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| Author: |
James Sams |
| Date: |
2003.06.28 |
| Topic: |
Peripherals |
| Provider: |
Crazy PC |
| Manufacturer: |
Multiple |
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Conclusion
Both keyboards get their jobs done fairly well. In the end, the EL-610 is simply
too small to be used in the long-term. As a 19-year-old with a significant arthritis
problem, I found typing on it much too painful for me to ever willingly sit
down at it for any extended time period. Most, if not all, laptop keyboards
are larger than it is. Truthfully, I have trouble coming up with an explanation
for why one would need a keyboard so small. Using it to replace a laptop keyboard
doesn't make any sense, as little-to-no benefit is offered by the EL-610 over
the laptop keyboard. If one is traveling with his/her desktop, the enormous
size already being lugged around justifies another 5 or 6 ounces for a keyboard
that doesn't inflict pain. The toggle switch simply doesn't justify the absurdly
small size of this keyboard. Even with my admittedly small hands, I found that
I was more likely to hit "backspace" when reaching for the nine or
zero keys than I was to hit either of those keys.
The eluminX, for all its faults, is my choice of these two contenders. If nothing
else, flipping the keyboard facedown does a decent job of killing the light
when you do not wish to have an eerie blue glow in your room. The normal size
of the keyboard makes typing much more of a breeze, especially with the short
keystroke length and small operating force. However, at almost twice the price
of the EL-610, it's hard to justify dropping a Ben Franklin on the eluminX.
However, in this case, you get what you pay for. Though the motto in the tech-industry
is usually "Smaller is Better," Zippy has found a clear exception
to that rule: the keyboard (in addition to the most obvious: the monitor).
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