There are 2 good aspects of this keyboard: 1) The key mechanism for most of the keys are excellent, and 2) the sleek shape and the notch at the middle is handy for moving it around.
And then everything else is bad, making it a lousy keyboard worse than a modest inexpensive flat keyboard.
Worst bits:
1) The tennis-ball mouse comes with this keyboard was supposed to allow the user to operate it with less rolling/twisting of one's wrist. For that idea to work, the mouse needs to be much taller. The current design actually made it worse for the user -- one has to pitch(bend) one's wrist even more to reach the buttons, or operate the mouse with the arm held in mid-air. All in all, a much flatter and smaller mouse would do far better but this one went the opposite way and it really hurts my wrist -- I am getting tinges and numbness I've never had before. Call itself an Ergonomic design, give me a break!!
2) The Esc key and the function keys use popping/buckling key mechanisms. They are awful to press, short-lived and unreliable. The Esc key in particular is so important for developers that it was insane to resort to such lousy key-mechanisms just to save a 5mm strip of real-estate. I ended up rebinding the "Caps Lock" key into an Esc key and have to re-learn its position to get going.
3) The arbitrary layout of the Del, Home, End, PgUp, PgDn keys on the main keyboard is so annoying. They really slow me down and have caused countless typing errors. Users are not supposed to re-learn how to type to make the designer's life easier. It should be the other way round!!! To help getting around this, I've stuck little shaped markers on those keys to give me tactile feedback for identifying them.
4) The separate keypad is almost completely useless. It gets into the way of the mouse. Also, as so many reviewers have pointed out, the lack of an on-off switch, the difficult to open battery compartment and the unusual battery are all dumb ideas.
5) Super strong magnets at the bottom just to hold the battery compartment cover and the stand? This is such an abuse... Why do you need them to be so detachable? I personally left the cover opened all the time, so that I can disconnect a battery after a day's work. It would be so much better if they've provided an on/off switch instead.
Unless you are not a very good typist, and have not got used to any more sensible and familiar layouts, this keyboard could be ok for you (you still need to use a different mouse). O.w. stay away from this one.
| Wireless Type | 2.4 GHz Radio Frequency |
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