Manhattan Ultra Slim Multimedia USB Keyboard with 7 Multimedia Hotkeys (177528)

A friend of mine, who has worked with computers most of his adult life, told me that a good mouse, monitor and keyboard were far more important to usability than the fastest processors. He's right, to a huge extent: these are the peripherals we have the most contact with, and get one wrong, and you'll have to deal with the consequences for quite some time.My first problems with keyboards began in the late 1990s, when I discovered I was getting quite severe pain in my right shoulder. I put this down more to overuse than anything that was wrong with the keyboard I had, but, after a trip to Europe in 2002 when I was forced to use my laptop for a long period, the pain disappeared. It was the first clue that I needed a keyboard that was narrower than what has become the norm, though the penny didn't drop just yet.I had to wait till 2004 when I bought a multimedia keyboard from Genius that was just under 400 mm (16 inches) wide for my desktop machine. From that point, the pain subsided, and it finally dawned on me that keyboard width was so important. The main thing is, you're not reaching for the mouse. It's there at a fairly natural position on your right (left for some users).The Genius met with an unfortunate incident involving Glaceau Vitamin Water, and was replaced by an Intopic, of a similar width. However, the Intopic was a membrane keyboard, and with the amount of typing I did, three years later, it began getting on my nerves. The reason: I was faster with emails on my laptop despite it having a slower processor, and I was more accurate. I began researching the different types of switches that keyboards employ, finding out that the membrane ones required deeper keystrokes. I haven't uncovered just why I am less accurate on a membrane keyboard but it may have to do with how sensitive the keys are in producing their short-circuit signals.It's a hard task to find a 400 mm wide keyboard--the so-called 'compact' keyboard (although the Manhattan still has the full complement of keys). I had a long search, evaluating mechanical keyboards from Cherry and Adesso (the latter having too narrow a backspace key), as well as the Razer Marauder Starcraft II, as well as some membrane offerings from Logitech, before concluding that the Manhattan was the right one. While it has scissor switches rather than mechanical ones (as does the Razer, incidentally--you'll note that all mention of mechanical switches is missing from its descriptions), what was important to me was the effort needed and the accuracy of typing. It fulfils all my needs: it's narrow (though it exceeds 400 mm slightly), the keys are the size I expect them to be at (something very important for anyone buying keyboards: make sure you look at enlarged photos to see if you can deal with various space bar and backspace key sizes), the effort I need to type is roughly what I would use for my laptop, and I seem to be more accurate.I also require the numeric keypad since I write in French and Swedish, but, for most of the time, I write in English. For a Windows (and sometimes Ubuntu) user, having the Alt combinations is important, which is why many of the gaming keyboards had to be ruled out very early.Manhattan itself was responsive to my customer enquiry that I sent through its website, with Emmy Wang advising me that the Ultra Slim USB keyboard does make a bit of a noise when you strike the key (the scissor switches at work), though I doubt anyone would have an issue with the volume. It's quieter than a mechanical keyboard, and no more annoying than working on a laptop. If keystroke noises are an issue, Emmy recommended one of the chiclet units from Manhattan, but I just can't see myself using one of those (having grown up with an idea of the TRS-80 and IBM PC Jr to be put off that style of keyboard). But it's good to notice that companies respond to website enquiries--all props to Manhattan for doing so, because it earned itself an extra customer.As far as I can tell, the Manhattan is identical to the Ione Scorpius U2.I am still adjusting to some aspects of the keyboard: it is very slim, so if you require a unit that's a bit higher and don't want to use the legs to tilt it toward you, then you might wish to put a small book beneath, but these are minor matters compared with everything else. I can, nevertheless, recommend the Manhattan: it's amazing value-for-money (the Razer retails for $200 in New Zealand, so acquiring something at a tenth of the price is a good feeling), it helps with accuracy, and for those experiencing pain from mouse usage, you may wish to consider it. I still question why the wide keyboards have become the standard if they are giving people the same pain that I had suffered from for years, when something of the 16- to 17-inch variety should suit the majority of users better.PS.: A progress report for Amazon buyers, three years on. I was very happy with that first Manhattan keyboard, but it eventually met a similar fate to the Logitech: liquids don’t react well to it (it was milk this time!). It was replaced a year later (September 2013) with an identical model, but that proved fragile, even without liquid. The wiring was conking out, as it would disconnect itself from the USB for about five seconds a day, even when it was only a few months old. Eventually, it died altogether (April 2015). The markings on the keys wore off easily, though I never really minded this—and I dislike Arial so I had no issue seeing it gone.I stand by my earlier comments about its size and the comfort of the typing, but I now have some reservations about the quality of the keyboards.

I like it.

Super elegante Tastatur, ich mag die Sachen von Manhatten. Super Slim-Tastatur, flüsterleise bei den Anschlägen, orange abgesetzt. Schick und funktionell USB