Joy of Gadgets

I think my kids might like this just for the colors. However, this keyboard from KeyRight isn’t colorful “just because.” The colors tell you what keys your different fingers should hit for the most optimal typing experience and supposedly are 192% more effective than without the colors.

The keyboard along with the included typing tutor program is supposed to increase your typing speeds in as little as 6 hours. PC or Mac compatible. For people who aren’t touch typists and want to be, $39.99 is a small price to pay.

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I tend to be a cheap keyboard guy. I find whatever I can get my hands on for the lowest possible price. Unfortunately, some of the keyboards I’ve bought this way have been real crappy ones in the long run.

Das Keyboard sent me a review unit to try out. I was expecting a “clicky” keyboard, as that’s what their promotional materials promised. Sure enough, it’s clicky.

I’m sure many long-time geeks like myself will remember the first truly clicky keyboard–the original IBM AT keyboard. It was solid and clicked like mad whenever you typed on it. This keyboard is almost like that. Sure, it clicks, but the click isn’t entirely the same, nor do the keys feel as solid as that original.

That being said, this is a very solid keyboard. It weighs at least twice what my other keyboards weigh, and even better, it functions as a two-port USB 2.0 hub. I also like the color.

The Das Keyboard comes in another model–one without markings on the keys. It’s designed to help you learn how to touch-type.

My only misgiving with the keyboard is the price: $129 seems steep for a keyboard. Of course, this comes from someone happy to buy keyboards for a buck a piece from Woot. However, this is one of the best keyboards I’ve used in a long time. It’d be a no-brainer at half the price.