Penclic's distinctive designs blend ergonomics with style, producing comfortable peripherals with clean designs. The latest device from the Swedish company is the Penclic Mini Keyboard K2 (Wireless), a super-slim wireless keyboard that promises to look good while reducing your risk of repetitive stress injury. While it delivers in the looks department, the flat design may or may not do much to prevent wrist aggravation, and there are a couple details that are aggravating all on their own.
Design
The K2 (Wireless) features a flat, low-profile design, similar to that seen on the Evoluent Essentials Full Featured Compact Keyboard (EKB) and the Logitech Wireless Keyboard K360. Along the top of the keyboard is a thick section that houses the battery compartment and wireless components, but the most part the slim keyboard measures 0.2 by 11.25 by 6.25 inches (HWD), and weighs a scant 0.8-ounce.
The chiclet keyboard uses scissor switches, which don't have the same springy feel of mechanical keys, but are better than silicone dome switches alone. The compact keyboard has 78 keys, with the standard QWERTY keys and F1-12 with a few additional functions: Mute, Volume Up/Down, Pause/Break, Scroll Lock, Num Lock, Print Screen, Insert, Page Up/Down, Home and End. To add a confusing note to the extra functions, the Mute button says "Silence!" instead of Mute or a recognizable symbol.
The keys themselves are a bit odd as well—the Enter key is distinguished with a bright red keycap, but no extra function, while the right Alt key is labelled "Alt Grr," also with no apparent difference in function.
Features
The Mini Keyboard K2 is wireless, connecting via 2.4GHz wireless connection through a nano USB dongle. It's small enough to plug into a laptop USB port and simply leave it, which is nice. The wireless connection gives you a 15-foot range, letting you position the keyboard however you please. And, whether you're a PC user, a Mac lover, or a Linux Penguin, the Mini Keyboard K2 should still give you the same functions as any other USB keyboard, though it may not support all special Mac functions.
The keyboard powers off of two rechargeable AAA batteries (included), which in turn charge off of a USB cable. Penclic claims that for daily use, the batteries should last roughly two months between charges. The K2 Keyboard comes with a USB to Mini USB cable complete with recoil device, making it compact and travel friendly. The one problem with this charging setup is the connection on the back of the keyboard. The port is protected by a small red silicone cover, which stubbornly refuses to open—I actually considered prying it open with tweezers. Once you gain access to the mini USB port, you'll find that the plug doesn't fully insert into the port. It still works just fine, but it's not hard to imagine a customer accidentally breaking their new keyboard by trying to force a plug that seems stuck.
Whether or not accidental damage of that sort is covered, Penclic covers the Mini Keyboard K2 with a two-year warranty.
Performance
Once it's charged and connected, the Mini Keyboard K2 is fairly straightforward to use, with average typing functionality. The scissor switch keys have fairly shallow motion, much like that seen on most current laptops.
The keyboard offers an adequate typing experience, but the ergonomic benefits aren't entirely clear. The flat design has been used before, but most ergonomic designs opt for adding more curvature—like that seen on the Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard—to put the wrist into a more neutral position. This sort of flat design, however, is about the same as typing directly on the surface of the table. After using it for a few days, I actually felt more carpal-tunnel wrist soreness than I do with a regular mechanical keyboard; your ergonomic experience may vary.
Conclusion
The Penclic Mini keyboard K2 (Wireless) is a flat and stylish wireless keyboard. It has its share of issues, like confusing labels, a stubborn plug cover, and questionable ergonomics. Once you look past these potential problems, however, the Penclic Mini keyboard K2 (Wireless) is a decent keyboard, with a great look and a compact design. It doesn't quite top the equally slim (and much less expensive) Logitech Wireless Keyboard K360, nor does it offer better ergonomics than the Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard, making it hard to recommend.
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