Keyboard Reviews

I am a bassist, guitarist, and vocalist working on my own project.

I did not have the money to throw into a Korg, Kurzweil, Roland, or Yamaha board. All I needed a keyboard/synth for was drum sounds and some keyboard/synth fill in. At first, this seemed like the model for me..

The touch sensitivity is nice.. most of the sounds are pretty decent, if not you can make all sorts of adjustments to just about anything for any tone... except the 'raindrops' tone, a common favorite on most keyboards/synths.. the raindrops tone for the Casio is a cheesy video game sound effect.

Otherwise, the sound and sound possibilities were surprisingly decent.

That is where the good review ends. 6 songs is not a lot of storage if you actually plan to compose with this thing.. no floppy. However you can save songs to your comp, and load songs from your comp to the keyboard.. if you have a good laptop and want to take it everywhere the keyboard goes, then this is not as much of a concern.

Don't buy it if you plan to use it with Cakewalk.. Casio does not provide the .ins (instrument definitions) file for it, and the manual is useless for creating your own. It works terribly with Cakewalk (and I would imagine other MIDI devices) for this reason.

If you just want to play, and never record anything, then this is the instrument for you, otherwise, go for something a bit more expensive. Do not go Casio though.. At present there are little to no .ins files for Casio boards anywhere on the web.

Also, it is certainly not an instrument to take on the road, partly for the limited storage, partly for its innability to interact with other MIDI devices to the extent it could and should be able to, and partly because it is very lightweight and flimsy, don't sneeze in its direction..

.. Look at the price, ask yourself if you can wait a while longer and buy something that is even just a little bit more expensive.. such as a Yamaha for a hundred or two more.

If you think it will help you on your home project... not unless you want to record and flatten to analog from track to track, or program everything into the keyboard and record analog.

I was shopping and based on the reliability of my Casio CTK-511 I selected this model. This is a fun reasonable priced Keyboard with great sound and good features. Consider this one!!!

it is cool looking i might buy it but if you have 600$ get the
yamaha psr55oad that looks sweet

I bought this keypad and wasn't all that impressed with it, but then again I wasn't using it for the actual use. I got this keypad for use in games, more specifically games on the Sony Playstation 2. Since it is a USB device it would be able to work with the game system.
After pluggin it in and playing for a while, I noticed two quirks about the keypad. Sometimes it would cease to register to the game, for upwards of 30 secs or more. Other times it would repeat the same key for 30 or so seconds. Both problems seemed to clear up when it was plugged into a USB hub.
Another thing that I didn't really care for was the travel distance on the keys. When I'm using a keyboard I like to know when the key is up or down. Moving the key downward only a few millimeters ddn't seem right to me, but since this is designed to be used with a laptop it does make sense.

Pro's:
Small footprint
Large-ish keys
USB interface

Con's:
Sometimes keys wouldn't register or they would repeat
Travel distance for the keys seemed too small.

If you are looking to have a keypad for your laptop, this is a good keypad for the price. But for other uses I really cannot reccommend it.

I input a lot of numbers for our database - but have to use a notebook computer (I am used to a desktop). It drove me nuts hunting-and-pecking for numbers. I got this little beauty and now numerical input is a breeze. The only small problem is I am not used to having a "000" key between the "0" and the "." keys. The result is that every once in a while, when I try for 0 I get 000. Otherwise it works well and seems to take the abuse of a "keyboard pounder".

I tried the Numeric Access I keypad and I was not happy with either the feel of the keys or the fact that often the number I input would repeat itself, forcing me to stop and delete the extra number. This may have to do with the fact that I set my repeat rate to fast and repeat delay to short in windows, but this is not acceptable to me and has never caused me any issue with my laptop's keyboard.

Needless to say the Numeric Access II does not have this problem, has much better tactile feel, is VERY compact and light (again much better than any other keypad out there - it is about half the depth of the Access I and is great for travelling) and matches my ThinkPad exactly. If you like big keys that depress quite far like a normal keyboard or keypad does, you might not like this. But I like the positive feel of this pad and the flat keys make it much more portable.

Note also that this product is USB and _does not_ include a PS/2 adapter, although you can buy those separately.

The pen itself is ok, but nothing great. What's really bad is the way you select the pen, mechanical pencil or the stylus. Basically, you have to hold the pen at a horizontal position, turn the pen so the small markings idicating the type of tip extension is facing up and press the button at the end of the pen.

I usually go back and forth a lot between the three tips and it is a hassle. There are pens out there that simply require a twist at the barrel to select the tips. These are great because you don't even have to look and its so much quicker. I've seen these for less than $10.

The actual ballpoint pen is not much better than a $.05 plastic pens you buy in bulks. Where do they come up with these prices?

I like having both a pen and a stylus in the same instrument. Being thicker than the stylus, I feel that it's easier to write on my Palm. Also, I think it's cool to change between black, blue and stylus using the button and the gravity action. Be warned, it says that it'll fit on "most stylus slots" but it's as thick as any ballpoint pen.

This ball point pen/stylus is very good purchase. it is a good price and minimizes what you have to carry. just do not get them mixed up or you may ruin the screen of your visor. a good product all in all just go straight from writing a term paper to writing a reminder to turn it in inside your visor.

...

Pro:
It gives you a decent input mechanism for the Palm.
Seems to be built well.
Low cost.

Con:
If you have the leather case for the Palm, the keyboard will not fit.
I realized that the only reason I wanted to use a keyboard to type into a Palm was because I didn't have a keyboard. Now that I have it, I haven't really used it.

Alright, I have to admit that straight out of the box I thought I was never going to be able to use this thing! The keys seemed terribly small and my fingers aren't the most delicate things on this planet.

After a couple of days, I'm falling in love. This keyboard has a lot of advantages over other 'portable' keyboards.

Size: Truly portable. Comparing it my friend's Stowaway, this thing just takes the cake.

Location: If you don't know yet, you slip this over the bottom of your handheld (in my case Visor). It stays in place remarkably well. It's rounded sides and larger profile, makes typing easy because the handheld is easier to hold.

Construction: Yes, it's plastic, but it's well made plastic. Everything has clean finished edges. I flexed my in my hand and it creaked a little bit, but not like it was going to fall apart suddenly.

In conclusion, I give this tiny but powerful keyboard four stars. It would have earned the coveted five star rating if it's keys were just a smudge bigger, or spaced out a bit more. If you have small fingers and great fine motor skills, you'll be typing out page-long emails in no time.

This is not a full size keyboard, but if you carry a Palm, you do not want to carry a full size keyboard anyway. This device is the best option if you want to key in your words without messing with graffiti.

The device is lightweight, easy to carry and fits right into the Palm. Keying in letters and other functions are a snap. I have fallen in love with this thing since I began to use it.

The only improvement I hope is to have a protective cover on the keys. To slip it on my Palm every time is not convenient enough. If there is a cover, I do not have to worry about touching the power-on button when it is attached to the Palm and stays that way all the time.

As a user of the KB-11 keyboard I looked forward to using the KB-100. I was very pleased with the contruction and the size but less so with the decreased functionality. Where I could use keyboard commands almost exclusively on the KB-11 I now have to use the stylus for "OK", "Done", "Cancel", and almost every other command. I am sure that Sony will eventually offer an updated driver that will permit combination keys to activate these commends but in the meantime I am forced to keep a stylus in hand.

The other negative factor is the location of the shift key but we humans will adapt to that.

Previously, I used the Palm portable keyboard for the Palm III and V handhelds. I really liked the feel of those keyboards, but I moved on when I outgrew my older PDA. I travel a lot, and I avoid carrying a laptop whenever possible; so, a portable PDA keyboard is essential for my journeys. After upgrading to a Sony Clie TG-50 handheld, I bought the KB-100 keyboard to compliment it. So, you ask, how did the two keyboards stack up? Well, I have to give the nod to the Palm keyboard for keyboard size. The Palm's size is equivalent to a laptop keyboard, while the Sony's, in spite of being advertised as "full size," is in fact a bit smaller. I suspect for most folks that wouldn't be a major concern, but I have large hands, and I've found that my typing speed has slowed somewhat as compared to the Palm unit. In terms of deploying the keyboard, the Sony wins hands down--it's simpler and faster, with fewer moving parts. Another plus is that the Sony keyboard will also charge your handheld while docked. One more minus: the shift key on the right side of the Sony is quite small, and slowed down my typing speed until I grew used to it. To sum up, the Sony is a well-designed portable keyboard that makes some compromises in keyboard layout, but is nonetheless quite a useful product. My recommendation is that if you have big hands and plan to write the great American novel on your PDA, you'll likely be happier with a Palm PDA/keyboard setup. If, however, you mainly plan to work on shorter documents, the Sony should get the nod.

The clie keyboard with my nx60 (or my nx70 and my sj22) really rounds out the product. The keyboard is of excellent quality and feel. With the keyboard I truly have a top notch laptop replacement. Clies are great but such accessories put them over the top!!

I'm focusing the functionality of this mouse to other cordless mice.

Overall, the product is very good. It works very well as a regular cordless optical mouse. From my vantage point, this makes it a very good deal, if this alone makes it worth spending about $30 more than a comparable cordless optical mouse (based on street price for the Gyration). The two buttons have a very solid tactile feel yet have a good balance that makes it easy to press yet not too easy to accidentally press a button without intention. The scroll wheel also has a nice tactile feel and scrolls easily but not too easily.

The bonus of the Gyration comes when you lift it off of the desk. You can use the Gyration in the air and replicate any function while holding the mouse up. This makes it great as a full-function mouse for when you do anything from presentations to web surfing in a more distant, relaxed position away from your desk. When you press the button on the underside, the position of your hand/arm at that moment is considered the neutral position. If you then move your arm to the right, the mouse cursor goes right. If you move your arm to the left, the mouse cursor goes left. The motion does take some getting used to, but generally speaking it is quite easy. It is particularly easy for anyone that is used to playing video games.

The range of the mouse is essentially as advertised. I have used the mouse from a distance of over 20' for a presentation. In household usage, I have not had the mouse farther away than I can read my monitor, which is around 4'.

Another special feature of this mouse is the rechargeable battery. The mouse has a cradle for charging. This feature is great in that you don't have to worry about purchasing batteries. The down side to this is the lack of a power meter -- you have no idea when the battery is about to run down. The optical beam is constantly working on the mouse, which also means that the battery power is constantly being run down. In practice, the mouse ran out of battery left out of the cradle after 2 1/2 days. When the battery runs down, there are only 2 choices: either get your old spare mouse, or wait until the battery is charged again, which will take between 2 to 3 hours. The solution to this is to always keep the mouse in the cradle.

In sum, if you are going to do any off-desk web surfing or conducting a presentation, this is a great mouse. If you don't plan on doing either of these activities, you are probably better off purchasing a Logitech cordless optical mouse.

Does what it claims, but takes getting used to. But, why would anyone want to use a mouse away from his computer? Aside from the business/presentation usage, my computer is off to the side of my recliner. So with this little baby I basically set the resolution to 800x600, raise the fonts in my browser to largest, and surf the 'Net and read my email while reclining!

The picture displayed with the CASIO CTK 558 appears to be the more expensive WK1600. The CTKs are fine entry level keyboars with 66 keys. The WKs are a little more expensive and have a wider (72+ key) keyboard. Don't get fooled by the picture.

This is a wonderful keyboard with a great sound and ease-of-use. However, if I had to purchase it today, I'd go for either CTK-551 or Casio LK-30 learning system. I think the pitch bend wheel and touch response which are extras on CTK-558 may not be that important to beginners. However, the follow-me light system in LK-30 might be worth it.

This keyboard is incredibly useful. It's almost like having a full size keyboard (it is slightly smaller and I know those with big hands have complained it is too small... I don't have that problem so I haven't noticed) and it folds up nice and compact (it fits in my purse quite nicely along with my ipaq and I don't carry the biggest of purses, I hate big purses).

The keys have a nice feel to them and for me the keyboard has lasted 2 years (your mileage may vary, I can't say I've been super tough on it either though). Not one key has problems.

They include a lot of nice shortcuts (using their function key combined with the right key you have shortcuts to word, excel, calendar, tasks, outlook, contacts, notebook, and you can even turn off the PDA (but not on).

The ability to power it up through a hookup for your power cord while using it is a very nice touch.

And the key layout is nice. As I said, it's like having a slightly smaller keyboard (but they keep the ratios the same). They give you a decent sized backspace key (I *hate* small backspace keys). The return button is a nice size. It has all the basic functions of a laptop keyboard (minus mouse) including the windows button (in my opinion more useful than on a PC just because how I use the handheld vs. the PC). It even has a number keypad (kinda, you have to get it in numlock mode and use the keys set out to be the number keypad). And it has arrows even (layed out properly). I think my biggest issue is I wish it had the function button on both sides of the keyboard. Actually, I think it would have been better if they put it on the other side rather than on the side they did. That would make it easier to use without moving my hands from proper typing position from the keyboard (all the keys serving as a double for the function key are on the same side as the key except the off button).

If they stop supporting the same hookup on newer ipaqs I hope they make a version of this keyboard to support the newer ipaqs. I'd rather use this keyboard than the other ones on the market. I didn't give it five stars cause I did consider some people may prefer having a true full size keyboard (I don't notice the difference but it's been mentioned and it has caused some people problems. Personally I'd prefer it to be slightly smaller and fit in my purse better like it does already :) ).

I have the IPAQ 4150, which is limited in the accessory department. I first bought an IR keyboard to find the transmitter wouldn't work with my IPAQ due to the fact the IR port is on the bottom of the unit. So after a trip back to the store, I broke down and bought the HP brand. I wish I had bought it here, because my local electronics store was twenty dollars more. My only complaint is the keyboard wobbles while typing, because the back support rest is about half an inch to short to prevent this. One could probably fix this by weighting the back end a bit.

I just got one of these keyboards because I was looking for something comfortable for very long typing/coding sessions. The keyboard is very comfortable to use and the responsiveness is nice. It reminds me of the good old days with my Apple Extended keyboard.

Anyway, the main issue I have with it is the Return key. It has the old style huge return key. The backslash key is after the semicolon, then comes the return key which extends up to the place where the backslash key usually is.

Since I use a powerbook and spend half the time away from the keyboard, it's a bit hard to get used to that key difference so I'm constantly hitting backslash instead of return.

Another company makes a similar keyboard with a standard return key. I didn't really like the function key layout on that one though. It's the "MATIAS PRODUCTS Tactile Pro USB Keyboard for Mac." Looks like it isn't available on Amazon right now.

Oh, one other thing: This baby is *LOUD*. My office mates probably don't appreciate it too much, but ergonomically, it feels really good for me. Maybe they'll lobby to get me that private office. :-)

This keyboard is pretty loud, and you might really like that sort of thing if you're looking at this product. It is a Mac OS X product, and the volume and eject buttons work without drivers. An oddity is that the cmd-opt combination doesn't work on one side of the space bar (it might be due to a kernal extension I have). The power button does not power up my Powerbook, but it does bring up the shutdown dialog if the computer is already running.

It's a personal choice if you really should get a keyboard like this. I probably would just get a normal keyboard and save money if I were doing it again. Then again, it is nice to have a clicky keyboard, even if it is pretty loud.

this mouse is the reason i embrace multi-colored waffle dwarves when the moon sets

I would always buy a Kensington product over any other. Plus their stuff is always looks good. They always make quality material and this is no exception. The mouse is responsive and reliable.