Key and Mouse (Cherry G80 11900)

Member Name: JGK555

Product:	Cherry G80 11900
Date:	08/03/07 (254 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Compact design - built-in Mouse

Disadvantages: Expensive - No Scroll wheel

The Cherry Advanced Performance Keyboard has a built in Touchpad to replace the functions of the mouse while still keeping a space saving size, ideal if you have limited space on your desktop. The keyboard comes in either black or beige, and has all the standard keys, some have just been moved to make space for the touchpad.

Layout
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Pretty standard layout all the letter and number keys are where they should be, however the bottom row of keys have all been resized smaller to match the standard keys which allows the arrow keys to be placed closer so this makes space for the touchpad which is located on the bottom right of the keyboard also the number pad has been pushed up to the top and the F1 to F12 keys have had the spaces removed and been split into two rows which allows the Insert, Home, Prtsc, Delete, keys etc. to go next to them. Even though the keyboard has a touchpad added to it, the width is actually smaller but the depth has increased by only a few centermeters -:Dimensions (WxDxH): 41cm x 19cm x 3cm.
There is a small learning curve in this setup, I keep trying to hit the Delete where it used to be only to find it a few inches to the left, its not a major thing these keys are only used occasionally.

TouchPad
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I've used laptops with touchpad before but only briefly not long enough to know all the ins and outs of how they work, there is two buttons below the pad that act as the Left & Right mouse buttons but you can also tap the pad to act as left click and also use it as the drag option as well by holding your finger on the pad on the second tap.
The pad its self is quite sensitive moving the pointer around is controlled by the speed you move your finger... the faster you move your finger along the pad the further it will go, it does take a bit of getting use to it took me a couple of hours to figure things out and it just as easy as using a mouse except for one thing... theres no middle button or wheel to control scrolling however you can still have a USB mouse attached to the computer at the same time.

Installation
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Very easy to do, the keyboard has one 1.8 m lead which splits into two PS2 connectors for the keyboard and touchpad and that means no drivers are needed, just plug and play. The lead is connected to the keyboard on the right hand side, most keyboards I have used have the cable in the middle which I find can get in the way a bit if there's something in front of the keyboard.

Overall View
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I have used this keyboard for quite a while now, and gotten used to its unique setup, having all the keys closer together and having the touchpad right next to the keys means my hands don't go far from the keyboard making typing slightly quicker but without a scroll wheel, programs that use it for zoom, or selecting tools are slightly more frustrating, its not a major deal I just revert to using a mouse again, or if its a webpage I've started using the arrow keys for scrolling.
The keys on this board are mechanical which are loud, but I like them they feel go to press and I know that they have been pressed, unlike some silent or laptop keyboards which feel like your pressing air.
This is an ideal keyboard for people with very limited desktop space, Its got the best layout of the many other brands that have a built in mouse, most of which position the touchpad below the spacebar making the keyboard very deep but they are more universal, especially if your a lefty with this keyboard you will have to train your right hand to do the work.

The price of one of these is a massive £85 brand new, far to much in my opinion, Luckily I found some on ebay a lot cheaper.

Summary: having experienced this keyboard I would only price it at £40 tops.

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