Introduction
Contents
Not long ago, we received the Aivia Osmium keyboard from Gigabyte for reviewing. Imagine our surprise when we received another Aivia Osmium with almost no difference in the presentation, aside from having white illumination instead of blue, and featuring Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches instead of the red model. The boxes have different visuals, but the consumer has to keep a keen eye to know which Osmium he or she is buying because there is no hint in their names (like “Osmium Brown” or “Osmium Red”, for instance). Let’s test this new Osmium and compare it to the one previously reviewed – the main thing here is to know the difference between those two types of mechanical switches.
Figure 1: Osmium keyboard
Aside from the white light illumination, this Osmium is an identical twin to the other one. It has the same robust and heavy body, and it also features a detachable wrist rest made of non-rubberized plastic. The panel with the Aivia logo on the upper right corner also doubles as a button switch for the user profiles, and it contains the Scroll/Num/Caps lock LEDs.
Figure 2: Aivia panel
The main visual features can be found on the upper left corner: the macro keys (G1-G5) bank alongside two dented and illuminated wheels that control the volume and the illumination intensity. They make the Osmium’s competition stand aside.
Figure 3: Macro keys and control wheels