-- Zippy EL-715 Keyboard
-- Price: ~$53.00
USD
-- 01.26.2003
-- By: GideonX
-- Page: 1 Most modders
nowadays have just about seen it all. What used to be made by
hand through hard work and sweat can be bought at your corner computer
bodega. With all this hype and focus on the case modification
industry, there has to be some product that sticks out from the crowd.
Or is there?
No one really knows who started the fad of sticking
some EL wire underneath your keyboard to give it a glowing appeal.
Either way, we have a sample keyboard from the folks at Zippy, who
think they have the upper hand on the 'modders'. Lets see what
they got...
Here are some specs:
Dimensions:435 x170 x 26 mm
Weight: 650g
Cable length: 1.5 meters
Interface: USB
Keystroke life: 10 million
Switch type: scissors
Key operating force: 55 +/- 20g
The keyboard layout is your basic
QWERTY, shrunk into a slim package powered by your USB port.
My first impression was that the keys are just a bit too close to
each other. Compared to my MS Internet Keyboard, it is about
an inch smaller on each side. The Home, PG DWN, etc. keys are
now lined up on the sides vertical to the Enter, Backspace keys.
The common Windows button also makes an appearance.
There are no quick mapable buttons, but
there is an extra button at the top right labeled EL on/off.
Which basically turns the blue EL light on and off. I'm sure
that's what you all really wanted to see anyway, so here it is:
Everything on this unit screams blue,
even the Num, Caps, Scroll lock indicators.
On the left side of the space bar,
there is an extra \ key. This is a great convenience, very
good idea to throw that extra key there. It is also repeated
on the right side above the Enter key like other keyboards.
So this model is real nifty with all
the pretty lights, but how does it work? Will it give you carpel
tunnel? Well, maybe, maybe not. Since it is a slim keyboard,
anyone with oversized fingers will have a tough time. When I
first started using it, it took a good few hours on
IRC typing
non-stop to get used to it. I constantly made typing mistakes
and whatnot. I also noticed the keys had this problem of
sticking. It didn't go away until after about 10 hours of use,
it's now very soft without any sticking problems.
The EL light is not too bright, but is
definitely noticeable in the dark. It makes for night time
typing much easier. You can always turn it off using the EL
button.
Here are the only two real problems
I've had with this model. There are no feet stands on the back
to prop this keyboard up. It just lays flat, which sometimes
makes for difficult typing. Here's the second problem:
A part of the printed Enter key came
off!
Overall, the keyboard is neat to look
at with average usability. I would use this if I attended a
local LAN or get together. At home, a larger keyboard is more
to my liking with spaced out keys. The EL factor gives it a
push into the cool category, so if that's what you're after,
definitely get it.
Thanks to
Frog Tuning
for sending over this sample!
Pros:
- Lightweight
- EL lit
- Blue all over
- Keys are easy to press
Cons:
- Very close keys, needs getting used to
- No feet to prop it up
- Key labels may come off over time
|
 |
|
