 | Eumax EZ-3000B Foldable Keyboard
By: Robert Richmond
Date: 10/7/2003 | Views: 31535
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As examined in our last Eumax review, though the premise remains consistent, keyboard designs have came a long way since the earliest models. Today we will be examining another unique design, the Eumax EZ-3000B Foldable Keyboard. Folding keyboards have been around for awhile, but most have proved impractical for everyday typing and gaming. Eumax has researched these complaints and hopefully provided us with a solution that definitely exceeds the offerings of existing folding keyboards.
Description
You hardly imagine that such a simple design
of keyboard solves problems that a conventional keyboard cannot do. With it's
sealed feature, you can simply prevent fluid, dirt, grime, acid, peptide,
moisture, salt, sands, etc. It is extremely durable to wash and flexibly
foldable to transport. So it has been used widely--in hospitals, universities, garages,
emergency medical units, police departments, kitchens, ships, army troops, even
Wars, etc. You can use it in any polluted environment or simply use it as a
conventional keyboard.
Specifications
- Sealed design for preventing fluid, dirt,
grime, acid, etc
- Water resistant, foldable, portable and
washable
- Dimension: 475(L) x 155(W) x 14(H) mm
- Weight: 220 g ± 10g
- Color: Translucent blue, red, purple,
orange, or green
- PS/2 and USB available
- Switch life: 10 million life cycles
- Operating humidity: -20° C - 50° C
- Operating temperature : -36° C - 165° C
- Demattia flexing: 150,000 cycles non-damaged
- 100% compatible with Win95/98/ME/NT/2000 and
Office 97/2000
- FCC, CE, CNS, VCCI, EMI, AUSTEL,
Windows Logo approved
Packaging
As expected for a sub-$20 keyboard, the retail packaging is spartan in order to minimize production costs. Once removed from the vanilla carton, the keyboard is housed within a blister-pack type packaging with a generic cardboard back displaying a quick description of the keyboard's features.
Testing
Being a person accustomed to typing 8+ hours a day on a normal keyboard, I found the Eumax Foldable Keyboard to be strange and awkward to use at first. The keys do not move as anticipated due to the membrane contacts. Just a light touch is needed to actuate the keys, though they will traverse a couple of millimeters if you are a heavy
typist.
I became more comfortable with the keyboard over the course of a few days. After mastering the concept of barely pressing keys, I found the Eumax Foldable Keyboard works as advertised. The only annoyance I noted in duration testing is the lack of rigidity to the keys, as they will easily flex in the direction of most pressure, thus forcing you to remember to apply even pressure to all keys during typing.
Portability is the primary feature of this keyboard, and Eumax has excelled superbly in this concern. The keyboard is highly foldable. I was even capable of rolling the board into a tight cylinder; a great aspect when lugging a separate keyboard along with my notebook or LAN gaming system. The board is even foldable along its length; a neat feature if you want to stuff the board into some type of protective sleeve during transport.
A surprising side-effect of the foldable nature of this board is its durability. I was expecting a flimsy design lacking any appreciable ability to withstand abuse. To the contrary, the Eumax Foldable Keyboard can withstand a great amount of abuse. I have folded this board hundreds of times, submersed it in liquids, and even stood on top of it. The exterior casing is truly well engineered, as I have not noted the first hint of wear or tear on this board, even after two weeks of intentional abuse.
Final Thoughts
One potential market that may be overlooked for this keyboard is an environment where hazardous materials are present. While foldability is the major selling feature, one has to remember this board features a fully sealed design. The sealed nature could allow for deployment in hospitals or manufacturing environments where contact with infectious and/or hazardous liquids is a daily concern. Since the keys are sealed, plus the lettering is protected by the casing, the Eumax Foldable Keyboard can be cleaned or disinfected with ease.
The Eumax Foldable Keyboard is not designed to replace the traditional desktop keyboard. No matter how "cool" this board is in its appearance, it is not well suited to everyday typing. However, Eumax is not marketing this as a desktop board anyway. This board is best suited for those seeking a truly portable keyboard solution with a high durability factor. And as noted earlier, the Eumax
EZ-3000B Foldable Keyboard makes for a great addition to any notebook or portable computing bundle.
Vendor: IOCOMBO
Product: Eumax
EZ-3000B Foldable Keyboard
Product Price: $17.25 (before shipping)
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10-6-2003 9:07am
10-6-2003 5:43pm