Any good slim keyboards??

[blak000]

Well, I'm looking to order a nice, slim keyboard; the ones that feel like you're typing on a notebook. I've narrowed it down to two: the Hiper Clavier silver aluminum keyboard and the Enermax Aurora slim keyboard. Both have their strengths and faults, in my opinion.

Hiper Clavier (Hiper Clavier):
Only $30, good construction. Has multimedia buttons, and smaller than a normal keyboard. However, the keys are compacted and smaller than the standard layout, and some of the peripheral keys (e.g. delete & insert) have been rearranged... so will take some time getting used to.

Enermax Aurora (Enermax Aurora):
$50 (for NOW). Nice, large layout and excellent construction (it's gotten plenty of excellent reviews, but so has the hiper, lol). Comes with a built in jacks for headphones and a mic, as well as two USB ports (1.1 only). Also, it's designed to slope INTO the table it's sitting on. Due to it's ultra thin shape, this eliminates the need for a palm rest! However, it's an absolutely no frills keyboard. No multimedia or extra functions whatsoever. And for the price, it IS a bit expensive.

Ultimately, I've decided on the Enermax Aurora. Though it's missing the extra functions, the only ones I really ever used were the volume keys; I can just adjust the sound on my speakers from now on, I guess. Plus, I suppose if I ever run out of slots, I could resort to those 1.1 USB's.

Before I made the purchase, I wanted to know what you guys thought about these keyboards... maybe some of you might have one or the other. Any thoughts? Or, if you DON'T own either board, maybe you know other slim keyboards that are also really good? The Hiper and Enermax are both aluminum, but that's just a coincidence rather than a requirement. Thanks!

 

[IlllI]

$35 there (if its the same model)

 

[blak000]

Yeah, thanks. I actually found out about that yesterday night. Ordered it this morning =P
Decided to pick up the Enermax, because it uses scissor-switch technology for its keys... the same kind used in labtops.
The Hiper uses the standard rubber domes...

 

[luv2liv]

foldable keyboards are super slim too!
how comfortable are these to type on?

 

[blak000]

I don't know about that particular keyboard, but many people have said those foldables are a bit hard to type on. Ease of typing is essential to me, more than the peace of mind in having an "indestructable" keyboard. =/

 

[beyonddc]

I use this - A4Tech x-slim keyboard

 

[BladeVenom]

Originally posted by: luv2liv
foldable keyboards are super slim too!
how comfortable are these to type on?

Those things are awful for typing.

 

[andre1rocha]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823121117R

i bought that. DONT buy that!

 

[blak000]

Welp, got the Enermax Aurora in the mail today. WOW. A very nice keyboard. Typing feels good on this thing, and I can barely hear the keys. I tried using the audio ports that came with it, but my speakers started emitting this weird sound, so I ended up going back to the computer ports. Oh well, you don't buy a keyboard for audio ports. The Aurora also has 2 USB ports in the back (1.1), but I haven't tried them out yet. I keep forgetting they're there, lol.

All in all, I have to say that I really like this keyboard. It lays verrrry low to the desk, so your arms feel very comfortable. You pretty much don't need a wrist support of any kind; the table will do just fine. The aluminum finish looks very sleek, yet low profile. The keys are low, and the response is pretty good. Initially, I felt they were a bit stiff, but realized that if they were softer it would be too easy to make mistakes. The only negative I have is that since the keys ARE so flat and low, it's easy to hit the wrong one once in a while (my fingers will go right over the key I wanted), but this is more an issue with my lack of typing skills than the keyboard. It's a very minor niggling, though, and I'm sure I'll get used to it very quickly. It IS a full layout keyboard, so there's not adjusting needed... no rearranging of the keys or anything, unlike many of the notebook style keyboards out there.

I can't speak much on the gaming performance of this keyboard. I haven't used it for those purposes yet, but I can imagine it would take a little time to adjust. A few missed keys here and there, I would imagine. It would basically be like playing games on a notebook computer, but with a full-layout keyboard. This thing looks like it could take some abuse though (not too much); the Aurora doesn't feel fragile at all. Also, for it's size, it's actually a bit heavy, which I like. Makes it "feel" solid.

All in all, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I would recommend it to anybody. Just don't expect any fancy multimedia buttons, because, other then the USB and audio ports, you're not getting ANYTHING.

 

[BladeVenom]

How many key rollover does it have?

Also try game combinations to see if they work. If you press and hold A and W, will it still recognize when you push Q? Some keyboards, especially if they don't take gaming into consideration, have a poor circuit layout that doesn't allow certain combinations to be used at the same time.

 

[luv2liv]

i like this Logitech diNovo Edge 2. but its sooo expensive. would be nice to have a slick keyboard without a num pad.

 

[blak000]

Hmmm... tell you the truth, I don't think the Aurora was built as a gaming keyboard. I think it's built on the standard keyboard matrix. I dunno how to test for key rollover. I tried the A and W combination, as well as other combinations. The "Q" wasn't recognized =\

Oh well, I think as a standard keyboard, it still rocks. I just love typing on this thing!

 

[14k]

I've just bought the Enermax Aurora keyboard and have the following problem:

It seems to unplug and replug itself after 2 seconds. I know this because it makes that noise when something is disconnected or connected to the PC. What this means is sometimes my typing "freezes" - I have to wait the 2 or so seconds for it to make that noise again so I can continue typing. It doesn't happen that often, but often enough to be an annoyance.

This is my first time with a USB keyboard; could it be that the drivers WinXP has put on for me aren't appropriate. I've looked on the enermax site and no drivers seem to be available. In device manager it says I've got a "HID Keyboard Device". Any ideas? Has anyone else come across this with their keyboards or THIS keyboard?

I've tried plugging it into different USB ports.

Any help much appreciated.

 

[looper]

I've been very happy w/ my 'DAS III Professional" keyboard. $130.00

http://www.daskeyboard.com/specifications.php

 

[terentenet]

I just got the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard and I couldn't be happier with the purchase I made. Keys are very quiet and feel like notebook keys, but slightly deeper. Tactile feedback from keys is GREAT. I just find myself wanting to type something, cause I really like to type on this keyboard. In fact, I wouldn't normally answer in this thread, but I just thought it would be a nice opportunity to type on my keyboard j/k.

So all you guys that are looking for a slim keyboard, consider the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard. Did I mention it's also illuminated?

 

[flyboy84]

Originally posted by: terentenet
I just got the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard and I couldn't be happier with the purchase I made. Keys are very quiet and feel like notebook keys, but slightly deeper. Tactile feedback from keys is GREAT. I just find myself wanting to type something, cause I really like to type on this keyboard. In fact, I wouldn't normally answer in this thread, but I just thought it would be a nice opportunity to type on my keyboard j/k.

So all you guys that are looking for a slim keyboard, consider the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard. Did I mention it's also illuminated?

+1 for this keyboard. I got it on Sunday and it's really fantastic. Research it online, lots of good reviews.

It's on sale at Best Buy for 60 this week.

 

[Rottie]

BTC keyboard but i guess Logitech keyboard looks better.

 

[nerp]

Watching people buy cheap keyboards makes me sad. :/

Should have gotten a Topre Realforce -- it's only about $300 shipped from Japan. C'mon dude.

Or you could have gotten a Unicomp Mighty Mouse.

Sure, they set you back. But you can't fathom the typing experience. Would make your enermax feel like typing with marbles stapled to a dead lady's chest.

 

[Old Hippie]

In fact, I wouldn't normally answer in this thread,

Because it's 2 yrs. old?