily assign Fn keys, like Fn+Page Down and Fn+Scroll Lock, to get them back.
Improved Epomaker Software
Screenshot by Jowi Morales; no attribution is required.
As I’ve said in previous Epomaker reviews, the keyboard maker doesn’t have the best drivers. They feel clunky and can be a bit difficult to navigate. Nevertheless, the latest versions of the Epomaker app received a marked improvement.
You can now easily adjust keys and function settings in the Main and FnSetting tabs, while assigning Macros is much easier now in the Macro tab. Furthermore, creating designs and animations on the Screen tab is much easier and clearer.
If you want to update your keyboard’s time or system information, you just have to go to the Other Setting option in the Screen tab and press Synchronize Time on Screen and Sync under System Information. However, I still get an error on the keyboard display, as it displays the wrong month and date even if I sync it multiple times via the app. Hopefully, a driver update will fix this before Epomaker starts delivering these keyboards.
But aside from that, I could say that the Epomaker driver has made a lot of improvements. It’s not perfect yet, but I can honestly say that it’s slowly getting there.
Jowi Morales / MakeUseOf
The Best of Old School and New Age in One Mechanical Keyboard
TheEpomaker Dynatab 75Xdelivers the best of both worlds for keyboard enthusiasts. It provides a fantastic feel with every keystroke, making your fingers relish every character you input. Simultaneously, it gives off a retro vibe with its dot-matrix LED screen. And if you want to complete the retro look, choose the Purple White option.
The Dynatab 75X is a great keyboard for its price range. Whether you’re looking for a retro-themed mechanical keyboard or a minimalist design, this keyboard will deliver. And no matter what visual design pleases you, your hand and fingers will thank you for the typing experience you get from Epomaker.
