Even when on holiday, staying connected remains almost as important as food and water. For most of us, this means dragging a laptop or at least a mobile device along wherever we go, but how helpful is this really?
For the most part, it’s nice to know when you’ve gotten an email, even if you don’t want to respond with anything beyond “Fine” for the moment. Tasks that require more intensive typing, though – maintaining a blog, redditing, or anything that requires actual, written communication – become a very time-consuming chore on a tablet. Most laptop users also prefer a full-sized keyboard if one is available, if only for the numpad and buttons that are spaced a reasonable distance apart.
We’ve previously looked at a projection keyboard, but as usual we were also honest about its flaws. It works fine for typing a few paragraphs, but using it to write a long report while on a business trip will be a frustrating exercise. Its somewhat unreliable finger sensor and shortish battery life are particularly to blame for this, although it looks cool enough that many people will forgive it these shortcomings.
While there’s no single solution for every mobile worker and social media addict, we’d like to draw your attention to this alternative. Basically, it’s a USB keyboard made of soft plastic, which makes it easy to pack up and shove into a backpack or laptop bag.
We like this model because, unlike with many similar products, you can use your normal typing action: the buttons are easy to depress (and totally silent). Unfortunately, this may make it less durable over the long run; it’s something you might buy for use only when traveling and replace when some of the keys stop working. In any case, the manufacturer recommends rolling it up rather than folding it, while squashing it under something heavy is likely to cause damage.
The addition of a numerical keypad, cursor keys, and navigation buttons like Home, Page Down, and so forth makes this keyboard more user-friendly than many of its rivals. As a final bonus, it’s available in three different color options, just in case keyboard fashion somehow becomes a thing.
