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Logisys KB602BK EL Keyboard |
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Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov
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Sunday, 01 July 2007 |
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Page 2 of 2
Opening the keyboard is not an easy task. Not only are there 12 initial screws, but after removing the plastic backing you're presented with several more layers. The first steel layer is held in place by 15 smaller screws and is used to secure the three additional layers in place. Here you'll also notice wires running to a screwed-on PCB; this is the power connection for the super bright LEDs and the EL backlight. The soldering job is pretty poor here so if you're going to service the keyboard, be careful not to damage the connection (or rip it off altogether, which I did at first), especially if you don't have a soldering iron handy.
Once the steel panel is off you'll find a plastic electrical grid used to recognize which key is being hit. From previous experience and the initial looks of things (i.e. the low profile of the buttons), one would expect this to be a scissor mechanism keyboard (mostly found in laptops). In reality, it's a hybrid between that and the more traditional rubber dome design. While the buttons are secured in place using a snap-in mechanism, they bounce back after being pressed using domes rather than springs. This is a quieter and longer lasting execution (since a solid mat reduces damage that may be caused by spills and is less prone to wear and tear). The reason it's not used in notebooks is due to its inherently larger size.
Near the top of the keyboard you'll notice a PCB and a yellow coated transformer. This is used to power the EL backlight and the blue LEDs. There is a slight hum/buzz generated when the EL is working, but it's pretty quiet and unnoticeable beyond a few inches. Seeing as how most people will have at least a foot or two between their ears and the keyboard, this shouldn't pose a problem. Newer keyboards are using LEDs for backlighting (as they're more reliable and don't require a transformer), but EL still has the advantage of being more uniform without any pockets of extreme brightness and darkness.
That said I powered up the keyboard and ended up with what you see above. As you can probably tell, the blue LEDs are extremely bright and will hurt your eyes, "burning" a temporary image therein much like the sun. This can also be very distracting. Fortunately the LEDs are placed inside a recession and angled straight up, so unless the keyboard is directly below you (which it seldom, if ever, is), this won't be an issue. You're more likely to end up with the second image shown above: the LEDs are still brighter than the EL light, but they're neither blinding nor distracting. On the subject of color, the EL is slightly aquamarine while the LEDs are more of a true blue.
After using this keyboard for about a week now I'm generally satisfied with Logisys' offering. It took a few days to adjust to the different key placement and I'm still making a few errors courtesy of the mini Backspace key, but other than that it works dandy. The response is great, the noise generated is minimal, and the overall feel is solid. However, I'll be going back to my full-sized ViewSonic ViewMate KP102 because I don't have desktop constraints and need the larger keys. Logisys does offer a larger KB606 model. Now that I could see myself using long term.
Pros
- Looks good (white keys with black frame matches most systems)
- Lots of potentially useful hotkeys
- Good response with little noise
- Super bright blue status LEDs
- Blue (aquamarine) EL backlight
Cons
- Still PS/2 (USB preferable)
- Keys are opaque (not clear as stated)
- Rubber grips on the bottom are too few/too small
- Due to the miniature size some buttons are way too small and awkwardly placed
- Seemingly useless Fn (function) key
Logisys' EL keyboard is pretty good for what it's worth. The keys are small and it feels like a miniature extended keyboard, but aside from the few awkwardly located buttons it works great. This is a solid choice if you're looking for a fully functional keyboard for a younger audience or someone with small or narrow fingers; otherwise you'll want a true, full-sized model. And then of course there's the purely aesthetic EL backlight and LEDs. You can get more info here.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 13 July 2007 )
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