Introduction

Mountain came out of seemingly nowhere and seriously impressed us with their innovative take on a modular keyboard last year. The Everest Max in particular won many an award from the press, including from us, with its removable/swappable number pad, onboard display keys, and even a separate media dock to make for a keyboard that has five displays you can use in a variety of manners. Then came the cut-down Mountain Everest 60 earlier this year—another modular concept using a 60% keyboard as the base unit and another, smaller, number pad that could once again be used on the left or right side as desired. I was certainly curious as to what would be next from Mountain, today we find out in the form of new modules.


If you are looking to acquire more keys and displays, then the new Mountain KeyPads should be of interest to you. There are two new units in the form of a macro pad, aptly named MacroPad, and a more expensive display key unit called DisplayPad, both of which launch the day this article goes live. These are standalone units that do not require an existing Mountain keyboard to use, yet the company has made sure to engineer the body to fit onto the Everest Max or Core units too. This does mean that Everest 60 owners, who arguably would like more keys and displays over the larger Everest Max, are in the same boat as pretty much everyone else who owns another brand's keyboard, except of course with unified software support on their side. There's a lot to cover here as we go through both units kindly provided by Mountain to TechPowerUp! Be sure to click twice on the respective thumbnails below for the full-size images.

Specifications

Mountain MacroPad:


Mountain DisplayPad:

Mountain MacroPad: Packaging and Accessories

If you have read my previous reviews of Mountain products then you already know what to expect here. The product box adopts a black and blue color scheme with a color render of the MacroPad on the front to go with the product name and company logo itself. Primary features are listed on the back in multiple languages, along with confirmation of Mountain's continued collaboration with Plastic Bank to reduce ocean-bound plastic waste. I also appreciated the contents list on the side along with product specs, as this outer sleeve can be slid off the inner black box that simply has the company's logo and slogan on it. It is on the side where we see the now-customary cutout allowing you to lift open the box from the bottom akin to a fancy gift box.


There is paperwork in the form of a quick start guide as well as Mountain-branded stickers found on the underside of the lid. The other contents are snugly packed and protected inside a thick foam sheet with machined cutouts. Accessories provided with the MacroPad include a detachable USB Type-C to Type-A cable, in addition to a two-piece metal wire keycap puller and switch remover tool.


The final accessory allows the use of the Mountain MacroPad as a standalone product and this is a large base with an anti-slip rubber pad on the bottom which comes with a plastic film over it to be peeled off. The rubber is blue in color to match the Mountain product colorway and the company logo is stamped on it too. Note that this surface is quite sticky and will also attract dust and other contaminants fairly easily, if exposed upwards. The base is otherwise composed of ABS plastic elsewhere and weighs 418 grams by itself, to help ensure the MacroPad sticks in place.