Button it - but beware (Logitech Internet Keyboard)

Member Name: naturenet

Product:	Logitech Internet Keyboard
Date:	11/09/01 (341 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Blue buttons, cheapish

Disadvantages: Buttons not much good, needs special driver to run all the time

Surely the humble keyboard cannot be developed any further? Various attempts have been made to improve upon it, or make it cheaper – the touch-pad keyboard (like a ZX81, remember them?) or various ‘ergonomic’ keyboards, or coloured ones, or, well, a few others. You know. They’re none of them really much better than a keyboard with a basic set of keys on it which, when pressed, make the appropriate letter appear on the screen.

However, a few manufacturers think otherwise, and believe that we should buy keyboards with ‘gadgets’ on them. The Logitech Internet keyboard is one such device. It has a range of little blue buttons on it which, when you set them up correctly, do things like shut down the PC, play media files, and start your browser or email client. It’s all a bit circular, really. Once upon a time machines had buttons on them, and when you pressed them, they did things. Then along came programs such as Windows which took the humble button and made a virtual version which could be used to do just about anything when clicked. Now, here comes a keyboard which takes the idea of buttons right out of the computer, and back on the machine again. You really can press them. But why bother?

There’s another thing, too. To use these magic buttons you have to install a special program, which is memory-resident and even appears on the system tray (until you clear it off). I’ve no doubt that it’s so small and efficient that it makes no difference to the performance of my machine… well, actually, I do have my doubts. Maybe I’m just suspicious but I don’t trust programs that run all the time for no good reason – and having blue buttons to press is not a good enough reason in my book.

I’ve been using this keyboard for month or so now and it is not really very good. The keyboard itself is just like any other, a bit on the flimsy side if anything. It has a sort
of plastic pad on the front which may or may not be of some use for preventing worn-out wrists, but it’s pretty much useless as far as I can see. The text on the keys themselves is far too small, and looks cheap. The buttons are just buttons. Why bother with real buttons when you can press a virtual one? If that’s what you want, then go ahead and buy it. I really can’t see the point.

I bought this keyboard as it was the cheapest one I could get online that would be delivered to my house in time. I’m now regretting the decision. I borrowed a keyboard from an old 386 at work and brought that home to use as a stand-in. Actually, I prefer it and I don’t want to take it back. It weighs a ton, the keys are clearly marked and feel great, and there is not a single thing on it or attached to it other than the basic keys you need to work the computer. You could get the same thing down the car boot sale for £1 any Sunday. That’s my recommendation.

Summary: