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Apple Wireless Keyboard
by tripsandsmiles
I have had my Apple Wireless keyboard for over two years now. I purchased it at the same time as my iMac and admittedly it was a bit of an impulse buy at the time.
I had a few concerns when I first got it, including the battery life and also the connection strength. And my conclusion is the battery life is really good, and ... the connection strength is even better.
The look:
The sleek, white and silver look of this keyboard was the main attraction of this for me. It fits in perfectly with the decor of my room, as well as matching the sleek look of the iMac. In addition to this, having no wires adds to the look modern, sleek look of the product. One negative thing about the look, would also be due to the white keys. This is as they are prone to getting dirtier than a black keyboard, although this is probably more due to my boyfriend using it just after DIY tasks more than anything else.
The use:
As I have mentioned, this product has lasted me over two years so far - and has no signs of giving up anytime soon. Typing using this keyboard is very smooth, and very quiet too. This is due to the wider sized buttons as well as the keys being slimmer in depth. The slimmer depth also helps dirt not get stuck in between the keys. Set up of the keyboard was incredibly easy. Just put the batteries in and switch on the bluetooth on the device and let the Apple fairies do the rest.
Battery life:
It uses two AA batteries, which fit into the keyboard in a very discreet way. The batteries tend to last me about 6 to 8 weeks, depending on level of usage. I use my iMac most days, for around 2 - 5 hours and about 50% of that time is typing. My iMac monitors the battery life, although I quickly noticed to only use this as a guide. This is because the alert will say batteries will need to be replaced but I have found the batteries have lasted around a week longer than this. So my suggestion would be to always keep spare batteries in the house, and replace when the keyboard stops working.
Overall:
The Apple Wireless keyboard is a really decent product, although due to its battery use as an ongoing expense I would deem it a luxury product. Saying that, it is a luxury I wouldn't do without now!
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Dell QuietKey Standard USB Keyboard
by Ptsface12
This keyboard is not only a great value for money, but it's a pleasure to type on! It's not too big and it's not too small, it has the number pad included making it good for ALT numbers and gaming. When typing on this keyboard, there isn't much sound as with some of the noisier keyboards and the keys aren't too high up, so you don't have ... to press harder to get the keys that you want.
Although it's just a keyboard; it has been well structured and actually has quite a nice design. It's from dell so it's definitely a trusted brand.
In my opinion, I love this keyboard, it's definitely one of the best I've had in a long while! I've had no problems with this keyboard and I enjoy using it as apposed to some of my other keyboards. Definitely a pleasure using this keyboard because it's so well structured. I also like that it's a USB keyboard so there's no faffing around having to get the lead in the back of the computer, you can plug it in straight in the front and get going! Most pleased with this product!
Thanks for reading.
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Samsung VG-KBD1500
by northernlovely
**What is it?**
You could be mistaken for thinking the Samsung VG-KBD1500 is a 'regular' keyboard. But you would be wrong! The Samsung VG-KBD1500 is actually a keyboard designed exclusively for Samsung Smart TVs. I have the U800 Smart TV and have for the last year been using the remote control, however I recently saw the ... Samsung VG-KBD1500 on offer for a price I couldn't refuse and have been using it for the last 6 weeks.
You can also pair the Samsung VG-KBD1500 with a Samsung Android mobile, though I have the SIII I have yet to need to pair the two up as I don't type enough on the phone to warrant it and due to the size of the keyboard, I'd just take my tablet PC with me if I needed to, for travel and work purposes.
**Price and Availability**
Your best bet for a good price is to buy the Samsung VG-KBD1500 keyboard online, as the RRP of £99.99 can be easily beaten. I bought mine for an incredible £55 from an online TV retailer (in fact, the same place I purchased my TV from.) My advice would be to shop around as the prices are much lower than the RRP in general.
I clicked and collected, but generally a few pounds P&P is applicable to online purchases.
**what's in the Box?**
You get the Samsung VG-KBD1500 keyboard, the user manual, 2 x AA batteries, and a warranty card. It is recommended in the box that you opt for Alkaline batteries as these are longer lasting, since the keyboard uses power to run the Bluetooth connectivity.
**Specs**
The specifications for the Samsung VG-KBD1500 are as follows:
Size: (W x H x D) 366 x 170 x 36mm
Keyboard Weight: 450g
Compatibility: with Samsung Mobile: Android 3.0 and above (TBD, Text only), with Samsung SMART TV: LED ES6100 series and above, PDP E550 series and above.
Features: Pointer / Highlight Mode
Bluetooth 2.1 - Human Interface Device (HID) Profile
Pantagraph Key Type
**Set Up**
It's very easy to set up the Samsung VG-KBD1500 using the user guide, you just need to insert the 2 x AA batteries and pair it up with the TV's built in Bluetooth, a five minute job at most.
**Use**
In use the Samsung VG-KBD1500 has proven incredibly versatile. I use it for:
The TV's built in web browser (it's made this feature go from something I rarely use to something I regularly use on the TV)
With the YouTube App (again, searching was a hassle and now it's a doddle)
With the FaceBook and Twitter Apps
To send quick emails and texts using browser based clients on the TV
To search quickly for programmes in the range of catch up apps available via the Smart Hub.
The keyboard has been compatible and worked well with every app I have used on the Smart Hub, which means I do feel it was excellent value for money as it's really expanded the use of the hub as a whole which I mainly used for catch up TV and Netflix. Now I can really surf and watch TV using picture in picture especially if there is a news event I want to keep my eye on or need to send a quick mail mid programme. Brilliant.
The keyboard is well spaced and lacks F keysb(a bit like my Samsung Chromebook actually) and has a touchpad to the right hand side of the keys which can be used as a mouse pointer or to play games on. The keyboard and pad are in a matte black with white transfer lettering which reduces glare and not only is easy to view, it's very comfortable to type on, too, even when balanced on your knee.
The Samsung VG-KBD1500 is well made and very sturdy, it can easily be stored in a small space, my only tiny criticism being I wish it had a built in hard shell as I'd like to keep it under the sofa as our TV is wall mounted, but I fear it would be too dusty under there and might affect it. Overall though it's a minor niggle in what's proven to be a very trustworthy and quality keyboard.
**Recommend?**
Yes, I do highly recommend the Samsung VG-KBD1500 especially if you can pick it up between £50 - £70 as it's a really top bit of kit ideal for any Samsung Smart TV user. I find that it's opened up a whole new side of use in the Smart Hub for me, one which was too restrictive using the TV's remote control itself, high quality as it is.
I wish I'd bought one 12 months sooner, but I guess the pay off of waiting was the reduction in price from the RRP. I highly recommend the Samsung VG-KBD1500 and will give it a very well deserved 5 stars out of 5. It's a top keyboard which nicely compliments the Samsung range of Smart TVs.
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