From CNET: I've always found Hall Effect switches hard to get used to, but with the third generation of its Apex Pro keyboards, SteelSeries has some tricks up its sleeve that may help smooth the adjustment. In addition to its new OmniPoint 3.0 switches, the company added some buzzy new capabilities, like Rapid Tap (also known as SOCD), to match competitors. And it has an interesting new Protection mode for those of us with sloppy keypresses.
The Apex Pro Gen 3 keyboards come in three flavors: a $200 full-size keyboard, a $190 TKL model (that is, a "tenkeyless" keyboard without a number pad) and a $250 wireless TKL model.
One of the advantages of Hall Effect switches is the ability to customize the actuation and reset points (described in my Corsair K70 review). SteelSeries says the improved sensors in the new switches make them more precise and consistent, though the 0.1mm high actuation point hasn't changed -- that's a nearly instantaneous keypress register. The highest is 4mm, nearly the complete travel distance for the key.
With the fast switches, you run the risk of lots of accidental keypresses and repeats. So SteelSeries introduces a new Protection Mode: For selected keys, it temporarily lowers the actuation level of the surrounding keys to make the accidental press less likely to register; it somehow knows the difference between intentional and accidental. I really can't wait to see how well this works.
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