Closer Examination

As we saw before, the Cherry KC1068 keyboard comes in a wrap. This is not a temporary wrap for packaging as it is integral to the IP68 rating of the keyboard. I have here the modified US ANSI layout version in white, and the keyboard is also available in other language layouts, as well as in black for all of them. This particular layout is modified in that there are 108 keys rather than the standard 104, with four extra keys in the top-right corner as seen from the front. Indeed, there are no indicator LEDs to be seen since they have been relocated to the top center, and these four keys are shortcuts for the calculator, email, home screen, and sleep mode. There are no LEDs anywhere on this keyboard, which is probably for the best given they would not diffuse well through the wrap surround. The wrap itself is snug in most places, but has enough give to allow you to feel it when holding or even typing on the keyboard.

Single legend placement is biased towards the top left on the keycaps, which I would rather have seen occupy a larger, more central location given Cherry does not have to worry about any backlighting here. Secondary legends are printed underneath the primary ones on the Num pad, with some spelled out completely in lowercase letters and others as symbols. The opposite is true in the alphanumerical section with the numbers located underneath as seen in the images below. The legend font is clean, and even the dual set of legends on a smaller size keycap are legible enough through the wrap for it not to be an issue. This is not a keyboard to be used in the dark or dimly lit situations, however. As far as the rest of the keyboard goes, the top and bottom bezels are on the larger side of average with the top bezel having the aforementioned indicator LEDs and the bottom bezel having the model number as well as the Cherry logo.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle. There are also multiple small rubber pads on the edge, which leads me to believe the keyboard is also sold without the wrap as a lower-end product. The wrap is an issue if you want to raise the keyboard feet, however, with barely enough flex to do so, although pushing them back down is far easier. As it is, the wrap results in some practicality limitations.


The KC 1068 is a corded keyboard, as Cherry makes sure you are told multiple times on the packaging, and the keyboard cable comes out the top in the middle. It juts out through the wrap, which is then sealed in place to retain the IP68 rating and is the usual 6 feet in length. It terminates in a male USB Type-A connector, and the keyboard comes with a cover over the connector, although it is not rated for the same IP68 dust and spill resistance as the rest of the keyboard. USB 2.0 will suffice here for power and connectivity, and that is going to work just fine in a lot of environments this keyboard is intended for since most don't require a lot of horsepower.


The keyboard is quite slim in height, measuring in at slightly over 23 mm with the feet closed. This is also partly due to the membrane switch design, as well as the low profile case and flat keycaps. I would have personally preferred to see contoured rows of keycaps, but Cherry made a deliberate decision here, citing it provides "optimal writing comfort". Perhaps, this is relative to other such IP68-rated keyboards, but I do not agree with this assessment. The keycaps, as with the case, are made out of ABS plastic, and this white keyboard has white keycaps with black etched legends for good legibility. There won't be much wear to the keycaps owing to the wrap on the body, so I do not have any real complaints pertaining to the quality of the keycaps as far as longevity goes.

The nature of the keyboard prevents a non-destructive disassembly, so I have chosen to skip that section. As it stands, know that the KC 1068 has membrane switches rated for 10 million keystrokes, and there is not a lot of added functionality to where the chosen microcontroller has a lot to do.