The idea of customized keyboards is not entirely new. Professionals have used keyboards with custom key layouts for years, with applications ranging from computer-aided design to multimedia work. During the late 90's the industry witnessed the birth of custom keyboards for the consumer marketplace. Most early examples were designed for office or game applications, but poor engineering coupled with expensive prices often made for a rather poor user experience.

Only until recent months have custom keyboards evolved into a truly competitive solution for the average computer user. Pricing is still not competitive for most models, but Eumax hopes to change this aspect. Today TechIMO is examining the competitively priced Eumax EX-7000 Smart Office XP keyboard from IOCOMBO. Priced at $22.99, this keyboard should be an attractive consumer solution.

Specifications

Packaging

Key Response

Being a rather inexpensive keyboard, one would expect such an offering to deliver limited key response. To the contray  the EX-7000 offers fluid key movement with minimal noise and low resistance. The response factor is above average, with only a slight press required to actuate the cicuitry. Key pitch is large for comfortable typing, while key height is moderate for minimal key stroke movement. The keys are firmly adhered with absolutely no lateral movement while pressing downward upon a key.

Board Layout

The EX-7000 offers the standard keyboard format with little deviation beyond the common AT-style, expect for the addition of the various office-specific task keys. The task keys are essentially single key replacements for having to learn often complex key combinations. The whole premise of an office keyboard is to increase efficiency by decreasing reliance upon combination key sequences and by providing a streamlined user interface.

Volume Knob

Each key set of this board "feels" logically placed, though the volume control can be slightly annoying to work around at first. During gaming, the volume knob can easily be hit if the user is an avid keyboard-only gamer. However, once the layout is learned through repetitive use, this keyboard should prove both responsive and efficient.

Office Key Zone

The office keys provide quick access to common Microsoft Office applications. The four application keys are pre-labeled for Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook Calendar. The series of function keys are also modified to match common command operations inside office applications. By press the EZ Office key, the function keys can be used to manipulate files, launch spell checking, and perform various text operations like undo/redo. Quick shortcuts are even provided to speed access to email commands like reply, forward, and send for Outlook or Outlook Express.

Internet Key Zone

The Internet key zone is similar to configurations provided by most common Internet-ready keyboards. The buttons may be configured to launch various Internet applications and web addresses, plus provide quick access to your favorites/bookmarks and basic browser operations. As with most custom keys, the Internet zone can easily be modified to best suit each system's specific application configuration.

Multimedia/System Key Zone

The multimedia keys are straightforward in design. These keys are best suited for the Microsoft Windows Media player, though they will also surfice for more basic players like the popular Winamp player from Nullsoft. The eject/load button can be used in any situation to provide quick access to the system's removable media drive: CD, DVD, etc.

The system keys provide access to shut-down related options for Windows. These keys can be used to logoff or power down the system. Suspend/resume is also provided for those wishing to use the advanced power management features of Windows.

Scroller/Clipboard Key Zone

The scroller found along the left-hand side of the EZ-7000 replicates the functions of a traditional center scroller found with today's mice designs. This scroll wheel allows for vertical movement within applications, such as Word and Internet Explorer. In addition, it can be pushed to provide quick access to paste text strings or launch applications (both user-definable). Above the wheel is two keys providing forward and backward commands for surfing in applications like Internet Explorer.

Application Key Zone

Along the right-hand trailing edge is a series of smaller keys for access to common Windows operations like copy, cut, and paste. Keys are also provided for launching Windows Explorer and Calculator. The two buttons placed above the arrow cursor keys allow for the swapping and closing of open application windows.

Software

The custom keyboard application provided with the EX-7000 is Smart Office Keyboard v1.1.2 by Netropa. The Netropa suite allows for user manipulation of most key commands and shortcuts provided by the keyboards custom hot keys. In addition, an on-screen display feature is included for direct user feedback when pressing a hot key. The font and color of the on-screen display can be customized as well. The included software worked perfectly fine with minimal system resource impact for both Windows Millennium and Windows 2000 Workstation during testing.

Final Thoughts

Reviewing a keyboard is a subjective process at best. Each user has his or her own preferences in keyboard styling, especially in regards to touch response, key pitch, and overall board size. Personally, I have used many differing keyboard designs over the years. Admittedly, I am not an avid gamer, so that aspect is not a requirement for my environment. However, I regularly work with office applications, often upwards of 40+ hours per week.

Needless to say, I can destroy even a quality keyboard in a matter of months. Accordingly, I have always purchased mid-range boards instead of often expensive custom designs. My past experiences with early-generation office keyboards were not favorable, as most were simply cluttered with useless keys and little ability to customize those keys to provide a more effective solution.

The Eumax EX-7000 represents a pleasant surprise for myself. It's large size and heavy design represent a quality I am simply un-accustomed to with other designs in the entry-level price range. Combined with user-definable keys and a logical layout, I have deployed this keyboard with my daily use workstation. The results have proved promising thus far, and I expect the long-term returns to be equally surprising. While a few minor changes might be warranted like moving the volume knob to the side, it would be quite difficult to find a better keyboard than the EX-7000 SB in the entry-level price range.

Vendor: IOCOMBO
Product: Eumax EZ-7000 Smart Office XP Keyboard
Product Price: $19.99 (before shipping)