Date: April 13th, 2009
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited By: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Hiper
<--CLICK FOR PRICES ON A KEYBOARD IN THE UNITED STATES
<--CLICK FOR PRICES ON A KEYBOARD IN CANADA
PRODUCT PICTORIAL AND WALKTHROUGH
All the “necessary” keys are all present and accounted for, plus the internet, email and multimedia keys across the top. The layout is familiar and intuitive and is reminiscent of a laptop keyboard on a larger scale. For example, the Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, Insert and Delete keys don't have their own area but are split up and are placed around the number pad keys.
PRODUCT INSTALLATION AND TESTING
All that is required for installation is an available USB port on your computer and a relatively recent Windows OS. Just plug it in, and Windows will do the rest. The keyboard worked perfectly right out of the box. All functions performed as advertised and the purple lighting was a nice change of pace.
Connecting this HIPER keyboard via a USB/PS2 adapter didn't change the functionality or performance in any discernable way, so the manufacturer's claim of compatibility is confirmed. Nevertheless, when this compatibility is touted so prominently in the specs and on the retail package, HIPER should really include it with the keyboard.
Having large hands and sausage fingers, I'm probably not the best test subject for a product like this. While I didn't have any issues with using this keyboard, I thought it best to let someone with more skill and experience with keyboards take over. My lovely wife makes her living at the keyboard and, having more normal-sized hands, will be a much better judge than myself.
I was somewhat surprised to find that her impressions of the HIPER keyboard were very similar to my own. We both found this ‘board to be very quiet during use with good tactile response. We also both experienced similar experiences when it came to the Delete, Page and Insert keys, in that they weren't in the traditional location. Users who transition from a desktop to a laptop would have, I expect, a similar issue. Whether used for document creation or gaming chores, this HIPER keyboard will take some getting used to, and the compact nature of the entire layout may be annoying for some users.
