Great keyboard, works as advertised
Written: May 25 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Compact, durable, easy to clean
Cons: typing on it takes practice, will slow your typing rate
The Bottom Line: I would recommend the unit. It works exactly as advertised, it is durable, easy to clean and it frees up desktop space previously lost to mounds of plastic keyboard housings.
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| joneill809's Full Review: GrandTec Virtually Indestructible Keyboard FLX-100... |
BACKGROUND
I have a fairly large workspace, but I always found that my keyboard took up far too much room on my desk. No matter what size desk I worked on, I was always trying to move the thing out of my way.
Then I adopted two cats. Never living with cats before, I did not realize that they would take to sitting on my keyboard and shedding on it. Now I had a big plastic mess sitting on my desk. Top that off with the normal dirt and grime and I was not happy with my computing environment.
Then I came across the VIK on a case modding site. Then had a great review of the keyboard where they doused the entire surface in ketchup, mustard, beer and pretzels. They rolled it up, took a picture of the mess and then threw it in the sink to wash it all off. The unit continued to work perfectly. I had to have one.
FEATURES
I purchased the USB version about two years ago. The unit is in a black rubberized housing. The keys are about 3/8 of an inch tall while the rest of the VIK is about 1/8 of an inch thick. It is about 19.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches deep. It has the usual 104 key layout with sleep, wake and power buttons. The VIK is completely sealed so that you can fully submerge it if you need to. The plastic housing is translucent so you can actually see the electronics inside the unit. The keyboard is full sized.
PROS
(1) Great looking. The sleek design makes for a nice addition to your desktop. The VIK is extremely thin so it provides a very low profile on your desk.
(2) Cleans up like a charm. As advertised, this keyboard is a cinch to clean up. I have not gone to the extreme and thrown it into my sink, but I have taken a bottle of Windex and paper towels to it on a number of occasions. When it is really dirty, a Q-tip works great for getting in between the keys. Overall, it’s a low maintenance keyboard that stays clean.
(3) Mobile. Since the VIK can be rolled up to the size of a soda can, you can easily stuff it into a laptop case or into a bag. You can take your full size keyboard with you anywhere.
(4) Extremely small footprint. As I mentioned earlier, the keyboard has a much smaller footprint that it’s destructible cousins. Not only does it take up less space, but you can flip it up on its side and lean it against something when you are not using it. This gets it out of the way and you don’t have to worry about it breaking if it tips over.
(5) USB. It’s a great keyboard and it is offered in both USB and PS/2 – buy whichever suits your needs. I opted for USB.
(6) Durability. I’ve seen other reviews that say that these keyboards are not durable. I have not found that to be the case. My two have held up very well after over two years of constant use. I clean them regularly and they are no worse off then when I purchased them. I don’t use any aggressive cleaners (I only use Windex and Pinesol), so that may be the source of the problem that others are seeing. I have not seen any drying out or cracking of the rubber. Maybe they left the VIK in direct sunlight? Anyhow, these keyboards have been very durable for me.
CONS
(1) Awkward keys. It takes some getting used to, but typing on the VIK is not that simple. This model uses a heavier duty plastic on the top of the keys and a thinner membrane on the sides. The top of the keys are much taller than the inner plunger – if you do not strike the key squarely the stroke may not register on screen requiring a retype. I have not found repeated keys too much of a problem, rather the way the keys roll under the pressure of a stroke is more of a difficult problem.
(2) Will slow your WPM. The previous problem will slow your overall words per minute. If you are all about typing really fast for long periods of time, this is not the keyboard for you. That being said, I have spent many hours in a row writing documents on the keyboard. Once you get used to it, the typing is not that bad. But be prepared to spend some time working on the accuracy of your key strokes.
RECOMMENDATION
I would fully recommend this keyboard to someone who is willing to try something new. Most of my friends find the feel of the keyboard too difficult to work with. Unless you are willing to spend a few days, maybe a week or two, getting used to this keyboard, you should pass on it.
I would recommend that you go to a store that has one on display and try typing on it before you make the purchase. Also, try out the mini-VIK. It uses a completely different key pad system that is much easier to type on. The trick is it is a compact unit, so you will give up the keypad. I’ve got both keyboards and they are on my main systems. Give them a try if you want to have a neat looking and functional alternative to the typical, mundane keyboard.
When my two go (if ever) I’ll replace them with the latest and greatest VIK…or maybe one of those laser projection keyboards :)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 40
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Epinions.com ID:
joneill809
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Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 1 member
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