4 New Keyboards, Tested

Keyboards of Summer

While summer isn’t traditionally keyboard season, this year manufacturers decided to launch new keyboards just ahead of the back to school season.

If your current keyboard is getting a bit crusty, or you’re simply looking to upgrade, consider one of these: we’ve got options for multimedia gurus, budget-oriented consumers, and gamers looking for something different.

To compare these new keyboards, we’ll examine them based on five areas: design, value, features, performance, and build quality. For design, we’ll look at how well the keyboard looks and feels when used, and answer the question, “Is this something we would want on our desk every day?” For value, we’ll look at the price point and see what you’re getting for the money – not all cheap keyboards are bad, and clearly not every expensive keyboard delivers bang for the buck. Next we’ll examine the features of the keyboard: its options and characteristics that make it stand out. One keyboard doesn’t have to offer more features than another to do well here, but it must offer a good set of features for its type.

Performance is judged by day-to-day use. Even the most attractive keyboards can be clumsy and difficult to use, and a good looking keyboard that’s horrible to use is no good for anyone. Finally, we’ll examine build quality-- whether or not the keyboard feels like it will hold up over time and is made from quality components.