| maybe the best small keyboard currently available on amazon |
| i evaluated two other small keyboards after becoming frustrated with the adesso 595. A4tech keyboard was one of the two i looked at. my requirements were 1) usb without an adapter; 2) full complement of the "windows" keys; 3) "shift" and "alt" keys on both sides of the space bar; and 4) size around the 12" x 6" range.
this keyboard does not have the typical laptop-style feel, but is responsive nonetheless and works well for fast typing. the keys are normally-sized. my only criticism of this keyboard is the placment of the "ins" and "del" keys.
- the "del" key is in the upper-right corner, which is not the most familiar placement.
- the "ins" key is to the left of the arrow keys
my preference would have been for the "del" key to be to the left of the arrow keys. the "ins" key is rarely used, so it should not be there.
so i searched for a way to swap those keys and found the excellent "keytweak" program and remapped those keys the way i wanted.
overall, this is the best of the 3 keyboards i have evaluated, and it is also the least expensive. so for value, i give this keyboard 5 stars.
| | The keys are pretty thin. It's what you would expect on a laptop keyboard. I bought it because I don't want to have the numeric keypad a normal keyboard has to shorten the distance of the keyboard and mouse. One thing that I DISLIKE about this keyboard is that you can not elevate it. Keyboards normally come with legs, so you can have it slightly angled. Function keys location requires a little getting used to.
| | Nice Durable Little Keyboard |
| I have had this keyboard for about a year, and I'm very happy with it. It's not quite as silent as I would have liked, but it's pretty quiet. I like a quiet keyboard, especially for work so I can type while I'm on the phone without it being audible. I generally like the feel and sound of laptop keyboards. I hate the desk clutter of typical keyboards; they take up way too much desk space. This one is nice and small.
The A4 is pretty similar to a good laptop keyboard, except a bit better in terms of key placement and key motion is maybe a little more than a typical laptop these days. Tactile feedback is good for touch typists. Don't get this keyboard if you like the feel and sound of a regular full size keyboard though.
I am a pretty fast touch typist, and I particularly like the placement of most of the keys. Some compact keyboards do funny things like move keys around or make keys smaller. This one is pretty good in general. The Ctrl key is in the corner, the Shift keys, Enter keys, Backspace and Tab are all bigger, as they should be. There are bumps on the F and J keys so you can type in complete darkness if you want.
The only compromises that take a while to get used to are the Delete key is kind of small and not quite in the right place, and there's no right hand Ctrl key. Overall though the key placement, size, and feel work well for fast typing.
| | A4Tech changed the key layout but didn't change the part number |
| I purchased this keyboard in 2006 and it has been great. I purchased another one in 2008 and it has a different key layout! The new one has an inverted L enter key (British style), and the backslash is where Americans normally reach to press the enter key. If you are an American touch typist you will not be able to adjust to this. As of 1-1-09, the picture on Amazon is showing the American style key layout, but I'll bet you won't receive that one! I contacted several vendors who checked their stock and confirmed they have the British style, regardless of the picture on their website. I've ordered a BTC mini keyboard instead, and am hoping they don't have the same problem.
| | I haven't had the keyboard for long, but any longer and I would forget to write a review.
I was interested in a low profile keyboard with laptop-ish keys and a tiny footprint, so that there would be less time and motion involved when I need to move from the keyboard to the mouse. I do a lot of typing, and fairly frequent moving to the mouse at work.
This keyboard provides almost exactly what I want. There are a few cons: It feels cheap. Really cheap. Not a big deal for everyone, and not a show-stopper for myself, but you have been warned. Also, there are a couple out of place keys; There's a "|\" key located between the logo and alt buttons on the left hand side, despite that there already is one in its usual place above the enter key. The insert button is located where you might expect ctrl to be on the right hand side. So far, they have not bugged me, but they are odd. Lastly, the buttons require much more motion in pressing than I had anticipated. It seems to be less so than your usual 'came-with-the-desktop' keyboard, but not slightly more than your typical laptop.
All of that said, for less than $20 shipped, there's no reason not to try it out for yourself. I actually do like it better than your typical, large, thick keyboard. It gets the four stars for value; its usefulness over price is a very favorable ratio.
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