Put into percentage terms, the Vortex Vibe is a 78 percent keyboard, a relatively new form factor in mechanical keyboard enthusiast circles. It’s a 60 percent board with a number pad on the side.

I’ve shown my “keyboard in a tube” to a handful of friends for the novelty of it. When they see the keyboard itself, their reaction is the same every time: puzzlement at this funky new layout.

Today, we’re looking at their latest release with the Tab 90 mechanical keyboard. It’s a full-size board in a compact package, complete with onboard macro programming, double-shot dye sub ...