Cherry Strait

When you first set eyes on the Cherry Strait you would be forgiven for wondering 'why does that Apple keyboard have a Windows button?'

Here, however there are no Apples in sight, as this keyboard is 100% Cherry! It's clearly designed for users who like Apple's sleek, sophisticated products, but who have a PC rather than a Mac, not to mention the kind of budget that generally goes with it. In fact, this Cherry keyboard is around 20% cheaper than the original Apple model.


Everything about the Strait resembles the Apple keyboard. It has the same square, white keys and grey aluminium base. On closer inspection, however, the genuine aluminium used in the  Apple model is metal-effect plastic in the Cherry. The Strait also has more excess casing to the left and right of the keys and it's more bulky on the whole. The Cherry's keys don't have rounded off edges like the Apple keyboard and its keys feel grainy to the touch while Apple's are smooth. Finally both keyboards have very, very short keystrokes, but typing is less clunky with the Apple as impact from the keys is better absorbed. Typing with the Cherry feels harder and is generally a less pleasant experience.

The difference in build and finish is striking, and the Apple keyboard clearly comes out on top in this field. As a result, the 20% price difference between the two models seems a bit meagre to us!

This difference in quality is also visible in the printing on the keys. The Cherry markings are quite sensitive to light and give off irritating reflections in strong sunlight. The Apple keys don't have any such problems.

All this might make the Cherry Strait look pretty rubbish next to Apple's keyboard, but the Strait is by no means a bad keyboard. It's normal, average, and perhaps a little more attractive than most bog-standard keyboards on the high street. We wouldn't recommend it for daily or regular use though, as you'll soon tire of its hard keys with their square, harsh edges and short keystrokes.