Everest Media Dock
Katariina Washuk
A whole mountain range of controls and information on top of your keyboard. Also, the first of its kind to feature a display! Apart from easily accessible media controls, the display will enable you to monitor your system, display or switch profiles.
I have a fully customized Everest Max with 10 Key and the media dock. Amazing product however my media dock just recently went out. I reached out to see if there was something I could do. Was thinking re-flash or maybe I did something wrong. I explained what was going on then out of no where no questions asked they sent me a replacement once I verified my serial number. WOW!!! How amazing is this company. I was going to ride it off as a wash but wow I am blown away. I am life long customer. Already the best keyboard I have built even above customs. Love my keyboard love the 10 key love the media dock. Love Everest.
Da mein Mediadock schon nach ca einer Woche Schlieren/ Streifen gezogen hat, hatte ich den Support angeschrieben. Der Support hat sich zgig zwecks Abwicklung etc. bei mir zurckgemeldet und ich habe bereits nach 3 Tagen ein Ersatzdock erhalten. Nun funktioniert es einwandfrei ohne Schlieren und Streifen. Das Mediadock knnte zwar qualitativ etwas hochwertiger sein, aber ich bin damit bislang zufrieden. Die Bedienung ist kinderleicht. 4 Sterne fr das Mediadock und der eine Zusatzstern fr den Top-Support von Mountain!
This is the most interesting implementation I tested so fare
The screen is nice and software enhances it more
The media buttons are decent but not impressive - here I think it can be much better
Software is above average, but still feels some limitation
Some hardware stats cannot be shown on the screen for example(tested on MacBook Pro 16.2 and a PC with Ryzen 3950X)
For the typing noise, I personally am not too fussed, typing feel is so much more important to me.Still, while my previous keyboard had a great typing feel, it was loud enough to be heard in the bedroom, located next to the computer room. Suboptimal.
I happily work under Linux all day (my main workstation runs Fedora) but can temporarily boot into Windows 10 if I really need to.While this disrupts my workflow and sets my interactive experience back by at least a decade, if I only need to do this once for a device, then I can grudgingly accept that.What is not acceptable to me is needing to use a Windows software regularly.
To be able to boot Windows, I had to connect a regular USB keyboard from the shelf, chose Windows in grub. Once Win10 started booting the Everest Max initialised and I could disconnect the plain vanilla USB keyboard again.Once Windows had booted, I installed the Base Camp software and made the following adjustments.
While making screenshots for this post, I also reconfigured the 4 mini display keys on the numpad.(The configuration shown in this subsection is the active one, the icons you can see in the other screenshots are from earlier.)
The FAQ might speak of a firmware version older than the 50.24.18I have on mine since as of 2022-01-15, it still states this does not work.It would be nice if Mountain bothered to keep the FAQ current.
Would I buy the base keyboard plus wrist rest again? Maybe. As said, the haptics of the main body are excellent, but the fact that I need to plug in another keyboard on my T3600 if I need to do any input before the Linux (or Windows for that matter) kernel loads is a major annoyance to me.
Would I buy the full blown kit with numpad and media dock from Mountain again? Definitely not. To me they both the numpad and the Media Dock feels like a waste of money for the quality I got. Shame really, it all sounded so promising, but there are too many things that feel to me like they were done in a sloppy fashion. I personally do not find that acceptable in this price range, but you might feel differently.
The Everest Max is unique in several aspects. Its modular extensions alone are an outstanding feature, but manufacturer Mountain does not stop there. Even the configurable display buttons are usually reserved for dedicated streaming peripherals. The icing on the cake in terms of customizability is the hot-swap-enabled PCB, which enables switching to a different switch characteristic without any hassle. The keyboard is rounded off by a magnetic palm rest, a USB 3.2 Gen1 passthrough port and innovative feet. All in all, the Everest Max is the most daring keyboard concept we have presented on our blog so far.
The heart of the Everest Max presents itself in an 80% layout with a top plate made of high-quality aluminum and slightly protruding keys. The latter highlight the RGB illumination of the built-in switches particularly well. For ergonomic use, Mountain includes a magnetically attached palm rest with imitation leather cover for the Everest Max. The feet are also magnetically expandable: the manufacturer has come up with special modular columns that can be extended in level by individual 'slices'. These offer significantly more flexibility than usual.
The special thing about the Everest Max, however, is its modular extensions, which turn it from a compact 80% keyboard to a full standard layout with some additional keys when needed. This leads us to the feature set.
The Mountain Everest Max comes with a modular numeric keypad in the style of the main keyboard. Four additional display keys are available at the upper edge, to which individual macros and functions can be bound. You can then assign a freely selectable icon to the small 72x72-pixel TFT screens via software. Especially for streamers, this might be an interesting alternative to a dedicated stream deck with a total of 20 possible assignment combinations through 5 profiles.
The numeric keypad can be attached in two positions via USB-C, depending on preference: Either on the right side as usual or, if you want more space for the mouse or if you are left-handed, on the left side of the upper edge. Alternatively, you can place the numeric keypad away from the keyboard itself with the included 15-centimeter extension cable and use it as a separate keypad.
Likewise, the modular media dock can be attached to the upper left or right edge via USB-C. This unlocks access to a dedicated control wheel with a 240x240 pixel TFT screen alongside common media functions. The dial offers a number of functions and allows, for example, switching between RGB or macro profiles as well as displaying information about the computer's operation.
The idea of maximum customizability is underscored by the hot-swap-enabled PCB. Both keycaps and switches can be quickly and easily removed and replaced with the help of an included tool. The manufacturer gives a taste of the different switching characteristics via included test switches. A great idea!
The connection cable to the computer can also be exchanged for another USB-C cable if desired, although the included cable is pretty impressive with a braided fabric sleeve and a length of 2 meters. A USB 3.2 Gen1 passthrough port at the back of the keyboard provides additional flexibility when connecting peripherals.
Mountain uses small tricks add finishing touches to the typing experience. For example, there is a sound-absorbing foam mat underneath the PCB and the stabilizers have been lubricated with additional grease. Of course, the keyboard also has N-key rollover, so that simultaneous and fast actuation of numerous keys does not cause any problems.
Underneath the simple double-shot ABS keycaps we find individually controllable RGB illumination with up to 16.8 million colors. In the accompanying Base Camp software (or directly via the media dock's rotary wheel) you can choose between a number of lighting effects such as wave, tornado and others. The software tool also allows you to set up different profiles and define macro configurations. Last but not least, the icons as well as the functions of the display keys and a screen saver of the wheel can be freely set. Up to 5 different profiles can be stored in the onboard memory.
The Mountain Everest Max is available with a wide range of CHERRY MX switches. Especially lovers of linear switching characteristics can choose between many options, such as MX RED, MX SILENT RED and MX SPEED SILVER. For frequent typists, the tactile MX BROWN and MX BLUE with noise feedback are two popular options.
Our model comes equipped with the linear MX RED. Actuating after a short pre-travel of 2.0 millimeters, these switches enable quick gaming reactions just when you need them. They bottom out at 4.0 millimeters. Add to this their characteristically low operating force of 45 centinewtons allowing for swift key presses and you can see why MX RED switches are the most popular option among gamers.
Every once in a while, a product comes out that breaks the barrier and offers an unconventional design philosophy. This has been a rare occurrence in the peripheral market since almost all the current-gen products have a similar look and feel, with each brand offering its own unique theme with its own set of proprietary software solutions. The end result is a product that is preferred by users either on the basis of their past usage of products from the same brand or the value it may offer over a competing brand.
Now newcomer, Mountain, is planning to change the game with its innovative designs formed by a team of passionate enthusiasts & professionals who have come together to offer peripherals that break the past barriers. Two years ago, Mountain launched its Everest Max product which happens to be their flagship product designed with the motto of offering "Peak Performance". The keyboard rocks a surprisingly similar yet also an unfamiliar design which we haven't seen on a keyboard for a while so it's time we finally gave a look at this product ourselves and see if this is really the forward path that keyboards should be taking.
The Mountain Everest Keyboard lineup comes in four flavors, the fully-decked out "Max", the Core & Core barebone which features the keyboard itself minus the add-ons and finally, the low-profile Everest 60. We were sent both the Everest Max and Everest 60 for our testing but for this review, I will focus entirely on the Everest Max. So first of all, let's talk about the specifications which are listed below.
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