.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE When coffee meets keyboard
.AUTHOR James Booth
.SUMMARY What happens when your keyboard encounters twenty-four ounces of coffee? It tanks, that’s what it does. Unless you have a Unotron Washable keyboard. Read on to find out how Unotron’s corded keyboard handles the coffee test.
.OTHER
What happens when your OEM (original equipment manufacturer) keyboard encounters twenty-four ounces of coffee? Well, it certainly doesn’t come alive like in that movie Electric Dreams, I can tell you that much.
.CALLOUT That’s the dregs of a thousand pots I saved up specifically for this test.
I know, it’s happened to me twice.
I’ll tell you what it does do; it tanks, goes kerflooey. That’s an industry technical term, you know. Unless you have a Unotron Washable Keyboard like the one in Figure A, that is.
.FIGPAIR A The Unotron Washable USB keyboard.
David Gewirtz, our Editor in Chief, recently covered [[http://www.computingunplugged.com/issues/issue200703/00001951001.html|the Unotron Wireless Washable keyboard]], but I’m not all that keen on wireless keyboards. And I also wanted to see how it handled that 24oz. coffee.
.TEASER Want to watch James dump coffee on his keyboard? Tap here for the ugly pictures.
.H1 The features
Unotron’s Washable keyboards are a standard 104-key layout with 15 Hot Keys for multimedia and Internet use, and their programmable HotKey utility allows you to program up to 40 additional keyboard shortcuts. The keyboard comes with a removable wrist rest and is compatible with every version of Windows from 95 through XP, including 2000. There’s not reason it shouldn’t also be compatible with Vista, but there’s also no mention of Vista on the Unotron site, so check before you buy.
The real standout of Unotron’s keyboards is the ability to wash them. This is possible through Unotron’s SpillSeal technology, which provides liquid and dust protection to standard NEMA4X and IP66.
.H1 The review
I’m picky about my keyboards; I’m picky about most things actually. I like my keyboards to have a certain shape and feel to the keys, a certain amount of space between them, and a certain amount of rise to the rows. It’s what’s comfortable for me.
Consequently, I have a difficult time finding keyboards that I like. Normally this wouldn’t be all that big of a deal; most people replace their computer before they need to replace their keyboard. But lingering in the background like a Phantom Menace is that jumbo cup of coffee.
I always keep a crappy $10 keyboard around for emergencies, but the only ones I’ve found that I like are HP’s OEM Pavilion keyboards, in particular the ones made by Saitek. Then I saw Unotron’s keyboard in David’s article. The keys looked right, the pitch looked right. Could this be the Mecca of my keyboard pilgrimage? Only one way to find out.
.H1 The coffee test
In Figure B below, you’ll find the dreaded coffee test; 24 oz. of the finest organic suspension ever devised. Don’t worry folks. I didn’t waste good coffee, that’s the dregs of a thousand pots I saved up specifically for this test.
.FIGPAIR B The dreaded coffee test.
The cleaning process in quite simple; rinse off the bulk of the offending substance, wash with a mild detergent, and rinse again like in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C Cleanup is as easy as washing your hands.
Shake out the excess water, and let it dry overnight. Make sure to keep the plug dry during the washing process.
It’s as simple as that; and it works. In addition, the keys have just the right shape, feel, and pitch. It’s impervious to coffee. And all of the multimedia and programmed buttons work properly.
As some of you may know, Windows 2000 really was not a multimedia workhorse. It was designed to be stable in the business world, not provide entertainment; that was why Windows XP was invented. I still insist on using Windows 2000 for my main machine and I’ve often had problems with the "extras" of multimedia keyboards working properly, but this wasn’t the case with Unotron’s Washable Keyboard. And I didn’t even need to load any extra drivers for them to work.
I only wish the legs on the keyboard were a bit longer. I learned to type on an IBM Selectric typewriter, so I like a bit more of an angle to my keyboard.
Overall, I was very happy with Unotron’s Washable USB keyboard, and at only $50, it’s a great value. I give it 4 out of 5.
.RATING 4
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
Learn more about [[http://www.unotron.com/US/corded_keyboard.htm|Unotron’s Washable USB keyboard]].
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO
