How I Got a Tactile-Touch Sounding Mac Keyboard for only $8

Pining for a clickity-clackity mechanical switch-based keyboard like the Das Keyboard or Matias Tactile Pro but don’t have the $100+ to shell out for a new keyboard?

Then Keyclick ($7.99US from Sustainable Softworks) may be just what you’re looking for. Read on to learn more…

What is Keyclick?

In short, Keyclick is a Mac OS X preference pane that provides adjustable audio feedback whenever you type.

Keyclick’s pref pane installs with a simple double-click. Its options are divided into two tabs: Basic and More Options.

In the Basic tab, you can adjust Keyclick’s volume control and set keyboard shortcuts to raise and lower the volume. You can also assign audio feedback for your scroll wheel, if your mouse or trackball has one. Want to temporarily suspend audio feedback? Keyclick has a keyboard shortcut to temporarily mute its audio.

The More Options tab of Keyclick is where users can assign audio on a per application basis. For instance, I only want Keyclick to work when I’m using applications where typing is involved, like Pages, Sparrow, Safari, MarsEdit or Coda. Simply tick the “Include vs Exclude” checkbox to quickly assign the apps you want Keyclick to be active on. That’s all there is to it!

Keyclick lets you customize your audio options to one of four presets. Typewriter Sound is exactly as you would guess – your Mac keyboard will sound like a Smith Corona, complete with the “Ding!” when you hit the Return key. Keyboard Sound is more subdued, which is why I like it. Also available are Click Key Sound (which has a slightly futuristic high pitch sound to it) and iDevice Click Sound (which emulates the audio feedback in iOS). As far as settings go, I’m torn between the Typewriter Sound and Keyboard Sound.

With Keyclick, you can also assign audio feedback whenever you click your mouse.

How does it work?

Keyclick works really well. In the short time I’ve used it, I feel that my touch typing skills have improved because of the audio feedback. Keyclick also works well with the built-in keyboard on your Mac laptop.

With Keyclick, you can also choose to have the keyboard sound match your system sound. To me, however, the best part about Keyclick is that I can adjust my typing audio feedback independently from the audio settings for Mac OS X.

Is it worth the $8?

Keyclick can be used as a fully-functional app for a 21-day trial period – which is plenty of time to determine if it meets your needs.

But is it worth it?

Consider this: Keyboards with mechanical switches run between $100 to $130, and their audio levels can not be adjusted. (And some of these mechanical keyboards are LOUD.)

By comparison, Keyclick runs only $8 and gives your keyboard audible feedback, which can be easily adjusted and customized.

In the end, I purchased Keyclick after using it for only a few hours. For only $8, I feel like I have a brand new keyboard. And I no longer pine for one of those other keyboards.

Keyclick earns a 5 out of 5 Bob Weiners.

-Krishna