Cherry DW 9000 SLIM: Modern Desktop Set of Keyboard and Mice on Review

The vast majority of computer users today attach importance not only to functionality, but also to the appearance of the devices used. So it is not surprising that more and more attention is being paid to the design coordination between the individual components. Sets consisting of mouse and keyboard are therefore enjoying increasing popularity – here the manufacturer has already taken care to design two devices in such a way that they are perfectly matched to each other. Furthermore, equipment grouped in such sets may also be expected to harmonise at a technical level.

The product “DW 9000 SLIM*” from Cherry, which we tested, is a similar set.

Design and Workmanship

The name of the product does not come by chance. Cherry obviously attaches great importance to making both set components, but above all the keyboard, as flat as possible. The extremely thin construction is of course not only practical, but also important from a design point of view. In combination with the copper or bronze colour elements and the otherwise very simple design of the mouse and keyboard, the pronounced thinness ensures a very modern look. On the desk, the mouse and keyboard, which are optically perfectly matched, are real eye-catchers in the positive sense.

On a more practical level, Cherry wants to enable fatigue-free working thanks to its flat design. More about this will follow later. A big point of attack for flat keyboards is the usually hardly given stability and torsional stiffness. However, the keyboard included in the DW-9000 set is a notable exception in this respect. Cherry uses a metal plate as the base for the keyboard, which ensures sufficient stability and torsional rigidity despite its minimal thickness. This circumstance represents a major plus point and demonstrates the overall very good workmanship.

The keyboard stands absolutely securely on the desk and blends in very well with its surroundings. If required, it can also be set up steeper thanks to the four rubber feet supplied. At this point, however, it should be noted that you cannot switch between the two installation modes more frequently in this way. The keyboard can either be changed with the rubber feet – i.e. permanently set up steeply – or without them and thus permanently lying flat. A folding mechanism would be more practical, but would have torpedoed the overall concept based on flat and thin construction, so the decision is understandable. Nevertheless, there certainly would have been more flexible and elegant solutions – e.g. magnetic or screw-on feet would have been options.

Overall, however, we are very satisfied with both the design and the workmanship and can praise Cherry very much.

The Mouse

Thanks to the rubberized side parts, the mouse lies very comfortably in the hand and can be used for a longer period of time without any problems. Only the small size could be unpleasant for users with very large hands after long periods of use. Here, however, it is again necessary to refer to the concept, which relies on flat, thin and small individual parts. Furthermore, it is unlikely that such long periods of use will be achieved in practice, so that problems should only arise in isolated exceptional cases.

The mouse is equipped with six buttons, a mouse wheel with optical scanning and a magnetic USB receiver seal. The resolution can be set in three steps between 600, 1,000 and 1,600 DPI. Overall, the mouse seemed simple but functional to us in the test. It was easy to use and met all our requirements. In addition, it can be adapted to individual needs to a certain extent, which turned out to be absolutely sufficient. Although it can’t keep up with the precision of outstanding gaming mice, it’s not designed for that either. Another advantage is the low weight of the mouse, which makes it suitable for transport and mobile use. The size is also kept accordingly and Cherry also supplies a small bag for transport. All in all we are very satisfied with the mouse.

The Keyboard

As already mentioned, the keyboard is equipped with a sturdy metal plate that leaves it extremely secure. The SX scissor technology is used for the keys, which has a positive effect on the service life and operability. The typing feeling was extremely pleasant in the test. Especially typical office activities can be done very well with the keyboard, as it offers a pleasant typing feeling. We could not notice any disturbing background noises at any time during the test.

The labeling of the keys is resistant to abrasion, which can be expected in this day and age. The existing status LEDs for the up, roll and num-lock keys are now also part of the basic equipment of an average keyboard. The additional delete key in the numeric keypad is an extra that may not be needed, but could provide some users with a practical relief so that we rate it positively.

Other extras include a lock button, a web calculator, a calculator and several volume keys. However, a button for play/pause is missing. All in all, the keyboard is very solidly equipped and can convince in practice.

Batteries

The mouse and keyboard operate wirelessly and are therefore equipped with rechargeable batteries to ensure long and trouble-free operation. Cherry does not provide any information on the capacities of the batteries installed. In the test the running times turned out to be more than sufficient. We didn’t get the battery empty during several weeks of daily use.

If mouse and keyboard are connected via Bluetooth, Windows 10 displays the current battery status. Thanks to this display, the user will not suddenly be surprised by an empty battery, but can react in time and recharge the battery. By the way, this is quite simply possible via the included microUSB cable and can also be done during use. However, the fact that only one cable is included in the set is a big drawback. The keyboard and mouse can never be charged at the same time, which in case of doubt can lead to temporary unusability of the set. This may be a scenario that is almost unlikely to occur in practice, but Cherry could have easily counteracted it by adding a second cable.

Also negative is the fact that it is a microUSB cable and not a USB-C cable. The use of the newer standard would have been expected as it has some advantages.

Connections

The desktop set can be operated in two ways. A connection via Bluetooth can be established in a completely uncomplicated way. No additional receiver is required for this – the Bluetooth function of the PC simply has to be turned on and a connection can be established at the click of a mouse. In the test, this type of connection worked absolutely without any problems.

If you want to operate several devices with the desktop set, if you have a PC without Bluetooth connectivity or if you simply don’t want to use Bluetooth, you can still be happy with the desktop set. Cherry includes a 2.4 GHz radio receiver with the set, which can be used like a USB stick. It can also be used to establish a connection between the receiver, mouse and keyboard. Also this possibility of connection worked perfectly in the test. If it is not used, it simply disappears into the underside of the mouse and is held there magnetically.

In both cases, however, an encrypted connection is established, which is certainly a great advantage, since the entries cannot be read out in this way.

Conclusion

Overall, the desktop set “DW 9000 SLIM” from Cherry convinced us. It offers a flat, simple and very modern design, which is one of the greatest highlights. But even on a technical level, the mouse and keyboard do not disappoint. The keyboard has a massive metal plate, which makes it very stable. In addition, she knows how to convince with a very pleasant typing and writing feeling as well as with some extras. The mouse, however, is very solid and functional.

Another positive feature are the two encrypted connections. Not every desktop set has this advantage. On the negative side, the many advantages are countered by a missing second charging cable and rubber feet for exclusively permanent changing of the keyboard position.

Overall, however, the positive aspects of the desktop set clearly predominate. Added to this is the excellent price-performance ratio at a price of Price not available *. We can therefore recommend this keyboard set with a clear conscience for users who are primarily involved in office activities.