TechRadar: All Keyboards Feeds

Saitek Cyborg Keyboard

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:53:00 +0000

What do you need from a keyboard?

Well, obviously keys are a must, with comfortable ergonomics and responsive switches being equally handy. Multi-coloured backlights? Silver-painted WSAD keys? Cursor keys? Touch-sensitive control panel?

Realistically that's all gimmickry, and in that area at least the Cyborg Keyboard utterly excels; elsewhere though it's a bit of a mixed bag.

All about the gimmicks

Sitting alongside the more stylish Logitech G15 and Razer Lycosa keyboards the Cyborg looks like a Star Trek prop.

Normally, the gaudy aesthetics would put me off, but there's something I find quite charming about being able to have different areas of the keyboard lit up with different colours. Charming, but ultimately pointless.

One positive aspect, though, is the fact that the keys are backlit as opposed to the Lycosa's keys, which are unreadable during the day at more oblique angles than right on top of it. The touch sensitive buttons also feel more responsive than some rivals.

Keyboard modes

The extra macro keys are a bonus. Six keys line each end of the board like switches from an 80s cassette recorder, which are all programmable through the Saitek control panel. They're perfect for the MMO-obsessed, but less so for other games.

I was hoping that they'd be more configurable in Windows - if I'd been able to assign program executables to them I'd have been more impressed.

The ability to switch between normal and Cyborg mode is useful. In the latter it turns off the Windows keys avoiding stray presses. Still, the keys have a slightly dead action to them and the gaudy silver paint, sorry, hard-wearing metal-plated key caps don't scream style to me.

Microsoft Entertainment Desktop 7000

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:32:10 +0000

Microsoft has clearly thought about the needs of the media PC user when designing this set.

It's made sure that good quality and ease of use are placed alongside great build quality and a host of features. This makes the Microsoft Entertainment Desktop 7000 is one of the best media centre keyboard and mouse combinations around.

Extra track pad

While the keyboard and mouse are two separate entities, the keyboard has a small track pad on the right-hand side. This is ideal when you just need to browse to a window or open a file without the need to find the mouse.

The keyboard features every hot key imaginable, with options for Windows Media Center, the Start button, the Windows Vista Sidebar gadgets and a handy zoom button, which is immensely useful when using your PC on the TV.

Despite the range of controls the keyboard is still light, compact and manageable. The keyboard takes normal AAA batteries, but the mouse takes a special rechargeable battery that can be replenished by placing the mouse on a charging base, which is connected to the mains.

Bluetooth connectivity

The Entertainment Desktop 7000 uses Bluetooth rather than the standard infrared connectivity, which means that range is fantastic. Even if your media PC is placed behind your TV and underneath a maze of wires, the response of both keyboard and mouse is faultless.

The build quality of both items is what you might expect from a set that costs around £80, but if your media PC is the hub of home entertainment then the Entertainment Desktop 7000 is worth every penny.

Logitech DiNovo Mini

Wed, 28 May 2008 11:59:36 +0000

When choosing a media centre keyboard and mouse, then size is one of the key choices that needs to be addressed.

If you don't want to blot your living room with a full-size keyboard and mouse then the DiNovo Mini is ideal. Somehow Logitech has crammed a full QWERTY keyboard and track pad mouse into something which resembles a personal organiser from the 80s.

A luxurious keyboard

The DiNovo Mini connects via Bluetooth, and enjoys seamless response. The track pad is wonderfully sensitive and never leaves you feeling frustrated. Movement using the DiNovo is made even more diverse by the presence of a switch, which turns the mouse pad into a four-way D-Pad - perfect for navigating windows without the need for a mouse.

Then you open the clam shell-style lid. The keypad is bathed in a luxurious orange light, making typing easy even when the lights are off, and switches off automatically when you close the lid.

There's a full range of hot keys for media playback, and a Windows key for easy Windows navigation.

Frustrating layout

Users who like to surf the Internet and use their media PC for the very basics of living room entertainment will be constantly astounded by the Mini's versatility, despite its size. However, for those who use their media PC as a standard computer the calculator-style buttons are merely a frustration.

Writing a short email using the Mini was enough to confirm that quick and easy typing is a far-off dream, and those users and would be much better served by the Microsoft Entertainment Desktop 7000.

KeySonic ACK-612

Wed, 28 May 2008 11:20:09 +0000

At only £30, the KeySonic ACK-G12 is one of the cheapest and smallest keyboards on the market and has a host of great features that'll help you master your media PC.

Unlike many keyboard and mouse combos, the mouse in this case is a laptop-style track pad on the side of the keyboard. While the track pad feels like one taken from an early laptop, it's perfectly adequate for browsing files and Web pages, but users who demand higher precision will become frustrated at its unresponsiveness.

Basic budget keyboard

The keyboard itself is no ergonomic masterpiece, and feels like you're working on a laptop. The keys aren't well cushioned, but are fine for typing in Web addresses, playing games or writing emails from the comfort of your armchair.

There are also the usual play, pause, volume and track skipping buttons along the top for easy control of media playback, together with four customisable hot keys that can be reprogrammed to suit the user.

Unfortunately, there are problems with the KeySonic that set it apart from its more expensive counterparts. The range is extremely short and is easily impaired by large objects. Hiding the RF receiver at the back of the PC is a recipe for jumpy mouse tracking and poor typing response.

Overall, the KeySonic is a cheap, easy fix for anyone who needs a small compact keyboard for the living room environment for simple file and Web browsing. While power users will bemoan its cheap feel, it's a real bargain for casual media players.

Razer Lycosa

Tech staff — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:59:00 +0000

I love the classic, non-showy styling of the Razer Lycosa: the soft, matte-black keys and the quiet blue LEDs behind them are a pleasure for both eyes and fingertips.

They're responsive and solid, so should you find yourself doing any typing in your gaming downtime then the Lycosa isn't going to get in the way.

Easy gaming

If you spend much of your game time in dimly-lit rooms, then those LEDs are going to help guide your fingers.

There are different settings, but realistically you'll just leave it with the 'on' setting rather than the touch-type-testing 'off' or the pointless hi-vis WSAD-key lighting that only illuminates those buttons to the detriment of any other keys that you may want to use.

The lit keys can also be a little tricky to make out, if you're viewing them at a fairly oblique angle in a well-lit office, but nearby or in your shrouded bedroom there's really no difficulty at all.

The keyboard also threw a slight fit after hours of relentless Trials 2 gaming (my new favourite game), but a quick reboot and things were back to normal.

Solid design

The Lycosa is a simple, solid and stylish keyboard, but if you're a serious gamer, who's into macros and extra functionality then the less-stylish, but feature-packed G15 is probably going to be your weapon of choice.

Wireless Laser Desktop 7000

James Rivington — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:11:52 +0000

Microsoft cops probably more criticism than any other company in the world. People just seem to like moaning about Windows and Office, and let’s face it, it’s easy to see why somtimes. But one thing Microsoft cannot be criticised for is making rubbish peripherals. Because it makes good ones.

Microsoft makes some of the best keyboards and mice on the market, in fact, and the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 demonstrates this perfectly.

Great keyboard & mouse set

Some people might think that a keyboard is just a keyboard, and that there isn’t much difference between all the different types. But those people couldn’t be more wrong. Because for folks who use computers all day (that’s most of us, then) a comfortable keyboard can make things so much more comfortable.

The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 comes with Microsoft's Laser Keyboard 7000 and the Laser Mouse 7000. Both are ergonomically styled to make typing, pointing and clicking easy and comfortable.

There’s just something about this keyboard which makes it a pleasure to type on. The keys make minimal noise when you’re tapping away at them, and they offer the perfect amount of resistance as to make typing a very smooth, creamy experience.

The styling is a bit unnecessary – built for use with Windows Vista, it’s got a transparent edge to emulate Aero graphics. It looks ok, but more useful are all of the Windows-specific shortcut keys. There are a lot of them, offering quick and easy ways to open music, email, spell check, zooming, saving etc.

Smooth keys and nice mouse

The mouse too is also very nice. It’s ergonomic in the way that it provides little ridges for individual fingers to rest on. Absolutely ideal for right-handed mouse users. Lefties on the other hand, will find it utterly impossible to use.

The mouse is rechargeable, and comes with a charging dock and a rechargeable battery.

All round a really nice desktop set, then. The price (around £70 or so online) might put some off, but really, if you find yourself typing away at your PC for long hours, this is a worthwhile investment.

Kensington SlimBlade Media Notebook Set

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:30:21 +0000

Simply in terms of the idea, I like the thought of a modular keyboard, especially if you're talking media centre-style.

Having a full keyboard with a removable number pad and media remote would be very handy. Sometimes you don't need the extra buttons and sometimes you do - see, handy.

Except when it's executed as badly as Kensington's SlimBlade.

Not a great package

It's fine when flush on the desktop/coffee table (it is a 'media' keyboard after all) but if you deign to pick it up then both side-mounted modules slip their pathetic rubber/magnetic fixings and fall to the floor in a clatter of over-priced periphery.

It's a shame as the core keyboard is damn good; it's solidly built and responsive when typing. The F-keys and cursor keys though are a little close to the rest of the keys which can lead to some erroneous typing.

But when half the package is utter tat, why would you fork out close to £100 for the privilege of having flimsy, flappy modules fall off the sides of a decent keyboard?

Trust us, you'd soon jettison the extras and stick with the keyboard, and wonder why you paid for such redundant gimmicks.

Genius Numpad PRO

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:25:09 +0000

Unless you have a 17-inch laptop it is unlikely your machine will have its own numeric keypad, so this external calculator from Genius is a possible replacement.

The buttons are large and the 12-character screen is legible. Connecting to your laptop using a retractable USB cable, it has its own battery so can also be used independently.

Calculator function

Along with all the standard function keys of the calculator there is a button that allows you to send data directly to the Calculator program, or even Word documents, onscreen.

This is where the problems start, as you'll find you can enter numbers, but if you make a mistake you can't correct it, or even start a fresh calculation without wiping the data off the screen. This seems a little laborious and detracts from the usability of the device.

Apple Wireless keyboard

tech.co.uk staff — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Apple's new wireless keyboard is a thing of beauty. It's right up there among our very favourite designs to spring from the fertile imaginations of the Apple design team. It took a tantalisingly long time for our order to arrive, due to some hold-up at the FCC, but the wait was well worth it.

This wireless version of the Apple Keyboard has a narrower, more compact key layout than its wired brother. It uses the same ultra-thin aluminium base, and same key shape as the wired board, but has only 12 function keys compared to the wired board's 19.

The trimmed-down wireless board also lacks the right-hand numeric keypad and obviously comes without the twin USB 2.0 ports, which would have required too much expense and power. But sod the USB ports. What you gain is a keyboard that you can sit on your lap and work with from the other side of the room, sans cables.

The board is raised a few millimetres higher off the table than the wired board, not that you'd notice from the way it looks or feels in use. It still lies nearly flat with the desktop, with the only raised element being the battery bay, which takes three AAs.

Apple claims those three batteries can provide nine months of juice, which sounds a little optimistic in our experience of similarly power wireless keyboard. We think six months is a more reliable figure but time will tell.

The weight required to press commands is now a fraction of that required by the chunky keyboard, and because the device is so slim you don't need to exert much effort to get your hands over the keys.

It's extremely fast to type on and comfortable. Because it's compact, you get more desktop space, too, and if, like us, you sometimes use a graphics tablet, we found you get a more ergonomic desk position for the tablet thanks to the space saved. It works on all Bluetooth-enabled Macs but looks particularly stunning next to a Mac mini. Then again, what doesn't?

Next to the regular keys are some new arrivals, bringing in the extra functions that we first noticed on the wired board. You get new Dashboard and Exposé shortcuts, plus track browsing keys (backward, play/pause, forward). These work really well when you're playing back media files, particularly in iTunes.

Cleaning is easy as there is next to no space between the keys for crumbs or dirt to fall down. That said, we have begun to notice some marks on the keys of the wired board, the kind that come from endless finger touches. A rub with a damp cloth sees them off fairly painlessly.

Genius LuxeMate 600 Laser

tech.co.uk staff — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Genius is damn good at its budget peripherals as well as the more high-end PC playthings. Sadly, this budget wireless set feels rather unpleasant by its usually decent standards.

The mouse works fine, if a little over-sensitive, and feels fairly solid and weighty. The keyboard, though, doesn't feel in any way satisfying to use. The keys aren't very responsive and leave you feeling like you've been typing in thick custard after only a few lines.

With the mixture of a cramped key set and trouble pressing in the top row of keys, there's little here to recommend.