Latest news with #CherryMX
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Dell's Matt McGowan on how gamers are shaping the Alienware machines: They're not afraid to tell us what works and what doesn't
Gamers have always chased power. But today, as per Dell 's Matt McGowan , who leads Alienware at Dell, they're asking for more than just high frame rates. In a world where specs are no longer the sole currency of performance, experience has become the new battleground. From the look and feel of a laptop to the way it sounds, responds, and immerses, it all matters. And brands like Alienware are taking notes, not from a lab, but from their users, says McGowan. 'We don't just build machines, we're trying to set the stage for where gaming is going,' says Matt McGowan , General Manager, Alienware, as he sits down for a chat with Times of India . 'Specs still matter, but gamers aspire to more, they want devices that feel futuristic, personal, and culturally resonant.' At Alienware, it's visible in keyboards co-designed with the community, device tuning that reflects regional preferences, and even aesthetic changes made for a market as specific as India. Dell, through Alienware, is listening — really listening, says McGowan — to a community that's growing more diverse, more vocal, and more influential by the day. Built with, not just for, gamers by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo 'Community has always mattered, but it matters more now than ever,' says Matt McGowan, Global Product Lead at Dell Technologies . 'Gamers are sophisticated. They're not just asking for specs, they're asking for specific tactile feedback, thermal control, sound design. And they're not afraid to tell us what works and what doesn't.' One standout example of this ethos is the Cherry MX ultra-low profile mechanical keyboard that now ships with Alienware laptops. It wasn't a feature cooked up in a boardroom, it was born out of real demand from the gaming community. Dell partnered with Cherry, the renowned German switch maker, and together spent 18 to 24 months perfecting the switch design. 'People wanted mechanical feel on laptops, which is incredibly hard to deliver given the constraints,' McGowan explains. 'We didn't take the easy route. We didn't just slap in a switch. We engineered it from scratch, because users told us that's what they wanted.' This isn't an isolated case. Several features on Alienware's flagship machines, from ventilation design to display tuning, have their roots in user feedback loops. Even earlier, Dell built an external graphics amplifier in response to gamers who wanted desktop-level performance in portable form, an idea well ahead of its time when it launched nearly a decade ago. The traditional model—build, release, market—isn't enough anymore. Today's most successful hardware brands treat their communities like collaborators, not customers. And Alienware, long regarded as a 'for-the-elite' label, is increasingly opening its doors. 'We don't always get it perfect,' McGowan admits. 'But what we try to do is listen, iterate, and be transparent about our design choices. We want our users to feel like they helped make the thing they're buying. Because in many ways, they did.' Made for India, not just available in India While Dell continues to co-create with gamers globally, it's India that's emerging as one of the most influential markets in shaping Alienware's direction. For a country long treated as an afterthought in premium tech rollouts, this marks a pivotal shift. With the launch of the new Alienware Aurora desktop, Dell is doing more than expanding availability, it's adapting design decisions specifically to meet Indian gamers' needs. And that's not just marketing speak. It's visible in the product itself. 'We actually removed chassis lighting from the Aurora,' McGowan says. 'That's a first for Alienware. We always had it. But the research from India told us loud and clear, what gamers here value most is performance for price. So we prioritised performance.' In a market that's deeply price-sensitive but rapidly growing in PC gaming adoption, this decision reflects a nuanced understanding. By stripping out some of the 'premium frills,' Dell has managed to retain the performance ethos of Alienware while lowering the barrier to entry for Indian gamers. This isn't about cheapening the product, McGowan emphasises. 'It's still a quality machine. But we've made very intentional choices so that more people can afford that level of power. We want Alienware to be aspirational, but also accessible.' The company sees India as a market that not only matters in terms of numbers, but in terms of future direction. 'India was a huge contributor as we looked at the new product strategy,' McGowan says. 'From pricing to feature prioritisation, we had to get it right for India—and that ended up helping us build a better product globally.' Dell's internal data likely backs up this confidence. India's gaming PC market has seen double-digit growth, with a swelling base of Gen Z and Millennial gamers entering the ecosystem. These users may not always buy the highest-end model, but they're extremely vocal, deeply informed, and eager to engage with brands that take them seriously. And Alienware wants to be that brand. 'We want to own the gaming mindshare in India,' McGowan says. 'That doesn't mean we expect every gamer to buy Alienware today. But when they think of the best gaming experience—that's the association we want to build. And we know we have to earn it.' Gaming PCs has a new co-designer: The player Alienware's latest moves are part of a broader industry pattern: high-end gaming brands are adapting to a more demanding and diverse audience. India's growing influence in product decisions, once unthinkable for top-tier devices, is now shaping how global companies define value, performance, and design. What stands out isn't just that Dell is localising or 'India-fying' its products. It's that India is now baked into the global product strategy, right alongside Europe and the US. The result is hardware that feels less like it was made for a distant, idealised gamer, and more like it was built with real users in mind. Whether that leads to deeper adoption or just better hardware across the board remains to be seen. But one thing's clear: the days of designing in a vacuum are over. Gamers, from community forums to fast-growing markets like India, are now seated at the design table. And that's a welcome change to see. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
CNET
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Cherry MX 3.0s Keyboard Review: Great Gaming Keyboard That Needs Some Work
As a writer and gamer, there's nothing quite like the feel of a great mechanical keyboard. There's just something so satisfying about the "thwok" of each keypress as I take to the battlefield or craft my next story. Surprisingly, though, it can be challenging to find a keyboard that's fantastic at being both a gaming keyboard and a daily-use keyboard -- at least at an affordable price. You might recognize the name Cherry as the maker of the eponymous switches that have dominated the mechanical keyboard world for nearly 70 years. Not long ago, it started making its own keyboards and recently launched the Cherry MX 3.0S gaming mechanical keyboard. It's a fairly affordable entry point into the world of wireless gaming mechanical keyboards, but I'm not sure if it serves as the best dedicated gaming keyboard. What I like about the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard Jason Cockerham/CNET Cherry was one of the first, and has certainly been the best-known, maker of mechanical keyboard switches for decades. And for good reason -- its switches are clicky, tactile and robust. Many keyboard enthusiasts still prefer them over the myriad of other brands that have popped up over the years. As a keyboard tester, I've used many other switches, and for a while, I've been using the fantastic OnePlus-branded keyboard. Coming back to the Cherry switches on the MX 3.0S felt oh so sweet. It was like coming home. I forgot what I was missing until I used them again. The MX Red switches on my MX 3.0S sample are linear -- so not quite as clicky as the Brown switches, which are also available -- but still provide quite a bit of tactility. This is perfect for gaming, as you can get more granular feedback with each keypress. Design Jason Cockerham/CNET At first glance, the MX3.0S doesn't stand out too much. Looking at it a bit closer shows off a somewhat unusual design. The bottom aluminum casing sort of wraps around the center of the keyboard from back to front, with the edges folded over to hold it up. You don't really notice unless you hold the keyboard up to look at it, but it's better than just flat sides. The metal casing gives it a good heft, but the sides, and I assume the single gasket as well, are plastic. I'm assuming a single gasket because you can hear the springs ever so slightly as you type, as well as the hollowness of the board. It's not too distracting, but you can hear it if you're listening. The per-key RGB is nice, and there are several different available patterns. It gets bright enough that you can see all the icons on the keys, even the lower ones, so that's helpful. Even with that level of brightness, battery life on the MX 3.0S is quite impressive. Starting from a full charge, I've been using it exclusively for several weeks now with the LEDs fully on and I still have 30% left in the tank. There are both wired and wireless versions of the MX 3.0S. The wireless version gives all the connectivity you'd expect. You can pair up to three devices via Bluetooth. A 2.4GHz wireless dongle is included as well. The dongle doesn't hide away in the board like some others, which I find helpful for not losing them, but at least Cherry made it red, so it's easy to spot. Read more: Use Windows 11 Like a Pro With These 73 Keyboard Shortcuts What could be better about the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard Jason Cockerham/CNET I think the biggest disappointment of the MX 3.0S is that aside from the switches -- which you can easily get and install on a whole range of keyboards -- there isn't really much to differentiate it from other gaming keyboards. It doesn't have anything that adds to your gaming experience. You can program macros for the keys, but you can do that on nearly every gaming keyboard and unlike many of those, there aren't any extra programmable keys. The MX 3.0S does support full n-key rollover so you don't lose an input by pressing two keys at the same time, and it supports anti-ghosting, but again, those are par for the course with most modern gaming keyboards. Read more: This Retro Gaming Keyboard Hits All the Right Nostalgia Vibes... and It's a Great Keyboard Lag I ran into a few bugs when using the MX 3.0S wirelessly. For starters, the dongle would lag quite a bit when connected via a docking station. Yes, it could have been my docking station, but no other keyboard I've used has had that issue, so I'm willing to bet it's the keyboard. Also, when using Bluetooth, there were a few times it would randomly reconnect itself, or even disconnect from my computer entirely. There were also a few ghost presses and some sticky keys when using Bluetooth. Again, not entirely saying it was the keyboard's fault, but these are not issues I've come across on nearly every other keyboard I've used. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Software leaves a lot to be desired When I first started writing this review, Cherry's Utility software was pretty rough. The UI was outdated and the functionality was quite limited. You can adjust the lighting and add macros, but that's about it. It's pretty basic. You can create up to nine profiles which is nice, but again, the customization is limited. Plus, it only detects the keyboard when physically connected, not over Bluetooth or the dongle. That means every time you want to change a setting, you have to either manually do it through several key presses, or dig out a cable. Neither of which is ideal. To Cherry's credit, literally the day I finished this review, the software got a huge facelift. It looks much better than it did, but it didn't add any functionality, which is a bummer. The keyboard does support a dedicated key for launching the software, but since it doesn't work unless it's plugged in, and the software doesn't do a whole lot, it feels like a waste of a key. Cherry Price Cherry priced this a tad too high for what you get. The full retail price is $160. However, at the time of writing, you can grab it for $100 on Amazon for the white model with Red switches. To me, that's a much better price and probably close to what Cherry should be charging for it. I don't know if I can recommend it at $160, especially considering the competition. Should you buy the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard? As with most things, it depends. If you need a reliable mechanical keyboard that gives you the goodness of those Cherry switches, then yes, but only if you can find it on sale. The solid build and excellent typing experience are worth $100. For me, it works great as both a gaming keyboard and a daily-use keyboard. If you want a more dedicated gaming keyboard that gives you more gaming-specific features and customization, however, you'll need to look somewhere else.
CNET
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
The Cherry MX 3.0s Keyboard Looks Like a Great Gaming Keyboard, but It Needs Some Work
As a writer and gamer, there's nothing quite like the feel of a great mechanical keyboard. There's just something so satisfying about the "thwok" of each keypress as I take to the battlefield or craft my next story. Surprisingly, though, it can be challenging to find a keyboard that's fantastic at being both a gaming keyboard and a daily-use keyboard -- at least at an affordable price. You might recognize the name Cherry as the maker of the eponymous switches that have dominated the mechanical keyboard world for nearly 70 years. Not long ago, it started making its own keyboards and recently launched the Cherry MX 3.0S gaming mechanical keyboard. It's a fairly affordable entry point into the world of wireless gaming mechanical keyboards, but I'm not sure if it serves as the best dedicated gaming keyboard. What I like about the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard Jason Cockerham/CNET Cherry was one of the first, and has certainly been the best-known, maker of mechanical keyboard switches for decades. And for good reason -- its switches are clicky, tactile and robust. Many keyboard enthusiasts still prefer them over the myriad of other brands that have popped up over the years. As a keyboard tester, I've used many other switches, and for a while, I've been using the fantastic OnePlus-branded keyboard. Coming back to the Cherry switches on the MX 3.0S felt oh so sweet. It was like coming home. I forgot what I was missing until I used them again. The MX Red switches on my MX 3.0S sample are linear -- so not quite as clicky as the Brown switches, which are also available -- but still provide quite a bit of tactility. This is perfect for gaming, as you can get more granular feedback with each keypress. Design Jason Cockerham/CNET At first glance, the MX3.0S doesn't stand out too much. Looking at it a bit closer shows off a somewhat unusual design. The bottom aluminum casing sort of wraps around the center of the keyboard from back to front, with the edges folded over to hold it up. You don't really notice unless you hold the keyboard up to look at it, but it's better than just flat sides. The metal casing gives it a good heft, but the sides, and I assume the single gasket as well, are plastic. I'm assuming a single gasket because you can hear the springs ever so slightly as you type, as well as the hollowness of the board. It's not too distracting, but you can hear it if you're listening. The per-key RGB is nice, and there are several different available patterns. It gets bright enough that you can see all the icons on the keys, even the lower ones, so that's helpful. Even with that level of brightness, battery life on the MX 3.0S is quite impressive. Starting from a full charge, I've been using it exclusively for several weeks now with the LEDs fully on and I still have 30% left in the tank. There are both wired and wireless versions of the MX 3.0S. The wireless version gives all the connectivity you'd expect. You can pair up to three devices via Bluetooth. A 2.4GHz wireless dongle is included as well. The dongle doesn't hide away in the board like some others, which I find helpful for not losing them, but at least Cherry made it red, so it's easy to spot. Read more: Use Windows 11 Like a Pro With These 73 Keyboard Shortcuts What could be better about the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard Jason Cockerham/CNET I think the biggest disappointment of the MX 3.0S is that aside from the switches -- which you can easily get and install on a whole range of keyboards -- there isn't really much to differentiate it from other gaming keyboards. It doesn't have anything that adds to your gaming experience. You can program macros for the keys, but you can do that on nearly every gaming keyboard and unlike many of those, there aren't any extra programmable keys. The MX 3.0S does support full n-key rollover so you don't lose an input by pressing two keys at the same time, and it supports anti-ghosting, but again, those are par for the course with most modern gaming keyboards. Read more: This Retro Gaming Keyboard Hits All the Right Nostalgia Vibes... and It's a Great Keyboard Lag I ran into a few bugs when using the MX 3.0S wirelessly. For starters, the dongle would lag quite a bit when connected via a docking station. Yes, it could have been my docking station, but no other keyboard I've used has had that issue, so I'm willing to bet it's the keyboard. Also, when using Bluetooth, there were a few times it would randomly reconnect itself, or even disconnect from my computer entirely. There were also a few ghost presses and some sticky keys when using Bluetooth. Again, not entirely saying it was the keyboard's fault, but these are not issues I've come across on nearly every other keyboard I've used. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Software leaves a lot to be desired When I first started writing this review, Cherry's Utility software was pretty rough. The UI was outdated and the functionality was quite limited. You can adjust the lighting and add macros, but that's about it. It's pretty basic. You can create up to nine profiles which is nice, but again, the customization is limited. Plus, it only detects the keyboard when physically connected, not over Bluetooth or the dongle. That means every time you want to change a setting, you have to either manually do it through several key presses, or dig out a cable. Neither of which is ideal. To Cherry's credit, literally the day I finished this review, the software got a huge facelift. It looks much better than it did, but it didn't add any functionality, which is a bummer. The keyboard does support a dedicated key for launching the software, but since it doesn't work unless it's plugged in, and the software doesn't do a whole lot, it feels like a waste of a key. Cherry Price Cherry priced this a tad too high for what you get. The full retail price is $160. However, at the time of writing, you can grab it for $100 on Amazon for the white model with Red switches. To me, that's a much better price and probably close to what Cherry should be charging for it. I don't know if I can recommend it at $160, especially considering the competition. Should you buy the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard? As with most things, it depends. If you need a reliable mechanical keyboard that gives you the goodness of those Cherry switches, then yes, but only if you can find it on sale. The solid build and excellent typing experience are worth $100. For me, it works great as both a gaming keyboard and a daily-use keyboard. If you want a more dedicated gaming keyboard that gives you more gaming-specific features and customization, however, you'll need to look somewhere else.
