Filco majestouch minila air 67 review

The Filco Majestouch MINILA, Filco Minila, or Filco MiniLa (short for "Minimal Layout") is a 60%-size keyboard in the Filco Majestouch range from Diatec. The original wired Minila was followed by the Bluetooth wireless Minila Air keyboard.

Note

Looking at this chronologically (wired Minila being the first and Minila Air second), it's interesting that Diatec secured an FCC ID for the Minila Air (FCC: XS8-MINILAAIR) and also holds the registered design right for Minila Air, while the original (wired) Minila, appears not to have a separate FCC ID granted and the design right is still pending.

Description

Filco Majestouch MINILA and Filco Majestouch MINILA Air are manufactured with the blue, red, black, or brown Cherry MX switches that are . All MINILA keyboards have a set of DIP switches on the bottom, allowing the user to customize aspects the layout. The keyboard has been marketed either in its original wired (USB) form or in the 2 AA battery-operated Bluetooth 3.0 wireless form, and in a variety of layouts and configurations (as you can see below).

The Minimal Layout

The MINILA name is a portmanteau of minimal and layout.

Noting the modern trend towards ever more minimal keyboards, Filco designed a layout that aimed to be as minimal as possible, but without any major sacrifice of functionality. The result is essentially a 60% layout with dedicated arrow keys (sometimes known as a 65% layout).

The Shift Keys

To make space for the arrow keys, the Right Shift key on all MINILA models is only 1u (the same width as a standard key). The Left Shift key is 2u (twice the standard key width) on the ANSI MINILA, but only 1u on ISO and JIS models (due to their layouts including one more key in total). People have reported that the ANSI MINILA is easy to adjust to, but having a 1u Shift key on both sides makes typing substantially more difficult on JIS and ISO models.

Staggering

Most keyboard layouts stagger each row of keys (a legacy of typewriter design), resulting in a grid that is misaligned vertically. The MINILA staggers each row of letter keys by 0.25u, while by convention, only the top row is offset by 0.25u. The middle row is normally offset by 0.5u.

While few MINILA owners report any issues switching to and from the MINILA, the unusual offset of the middle row is a feature of the design that is often criticized when the layout is discussed more generally.

Majestouch Minila keyboard model reference

Note: a great job of collecting and organizing the data below was accomplished by Desktority member 002

Great keyboard for mobile working. Use it for the iPad with the latest iOS. No problem to get used with the keyboard layout.

Anonymous 11/10/2019

This is the second Filco Minila that I have bought (I already own the wired version). The layout is a bit of an acquired taste, but I love the thumb operated function keys. The smaller than standard right shift and delete keys do take a little getting used to admittedly.

It has the sturdy build quality that you expect from Filco. The bluetooth connectivity seems great- no lag that I've been able to detect and I've had no issues with it pairing or reconnecting with devices. I have not had it long enough to be able to comment on the battery life.

It would be nice if had a USB port (like wired version does), but this is a minor quibble.

Anonymous 13/11/2017

Great quality keyboard with quite a bit of weight to it. Because of the sturdy construction the keys are quieter than I was expecting.

There are three things you will have to get used to: Esc key is in the number row and the two more significant things are that the delete and right shift keys are only the width of a standard key so you will have to learn to hit them correctly.

Really like if for my complete wireless setup.

Anonymous 18/07/2020

Bought a Filco Minila Air and I've been really pleased with it this far! Delivery took about 2 weeks to Sweden and everything arrived well packed and fully functional.

Aero 15/07/2019

It' really nice

David W 09/08/2018

I am absolutely delighted with this it is everything I hoped it would be and more. It is a dream to type on, paired easily with my iPad pro, and appears to have only one small defect there's no light to indicate when caps lock is engaged.

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Are Filco keyboards worth it?

Quality: The Filco is built like a sexy, black brick. It is clear that the keyboard's built on a heavy metal plate, and this gives a comfortable heft that isn't found in computing peripherals nowadays. The cherry switches are rated for 30 million key presses, so this keyboard will last for over a decade of hard use.

How do I pair my Filco keyboard with Bluetooth?

Connecting to the Convertible 2 for the first time is pretty simple – just turn on the Bluetooth switch, then press the 'clear memory' button, and you'll be able to pair the keyboard with your phone or laptop as usual. Using the keyboard again is simpler – just turn on the keyboard, and you'll automatically reconnect.