Overview:

The i-Rocks KR-6401 is a new slim-line, wired (USB) keyboard reminiscent of the chiclet-style keyboards made popular by Apple lately. It features a compact layout, reducing the width of the keyboard putting the mouse a little closer to the right hand than a standard keyboard would.


Review:

First Impressions

Right off the bat, this is a pretty slick-looking keyboard. Styling is very minimal, with the emphasis being on the clean lines that define this keyboard. It is light, and with it's rather diminutive size, would make this a great traveling companion in a laptop bag.

Despite it's overall good looks, there are a few shortcomings in the details that might keep the KR-6401 from attaining the same level of style and quality associated with Apple's products. First, the printing on the keycaps is somewhat "blurry." It appears as if the printing machine smudged the printing ever-so-slightly during the manufacturing process. In fact, it looks much like the laser-etching on my Cherry G80-3000. Something else that caught my attention was the how the keyboard rested on its rubber feet. The KR-6401 is slightly elevated, and due to the thickness of the keyboard, or lack thereof, and the softness of the rubber feet (which are quite good at keeping the it place, by the way), the 'board tends to flex a little in the middle. This is certainly not a showstopper, nor does it really impact typing performance, but it could lower the perception of quality in a user's mind.

Typing

This is always my favorite part of the review - the typing section. This keyboard, and it should be no suprise, uses rubber domes as it switching mechanism. Now, I usually have a pretty negative attitude towards rubber domes, in general, which might not be perfectly fair in reviewing the KR-6401, but when I started using it, I was pleasantly suprised to find how tactile and crisp the key action was. These rubber domes are in no way mushy as many tend to be, and I can almost certainly say that these are some of the best rubber domes I have ever used. That said, I am very much used to lighter switches these days (Cherry browns), and I found that I fatigued rather quickly typing on the KR-6401 even at this point writing this review.

As I mentioned in the overview, the KR-6401 is a "chiclet" 'board. Because of this, I thought I might have a hard time finding keys, but this was far from the case. While the keys look like they are miles apart, they are spaced no farther apart than a standard keyboard. I was able to touch type with little or no problems at all.

One other quibble I had with the KR-6401 is that it sits about a 1/2 inch off the desk. It was not thin enough to type resting my wrists on the desk, nor was it tall enough to use my wrist rest with as my hands felt too high in relation to the keys. Thus, I had some wrist discomfort while in use.

Conclusion:

The i-Rocks KR-6401 is a solid attempt at competing in the chiclet keyboard market segment. It would certainly make a great travel 'board; however, I feel i-Rocks' RF-6520 fits this bill a little better by being cordless and a little thinner, but the KR-6401 is a great wired alternative. This would also be a great 'board to use in low-space applications or for those that may have a more discerning aesthetic taste. The keyswitches feel quite nice compared to other 'boards in it's class, and, in my opinion, they are some of the best rubber domes I have felt in some time.

The only real negatives I see is in the quality of the printing of the legends on the key caps, and the flexing of the 'board, in general. Other than that, I think that the keys may be a little stiff for prolonged use (I, personally, don't think I could make the KR-6401 a "daily-driver" at work), and the thickness of the keyboard causing some discomfort. However, ergonomics are a very personal issue, and can only be truly assessed by the individual, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Created by itlnstln, 17 September 2009 at 18:42 Last comment by wellington1869 on 17 September 2009 at 22:53 10 Comments, 2,210 Views