Specialty Keyboards

Keyboards for kids and specialty keyboards

Although we didn't find useful reviews of keyboards for children, we did see several keyboards that are marketed for that purpose, including the Googolboard (*Est. $70) and My First Keyboard (*Est. $32). (The Googolboard has no relation to Google.com.) The Googolboard has an abridged layout (no function keys) with red, yellow, green and blue keys with big letters. It is Windows and Mac compatible. Manufacturer DS International claims the keys respond to a light touch. Califone's My First Keyboard also features color-coded keys, but otherwise looks very much like a typical plank keyboard. It earns middling ratings from two contributors at Amazon.com, one of whom complains that there are too many keys for young users.

Kidtech Inc.'s My First Keyboard is briefly mentioned in Good Housekeeping. Instead of a QWERTY keyboard, the keys are in alphabetical order in two rows. Without guidance from a review by someone with early childhood education expertise, you'll have to decide if the keyboard's simplicity is worth the trade-off of having your child learn to use a layout that is non-standard. The manufacturer recommends My First Keyboard for children from 18 months through five years.

The Keys U See keyboard (*Est. $37) is oriented to people with visual impairment, but might be good for children, too. The keyboard has large keys with large print and is available in several color combinations. It has both USB and PS/2 connections. However, those who are visually impaired might instead be interested in purchasing large print stickers (*est. $12), which cost much less and work with your current keyboard.

In a product category with bizarre designs, the Das Keyboard Ultimate (formerly the Keyboard II) (*Est. $130) stands out in its minimalism. The only text on the keyboard is the name of the product; the keys are blank. ExtremeTech.com compares the typing feel of the Das Keyboard Ultimate to old IBM keyboards. Keys have a similar "clicky" response. ExtremeTech's testers experienced a slight increase in speed after a few weeks. Testers liked the typing feel, but not the noisiness. Jeremy Atkinson also notes that cheaper keyboards "like the Ideazon Zboard or Logitech G15" have more features. Geek.com's review reaches very similar conclusions.

The Das Keyboard's gold-plated keys should last much longer than those on other keyboards. Reviewers note that the Das Keyboard Ultimate is much improved from the original Das Keyboard. The keyboard is compatible with all platforms.

If the Das Keyboard Ultimate isn't minimalist enough, consider the do-it-yourself Ergodex DX1 (*Est. $141). You start with a blank slate and arrange the keys anywhere you want them. It comes with 25 self-adhesive removable keys that are programmable for multiple functions. Labels are also included. PC Authority found that a conventional QWERTY layout with custom angles works well. EverythingUSB.com finds that the DX1 is great for gaming. ExtremeTech.com's review is more informative than evaluative. The DX1 is not compatible with Windows Vista at this time.

Those with very deep pockets might be curious about the Optimus Maximus (*Est. $1,565), an innovation from the cutting-edge Russian design studio Art. Lebedev. DigitalTrends' Nick Mokey comments, "On paper, the concept for the Optimus Maximus looks like a guaranteed winner." Representing the ultimate in keyboard versatility, each key is a programmable LED display, allowing users endless customization options. Keys can be rearranged at will and a single keyboard can be programmed and re-programmed to fill different purposes or type in various languages.

That's the idea, anyway. Unfortunately, reviewers say the technology doesn't keep pace with the forward-thinking concept. The design itself proves to be faulty, with the keys so reflective that the LED displays aren't visible in typical work environments, and an uncomfortable, cramped layout despite its mammoth size, which is guaranteed to eat up all available desk space. Reviewers complain about the Optimus Maximus' unusually complicated setup and, most importantly, stiff, heavy keys that are awkward to type on and decrease typing accuracy. Moreover, the keys are prone to malfunction, a problem so pervasive that the units ship with replacement keys. Jeremy Atkinson, of ExtremeTech, creates an entire category in his keyboard head-to-head just for the Optimus Maximus: "Most Over-hyped." Nick Mokey (DigitalTrends) refers to it as "dismal."

Dvorak keyboards

The basic alphabet layout for keyboards has been around since the 1860s. It's called the QWERTY layout, which corresponds to the first six alphabet keys on the top left of the keyboard. The layout was designed so that your key presses generally alternate between the left and right hands. It was also developed to slow typing somewhat, minimizing jams on a typewriter. Since the vast majority of people no longer need to worry about jamming a mechanical typewriter, critics have sometimes called for revisions to the standard QWERTY keyboard layout.

The only alternative layout to gain any sort of traction is the Dvorak keyboard layout, developed in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak. This layout situates the most often-used keys on the center row, right under your fingers. The most commonly used letters are situated under the right hand (since most people are right-handed).

The fastest typist (as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records) is Barbara Blackburn, once clocked typing as fast as 212 words per minute. She can sustain a 150 word-per-minute pace for 50 minutes straight. Ms. Blackburn accomplishes these speeds on a Dvorak keyboard layout.

If you use Windows XP, it's easy to reprogram your keyboard to a Dvorak layout. In the Control Panel, go to Regions and Languages>Languages>Details and select the Dvorak layout. Instructions for Vista users can be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsvista/dvorak.aspx

You can read more about the Dvorak keyboard system at Dvorak-Keyboard.com.