Epomaker is trying to keep retro relevant, with its new RT100 keyboard, which marries old-school design with new-school features. This board is primarily shades of grey, harkening back to the ancient IBM days, while still offering everything you've come to expect from a modern mechanical keyboard, as well as a little bonus surprise. It sounds fun, on paper, so let's hope it works out in practice, too. 

The RT100 is a big, chunky plastic keyboard, which really helps it match the retro aesthetic it's trying to go for. The keycaps are even that borderline yellow-plastic color, giving it a slightly aged look. Each keycap is rounded, with gigantic lettering, also a popular style of that era. But there's a fairly noticeable inclusion that throws everything off, by a little: the knob at the top right of the keyboard. Having a control knob is always a great feature, but here, it really takes away from the retro theme, especially because there's a giant play button in the center, and it lights up dramatically when the keyboard is plugged in. As far as function goes, it's beyond useful, and has a great notched feel when you rotate it. I like it, but it feels jarring when the RT100 is trying so hard to be old-school. 

This keyboard is referred to as a 95% board. This means it has every key that a full-size keyboard does, but there's less empty space between the main keys and the numpad, and the page up/down keys are slightly moved. This lets the keyboard shrink its footprint without losing any function. It's not a huge change between a 100% layout, but if space matters, or you prefer the appearance of a 95% board, then it works out. 

There are four different keyswitch options available through Epomaker: Gateron Pro Yellow, Flamingo, Sea Salt, or Budgerigar. In my case, I had the Sea Salt Silent switches, and while I'm not a fan of non-tactile switches, I think I would still fully recommend the Sea Salts if you were to get this keyboard, purely because they perfectly emulate the typing feel of an old keyboard from the 90s. There's a deep travel distance for the keys, making it hard to bottom out. That, combined with the rather dramatic amount of dampening foam gives the board a spongy, yet still satisfying experience, not unlike how those springy retro keyboards were, back in the day. You could also opt for clicky switches, to match the IBM Model M aesthetic the RT100 has going on, though without springs, it's not as bouncy as the OG. 

The dampening foam inside the keyboard, along with the silent switches, really make for a wonderful sound. You're not going to make any ridiculous clacking when you type, but you will hear a lovely thock-thock-thocc as you type--almost like a rubber dome, but softer because of the pre-lubed switches. It's quite satisfying, and if you enjoy how Topre switches sound, you'll certainly enjoy this as well. 

Epomaker's RT100 is rocking the retro design and old-school feel, but to take things even further, they've included a tiny little screen that you can attach to the keyboard. It's stylized much like a CRT, albeit while having a flat LCD display, and has a very retro-futuristic vibe to it. Using Epomaker's software, you can use the screen to monitor the time, date, and your PC's usage and temperature. While it's not a game-changer, I think it's an adorable inclusion, and you can customize it using the Epomaker software to be a little more useful than how it is out of the box. You can even upload little pixel art designs to display on it. 

For all the features and build quality you get with the RT100, it is a great value for its $119 price point. Those nostalgic for the 1990s will love the style, and even if that's not the main selling point for you, the incredible sound profile and typing experience should be more than enough to catch your interest.