Since the beginning of the PC era up to mid 90s, a computer keyboard was not just a consumable like now – today you can easily throw it away if it breaks. It used to be a full-featured component taking a substantial part of the cost of the PC, which was pretty high then. Keyboards were cherished. For instance, when finishing your work, you were supposed to close your keyboard with a special lid because nobody could imagine that a device with better design or more convenient layout could appear in a year or so, and that this device would cost only 20-30 dollars.
This is why I experienced something like nostalgia when I got SVEN Multimedia EL 4005 MH for a test. I recalled our old computer classroom with rows of 386s whose keyboards were to be closed with big transparent plastic covers after the class. The cover of EL 4005 MH is not like that – it’s slim, black and elegant, moreover, it can serve as wrist support, but it protects the keyboard from dust no worse than solid plastic lids of 20 years ago.
Ergonomics and Design
Black dominates in the design of SVEN Multimedia EL 4005 MH keyboard. Actually, all the elements, except for inscriptions and illumination to be discussed later are made in black of various texture. The cover aka wrist support is made from pleasant-feeling matt soft-touch plastic. It resembles a gable roof, and can be folded double when separated from the keyboard.
The soft plastic covers only the top part of the lid. Inside, where such fads are needless, ordinary plastic is used. There are a couple of magnets holding the lid in place when it’s folded. To remove the lid, hook it up with your fingers at both sides, and then you can fold it and put it under the keyboard to use it as wrist support. It should be noted that the support takes pretty much space, so that the keyboard is good for big tables only.
The keyboard’s layout is almost traditional. So it suggests no surprises or peculiarities you’d have to get used to. The only peculiarity noticed is the Slash key that has been moved from under the Enter key towards Backspace, and smaller size of the latter. But as the “innovation” is many years old and there are lots of keyboards having such layout on the market, we won’t pay too much attention to this modernization.
All the symbols are written in gray and they aren’t very readable until you switch on the key illumination. The keys are made from soft-touch plastic, a bit harder to the touch than the cover, so your fingers won’t slip.
The whole upper panel above the line of function keys is performed from glossy black plastic and has icons and names of various multimedia functions on it. The icons are touch-sensitive keys responsible for certain functions. On the right of the logo, there is a flat round knob. It rotates by 270 degrees and adjusts the key backlighting intensity – from no illumination at all to quite bright light increasing readability considerably even at daytime.
Illumination is another important feature of SVEN Multimedia EL 4005 MH keyboard. It’s represented with electroluminescent light, blue on the touch panel and white on the main key panel. The brightness is adjusted in steps but the number of degrees is pretty high, so that the process is rather smooth. Unfortunately, illumination adjustment does not apply to powerful LEDs of operating modes – they are excessively bright in the dark.
Finally, another special feature of the keyboard is a USB hub with two ports located on the left and right sides. A hub is a very useful feature because a keyboard is always better accessible than the system unit, and if you are using a notebook, extra USB ports always come in handy. It should though be noted that input current acceptable by these ports is 150 mA, so it will be impossible to connect powerful devices like external hard drives. The hub operation mode is full speed USB 2.0.
The tilt of the keyboard to the surface it’s standing on can be changed due to its turndown legs. They lift the keyboard above the table slightly, and this appears to be the most comfortable position for most users.
The keyboard comes with a software disk. Although there’s no need to install the drivers if you are using Microsoft Windows XP and up – the operating system understands all additional keys, it starts appropriate applications, adjusts the volume, etc.
Typing on the keyboard is convenient. The keys are low profile, made in notebook style. During operation, the keyboard is quiet, the strokes are soft and precise enough. Pay special attention to this softness: those fond of clicking mechanical switches won’t appreciate it.
Sensors in the top area of the keyboard almost always work well. “Almost” because sometimes you have problems getting into the right area – the sensor is connected not to the whole inscriptions but to the icons only.
The cover performs its task well, protecting the keyboard from dust and dirt when it’s off. As wrist support, it’s not so comfortable as special soft palm rest pads on some other keyboards, but it’s what you pay for multifunctionality.
Conclusion
SVEN Multimedia EL 4005 MH keyboard draws attention with its unusual combination of functional features. It has softly adjustable key illumination, a built-in foldable cover (aka wrist support), a USB hub and sensor multimedia keys. All this is hidden in a rather delicate and strictly designed black case from pleasant-feeling plastic. The idea with a cover and illumination was carried out very successfully.